Ever had that feeling where you are staring at a blank sheet of paper and wondering what to write for your ritual?

Here are some writing prompts.

Esbats

• What is your favourite animal / bird / tree / flower / plant?
• Does it have any mythology associated with it?
• What is its life-cycle?
  • In relation to the ritual year?
  • In relation to the four elements?

• Who is your favourite mythological character / deity / being?
• What is their symbolism or their story?
• Can you retell it as a ritual drama?
• Do they have a relationship with a plant / animal / bird?

• Can you retell a well-known myth or folktale from a different perspective?

• What handicraft or gardening activities interest you?
  • Spinning, weaving, composting, planting, pruning, cooking, alchemy, science
  • Arachne, spiders, weaver birds, Pomona, Flora, etc.
  • Making poppets
  • Blessing tools
  • Planting seeds
• Can you come up with a ritual incorporating the activity or symbolism associated with it
• What deity is associated with the activity?
• What animal or bird is associated with the activity?

• Symbols and numbers
  • Pentagram, unicursal hexagram etc.
  • Walk the outline of the symbol
  • Planets, elements

• Folktales and stories
  • King Arthur cycle, Robin Hood tales, folk heroes, your local mythology (if you are a settler in a colonized country, don’t use Indigenous mythology)

Seasonal festivals

• What is the key aspect of the festival for you?
• What plants / animals / birds appear in your region at that time of year?
• What agricultural or handicraft activity is associated with the festival or the time of year?
• What foods are associated with the festival?
• What natural cycles are associated with the festival?
  • The water cycle (rain, evaporation, underground streams etc)
  • Plant cycles – seed, growing, fruiting, wilting, compost etc

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