Respect the Ritual
rit·u·al
/ˈriCH(əw)əl/ noun
a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.
adjective
Fun fact about Mec: I love etymology.
I love words. I love the meaning of words. I love learning how words came into existence and their origin.
Did you know that the word Ritual was first used as an adjective before it was used as a noun?
It originates from the word “Rites”, which in the context that I’m speaking from right now speaks to “a prescribed form or manner governing the words or actions for a ceremony” and “a ceremonial act or action”.
This is why for me personally, I’ve always looked at ritual as something to not only be observed, performed, and honored externally. I feel like there is a huge part of ritual that happens internally as well. Because of this, to respect yourself is to respect your ritual..and to respect your ritual is to respect yourself.
Not to give y’all a Language Arts lesson, but we know that adjectives are descriptors, and you can use an adjective to describe or modify a noun.
I don’t know about yall, but in order for me to fully describe something, I have to feel it. Embody it.
..most likely modify it too.
The phrase “Respect the Ritual” came to me one night as I sat doodling at my altar. No specific rhyme or reason..or anything that I was expecting or looking for. It just kinda dripped outta my pen as I was “sketching”..and yes, that goes in quotes because chile…
I can’t draw for shit..but them folks don’t care. They just wanted the time.
I didn’t even know what that meant when I first scribbled it down in my notebook. I kinda feel like I’m still unpacking it while I write this post. It’s been really important for me in this 12H Profection year that I’m wrapping up.
I’ve been asking myself what Respect the Ritual means to the me that I’m becoming familiar with..and because my writing is something that is heavily embedded in every verison of me, that’s up for discussion and exploration too.
Writing, crafting stories, narratives, and worlds is one of my many rituals. Not just the act of writing, or the finished product of writing..but how I prepare to write, how I set the vibe..but also the coming together of words.
It’s something that is so sacred to me that I felt the shift in my writing before I felt the shifts that have been occurring in my life the last four years. When my writing tone started to shift, I knew change was afoot. I didn’t know what it would look like, but I was absolutely put on notice.
The Mec that I was when I wrote my first book is not who I am now..and I feel so called to explore who is showing up now.
Finding new rituals, editing old ones, and saying goodbye to others.
..but one thing I am very clear about?
Whatever my ritual looks like, however it comes about…I fought to craft.
So I respect it or whateva.
Peace,
Mec