In a mundane world that glorifies youth and beauty, it can be a challenge for pagan women to hold sacred the inner beauty of the goddess within each of us. This ritual is a fun celebration to have with some of your favorite women in your life to recognize the beauty within each other and most especially within yourself.
Supplies
Altar
- Smudge stick/incense and implement of fire (i.e. matchbox or lighter)
- Salt and water
- Altar decorations in keeping with theme. You may choose to decorate the altar with some of the supplies for the ritual activities, such as the chalice and mirrors. I also placed a statue of Freya on the altar because for me, she is the quintessential goddess of beauty and strength.
Activities
- Copies of Poems
- Images of beauty
- Paper or journals (something to write on) and pens
- Scraps of paper
- Chalice
- Handheld mirrors (either one to pass around or one small one for each participant)
- Beauty Affirmations playlist
Inner Beauty Ritual Ideas
I hope you will use these ideas as inspiration to craft your own celebration of inner beauty to reflect your own values, preferences and needs. This ritual was originally performed with a group of five beautiful women who have circled together for over 10 years. You may wish to make it more gender mixed or gender neutral, geared toward different spiritual practices, or include ways for participants to get to know each other if they are unfamiliar.
If you are pagan or Wiccan, purify and cleanse the space and cast the circle according to your own tradition. However, these activities can easily be adapted to other spiritual paths.
True Beauty
Open by reading the poem “True Beauty” by Jean Melanie Pullman.
True beauty is in the way she laughs
True beauty is in her eyes
True beauty is how she acts
True beauty is inside
True beauty is unseen
True beauty is only felt
True beauty is not mean
True beauty is herself
True beauty can’t be cruel
True beauty is bare
True beauty within you
True beauty is always there
True Beauty can’t be covered with makeup
True beauty means true love
True beauty can’t be baked up
True beauty is the flight of a dove
True beauty has no flaws
For True beauty is all that matters after all
What is inner beauty?
Use words and images to start exploring together how we view beauty. As people share and identify words and phrases to describe beauty, write them on the small scraps of paper available and place them in the empty chalice.
Ask, “What makes you feel beautiful?” and invite participants to write it down and share their thoughts with the group.
Next, explore images of beauty. For our ritual, I provided images of women and nature I had collected (greeting cards, oracle cards, clippings from magazines). You could also provide magazines and allow participants to cull through them. Once participants find an image or two that exemplifies beauty for them, ask them to share the image and what it evokes for them. Add the images to the altar.
Invite some discussion. Ask something like, “What is the difference between what society tells us is beautiful and what we believe true beauty is?”
Inner Beauty Affirmations
When all participants have had the opportunity to share, ask each woman to draw a slip of paper from the chalice (remember, you’ve been collecting these!) Each person should turn to her left and tell the sister to her left how she embodies the description of beauty captured on the paper.
Go around one more time and have participants to draw one more description. Now have each woman look at herself in the mirror and tell herself how she embodies this description of beauty. Though I am a believer in allowing each participant in a ritual to choose their own level of participation, I believe this is one activity where no one should be allowed an easy pass.
As each woman shares her inner beauty, the group should sing back to her:
[Name], you are beautiful
[Name], you belong
Wonderful to be with, as we go along.
[Name,] hear our loving song.
After everyone has recognized her inner (and outer!) beauty, finish by reading the poem “Your Beauty” by Obi Onyenwe. With apologies to the poet, I recommend changing the pronoun “Your” to “My” as it occurs so we can become more comfortable claiming our own beauty. Go around the circle, each person reading one line, until you reach the final line, which should be read in unison at the top of your voice!
My Beauty
My Beauty is like a divine Fire
My Beauty speaks louder than words
My Beauty is fierce yet powerful
My Beauty is out of this world
My Beauty is too Sexy
My Beauty is BOMB
My Beauty is Beautiful
My Beauty is 100% proof
My Beauty is untouchable
My Beauty is Undefined
My Beauty is a true Goddess Gift
My Beauty is Pure
My Beauty is limitless
My Beauty is TOO MUCH
Close the circle according to your tradition and get ready to feast! During the feast, consider playing a playlist of songs to affirm your beauty. For our ritual, I created a CD and gave it to each participant. I still tear up when I listen. Below you will find the songs I chose; use these or find your own inspiration!
Beauty Affirmations Playlist
- Beautiful — Christina Aguilera
- Born This Way — Lady Gaga (the song starts about 2:35 on this video, but the beginning myth is worth watching)
- I am Woman — Helen Reddy
- Phenomenal Woman — Olivia Newton-John
- You Gotta Be — Des’ree
- The Way you Look Tonight — Frank Sinatra (Ella Fitzgerald has a lovely mellow version as well)
- True Colors — Cyndi Lauper
- Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful — Kellie Pickler
- What’s Beautiful — Everlife
- Affirmation — Savage Garden
- Shine On — Kooks
- Skin Deep — Keke Palmer
- Superwoman — Alicia Keys
- Shake It — Michael Franti and Spearhead
For a rousing ending to your Girls’ Night Out, why not play our signature song, Away Ye Merry Lasses?