Blessings, Rituals, & Ceremonies Gather Us Around the Heart

Taking time to honor a threshold or transitional event in our busy world, even a “small” one, has fallen by the wayside as our lives have become busier and busier, with a few exceptions of rituals for marriage, graduation, various religious rites, funerals/memorials and a few others. The global pandemic has, perhaps, brought back into focus the need to honor and bless threshold events. To stop and recognize the passage of linear time and say “thank you,” “I see you,” or “we feel ready to move on, but need to recognize what was.” To express gratitude, sorrow, joy. To celebrate. So many ways to be at a threshold. To look back while still moving forward. Taking a few moments to be still.

This life is a series of welcomings, the routines of in-between times, letting goes. Some even nestled one inside the other. Each time we move from the “between place” to “letting go,” we cross a threshold, moving into a new landscape where life can’t go back to what it was “before.” These crossings can be gradual, like aging, or sudden, like death or an accident. Some we invite into our lives and some arrive unbidden. The significance of the shifting inner landscape depends on the individual and community. What may seem small to one may be a milestone to another.

Gathering to recognize a threshold, whether it be with two friends or 100 family members or a community of 1000’s creates sacred space…space set aside to honor and give voice to the shifting landscape(s) of those involved. Acknowledging a difficult event can offer a balm toward healing. Recitation of a blessing can invoke grace, dive into the depths of grief and loss with poetic rawness, speak truth, enter into the hidden heart-spaces as solace. Singing and dancing can bring delight in both times of celebration and sorrow. Naming what has occurred/is occurring is powerful, no matter what occasion is being honored.

Even the “between” times invite us to slow down and open our lives to blessing our friendships, our food, our breath, whatever is moving so smoothly through our days we don’t take time to notice.

When is it appropriate to offer a blessing, perform a ritual, gather for a ceremony?

When you feel a shift in your life journey and your way of being in the world, your way of understanding the world and/or your place in it. When there is dividing point where you left one way of “being” and entered another. This could also apply to those in your life, for example a family member, or friend who may be open to a blessing, ritual or ceremony. You may also want to honor something that happened in the past. I offer (by request) a workshop on Life Transitions that reflects back on past events that were never acknowledged. It is powerful to name and honor sacred transitions that were silenced or ignored. (See my Workshops & Retreats page for more information on how to connect with me about offering a workshop.)

For a community to gather, the criteria would be similar. Has there been a loss in your community that needs to be acknowledged? Or something or someone to be celebrated?

Listen to what is stirring in your heart. That may be the indication to offer a blessing, ritual or ceremony…even if it is only between two people.

What are some examples?

• To honor the “usual” life transitions, including: welcoming a wee one into the world, weddings/commitment ceremonies, school graduations, retirements, funerals/memorials/celebrations of life.


• Moving into or out of a home/apartment.


• Children leaving home.


• Divorce/Separation.


• Onset of serious illness/healing from serious illness.


• Death of a significant person in your life.


• Death of a pet.

• Career change.


• Welcoming home those who have been on military deployment.

• Birthdays (or any significant date.)

• Recognizing and claiming your call in life.


• To honor a meaningful friendship.


• To acknowledge physical passages, especially difficult ones (examples: menarche, menopause, miscarriages.)


• Recognizing milestone events, such as completion of a project.

• Claiming one’s voice.


• Embarking on a pilgrimage.

• As part of trauma healing.

• To address a community, national, or global crisis.


• Honoring religious, spiritual, and cultural sacred times.


• To gather friends/family around a difficult situation (imprisonment, violent crime, mental health crisis, suicide attempt, ambiguous losses, etc.)


• Whatever you deem worthy of a blessing, ritual, or ceremony.

  Why Me?

  One of the gifts I bring when I meet with folks, whether individuals in my spiritual direction practice or in larger gatherings, is my ability to listen deeply and ask “what would be meaningful to you?” When I officiated memorials as a hospice chaplain, my focus was sharing what the family wanted, be that stories, religious language (or not,) laughter, even “hard stuff.” In my work I always say, “this is about you, not me.”

  When I gather with you, I see my role as a weaver, taking the threads offered and weaving together a ritual, a ceremony, and/or a blessing into a tapestry that reflects back the words and underlying sentiments told to me when we met. The “Blessing For An Enduring Friendship” is an example.

  My experience and education qualifies me to come alongside you in creating blessings, rituals and ceremony for difficult situations, such as acknowledging the change in your life due to serious illness or awakening to trauma in your past, as well as a joyful event like a wedding or gatherings such as funerals.

  What I offer:

• Personalized “stand alone” written blessings.


• Blessings, rituals, and ceremonies designed to welcome those involved into a sacred heart-space where they feel honored and listened to.

• Officiate memorials/funerals/celebrations of life.


• Officiate a pre-celebration of life service (yes, this is a thing.)


• Officiate weddings/commitment ceremonies.

  Note that the labyrinth can be wrapped into most rituals and can be a powerful component. Check out my labyrinth page for more information on the labyrinth.

  I can collaborate with other officiants/planners if you have a large event planned and are spreading out responsibilities and specialities.

  How Do We Start?

  Want to honor a current life passage? Is something stirring in the past that would like to be honored with a ritual. Perhaps you have an event coming up that needs an officiant. Please contact me and let’s chat about who or what you want to honor in your life.

  Pricing will vary depending on service.

Credentials:

Anne is an award winning poet and published writer. The works of philosopher & poet John O’Donohue (To Bless the Space Between Us, A Book of Blessings) and the philosopher & poet David Whyte have greatly influenced her approach to writing blessings. Here is a sample of one of David Whyte’s blessings.

Anne earned a Masters of Art in Christian Education and her Certificate in Spiritual Direction from George Fox Evangelical Seminary (now Portland Seminary.) Her training as a chaplain has further honed her skills in intentional listening. Her chaplain certification is through the Association of Professional Chaplains.

Anne is a member of Spiritual Directors International (SDI), The Home of Spiritual Direction and Spiritual Companioning. Check out their “Frequently Asked Questions” page if you are curious to know more.