In essence, a ritual is an
artistic endeavor created with altered states of consciousness (ASC) that
develops meaning and has a purpose. This includes everything from lighting
incense on your ancestor altar to complex ceremonies involving dozens of
participants. Ritual is the art form of the magus.
All rituals have purpose.
This can be deliberately vague, just like any other art form. You can perform
ritual simply for enjoyment. You can perform ritual to achieve some tangible
result, though you will often find those results to be subtle, and often
produce effects more in line with what you truly need than what you think you
want. In the same respect, rituals performed for sheer pleasure often produce
effects well beyond the scope of the original purpose. Such as raising your own
awareness to the reality of love, and strengthening the bonds of love between
the participants.