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 This is not a must do list, rather it is a choose to list.  It is a list of suggestions.  This is a form and is not manditory but can be used as is, or augmented to suit your own needs and purposes.  I do hope you find it helps you.

Step 1 is intent.  What is the intent of your ritual?  Are you here to celebrate a community gathering, a holiday, a full or new moon, are you spell working, or is this a place for you to sit and meditate?  The whole ritual flows from this point.  It is best to start to work from this point forward, as everything will be dependent and hinge on what the intent of this ritual is.

Step 2 is to figure out if this is a group working or just for you.  Even if there are only two people, the dynamics of the ritual changes from that of solitary.  Inclusion is key in a ritual.  Everyone should be encouraged to work in the ritual, even if it is just group answers or a group chant.  As a solitary, the working changes, and words or tools are not even necessary.

Step 3 is to work out the space you are going to use, and then do the cleansing.  This can be started ahead of time, and a "symbolic" sweeping would be all that is needed at the time of the actual ritual.  Or, if the area is not accessible before the ritual, you need to plan out how to clear it and with what tools.  Remember that personal smudging is part of this "cleansing" and you need to take into consideration each persons needs.  Remember that some folks can be allergic to sage or smoke, and keep an alternative cleansing material, like oils, on hand just in case when working group ritual.

When working a small, personal ritual, cleansing space may not be necessary if you are working in your own home.  Most of us keep our homes cleared, even if it is just for ourselves.  If you are not in this habit, you should be.  But when you are on the road, or in an unfamiliar place, you may want to at least bless the area you are working in.  I believe cleansing the area is essential to any ritual working.

Step 4 is the altar.  Are you going to have one, and what tools are going to be needed.  This needs to be decided in advance as well.  If there is an altar, all the tools you will need for your ritual need to be decided ahead of time, and brought into the ritual area before you cast a circle, if you are indeed using a circle casting. 

I recommend that you keep track on paper of all your needs.  Have a list for steps, and a page for each step.  Altar items should be carefully noted, especially if you are working a spell while in the casting area.  While it is not hard to cut a hole in the circle to get the materials you may have forgotten, nothing is better than to have everything you need right there.  Of course, improvisation is always allowed if you forget something that you can substitute something else for, like a finger for a wand. 

 If there is no altar, this step is skipped.

Step 5 is the actual casting.  Are you going to need to create sacred space or a working area?  In community circles, while I usually cast a circle to create sacred space for Deity, it is not really necessary and can be left out completely.  When working spells, it is very necessary to create a separate working space.  Inviting Deity I like to create a space that is "Between the Worlds" to greet Deity on separate level.  Are you casting a circle?  Do you know there are other types of sacred space other than circles and other castings other than the standard circle cast.  Will there be a chant for the casting?  Work that out in advance as well.  Be sure you also work out the opening of the casting when you are done.  Do that now, and work out any chants you may want to use as well. 

If there is no need for a casting, this step is skipped.

Step 6 is to decide what "reinforcement" you are going to use on your casting.  Are you calling "Quarters" or "Watchtowers" or "Deities" or "Elements"?  This needs to be worked out as well to be able to assign or include other members of the ritual.   Again, work this out in advance the callings and the Dismissals.  What you call you should dismiss.   Work both sides out at this point.

If you are not casting, this step is skipped.

Step 7 is Deity.  Are you inviting Deity to your ritual?  We go back at this point to Intent.  The inclusion of Deity at this point will greatly depend on the intent of the ritual.  If this is a specific holiday, you may be using the God/Goddess of the holiday.  Full or new moons will use specific Goddesses, either one agreed on by the group or your own personal Goddess associated with your Esbat workings.  Spell workings do not necessarily need Deity, but you may feel inclined to work with one.  Evocations will use specific Deities or entities depending on the working you are doing.  Then again, because it may be a large group, you may want to have everyone ask that their Deity be present at this gathering.  And you may want to include a round of the group where each person asks their Deity to join in the celebration.  I've not only been at circles where this has been done but done it myself, and it gives a very loving and warm feeling to the circle.  Deities seem to enjoy a group session.

If you are not working with Deity, this step is skipped.

Step 8 is now to decide what goes on in the circle.  This is  the actual reason for this ritual.  This can be anything from the actual spell working, to a Drawing Down the Moon to a group lesson.  This can be a personal moment, or it can be group participation.  I know for me, working in community, it can be a time of introduction for all the participants, it can be a moment of thanks for group participation.  It can be a discussion of why we are gathered, an explanation of the reason for the circle, or it can be an explanation of what is coming next, be it a chant, a prayer, will there be a "cauldron of care" mentioned of sick or needy friends?  Work out all the details in advance.

If you have not created a circle, this step is still critical as this is the part of your ritual where you state your intent for ritual.  Why did you do this ritual?  This is the point of "Why".

Step 9 is time for your Drawing Down.  Skip this if you are not planning to do a Drawing Down.

Step 10 is energy raising/spell working.  This step will be skipped if there is no energy raising or spell working. 

Step 11 is the traditional "Cakes and Ale".  This is a "cool down" point.  While the "cakes and ale" part may not be necessary, this step is the point where you think about or discuss what you have done so far in your ritual.  It is the contemplation of the ritual.

Everyone will be buzzing if you did the energy raising and it is a good point to check and make sure you and everyone in your group is OK.  You may run into folks who have not done this before, make sure they are OK with the energy, and if they are having a hard time, then and only then would you suggest grounding.  Pass around the drinks and the cookies, and check to make sure everyone is good with the ritual. 

If this is a solitary working, check your own feelings.  How are you doing at this point?  Any disorientations may suggest you need to ground out some of your excess energy and may also suggest that what you did may not have worked as you planned.  Energy should have been released, not retained, though there could be a residual "buzz" that is not really harmful.  But if you are not feeling well, ground.  Eat the cookies and drink plenty of fluids.  After the dismissal, you may want to do some mundane things to bring yourself down. 

But practitioners look for that "buzz" of energy as it is a sign that you did raise sufficient energy to do you workings.  Or it is a little energy left behind by the Deities you called upon to join your circle, a kind of energy "gift" (the traditional "exchange of energies") and it should be enjoyed, not grounded out.

If there was no energy working consider how do you feel about your ritual so far.  Give it some thought at this point, for later reference.  You will be glad you did when it comes time to write up your notes.

If you did not do any castings or workings or invite Deity then this would be the end of your ritual.

Step 12 is to dismiss.  You worked that out in step 6 and 7.  Dismiss Deity first.  You do not want to dismiss Deity after you have started to break down sacred space.  Dismiss Deity, then dismiss your reinforcements. 

If you did not do a casting then this part is skipped.

Step 13 is to "open" the casting.  At this point you are opening the working you created in step 5.  And you created a chant or will be using the reverse method you used to create this casting. 

If you did not do a casting then this part is skipped.

This should conclude your ritual if you didn't finish it up in Step 11.  Cleanup can be done later.  Right now, it is time to enjoy the "afterglow" of your ritual, and the sensation of either the workings or the enjoyment of joining with your Deity.

I highly recommend that after your ritual, you do an analysis of your ritual, write it down in your "Book of Shadows" not as a plan but as a finished product and include a page of notations.  What did you feel, how did the ritual measure up to your expectations, do you believe your ritual was successful, how did everyone else seem to react?  Also, if there was an energy raising or spell working, make sure you go back and note any success or failure.

While not a step in ritual, it is key to analyze what you have done, in order to note issues, and be able to correct these in future rituals.  Or successes, and make sure those are included in future rituals.

There are smaller rituals, the personal ones.  These are more like daily exercises or prayers.  I know folks who do ritual at every dawn and dusk, a quick prayer they repeat to give thanks for each day.  I know some folks who do small personal rituals for the full and new moons.  But each of these rituals include one or some of the steps mentioned above. 

Many of those steps are optional.  They are dependent on the working you are doing.  I noted steps that do not necessarily have to be taken if you are doing a small personal ritual. 

But even the smallest ritual should be worked out.  Chances are you will be using the small personal ones every day, or on a regular basis, and they should be planned and analyzed so you can improve them till you are very happy with the results.  You may even want to change them on a seasonal basis or for special holidays.  I have a HPS friend who does a personal morning ritual to greet the Sun every day. 

I know many books go on and on about rituals, or give you rituals already worked out, but very few actually list out how to do your own.  Hopefully this will help you work your way through your own rituals.  There is a lot of information here, so sort through it and let's discuss this if you have any questions.   Boudica