Every ceremony has a story
At the heart of each ceremony is a story unique to those who have gathered together. Storytelling connects us in a way that nothing else does; it opens us up and invites others to experience a part of our world. We hope you can find solace and inspiration in reading how others have used ceremony to help them celebrate, heal, and honour life’s moments and milestones.
Here are some stories from people in our community who believe ceremony has the power to change lives. Browse the different topics and categories to find ceremonies that resonate most with you.
When Prayer Meets Meditation
Some days, I meditate to clear my mind and find inspiration. Some days I pray and try and connect to a greater power. Often, I’ll end my meditation with a prayer – a thought for someone I know, or a manifestation of something I’m trying to bring into my life. I’ll sometimes even do the sign of the cross and namaste. As I honour both practices, and acknowledge their roots and intentions, I’ve started to blur the lines more and more, realizing it’s all one and the same for me.
Ceremony as a Conversation
There’s a ceremony shaped hole in our society right now. We’ve become so separate from each other and from ourselves when it comes to how we celebrate and grieve. I think it’s different for people of colour, since most of us were raised in the church, and there’s ceremony there. Yet, as people of colour, our experiences aren’t always valued or seen. I’ve learned that ceremony and ritual is something I can bring to people, and I’m trying to be more intentional with how I bring it.
Family Ceremony & Storytelling
Kids come to ceremony very naturally, it’s baked into them. Kids recognize what is so precious about life and they approach it with curiosity, with a readiness to be amazed. Ceremony enables us to approach something with respect and deference. Storytelling is the part about how you capture that. Kids quite naturally follow that arc in how they engage with everything. In an interesting way this is what ceremony enables me to do: to build myself a route to what kids connect to more naturally.
Sisterhood of the Travelling Talisman – Part 2
When the fertility talisman arrived in the mail, I opened the letter and cried. I felt magic as soon as I held the stone. It gave me goosebumps, and I’ve kept it with me ever since. When Megan told me about Myriam and her story, I knew that we shared a bond. When she sent me the jade stone, it ignited in my hand. I could feel the magic in it. I’m slowly finding my peace, and I can’t judge my success based on what I don’t have. I’m focusing on what I do have, and in doing so, my life has become more meaningful.
Making Ceremony Personal – For You and Your Family
In our busy lives, with children in particular, it can feel hard to hold ceremony in the light and make it a priority. I have a very fluid idea of what ceremony is, and while collectively it may not be daily, we create acts that serve as touchstones for us to come back to as a family.
Ceremony and the Artist
Ceremony, for me, is just a means of reaching a place where you’re present; when all of a sudden nothing else matters except what you’re doing. Your body reacts – you’re breathing deeply and fully, and you’re relaxed. It’s about being reminded of your humanity.