Ritual as Connection
Carley receiving a ceremonial smudging at Diaz Beach Cliff in Cape Town, South Africa.
Greetings Friends,
I am contemplating Ritual/Ceremony in my life and our culture.
Lately, I have been immersed in rituals and find myself renewed in my relationship with Spirit. When an intention is made to Source, whether it be the Universe, God, Goddess, the Great I Am or The One, something magical happens. The energy changes in me and all around me. If the ritual is done in a group, the energy becomes palpable, the confluence of multitudes of beautiful intentions, tears, joy, prayers, and authenticity growing exponentially in cosmic unison.
It was just this way at a recent, Intra-consciousness Tea Ceremony, during our Eagle Warrior weekend. Each participant went inward in silent reverence to connect with the elements, the water, the fire, and the loose leaf tea as they entered the internal world of intentions for their inner warrior. The shamanic embodied warrior is the part of ourselves that meets us with unconditional love as it holds the energy of the next right action in our lives. The yin and yang, receptive and dynamic energy merge in the heart to guide us in how we meet one another. We meet as independent beings, recognizing that the other is a part of our vast interdependent web.
Yet in Ceremony, the why or how is non-existent. In Ceremony, one is just there in deep response to an inner-outer world convergence. It is truly holy. It is where sacred union resides. In this space between the worlds, we find ourselves. We feel connected.
Even in the simplest of ceremonies, like in this photo, one may be smudged with sage, Palo Santo or sound (a ritual from around the world used for cleansing and purification), and can enter this convergence between the sacred and the profound. The world stops momentarily, and another space is entered that brings one back home to oneself and the universe.
As we enter this season of darkness and renewal (here in the Northern Hemisphere) let us each find time for ritual and ceremony to stoke our inner hearth, to feed our hearts something good, to nourish our body, mind, and soul during this time of incubation. In tending to our inner world, we can slow way down and remember who we are, connected and one with Spirit. This can bring balance in our lives and a renewal of life force.
May the Grace of the Creator be with You during this season.