CREATING CEREMONY

A few ways to do this!

Loads of kids and adults dressed up (and made up!) for Halloween this year! And many too are beginning to recognise the moon cycles and the seasonal cycles which happen here.

It is wonderful that many are returning to celebrating and honouring the cyclical nature of life on Earth: moon cycles and seasons, equinoxes and solstices, and also other positive religious festivals as they help bring people together in the spirit of fun and joy.
 
We are reconnecting with Earth and nature once again, celebrating our oneness with all life here. Festivals inevitably bring people together, they are so important for the fabric of society, part of the cement which binds us together. The true binding material is love of course but these celebrations bring us together, especially now with the internet connecting and yet disconnecting us.
 
These are some pointers for creating ceremony (not a complete list), if you find yourself called to do so for your group or community:

• Decide where you will hold it: check if you need permission for a large gathering out in public spaces and also if lighting fires are restricted. Be aware of health and safety issues for this too and other restrictions.
• Ask permission from the nature spirits if you are doing this outside: go into your heart, connect with Earth, Sky and Heart and state what your intention on the land is and ask if you can do it. You will definitely get a yes or no in some way, so best to do this early on.
• Be aware that the nature spirits and elementals do not like being lied to. If your intention is to run a celebration and make lots of money that is fine, but the respect has to be there, so no junk or rubbish left and no defacing, graffiti on trees etc. Clean up after yourself and others who attend too. Tell them you would like to make a profit too, and make sure you leave a gift in return for the use of the space (ask them what they might like, they might want you to do some community work by clearing the rest of the space by picking up rubbish) otherwise leave flowers, good dried herbs, crystals or liquid libations of sacred spring water.
• Prepare the space by cleansing it: use Palo Santo, burn oils, sage, incense, drum, chime or sing.
• Set the intention: whatever you are celebrating is out of love and for the highest good of all celebrants and also of all sentient beings who reside there and also of all sentient beings through all space, time, dimensions and universes.
• Create and altar or a place where the attention can be focused: this can be a lovely piece of wood raised off the ground, it could be a tree trunk in the woods which has fallen down, it could be a block of stone. It could be a favourite table in your home. Craft a beautiful focal point for the ceremony.
• Place your objects of devotion on your altar: a beautiful cloth, crystals, flowers, symbols, craft, leaves, art work, photographs of loved ones and pictures.
• Place candles to represent the element of Fire and also Light which can serve as a focal point.
• Place potted plants and crystals for the element of Earth.
• Place a bowl of blessed or attuned water for this element, you could have flower petals or a floating candle in it.
• When your celebrants join you in your circle, set the intention again and invite them to voice their wishes aloud if you like.
• Invoke your ancestors, guides, angels, all members of your family of light you work with or any other light beings you would like to join your celebration. Invite your celebrants to invoke their ancestors and guides too.
• You may like to drum or rattle and invite your celebrants to join in as well.
• Some ceremonies celebrate the elements, some celebrate the cycles of life and the seasons, and you can build your ceremony from the intentions of these.
• Let your intuition guide you.
• Play music, sing and dance if you like.
• Close with a prayer, thanking all the helping spirits, spirit guides, ancestors and spirits of the place and elementals for providing a beautiful, loving and protective space for all of you.
• Ask the spirits to return from whence they came. Ask for all celebrants’ chakras to return to optimum size and spin and you can set the intention that the trips home are smooth, easy and joyful and everyone has a wonderful rest and a blessed life filled with unconditional love and acceptance.

 
Glennie Kindred has some wonderful hand illustrated books for sale on Amazon for these types of celebrations if you are interested, please do have a look. Everyone creates their ceremonies in their own way, there is just the common steps of preparation, setting intention, cleansing and invoking spirit guides and closing at the end.
 
Enjoy creating your ceremonies! You could do this on your own at home too!
 
I am available most weekends for Sound Healing, Angelic Reiki and SRT (Spiritual Response Technique) and also for Gong and Sound Baths. Do contact me if you would like to book a session with me.
 
Lots of love
Ananda