Good afternoon, everybody! I am so glad to finally have a chance this week to blog. It is a busy time in my life and some days I am overwhelmed with work. I am looking forward to retiring before long and having time to write more.
Today I am posting about various types of spiritual rituals and the need for them in our lives. Don't worry, I am not going to ask you to change your religious or spiritual views. Nor I am going to write about long drawn out rituals in any religion. I am going to give you some interesting ideas about rituals you can do at important times in your life. I think simple rituals can be important at certain times in our lives. I am going to call these times the "Welcoming Times", the "Ice Age", and the Bidding Farewell Times".
First, let's look at the "Welcoming Times" in our lives. These are times when we want to celebrate something new and important. Traditionally these are happy times such as the birth of a child, an engagement, or a wedding. We can also welcome other things into our lives. An important new job, a move into a new home we have been longing for, or even the beginning of a new relationship. Welcoming times are joyous occasions, when we want to invite our friends over, feast, drink, and enjoy our good fortune. Sometimes these occasions are solemn and religious, such as christening a baby or a white wedding in church. Tears might be shed at some welcoming times, but they are tears of happiness. We are glad to welcome the new into our lives.
Why do we need a ritual or celebration to welcome the new child, spouse, home, or situation into our lives? It may be enough for some people that they have accepted something new and wonderful into their lives. It is not always easy to take something new into your life. New things and people mean new challenges and new experiences. We must grow spiritually in some way to embrace those challenges. A new baby in the house can bring many new experiences, including many wakeful nights! A new husband, wife, or partner means many adjustments in our lives. We must learn to share our entire self with someone who may have very different views and habits than we do. The beginning of happy new situations can be very complicated as we step into the unknown. So why have a celebration when we might be walking on shaky new territory?
A welcoming ritual or celebration simply tells the world and our God/Goddess that we accept and embrace our new life and challenges. We want the blessings of our family, friends, and "higher power" on our new experience in life. Whether we have a wedding and invite five hundred people, or a private ritual of our own, the reason is the same. We are celebrating the new in our life, and acknowledging its importance. This is a passage in our lives that will never come again, and as such we should celebrate it. I do believe that our "higher powers", no matter what name we call them, are happy to see us celebrate the new in our lives. Whatever our religious or spiritual beliefs are, it is good to take the time to celebrate a new beginning.
One simple and easy welcoming ritual can be to plant a seed or small plant of some kind. The seed or plant symbolizes your new beginning. This is a time when you are growing something new in your life. If you live somewhere that has a yard, you might consider planting a small tree. This would be a particularly interesting ceremony if it symbolized the birth of a child or a marriage. A tree grows, blooms, and learns to bend in the wind. A child or marriage growing successfully will do the same.
You can do your ritual by yourself, with your spouse, or even a large group of loved ones. Gather in a circle, say a blessing on your new endeavor, and ask your God/Goddess for their blessing. Hold hands, sing, chant, dance, or whatever feels right to you. This is time of happiness, after all. Then plant the seed or plant in a small container. If you are planting a tree in the yard, do it now. When you are finished with your planting, have a minute of silence just to feel grateful for your new beginning. Now it's time for the fun part, the feasting and drinking!
However you celebrate, I wish you great happiness with your new beginning. Until next time, blessings from Psykiksister.
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