What the rosary is about and how to pray it

From St.Louis de Montfort:

The rosary is made up of two things: mental prayer and vocal prayer. In the Holy Rosary mental prayer is none other than meditation of the chief mysteries of the life, death and glory of Jesus Christ and of His Blessed Mother. Vocal prayer consists in saying fifteen decades of the Hail Mary, each decade headed by an Our Father, while at the same time meditating on and contemplating the fifteen principal virtues which Jesus and Mary practised in the fifteen mysteries of the Holy Rosary.
In the first five decades we must honor the five Joyous Mysteries and meditate on them; in the second five decades the Sorrowful Mysteries and in the third group of five, the Glorious Mysteries. So the Rosary is a blessed blending of mental and vocal prayer by which we honor and learn to imitate the mysteries and virtues of the life, death, passion and glory of Jesus and Mary.

Also to add, in 2002, Pope John Paul added the Luminous Mysteries, also called the Mysteries of Light:

1. The Baptism of Jesus
2. The Wedding at Cana
3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
4. The Transfiguration of Jesus
5. The Institution of the Eucharist

And so how to say the rosary is as follows:

On the Cross, The Apostles Creed Prayer:

 I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

 I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

 He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

 He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

 He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again.

 He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

 He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

 I believe in the Holy Spirit,

 the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,

 the forgiveness of sins,

 the resurrection of the body. and the life everlasting.

 

On the next bead, the Our Father:

 

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day, our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, 

as we forgive those who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

 

On the next 3 beads, the Hail Mary for the virtues of Faith Hope and Charity:

 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The next bead, the Glory Be prayer:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

At the end of every decade we say:

Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. 

Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of they mercy.

From there, starting on each Mystery, start with an Our Father, ten Hail Mary's and one Gory Be. At the end of all five mysteries say the Hail Holy Queen prayer.

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! Our Life, our Sweetness, our Hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. 

Turn then, O most Gracious Advocate, thine of eyes of mercy towards us. And after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
Pray for us, O blessed Mother of God, that we may be made worth of the promises of Christ.
Amen.