Hey FF,
Glad to see you starting a thread on this topic. In brief, Wiki defines it this way:
A ritual is a set of actions, often thought to have symbolic value, the performance of which is usually prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritual
I'd love to have a discourse here on ritual, but this is your thread and I am wondering about your intentions for starting it. Are you looking for a definition, how people are affected by ritual, or what is the role of ritual in the IN community? or something altogether different?
The power of the imagination is being realized. Being realized is the power of the imagination.