Posts Tagged “ritual”

On Opening the Space

For me, leading ceremony is not about making something happen. Yes, there are structural and energetic components to attend to, but the real work is creating a space for people to have a direct spiritual connection inside and outside themselves.

It is the art of un-doing, the space holding, the emptying.

We have been taught to look to someone else to tell us our deepest knowing and show us what spiritual connection means to us. We have given up our own power and because of this, we are eager to place it on others. This is hurting us individually and collectively quite deeply.

For me, leading is as much about disentangling from this dynamic as it is about the creation of the ceremony. If you want to deepen your spiritual practice, learn to listen. If you want to create a ceremony, learn to listen.

It does not matter whether you get a form just right – that your hand moves precisely the right way, that your prayer is spoken perfectly, that you even know exactly what you are doing.

I say this as an artist and someone who deeply honors a well-developed technique, and as an academic who values knowing. These are beautiful embellishments, but not necessities. What is necessary is the unmediated connection with spirit. A connection that is yours and yours alone.

For me, my non-doing speaks louder than my doing. My lack of showmanship is a vehicle for others to see their own brilliance. The emptiness or absence of activities is an opportunity for others to step forward.

Disentangling from the misplaced spiritual power dynamic is complex. As soon as the space is open, it is  often filled with all sorts of things that are not in service of direct spiritual connection or upliftment to try and put the familiar dynamic back in place.

Stepping out of the “I have the spiritual truth” game brings up unconscious fears. Fears because suddenly we are faced with our own spiritual nakedness and want desperately for someone to wrap us in the blanket of “you don’t need to know because I do.” These fears can be projected on leaders in the form of “you need to do more so that I feel secure.” The remedy is that we vulnerably step in and ask for our own spiritual connection.

It can also call forward an ego-driven superiority simply because the person experiences that lack of condescension and middle-manning as an indication of limitation. They have bought in, so deeply, to the idea that competence and spiritual connection mean dominance and oppression. The remedy again is to work on our own spiritual connection. Direct contact makes these dynamics untenable.

When I am talking about divine feminine principles, I am not talking about goddess work. There are plenty (and most setting predominantly are) goddess works that support the patriarchal structure that keep us detached from our inner knowing all while having a fabulous goddessy face.

I am talking deep in the bones dismantling of the structures that keep us from ourselves and our deepest spiritual truth. I am talking the remembering of how to steward our own spiritual journey and gather the wisdom from the universe one handful at a time. This requires something totally different.

Yes, it is divine feminine work. It is the work of non-doing. It is the void, the vessel, the opening. And like the feminine, it gets devalued, criticized, feared and condemned. And like the feminine, it has been told that it is nothing and that something needs to go in its place. It forgets its own value. Yet it gives and gives and gives to us because it is the divine mother herself understanding that we, as children, need time to grow up.

So ceremony for me is not about doing something, it is about creating an opening – or in some cases working to create even a small crack so that this wisdom can find its way into the room and hopefully the world. Because I know that people with a direct spiritual connection can heal themselves and heal the world.

Five Ways to Honor Your Truth

Like all relationships, our relationships with ourselves are strengthened by time, attention, and respect. Through the course of a day, we can make countless large and small choices to honor the truth of who we are and what it is that we believe. We can strengthen ourselves and support our own development by making these choices in the way that is truly right for us. We can also focus our attention on the honoring of our truth in specific and deliberate ways so that we can feel more fully expressed and more completely alive.

01 Creativity: Speak it, dance it, write it, draw it, play it. Creative mediums give form to what is true inside of us. The medium itself can draw out, refine, and help us see our truth in a different way. Once it is outside of us, we can see it from a new, more objective angle.

02 Livelihood: When we live out a major part of our life in a way that is right for us, it is a way of honoring the truth of who we are. Do something that you love with people whom you love, and you will feel a sense of authenticity—not to mention joy—permeate your life.

03 Ritual: Like creativity, ritual gives us a medium to express what is most important to us. You can use ritual to honor yourself directly or to honor deities, animals, and plants that represent things that are important to you. Taking the time to do something where the main purpose is to acknowledge, mark, or clarify intention strengthens our connection to what is important.

04 Communication: Especially if you tend to hold your words back, learning to speak what is true for you throughout your life and with all people is a powerful way to honor yourself. No more hiding, adjusting, or omitting. Know and speak your truth as often as you can.

05 Dream: There is what is true now, and then there is the truth that will emerge over time. One can be an echo of the other. We can honor ourselves by letting ourselves envision our futures, feel our potential, and dream our desires.

When we honor what is most true about us, what we most value, what is most important—that is when we strengthen ourselves, show ourselves respect, and create avenues for our full expression in the world.

13 Reasons Why Sensitive Souls Need Rituals

If you are a sensitive person, one of the ways that you can take care of yourself is through the creation of regular rituals. Here are thirteen reasons why sensitive souls need rituals to stay healthy, happy, and balanced.

I. Rituals are a familiar rhythm in the dynamic tides of life. Your sensitivity connects you with your environment in a deeper way than it does others. Using ritual to connect with these natural rhythms provides nourishment and alignment.

II. Rituals invite you to slow down and get present. The fast-paced life might be fine for some, but your sensitive nature benefits even more from slowing down and connecting than a less sensitive person’s would.

III. Rituals communicate safety to your nervous systems. Consistency and alignment help soothe us in what might otherwise feel like a chaotic world. Moments of quiet communion or connection to divine order provide respite.

IV. Rituals allow you to deepen your position from an empowered place. A ritual creates a container (form or structure) that can create a feeling of personal power rather than overstimulation. During a ritual, your sensitivities become your allies and you are able to remove some of the more day-to-day stimuli.

V. Rituals support flow. It shows us how things work and relate to each other and what their natural tendencies are. As you become aware of these things, you are able to create more openness, health, and vitality in all aspects of your life.

VI. Rituals can be the ground beneath your feet. Rituals can provide consistency in your days, weeks, and years. Rituals help you mark what is significant and create order where it might not otherwise be seen.

VII. Rituals help us acknowledge change. Returning to the same ritual over time reflects what is changing and what is staying the same because it provides a consistent lens through which you can view yourself and your day-to-day life.

VIII. Rituals call in support. Regardless of how much you learn or how strong you are, rituals allow us to call in divine guidance and spiritual support. You have access through ritual to types of support that may seem less available in your regular day-to-day life.

IX. Rituals are the artwork of your life — an opportunity for you to construct a representation of the deeper patterns thereof. Your ritual time is when you can portray life’s beauty and expose its meaning.

X. Rituals bring you the vitality of a devoted heart. Feeling your spiritual connection helps you to steer your life in the direction that you most want while simultaneously cultivating strength and peace.

XI. Rituals are a way to make space for yourself in your life. Sensitive people often end up feeling run by the world and the many things that encroach upon their experience. Rituals can help create personal time for deep connection with the self.

XII. Rituals invite empowered balance. By practicing rituals that bring you a feeling of peace and awareness, you show yourself that you have control over the experience of your life rather than feeling overwhelmed by it all the time.

XIII. Rituals can bring you into your body and out of your mind. When overstimulated, it is easy to get caught up in your mind. Rituals can be used to reconnect you with your body and support your overall well-being.

If you are a sensitive soul that identifies as a healer and are looking for support to find the gifts within your sensitivities, you may benefit from my Integrative Healing Apprenticeship. Find out more here: Integrative Healing Apprenticeship