Content Revised July, 1998
Creating and Participating in a Smoking Ritual
First of all, Congratulations! It takes a special kind of courage and panache to try something new and it would serve as a fine opening to this section to take a moment to acknowledge our ability to summon up from the depths of our beings these special qualities.
In preparation for creating a Smoking Ritual for personal use, let’s summarize the basic idea:
Ritual Smoking is a conscious and appropriate use of tobacco and as such is a choice, something done at special times and in a special places, maybe with special smoking accessories, and maybe in the company of others who share and know how to participate in smoking as a ritual as well. Above all, Ritual Smoking is done for pleasure, for the connection to spirits it invokes, and as a wholly positive experience. Ritual Smoking is a singular activity, it is not something done while attempting to accomplish anything else: It calls for your complete and focused attention and rewards that attention with an experience which expands the boundaries of awareness and pleasure.
To begin, lets break our Ritual down into three basic components:
- Getting things ready
- Initiating & Conducting the Ritual
- Closing the Ritual
The preparation for a Smoking Ritual depends, at least initially, upon where you’re starting from. Most likely, you’re currently in one of three places with smoking in general:
- You’ve never smoked (or maybe tried it once and didn’t like it)
- You used to smoke and quit, but would like to experience Ritual Smoking
- You are currently, to some degree, a habitual smoker
If you have never smoked before, you’re preparation will involve the need to become comfortable with the process of smoking. The space of Ritual Smoking is an excellent place to do this, but just keep in mind that you will be undertaking two tasks: learning the basics, and setting up a ritual.
If you used to smoke (habitually, I assume) and quit, you are probably in the most advantageous position to participate in Ritual Smoking because you will be familiar with the act of smoking itself, but will most likely have shed the routines that were associated with your previous habit.
If you’re a current habitual smoker, I’d recommend creating a break between your usual smoking patterns and your first attempt at Ritual Smoking. You’re going to need to allow your attitude toward smoking to shift, and to do this it would help to let the routines of your old ways of smoking loosen their grip a bit. So give it some time. Maybe a day, a few days, a week. You decide. Give it a rest but, then again, don’t try to initiate Ritual Smoking in a state of discomfort.
Before we launch into the details of deciding where, when, and how to conduct a smoking ritual, let me call your attention to my discussion of Choosing Cigarettes for Ritual Smoking. It has been my experience that the choice of cigarettes can lend a very special quality to the ritual we’re trying to create, and I thought the subject deserved a section of its own.
So, here we go.
Time
One of the most wonderful aspects of Ritual Smoking is its ability to alter the perception of time. So it should come as no surprise that the time you choose for your Smoking Ritual is of some importance. Try to select a portion of your day which will leave you with fifteen to thirty minutes of uninterrupted time. You’re going to want a few minutes to prepare yourself, the time needed to smoke, and time afterward to enjoy and let the experience sink in. A few guidelines:
- Avoid moods of urgency. If you’ve just commuted home through rush-hour traffic, sit down for a bit and let your mood change to something more conducive to appreciation. We don’t want to bring tension into our Ritual Space.
- Avoid times when you are tired. Ritual Smoking calls upon all of our senses and a fully alert attention. If you are tired, take a quick nap before you begin.
- Avoid times when you really should be doing something else. There’s nothing that will break the continuity of a ritual quicker than the feeling that you shouldn’t be doing it. There’s a time for work, and a time for ritual. Don’t try to mix the two. Experiment with different times to see what works best for you.
Setting
Ritual Smoking requires quiet, a minimum of distraction, and no interruptions. I prefer a location in which the smoke will not linger nor be absorbed into walls and furniture, so I rarely conduct a ritual indoors. If an outdoor location is available, give it a try. Maybe your backyard or a quiet park are available. If you live in a harsh climate and it’s that time of year, indoor locations also make excellent ritual spaces. Maybe you have a den, study or other room which would be ideal for the mood we’re trying to create. Use what is available to you, and remember, if one place doesn’t work, you can always try another. I suppose it probably goes without saying, but don’t try to conduct a Smoking Ritual where anyone is going to ask you to please not smoke.
Company
Don’t be afraid to include others in your Smoking Ritual. I’ve found that the feeling of a ritual can be more easily initiated and carried forward with a partner who shares my intention. Keep in mind though, that if you do include others, you’ll want to be careful to choose people who understand and share your intentions. If someone offers to just "sit down and have a cigarette with you," consider declining. Ritual Smoking has little relation to it habitual counterpart, and we don’t want anything to detract from the mood we’re trying to create.
Initiating & Conducting the Ritual
Ah, now we get to the fun part! At this point you should have selected a brand of cigarettes which are appealing to you and are appropriate to our intentions, you have located a place which, at least initially, seems like it would serve as a good ritual space, and you’ve chosen a time which leaves you relatively free of distraction and interruptions.
So Let Us Begin!
Get your cigarettes, a lighter or matches and an ash tray, and adjourn to your designated space at the appropriate time.
Find a comfortable place to sit and get settled. Place your cigarettes and ash tray within reach and take a moment to clear you mind. At this point, I always offer a few words of thanks to the spirit of the tobacco plant and invite her to share this space with me. You may not feel comfortable with this, which is just fine. Before you decide one way or the other, you might want to read my thoughts on Ritual Smoking and Magic. As an alternative, you can take a deep breath to two, or go through a little process to relax yourself. Whatever you decide, try to arrive at a point of relative calm from which to enter the ritual.
When you feel ready, take a cigarette from your pack and, before placing it between your lips, run it under you nose. Take a deep breath and appreciate the wonderful smell of the tobacco. Appreciate the appearance of the cigarette, any artwork which adorns it, how it feels between your fingers, and any other features which appeal to you. When you’re ready, slowly place the cigarette between you lips, then reach for your lighter. Light the cigarette slowly, drawing through it gently, careful to get a good light. As you begin smoking, focus on your senses. Be careful not to let your mind wander off and begin to think about anything outside of what you’re presently doing. If you’re a former habitual smoker, SLOW DOWN! Remember, our focus here is on choice, pleasure, and altering our perception of time. What you choose to focus on beyond this point is a matter of personal choice and temperament. Keep in mind that smoke, in one form or another, has been used in ritual for centuries. Perhaps its most common function has been as an agent of cleansing and purification. See if you can feel the smoke purifying you, if it draws residual stress from your body as you exhale. I find every ritual to be unique to some degree and that that uniqueness is dependent upon the time of day, my state of mind, and how relaxed and attentive I’m feeling. Pay attention to any imagery which may come to you, and to the alterations of awareness which occur. If an image seems particularly inviting, follow it for a while. Above all, smoke slowly and with attention. See if you can get in touch with a part of your life which exists outside of the hectic pace of modern life. Whatever you choose to focus on, try to keep the mundane details of your life on hold until the conclusion of the ritual. If you find them creeping in, gently bring your focus back to the space, to your smoking, and the ritual involved. As you become more adept at focusing on your Smoking Ritual, you might want to begin exploring some of the aspects of smoking I discuss in Ritual Smoking and Magic.
When you cigarette is done, gently put it out in the ash tray and sit quietly for a moment. Let yourself come to a sense of appreciation of what you’ve just done. Did anything clarify itself during your ritual? Did any insights make themselves known? We’re not looking for any epiphanies here, just a quiet review to see if the world looks a little different as a result of our ritual. (I always liken this to checking under my pillow for a visit from the tooth fairy when I was a kid). Before I get up, I offer another small thanks to the spirit of tobacco for her companionship, and then I declare the ritual to be closed. I find that a ritual is special time which needs a definite beginning and end. So in whatever way seems appropriate, close your ritual. When you’re ready, collect your cigarettes, ash tray and lighter and return them to a special spot for safe keeping until your next ritual.
And that’s it.
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