Reader Ed McMuffin writes, "A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with a pretty major illness. She's in treatment, and I'm sure she'll be fine, but I'd like to do some sort of healing ritual for her. She's given me blanket permission to go ahead, but I have no idea where to start. Any suggestions?"
Absolutely. Many magical traditions have deities associated with healing, so it's not out of the norm to ask these gods or goddesses for a bit of a helping hand. If your friend has indicated that she'd like you to do a healing ritual, you may want to look at this sample rite for ideas and inspiration: God and Goddess Healing Ritual
If you'd like to try your hand a writing a ritual of your own, or if you'd just like to send out a prayer or offering to a god associated with healing and wellness, be sure to read Deities of Healing.
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Absolutely. Many magical traditions have deities associated with healing, so it's not out of the norm to ask these gods or goddesses for a bit of a helping hand. If your friend has indicated that she'd like you to do a healing ritual, you may want to look at this sample rite for ideas and inspiration: God and Goddess Healing Ritual
If you'd like to try your hand a writing a ritual of your own, or if you'd just like to send out a prayer or offering to a god associated with healing and wellness, be sure to read Deities of Healing.
Follow Pagan/Wiccan on Twitter or Join Me On Facebook.
.Ed McMuffin,
I always begin my rituals by summoning the 4 elements, turning to the 4 directions N E S W, as I say their names. You may want to have with you symbols of them also, Incense for air, and potted plant for earth, a candle for fire, and a small shell full of water for sea and depending on the God/Goddess something to symbolize them.perhaps a crystal. I tuck them all in the pot at the end of the ritual, then pour the water over all. I Present the pot to the person being healed.
You can use whatever words you feel are appropriate but I begin my ritual with something like this:
Air and Earth Fire and Sea
God or Goddess (name)
I summon you all,
Pay heed to me!
My friend (name) has fallen ill
Needing more than doctor or pill
Please work thru me, to fix and bind
and heal (name) in body and mind
I hope this gives you a starting place for your ritual.
I will be doing a healing for your friend too.
Blessings on you both
Kat
I created a healing Ritual a few years ago for a friend who had been sexually abused when she was younger. It helped her take back what was taken against her will, and begin to heal and grow stronger. One of the most powerful, gratifying Rituals I’ve ever written or participated in.
I have been doing healing and absent healing for about 40 years now. I have read through the other comments and they seem to be a little over complicated unless you are very experienced. It would seem to me that you are not and need some simple guidelines.
The most simple thing that you can do is have a photograph of the person to hand or something that they have handles. If you need to have an alter, as a crutch then fine set up an alter, but really the only thing you need is a candle and your love. The words are for your benefit more than the person suffering. Not that words are a bad thing for concentrating your mind, but your own thoughts and your own words are always best and from the heart. Doreen Valiente was very clear on that.
But what ever you do, you must first learn to ground yourself. I was taught by the best and wisest of the craft in the UK. Grounding it seems to me is almost completely forgotten, perhaps because it takes years to get right and folks now do not it seems, have the time and that is a whole different subject.
If you are going to wonder around calling quarters then at least get the order right start in the East and finish in the North, but complete you line East again. But if you do this, you need to understand the reasoning behind the circle and in an inexperienced person this is going to get in your way.
In my experience healing is not about the words or a particular deity or the ritual. It is about being connected to the earths energies and transference of that energy from one to another. My best advice is just keep it simple and from your heart.
Many Blessings
John Belham-Payne
John Belham-Payne,
I am glad you have been taught by the best and the wisest of the craft, but you do not say which craft.
I am a hedgewitch, and a contrary. I am also self taught, and learn from the world around me more than anything.
The type example I stated has worked for me for over 20 years.
As for grounding, I am always grounded just by walking in the hedgerows.
Any pagan group or individual has their own things that work for them.
Ed McMuffin wanted to do a ritual for his friend. What I suggested is safe even if he is not real grounded. Leaving the potted plant for the ill person is a visable symbol that they can tend as they concentrate on their healing.
I am sure you did not mean to be critical.
Kat
John Belham-Payne,thank you for your comment.I’ve been studying for a little over three years now and there has been a feeling about rituals that I couldn’t seem to explain to myself because my thoughts were different from all I’ve read so far,your comment helped me a lot.
“Blessed Be” to all.