There are many articles about how to carry out basic Hellenic polytheist ritual: the procession, khernips, barley, sacrifice, etc. Most of us are becoming familiar with the exoteric aspects of our religion and its rituals. But are these elements the only things necessary for good ritual? And what is good ritual, exactly?

First one must identify the purpose of ritual. Ritual is how we communicate, not only with the divine, but in our other interactions as well - "by ritualizing we make contact with animals, foreigners and gods." (Driver, 15) Only, with the gods we must first figure out how to dwell in the same space together, before communication can occur. Therefore in a spiritual context, ritual provides the means to do these things, as well as the substance of the communication itself (e.g. asking, giving, praising, etc.).

So good ritual needs to bring a person closer to the gods. Which means that it must take into account certain psychological and even physiological factors involved in being human. Even those of us who are deeply spiritual people cannot simply flip a switch in our minds and be in the right mental and emotional state to perceive the gods. A ritual therefore must be structured in a way that helps us move from our normal state of mind to what is generally called an altered state of consciousness. This doesn't necessarily mean we must attain a full trance state or anything of the sort - but ideally our awareness of the spiritual world should be enhanced. Effective ritual "not only presents the invisible but also offers conditions that make the perception possible." (Shorter, 108)

A certain type of atmosphere is therefore required for a ritual to reach full power. This is in some ways superficial - it may for instance include darkness, candles, music, incense, special clothes, etc. - but the point is that it signifies to the people involved that this is not ordinary experience, this is something special, removed from the mundane worries, joys, and cares of the everyday. Now, of course it is possible to put too much emphasis on this atmosphere and create a ritual-ish feel without any real substance. So along with everything I say, one must not forget that the gods are at the heart of this, and these things are done only to facilitate a meeting with them.

"[Mircea Eliade] called sacramental rituals….'doors to the sacred'. Every sacramental ritual, he said, is an invitation to a religious or sacred experience. An invitation, which you may accept or not." (Nichols) I believe it is not only we who must accept or decline this invitation, but the gods as well. Our hope, of course, is that the gods will attend our rituals, accept our thanks, grant our prayers for assistance, and in general just grace us with their presence. Here are a few things that, in my opinion and experience, make a ritual more effective towards that end.

• Holy silence. "Koimeson stoma" is the Greek call for silence at the beginning of the sacrificial rite. There's a good reason for this even today, especially in large groups. Having people chit chatting right before and even during a ritual is distracting and often ruins the devotional atmosphere. There should be a short period of time between setup and actual start of the ritual for everyone to stop talking and get ready both mentally and spiritually for what's about to happen.
• Preparation. In addition to the period of silence, there should be other preparations made stretching back as much as 24 hours before the ritual, depending on how important it is. For instance, fasting for even half a day beforehand will cleanse the body and clear the mind. Bathing (and dressing in clean clothes) just before the ritual is appropriate both for purification and to indicate the formality of the event. At least an hour before you even begin the setup for the ritual, turn off the tv, radio or computer and turn your mind to religious things. Perhaps read some of the hymns to yourself, or think about your last experience with the god in question. One should also endeavor to keep one's mind lightly on the subject of the ritual all day long, from the time one wakes up. These things will mentally and physically prepare you to truly focus within the ritual itself.
• Sensory triggers. Using the same lighting, music, incense, etc. each time you do ritual creates patterns that your subconscious will begin to recognize quickly, making the entrance into altered states easier with each recurrence.
• Repetition of acts/words. The word ritual usually implies repetition; a ritual done often should use the same set of acts/words, at least to an extent, to build up associations. So that eventually, all you have to do is X and you're in the right ritual state of mind instantly. Rituals should make internal sense, and follow a basic form each time. "Like language, rituals have a certain grammar, a certain syntax that it needs [sic] to follow, a certain order." (Nichols) Repetition within the ritual itself is good too (such as a simple chant, call-and-answer, etc.).
• Spontaneity. Repetition does not preclude spontaneity. There should be room for both tradition and for personal experience of the divine, which is naturally going to change somewhat each time. One should be able to add to or even change the ritual if it seems appropriate at the time, within reason (i.e. without compromising the goal or meaning of the ritual).
• Emotional poignancy. "In many rituals strong emotions are engendered and consciousness altered. Not infrequently there is a feeling of 'loss of self'….and a feeling of union with the other members of the congregation and even more embracing entities." (Driver, 152) We are human beings and we relate to things emotionally as well as intellectually, spiritually, etc. Ritual has the power to bring joy, sorrow, fear, hope, and to entirely transform a person's heart. Add elements that have emotional resonance with you personally, or with your group, and encourage an emotional response to the gods' presence.
• Familiarity. While respect should always be maintained, a certain level of informality may be appropriate when doing ritual for gods you are on close terms with. For instance, having a meal to which the god is invited, and conversing with him/her in a casual manner (even if it concerns very serious topics) can enhance one's feeling of intimacy with the god.
• Comprehension of participants. Everyone should know what's going to happen, and why, beforehand. Explanations should not be part of the ritual itself; the meanings of words and actions can be discussed before and even after, but not during. Again, this detracts from the focus and makes it more of a performance than a ritual. Which leads me to…
• No spectators. Everyone should be involved - even if it's just throwing a handful of barley, repeating a prayer, everyone should have some way of participating.
• No scripts - with the possible exception of reading long passages that would be very difficult to memorize. Again, this is not a play, it is a sacred act. How can you be fully in the moment of contact with the divine if you're looking down at the paper in your hand every two seconds? If this means that the ritual is simplified more so that everyone can remember what they need to do and say, so be it. Personally, I think many things can be spoken extemporaneously anyway, and there is rarely need for fancy words (outside of the hymns, of course).
• Simplicity. Oh, there are times for the big pageantry of complex ritual, but for most things simple works best - less room for mistakes, more mental space to actually pay attention to the gods instead of the ritual itself. Brings into focus the real purpose of the ritual.

I truly believe that paying attention to these points will greatly increase the likelihood that the participants of any ritual will reach that state of "ritual consciousness" necessary for a real experience of the divine. Which will then make their offerings, prayers and all other communication that much more powerful and meaningful. And thus we take one more step towards a strong bond of kharis between ourselves and the gods.

Recommended Reading
Bell, Catherine. Ritual: Perspectives and Dimensions. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Driver, Tom. Liberating Rites: Understanding the Transformative Power of Ritual. Boulder: Westview Press, 1998.
Eliade, Mircea. Rites and Symbols of Initiation. Woodstock, CT: Spring Publications, 1995.
Nichols, Mike. The Finer Points of Ritual (facilitated discussion): http://www.ecauldron.com/finerpoints.php
Shorter, Bani. Susceptible to the Sacred: The Psychological Experience of Ritual. London: Routledge, 1996.
Van Gennep, Arnold. The Rites of Passage. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1960.