Ritual could be said to be the handprint of the divine on earth. It is an example of the work of analogy and a principle explained in the emerald tablet: As above, so below. The lower mirroring the higher and the law of analogy enacted in an explicit sense. The Greek training deals with the ordering of the fundamental attributes of the human person. The body is strengthened and purified by diet and exercise while the soul is tempered by hard work and a habit of silence. To align the spirit of the man what actions can we take to break free from chaotic forces pulling us this direction and that and become an ordered whole?

Ritual is something that we cannot escape and something that most people crave whether they admit to it or not. While we live in a disenchanted world we still take part in ceremony and ritual despite how banal they are. Birthday parties have a ritual structure as silly as it may sound on the surface. Singing, feasting, gift giving, and wishes are all ceremonial elements with deep significance whether we recognize them are not. You would think our materialistic inclinations would scoff at  recognizing the arbitrary occasion of when we arrived kicking and screaming into this valley of tears. However, even the most reddit of commentators would not be such a wet blanket to decry the act of a ceremonial celebration and probably hide themselves under a blanket of recognizing the inescapable aspect of culture as a binding force.

To simplify a bit the general decline of ritual could be seen partly  due to the influence of the reformation. To some of the super correct they could see the emphasis on sacraments, relics, processions, and feast days as an all too human superstitious methods of manipulation of the divine. They felt that the internal agreement and belief of the individual was primary and that any external signs were superfluous to this state. They’re not completely off the mark though that language is a bit unfair. Ritual is an act of rapprochement with Heaven an act of relationship that aims at aligning the internal state with that of the divine. But the divine is always much stranger than we could expect. The Divine fire that orders the universe interpenetrates our chaotic realms in ways that are odd, unexpected, sometimes dark but always edifying to those with eyes to see. Some might be disconcerted with eucharistic miracles, weeping statues, or ecstatic states but that means that things are working. The transformation of consciousness is a destructive and unsettling process and the light that shines down from the sacraments will often look different when the sun goes down.

Of course, things don’t have to be this dramatic. For the most part this will be in structuring of the day. Take time each day to intersperse divine things in our lives. Begin the day with meditation and prayer at a personal altar each morning. The altar should face east, the direction of the rising sun. Afterwards you should go over a plan for the rest of the day. This should be simple and in a later article I will go over some military principles that can be helpful. Throughout the day you should offer prayers asking for heavenly assistance from the beings governing your various activities: work, travel, communicating with others, and avoiding getting shanked or kidnapped. For example: a prayer St. Christopher before traveling or to St. Joseph or whatever patron for your profession.

In the evening I recommend you keep a journal and write what went well, what went poorly and whatever thoughts you have in mind. Afterwards set some evening time for prayer and meditation before sleep. One of the fundamental rituals of the Templar order was the divine office. This was an ancient form of prayer that took place during different “hours” throughout the day based on the qualitative times throughout the day. Being in a combat context tends to add a degree of difficulty to keeping up with this monastic discipline and many knights were illiterate so the rule came up with substituting Our Father prayers instead. It may be difficult to keep up with the divine office as a civilian but keeping these hours in mind and taking part in the prime and vesper prayers would be a good addition and a connection to the original Templars.

With the ravaging of community life thanks to the dread flu of the east communal ritual has been gutted. Even before then these moments have suffered thanks to the alienation omnipresent in the modern West. However, there is still ritual moments to be found especially among the forgotten Midwest that is charmingly out of step with cursed urban centers. If you can, take part in the corny festivals and holidays. The ancients knew to honor the gods of the polis and there’s no reason you should stop now. You might even want to start your own rituals and invite friends, family, and associates and invite them to your reverse engineered great mead hall. Of course, be careful of the company you keep.

Put these actions into practice and harmonize your life with the seasons and the heavens. Perhaps then your life will cease to look like a leaf blown about by wicked winds but a carefully crafted ritual directed to transcending the mundane.