Ritual Blood and Sharps

What is a ritual? Many of us can point out examples of rituals, but it's harder to answer what makes or defines something as a ritual. This is the question that must be answered before you can build your own ritual or engage in ritual behavior that you've designed.

Rituals have been part of every human civilization. They're at the heart of making meaning, marking the passing of life's transitions, and other important milestones. This class unravels the threads of what designates the ritual or the sacred.

This class isn't about copying already designed rituals. It's about being able to build things that are authentic to you, particularly in blood and sharps spaces.

We'll discuss things like:

• Theory: What makes a ritual a ritual, and what separates it from day-to-day mundane?

• Borrowing ethically: When borrowing aspects or inspiration from other rituals, how do we check to ensure it's ethical to do so?

• Spirituality: You don't have to believe in a higher power or entity to enjoy rituals or sacredness, or you may wish to integrate and engage with your own beliefs.

• Ritual themed scenes or roleplay vs. building a ritual: You may simply wish to engage with the aesthetics or theme of rituals. You may also wish to build a ritual that has power in your life.

• Setting the tone of your rituals: Your rituals can be as dark as you wish, or as warm and inviting as desired. You can build them around desires as a form of expression of self and artistic creation.

• Blood and sharps in ritual settings.

• Building a ritually enriched life, every day.

• And more...

This class does not approach rituals and ritual building from any particular practice or belief system. It instead approaches from a social science perspective that seeks the core aspects of ritual that are common to humanity, that can then be implemented personally and used to build greater respect and understanding for various practices.