Joseph Campbell, the beloved interpreter of mythical stories from around the world, said that rituals are re-enactments of myths. He also said, however, that technology has changed the world too much, and we need new myths.
Conscious ritualing is how we create new myths. Ritual is a universal activity, a simple three-step process: separate from the routine, notice qualia and play or experiment with it, and then return to the routine.
We bring back our new qualia to the routine, changing it slightly. Sometimes the change is profound. I think of talking with an older, homeless person on a bench, who turns out to, almost accidentally, provide some insight or a solution to a dilemma – this is like the hero myth, a magical token that helps to save the day.
New myths are waiting to be found if we look in the right places.