Lately I’ve been thinking about rituals.
Not the spell-slinging, tower-shaking, lightning-crack-across-the-sky kind. I still love those, obviously. But I’ve been drawn more to the quiet ones. The human ones. Lighting a candle at dusk. Pressing a hand to a doorway before leaving home. Whispering the same words before a vacation, even if no one’s listening but the wind.
I’m realizing I want to push my fantasy writing in that direction. Less spectacle, more soul. I want to write magic that feels worn into the bones of a place. The kind of spell that starts with grief, or celebration, or even just habit.
Basically, I want to write magic that feels like ritual.
Digging into the Real Stuff
So I’ve been exploring how real-world cultures use ritual, and the rabbit hole is deep in the best way. Across time and continents, rituals have helped people survive, connect, celebrate, and change. It’s not all robes and firelight either. Sometimes it’s a gesture. A taste. A silence.
Here are a few that sparked ideas:
- In ancient Celtic traditions, the festival of Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the start of the dark half of the year. People lit fires, wore masks, and made offerings for the dead. It was about more than fear. It was about thresholds and honoring what we cannot see.
- In some West African cultures, especially among the Dagara people, community-based initiation rituals help guide young people into adulthood. Author Malidoma Patrice Somé wrote about these in Of Water and the Spirit, and his descriptions of ritual as healing, transformative storytelling completely stopped me in my tracks.
- Shinto practice in Japan involves rituals of purification, respect, and presence. This overview from Britannica covers everything from shrine etiquette to seasonal festivals. There’s something beautiful about how everyday objects and actions are treated as sacred.
- And honestly, even something like the tradition of Dia de los Muertos in Mexico reminds me how fantasy can honor grief without needing to “fix” it. Ritual becomes a conversation between generations, not a spell to make pain disappear.
What This Means for My Writing
So now I’m asking myself questions like:
- What rituals would a magical academy use to welcome new students? Not just a sorting hat moment, but something quiet and personal.
- What does grief magic look like in a world where spells can touch memory? Do people still bury their dead? Do they speak their names into fire?
- How do different magical cultures practice their identity, not just defend it in battle?
- What happens when a ritual is broken, forgotten, or faked?
I’ve touched on these things here and there in my books, but I want to lean in more. I want the magic to grow from the emotional logic of the world, not just the mechanical one. Spells are cool. Rituals are meaningful.
They’re also full of creative tension. Because a ritual isn’t just about magic. It’s about why people need it. Which makes it perfect for storytelling.
What Do You Think?
I’d love to know what kind of magical rituals stick with you when you read. Do you love the big ceremonial stuff, or the subtle, intimate moments? Do you prefer your magic with rules and consequences, or do you want it messy and deeply human?
If you have a favorite book or cultural tradition that left a mark on you, send it my way. I’m genuinely curious what rituals you’ve carried from the stories you love.
Because if I’m going to keep growing as a storyteller, I want to make space for that kind of magic too.
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