There are many ways and reasons to make ritual a part of our daily lives. I'm not talking about put on your Ceremonial Robes and polish the Altar brass and gather with Magical friends at stroke of twelve... I mean the little rituals that you do by yourself, for yourself, every day. They vary from person to person, and change throughout our lives to fit where we are at that particular time in our lives. Every one has them, whether they recognize them as Ritual or not. They can be Spiritual or Mundane in nature. In my lifetime, my rituals have gone from full ritual, greeting the Goddess at Dawn with bell ringing, candle burning and incense billowing -to sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and thanking the setting Sun for all the good things that have happened that day. There was also a time when my Ritual was to open my eyes in the morning, rise from my bed thinking "Crap! I'm late! I don't feel good, work sucks, and if I didn't need the money so bad I'd just say screw it and go back to bed!" Usually, by the end of those days, all I could think of at night was "Dammit! I'm gonna have to go through this crap again tomorrow!" That was a particularly bad period in my life. Not because Karma was making me pay for past misdeeds or anything like that. Because I got what I looked for! Not because the Gods are so petty and small-minded that if you don't pay homage to them each and every day, they send nasty things to torment you. But because Like is attracted to Like. Because the Universe gives you what you ask for! Because, if you build a big enough barrier of negativity between you and all that the Universe has to offer, you'll never see the great opportunities for Joy in your life. Now , I'm not saying that if you Pollyanna your way through life bad things will never happen. Sometimes bad things happen through no fault of our own, for no discernible reason. But the way we react to those things can determine how crippling the situation becomes. About two years ago, I had a medical crisis in my life. I was hospitalized for almost a week and ended up spending several months in a nursing home. This whole episode was a result of years of self-indulgence and neglecting my physical health. It was a life altering situation. I had to make a choice during that time about how I was going to live the rest of my life. Because I re-acted in a positive fashion to a negative situation, my life now is much better and improving even more all the time. Things are getting better in most every area of my life because of the way I used that medical crisis as a catalyst. I was able to avail myself of resources that would never have been available to me under my previous situation. And I am using those resources as a springboard to a level of physical, mental and spiritual well-being that I might never have otherwise attained. Of course, it could have gone the other way. I could have allowed myself to be overcome by the seriousness of the situation and just swamped myself with the negative aspects of that crisis. And I would probably be dead right now - or wish that I were. My daily ritual of thankfulness and my improved awareness of the blessings in my life have attracted even more blessings to me. Because I am learning to focus more on the positive side of life than on the negative aspects of it, I find more and more opportunities for joy in my life. And so I ask that you look at the daily rituals in your life. Examine them. Are they based in need? (Do you 'need more money-'need' love in your life?) Because all you will find is more need coming to you as a result of the vibrations you are putting out there with your thoughts and actions. Learn to see the abundance in your life, rather than the lack, and soon you will find that you are living a truly abundant, joyous life!

And now the Herb for today is

Angelica
Protects against negative energy and attracts positive energy; creates a barrier against negative energy. Use in healing & exorcism incenses; scatter for purification, protection, and uncrossing. Add to incense to promote healing or to the bath to remove curses, hexes, or spells. Also thought to promote temperance. Sprinkle ground herb in the shoes to prevent tiredness and weakness. Sprinkle around the outside perimeter of the home for protection and exorcism. Burn to bring a lost love back to you.
Also Called: Masterwort, Archangel, Garden Angel, Angelica Root I like to use the dried root rather than the leaf - it seems to bring more power and strength

Well, that's about all for now.
May the Universe give you the ability to recognize all the joys in your life.