| The
nature of ritual is that it supports change. Rituals are performed
to make something happen, invoke spiritual power, or identify
something as sacred. They are designed to transcend the linear
mind, stimulate the senses, and open the subconscious to inner
work, inner change, and transformation. I think of ceremonies
as celebrations and often use the words interchangeably. Both
rituals and ceremonies can help you experience Spirit in a
profound and dynamic way. They help to declare your intentions
and to acknowledge the spirits as magnificent beings.
No matter what
your background, you have been exposed to ritual and ceremony.
Cultures create different traditions to honor the spirit realm,
but there are many commonalities throughout the world. All
cultures and societies have rituals such as funerals, weddings,
celebrations of birth, and other transitions in life. Rituals
are often used as rites of passage to mark stages of change
in one’s lifetime.
Benedictions, sacraments,
candlelight services, chorus singing, prayer, invoking the
directions, blessing-way ceremonies, sweat lodges, vision
quests, sun dances, darmas, and chanting are all forms of
calling Spirit to join in a special way to bless and to guide.
Rituals promote a giving and sharing of information between
you and Spirit, each of your benefiting the other. I have
found, repeatedly and without exception, that if you ask with
an attitude of respect for help from the spirit realm, it
will be available to you. Rituals and ceremonies do just that.
They serve as the invitation to Spirit that says, “Join
me. Bless this time. I honor your presence and your existence.
I believe in you; help me connect to you in a powerful way.
Let me feel you around me and inside of me. Merge with me.”
Rituals
and ceremonies can be done privately or publicly. Just bowing
your head before a meal and thanking Spirit for the bounty
of your table is a ceremony. The more you do ritual and ceremony
with intention and love, the more you will come to know the
marvelous energy of the spirit realm. After all, if you want
to walk the spiritual path, then you need to acknowledge Spirit
and start defining and developing your relationship.
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Healing Center > Ceremony |
