Ceremony and Ritual

 

 

Ceremony and Ritual

In ceremony under a Grandmother Cotton Wood Tree - Jemez Spring, New Mexico

In ceremony under a Grandmother Cotton Wood Tree - Jemez Springs, New Mexico

Ceremony and ritual are important elements of acting out and empowering our new way of being in the world.  Ceremony and ritual have traditionally been at the heart of community and a way to stay connected to the sacred.  Even a short and simple ceremony can anchor our entire day in the energies of the sacred.

Fire ceremonies are powerful allies in supporting our transformational journey.  I offer these to groups and communities, and they are an integral part of the healing work and programs I offer.

Despacho Ceremony – is a lovely ceremony filled with prayers, blessings and offerings to the spirits.  While there are some 200 types of despachos (to dispatch to spirit) in the Andean spiritual traditions, we can readily prepare a despacho with loving intent to offer gratitude and restore “ayni”, balance, to our lives, to the planet and the world.  The beautiful offering is offered to the spirits in a ceremonial fire, and is a beautiful and powerful ceremony.  The medicine men and women of the Andes spend much of their lives in ceremony creating and dispensing despachos.  It is a lovely tradition they have generously shared with their brothers and sisters to the north.

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Opening scared space - Sun Staff Ceremony, Mt. Hood, Oregon

Rites of Passage and Honoring

I believe we are hungry for ceremony in our lives.  One of the ways we can restore our connection to the sacred in this way is by honoring rites of passage in our lives – milestones, accomplishments, beginnings, endings ,etc.  It is a way to take time out of the “ordinary” world we live in, and infuse it with meaning, recognition, potency.  When my now husband and I first met, we recognized what a “Gift” we had been given in finding each other and Love again.  While we weren’t ready to marry just yet, we created a private ceremony together, to thank Spirit, and acknowledge what was coming into our lives….as a gift of grace.  When we were ready to commit to marriage, then we held our public ceremony involving our closest friends and family.

As a ceremonialist I can help you create and hold that sacred space for whatever type of event you wish to create that is full of love, beauty and gratitude.  I also can offer Native American flute, frame drum and vocals, as well as guiding the ceremony itself.