What is the difference between a ritual and a spell ? When to use which and which is more powerful? Its a beginner question. Apologies if its in the wrong category.
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When you define ritual as “sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence” there’s clearly an overlap, as spells can be performed in a sequence as well.
I think it’s partly the current you’re in which by convention, or even tradition, will call it one thing over another, and partly how formalised the sorcerous event is. Events in high or ceremonial magick tend to be called rituals, and are overall longer, use more tools and are more rigid in design, while, an event in low magick/ witchcraft tends to be called a spell, is more freeform and uses fewer tools.
Neither is more powerful than the other: it’s the practitioner that has the power, in both cases. So it comes down to what helps you get in touch with your skills and abilities the best, and that’s different for everyone. You must know yourself, to know this answer.
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Thank you @Mulberry !
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Well, I suppose a ritual requires an element of repetition and doesn’t need to have very defined outcome in terms of form like money, shagging etc. Apart from that 
there isn’t much difference because any symbolic action, i.e. action with some sort of meaning attached, can be a ritual or spell. Spells tend to be more focussed in outcome and are usually repeated a few times if at all. Rituals may be performed daily or weekly or whatever.
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At least in Wicca, it’s almost as if the spells are ritualized: they feature Circle and invocation of the 4 elements, which theoretically belong to rituals. Spells are also like hexing with a doll (or brewing a potion) while rituals may involve the evocation of an entity.
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As I was starting my studies back in the 90s, the mainstream idea was that a ritual was more connected to High Magick, evocation or in the case of traditions of cerimonial Wicca, related to religious festivals.
Or in terms of practical magick, involving evocation or not, a ritual could be a spell on steroids, with the whole formal shebang (drawing a circle, Middle Piller Ritual et all, calling the corners, etc) before the actual magical work.
So as mentioned above, the ritual would be the structure that is always the same, or similar, regardless of the “lesser” magic being performed within it.
I had spells that were made more powerful by adding a ritual structure, I had others (like folk spells) that had great results without it.
However, some people will describe any spell that is a little more complex, or that has a specific method (lkke NAP or GOM books) as a ritual.
It’s all down to semantics in my opinion. One us not necessarily more powerful than the other.
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Excellent answer
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Its good that you mention that it is personal power. I have been such an idiot that I did not know this and have been hiring people to do work that have none of these powers. No wonder I didn’t get results.
By the way, I have no personal powers as of today. Not wanting to become a sorcerer on full scale though want to practice clairvoyance and clairaudience. Was wondering which course to book. There are 2 courses online - one is from EA Koetting and there is another one. Which one should I go for ?