I've spent some time this past month pondering the nature of ritual. Whether or not we consider ourselves religious or spiritual, most of us indulge in some sort of ritual at one time or another. The way we dress, the way we light the candles on a birthday cake, even the way we sign our name can often involve a certain amount of [often unnoticed] personal ritual.

Why do we do it? Why do we need ritual? I suspect that often it acts as a sort of safety net, a protective veil against the vagaries of luck and the world. Deep down we know that stepping on the cracks in the pavement won't make a jot of difference to our lives, and yet I still see people trying to avoid them, altering their step so they tread only on the central square of the pavement.

Personally, I like to indulge in ritual purely because done propery, I find it makes me more aware of time. Taking a moment to bow to the new moon (or in my case, any moon at all) helps me link up with the present. It makes me aware of the moment, of my place in the world that surrounds me.

My other rituals include thanking Our Lady of the Parking Space whenever I find somewhere to park (if you'd seen the way I park you would understand this is no trivial matter!) and thanking our House Brownie whenever he fixes or finds something for me. I always breathe a prayer when I blow out a candle even though most people believe you should always snuff candles out. I make a wish on the first strawberries of the year. And also on the first new potatoes and the first fresh peas.

But, as usual, I'm curious. Do you have any personal rituals you'd care to share here on my blog?