The Power of a Healing Spiritual Ritual: Transform Your Health and Find Inner Peace

Feeling stuck or overwhelmed? Rituals, whether spiritual or simply intentional, can be powerful tools to reset, reflect, and create space for growth in your life.

Rituals are a growing trend on social media as we see online spiritual astrology groups discuss full moon rituals full of ecstatic dancing, tarot card reading, and crystal-recharging.

Whether you embrace spirituality or not, spiritual rituals can be an essential tool for use in your healing journey towards health and inner peace.

A ritual "is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, and objects, performed in a sequestered place, and performed according to set sequence 11."

 Even as children, we were introduced to rituals with this scene from Nemo.

Get comfortable, have a good laugh, and connect with your self-growth and healing journey... like little Nemo here is doing.

Table of Contents

1	Introduction to Spiritual Healing Rituals
2	Adding Spiritual Healing Rituals To Your Life Is Easier Than You Think
3	Create Your Own Rite of Passage Spiritual Healing Rituals
4	A personal story of fire enlightening my journey
5	How Rituals With Fire Allow For Passing and Renewal
6	Create your Own Spiritual Healing Ritual

Introduction to Spiritual Healing Rituals

Fire has always been symbol of renewal, clearing the old for the new to blossom.

In forests, fires are a natural way to have a reset, burning away at the dead organic matter that has been stunting the growth of new, young plants. In turn, the incinerated dead material renews the forest by releasing nutrients into the soil, fertilizing it and supporting future growth. 1

As we humans are also a part of nature, we are nature, shouldn’t burning away our dead material also have the same effect on our lives?

               “Our aboriginal people view themselves as one with nature. They don’t even have a word for “the environment,” because they view trees and plants and animals, the natural world, as people equal to themselves.” – Suzzanne Simmard, author of Finding the Mother Tree 

We need these moments of renewal, of letting-go, in order to nourish the new, positive growth to come.

Not something we just do willy-nilly, haphazardly, but something that we do with intention and deep significance at special moments in our lives.

Now, Nemo, find your sense of adventure.

If your brain is going a bit Dory mode… feeling lost, confused, maybe getting into some trouble and walking off the path on the great journey; invite a newfound, playful practice of spiritual healing rituals into your life.

Surrender to this good-for-you comfort read, light some candles, and learn how to light the fire within, in your own special ✨ way.

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Surrender To The Journey

Adding Spiritual Healing Rituals To Your Life Is Easier Than You Think

Adding rituals to your life is much simpler than you might think. Rituals that celebrate growth, change, and renewal are already a large part of almost every individual's life.

Think weddings, birthday parties, funerals, and job promotion celebrations with friends.

These kinds of rite-of-passage 2 rituals have a general underlying wellbeing benefit of allowing your successes to sink-in: cherishing them and implanting the ability for renewal and change into your life. Science shows that the momentum for positive change diminishes if you don’t cherish these moments and mentally move on to the next goal or plan right away.

In positive psychology, the world-renowned psychologist, Martin Seligman, helped develop the well-being theory, including the facet that savoring accomplishments is essential for well-being 3.

However, rituals involving burning carry a specific, special significance in human kind’s past – aligning us with nature, the natural cycles, and creating huge opportunities for change and growth.

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Hold your boat,

We are not referring to the ancient rituals of burning and sacrificing animals or humans to the gods that was often practiced by ancient civilizations 4.

The significance of ancient tribes making sacrificial rituals surrounded making offerings to the gods, which you can make a part of your rituals in a … more… humane way.

But, let’s focus first on spiritual rituals for letting go and growth - these 'rite of passage' type rituals.

Rite of passage, ceremonial event, existing in all historically known societies, that marks the passage from one social or religious status to another12.

Focus

Baby steps…like remembering one thing at a time 😅

Without any significant societally deemed 'achievement' that indicates a rite of passage ritualistic celebration, you can create your own rite of passage at moments in your life when you are ready for change, ready to indite your own change.

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Create Your Own Rite of Passage Spiritual Healing Rituals

Healing spiritual rituals can just be about burning away the old to make room for the new.

You can utilize the rejuvenating and powerful (shall we say fiery 😉) energy of fire with candles, incense, palo santo wood, or even a large backyard firepit.

Maybe you are familiar with this fire-related ritual….hmmmm… not naming names here.😂 

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If you take part in a religion, they likely utilize a mix of ritualistic methods that incite growth and inner peace.

Traditional Religious Ritualistic Methods for Self Growth

Christianity

• Baptism

  • Dunking the individual’s head under holy water marking them as ‘changed’ and ‘devoted’ after surfacing from the depths

• Holy Communion (the Eucharist)              

  • Devouring the bread and blood of Christ to become one with him.

Native American Religions (Spiritualism)

• Spending many days absorbed in nature while fasting and praying – part of the Vision Quest

• Making tobacco ties for Sweat Lodge ceremonies

  • Placing a personal wish (such as for personal peace or happiness) onto a portion of tobacco, rolling and tying it into pieces of cloth (making them look like ghosts), then hanging them in the Sweat Lodge - letting them burn and be granted by the spirits.       

• The utilization of burning incense for cleansing (such as white sage)

Hinduism

• Fire sacrifices

  • The term ‘yajña’ or ‘homa’ refers to a ritual sacrifice wherein symbolic materials such as ghee, grains and incense are thrown into a special fire pit. 5

• Mantra recitation

  • Creating shrines for deities (for example), honoring them, making sacrifices to them, and praying at their base.

Islam

• Performing purification cleanses of washing the body with water while praying.

• Fasting

  • Literal Fast: Abstaining from food, drink, smoking or sexual relations.

  • Moral Fast: Avoiding acts such as lying, gossip and anger.

  • Spiritual Fast: Cutting out distractions in order to intensify one’s spiritual practice and experiencing a greater closeness to God.

    
    

Buddhism

• Chanting or recitation of the Pali Canon 6.

• Inciting protective qualities onto bracelets.

  • Usually in the form of a string that is chanted on by a monk and then tied onto the individual’s wrist.

Whether you are religious or not, these practices are nice stepping stones towards finding your personally magical and soothing rituals.

Maybe you will find a greater connection with your religion’s sacred past or take notes towards creating your own practice.

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Rituals are spiritually healing, as we connect with the fire element, feeling our deep connection with all things and finding peace within that deep knowing and understanding.

Maybe you choose to only see rituals as a self-growth step, if you don’t connect with spirituality terms on your personal development path.

Whatever floats your boat….

Corny… but isn’t that really what life is all about?

Sticking to your path, letting others do what is good for them, and personalizing practices to fit your own needs.

Listening to what your own body needs is an essential towards deeper personal development.

Listening mindfully to what you need in each moment for healing.. to benefit yourself… and those around you.

Have fun with it, adventure around, let it be a journey just like life is… towards finding the spiritual rituals that work for you.

And let the fire light your path.

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A personal story of fire enlightening my journey

For my yoga teacher training, I visited the southern Thai island of Koh Samui.

This travel was a deep part of a period of self-development and reflection while embarking on interesting travel journeys throughout the year.

I had also recently moved to a new country where I didn’t feel so welcomed as an American, and I was adjusting to cultures and ideas about the world that were different than the one I had grown up in.

Flash forward to the last week of almost a month of highly intensive yoga training.

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It was a full moon night

The training studio had a tradition of inviting the newbie teachers onto a full moon ritual journey.

While I was an up-and-coming yoga teacher that was well aware of the spiritual philosophy of yoga, I was still a “rituals are satanic” and “manifestation is a lie because you have to work hard, not just wish on it” type of person.

I had no idea of the power of even the simplest rituals, and how they were about to completely jump-start my life and self-growth journey.

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On this full moon day, we intentionally snorkeled in the warm Thai sea, revitalizing ourselves in nature and the element of water.

But, this was only the beginning of the enchanting night to come. 🌙

Our almost unrealistically blissful, comfortably at peace yoga teacher set up a beautiful array of objects over a tapestry on the terrace of the yoga studio, in order to soak in the full moon light during the ceremony.

There were lights, tarot cards, music instruments including drums, bells, and sound bowls.

To begin the full moon ritual, each of us grabbed an instrument and created spontaneous warm, healing music while singing, chanting, and dancing together.

It was a beautiful moment…. during which a fellow trainee let me know that I should never be allowed to play the drums ever again 😂

As the full moon glow set in, we were enlisted to write down on a scrap of paper things that we wished to let go of. Anything that was holding us back and required intentional release in order to grow.

Then the magical yoga teacher went around the circle of us newly inspired witches and gave each of us a tarot reading; then lit incense, drifting the smoke around our heads and bodies, cleansing us.

She then lit fire to our papers with our wishes, our little dreams of freedom.

Each teacher would carefully hold their paper over a metal bowl, letting the burning and release sink in before their eyes within the disappearing paper and their own bodies and minds.

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The now Incinerated Insights I released (what I wrote on the scrap of paper)

• Being afraid of looking confused to others

  • Honestly impossible to avoid while travelling and during any life changes.

• The inauthenticity from the fear of being known as ‘American’

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Then…

Did you guess it?

We all stripped naked and jumped into the ocean.

Bathing in the full moon light.

Really… I’m not lying 😅

This was not as crazy as you think though.

The beach was completely secluded and it was pitch black.

No one could see our pale little muscular behinds (intensive yoga training, remember ;)).

It was a moment completely for ourselves, for letting loose, embracing our newfound freedom, and soaking in the feminine power of the moon.

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This ritual, this one night of taking intentional spiritually healing rites for change created a huge and lasting impact on my self-growth journey, in my well-being overall.

Although the entire process was likely conducive to the instilled sense of change and renewal, I felt that one aspect had the greatest impact on my personal development - the fire! The fire burning of our Incineration Intentions, the things we needed to let go of, was an absolutely indispensable tool for freedom from the mental chains that were holding us back from taking steps forward in life.

I truly do not know when, if ever, I would have released this inability to be authentically myself that was tied to a fear of seeming not good enough, looking like a confused little American girl.

Now, therapy can definitely do the job too.

But, we are talking about home, DIY, easy, and cheap ways to create holistic health for yourself.

And, utilizing the element of fire to embrace change to rise like a phoenix stronger and more confident after repairing weak spots in your wings, is one such simple way.

These spiritual healing rituals can sound confusing, out of reach, voodoo, and satanically sacrificial.

Here’s how they work, why you should give them a try.

Then, we’ll talk about how to mold your own personally beneficial practices.

How Rituals With Fire Allow For Passing and Renewal

• The element of fire can be felt spiritually or metaphorically as a fierce and powerful changemaker.

• Burning herbs (like incense or tobacco) releases cleansing fumes into the air that cleanse and rejuvenate your home and body.

  • Whether you feel spiritually connected with the cleansing from the incense fumes or not, the placebo effect can make anything occur as long as you convince yourself of it enough ;)

• Burning is connected with release of the old to make way for the fresh and new - such as in forests.

• Fire is a haven for spirits, such as in Native American Spirituality, in which your transformation can be assisted by the spirits.

• The element of fire can be a metaphorical light on your path and connected with specific cycle changes in nature, such as the awakening of light during the March (spring) equinox.

  
  

Let’s dive into the art of utilizing spiritual healing rituals to connect with nature and yourself.

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Spiritual Healing Rituals to Connect With Your Natural Rhythms

On top of spiritual rituals allowing a space for renewal, self-growth, and finding inner peace, they also connect us with the natural cycles of the Earth🌎.

The Gregorian calendar was created in 1582 by Pope Pius the XIII at the Council of Trent in an effort to instill a singular doctrine of Christianity amongst all European nations states 7. Although the previous Julian Calendar (created by Julius Caesar) had begun the first steps, the sowing of the Gregorian calendar as the European timekeeping model weeded out human’s long-held connection with nature and the related benefits.

How?

Before these calendar shifts, indigenous human civilizations aligned every part of their life with the cycles of the solar system. They understood that they were naturally connected with its rhythms, as we were also part of nature, and thus affected by its changes.

They constructed immaculate and unbelievably huge (that’s what she said… we hope ;)) temples and other monuments aligned with the exact locations of the winter solstice and spring equinox.

               For example, the pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico was built in a direction that allows serpent-like formations of light to play on the pyramid's sides during the spring equinox, the time that the Mayans referred to as “the return of the Sun Serpent”8.

               And in Peru, at the site of Machu Pichu, a large stone sits on top of the sacred mountain structure, positioned specifically for each corner of the stone to face at exact north, south, east, and west points. The stone was placed at these specific measurements to be an exact indicator of the equinoxes, as the shadow behind the stone only disappears at mid-day on those dates.

You can see the high importance that the ancient humans placed on being aligned with the seasons’ cycles. And not only for agricultural reasons.

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Rituals involving the solstice and equinox have been a tradition around the world, not only in South America.

The Nordic countries are known for their Mid-Summer Celebrations (yes, the movie Midsommar is… halfway true) celebrating the return of light and vital energy after their long, dark winters with many fertility-related ceremonies. It is also traditional in Chinese culture to have summer solstice rituals involving the feminine yin energy and honoring the earth. During the winter solstice, the ancient Chinese would practice ceremonies celebrating yang masculine energy and the heavens 9.

And surprise, surprise, most Northern and Central European ancient tribes ritualistically welcomed the energy of spring with fire 🔥: with couples ceremoniously jumping through flames together.

               Talk about getting through rough patches together, phew.

Connecting with Earth’s natural shifts and energy changes was an important aspect of ancient traditions, that we have been missing out on under the date shifts of the Gregorian calendar system. Where the dates of the special ritualistic times of change and renewal of the solstices and equinoxes was marked and cherished by ancient humans, has been erased and replaced with important Christianity-based holidays, or just important tax-filing dates 😢boringggg.

By connecting your fiery, enlightening burning and letting go spiritual healing rituals with important Earth cycle dates, you can connect yourself back to the rhythms of nature. Get in touch with your circadian rhythms and see significant lightning-fast improvements in your well-being 10.

Create your Own Spiritual Healing Ritual

Perhaps you are now feeling the energy and power of the fire!

Today, could be a nice day to begin your healing with rituals journey by embracing the energy of this Pisces New Moon. It already invites the themes of healing, cleansing, and release before the upcoming arrival of March and spring!

Easy Home Ways to Ignite Self-Growth with Fire-based Rituals

• Light a candle while doing a self-growth activity, such as, journaling, writing intentions, chanting affirmations, doing yoga, or meditating

  
  

• Make Incineration Intentions and hold them to your heart – committing fully to letting these things go that are holding you back from growth. Now, you are ready to burn those suckers! Open your windows…. Or, take the fire outside (safety first 😉) and use a lighter or candle to incinerate that dead material.

  
  

• Light incense like Palo Santo wood or white sage to cleanse and release bad/negative energy. Also open your windows here, an important step not only to reduce the risk of suffocation or just the smoke alarm setting off, but also to actually release the negative energy that you have cleansed throughout your body and home. Otherwise, it stays stuck in your house!

Now, wooo-hooo 🎉, this article read was truly like the Finding Nemo journey, as Nemo.

Encountering strange knowledge, new groups and cultures, and rite of passage rituals of your own.

All while gaining a thorough understanding of rite of passage rituals and how to utilize them, with the help of the fire element, to incite change by releasing the old, dusty, and heavy things in your life towards lightness, peace, and growth. 😊