ritual

any customary observance or practice the prescribed procedure for conducting religious ceremonies stereotyped behavior of or relating to or characteristic of religious rituals

"ritual killing" of or relating to or employed in social rites or rituals

"a ritual dance of Haiti"

"sedate little colonial tribe with its ritual tea parties"- Nadine Gordimer

For the computer game developer, see Ritual Entertainment.''A ritual is a formalised, predetermined set of symbolic actions generally performed in a particular environment at a regular, recurring interval. The set of actions that comprise a ritual often include, but are not limited to, such things as recitation, singing, group processions, repetitive dance, manipulation of sacred objects, etc. The general purpose of rituals is to express some fundamental truth or meaning, evoke spiritual, numinous emotional responses from participants, and/or engage a group of people in unified action to strengthen their communal bonds. The word ''ritual'', when used as an adjective, relates to the noun 'rite', as in ''rite of passage''.Rituals may express a part of a larger social doctrine, or simply of a personal one. In religion, a ritual can comprise the prescribed outward forms of performing worship, the ''cultus'' or Cult (religion)cult of a particular observation within a religion or religious denomination. Although ritual is often used in context with worship performed in a church, the actual relationship between any religion's doctrine and its ritual(s) can vary considerably from religion to religion. Ritual often has a close connection with reverence, thus a ritual in many cases expresses reverence for a deity.Religious rituals have also included human sacrifice and other forms of ritual murder.In the occult, rituals are used as a process to achieve results. In Chaos magick, the theory behind ritual is that acting something out as if it were true causes the mind to believe that it is false. So belief, ritual and neuroscience are all linked.

Sociology - Outside worship and reverence, rituals can have a more basic sociology sociological function in expressing, inculcating and reinforcing the shared values and beliefs of a society. Rituals range from the grand and ceremonial (such as royal coronations) to the trite and everyday (such as handshake hand-shaking when people meet).Among other rituals that are not religious in nature are graduation ceremonies, presidential inauguration ceremonies, and oath of allegianceoaths of allegiance. Ritual thus is as much political as religious in orientation. Rituals have formed a part of human culture for tens of thousands of years. The earliest known evidence of burial rituals dates from around 20,000 years ago. (Older skeletons show no signs of deliberate 'burial', and as such lack clear evidence of the materialization of ritual.)Rituals can aid in creating a firm sense of group identity. Humans have used rituals to create a social bond and aleve the isolation that can be felt otherwise.

Psychology - In psychology, the term ''ritual'' sometimes refers to a specific action or series of actions that a person performs in a given context which otherwise has no apparent reason or purpose. The term may refer especially to compulsive behaviors of people afflicted with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

See also -

religion, ceremony, habit, rite, ''Rite of Spring'', liturgy, civil religion, ritualizationSpirituality Category:Cultural !conventionsda:Ritualde:Ritualh e:פולח ןja:儀式nl:Ritueelsv:R itual

The Enchanted World of Amy Zerner & Monte Farber
Truly free tarot readings - no signups of any kind - using the most sophisticated and accurate interactive tarot system in the world.
http://www.theenchantedworld.com

The Lycian Sanctuary
Official website for the Lycian Tradition of Wicca.
http://www.lycianwicca.org/

The Oklahoma Pagan Association
OKPagan is non-tradition specific. We are a networking group located within Oklahoma. We work with many groups and faith based systems to make available the many programs, classes, events, and opportunities that we offer our communities. Our interest is to make available information on multiple traditions, groups, covens, classes, and events within Oklahoma, to create an atmosphere where people from across the State can come together to experience different faith systems and practices, to help those who are looking for a specific group or class to more easily find it. We have grown exponentially since our start in 1997, and we have all of you to thank for that. We hope to grow even larger and offer more services and provide you even more. In order to do that please help us to further publicize this site by linking to it from your own group or personal web space. The instructions for doing so are found here.
http://www.okpagan.com/

Pyramid energy
development of energy pyramids, spiritual arts, energytraining, research in the use of kundalini yoga, chakrahealing, feng shui
http://www.pyramidenenergie.org/

Sodalitas Rosae+Crucis & Solis Alati
Sodalitas RosaeCrucis (S.R.C.) & Solis Alati (S.S.A.) is a new magical, mystical and alchemical Order, manifested in the fall of 2002 A.D., and publicly opened at the spring equinox 2003. Our intention is to bring together some of the main esoteric streams and movements within the western hermetic tradition, under the apophthegm of the Rosicrucian ideal, as stated in the Fama and Confession: a brotherhood, working in secrecy, focused on a sincere inner development of its members, thereby affecting the world at large, without any interest of financial gain. The purpose of the Order is the perpetuation and realization of the western hermetic tradition in this new era. Our work is to bring forth the Light of our predecessors, our Mothers and Fathers in Gnosis, Who have perpetuated Truth through the traditions of the Rosicrucian Order, the Primitive Rites of the Egyptians, the Royal Art of the Alchemists, The Concealed Mysteries of the Kabbalists & the Gnosis of our beloved Lady Sofia. We have active temples in Europe and USA.
http://www.rosae-crucis.net/

Erfahrene, kompetente Lebensberater. Lebensberatung Kartenlegen Reiki Pendeln Horoskope Astropsychologie Traumdeutung
Lebensberatung für die großen und kleinen Probleme im Alltag, im Job und in der Liebe durch erfahrene Astrologen, hellsichtigen Medien und Kartenlegern. Tel. 0900 33 34 35 01 00
http://www.haende-die-helfen.de/

Kyborg Institut & Verlag
Entwicklung von Energiekonzepten auf der Basis dea Kundalini Yoga, Entwicklung der Energiepyramiden.
http://www.kyborg-institut.de/

Invisible House Society
The Invisible House Society provides resources for Hermetic and Thelemic magical and mystical training, and the establishment of the Law of Thelema.
http://www.invisiblehouse.org/

New Hope Foursquare Church
A Place to Belong.
http://www.newhopefoursquare.org/

BLACK CHANNEL Air + Net Radio Show
BLACK CHANNEL Air + Net Radio Show presents the world of WAVE, GOTHIC, INDUSTRIAL, DARK TECHNO, Electro, RITUAL, EXPERIMENTAL, Ambient and Avangarde via Streaming Real Audio Broadcasting
http://www.blackchannel.org/

Kyborg Institut & Verlag
20 Jahre Forschungs und Praxis für das Verständnis von Mensch und Energie auf der Basis des Kundalini Yoga, Entwicklung der Energiepyramiden und neuer, magischer und spiritueller Instrumente
http://www.kyborg-institute.org/

Ritual Entertainment
Developer of PC Games such as Blair Witch Volume 3, Heavy Metal F.A.K.K.2, and Sin.
http://www.ritual.com/

Ritual
The unsung hereos of heavy music have their music on their site in MP3 format.
http://www.ritualnet.com

Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Having three main purposes: to disseminate accurate religious information, to expose religious fraud, hatred and misinformation, and to disseminate information on "hot" religious topics.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/