Category Archives: Cultural Traditions
Episode 10 – A Butterfly Ritual for Weddings, Memorials and More
In folklore, butterflies are said to come from the faerie realm. In some Native American traditions, butterflies represent a living piece of a rainbow. In many cultures, butterflies represent the sweetness of life, the beauty of dance, the inevitability of … Continue reading
Mother Earth & the Corn King – The Harvest Story
The first harvest of the season, that of corn and grain, tells the story of Mother Earth and the Corn King. Whatever your “field” of work, this is the season that highlights sweat equity, prosperity, sacrifice, and community. My ancestors … Continue reading
Episode 8 – Celtic Harvest Ritual with the Corn King – Time to Settle Debts
Make hay when the sun shines. That’s the mantra for the harvest season. It’s time to work hard, celebrate community, settle debts, and honor the sacrifice of the Corn King who gives his life for that of the community. … Continue reading
Prayer Flags for a Wedding Ceremony
Episode 7 – Prayer Flags for Wedding Rituals and Children’s Projects
Movies about climbing Mount Everest always show prayer flags – five pieces of solid colored fabric strung together, blowing in the wind. The meaning behind them is ancient and honors the individual, the family, the community, and the earth.
Episode 5 – Spirit Spoons and Garden Gifts Rituals
Do you need protection? Eat basil. Do you seek abundance? Have some mint. Do you want to help your family find peace? Serve coriander. Herbs and spices are full of magical properties and lend themselves to rituals. Spirit Spoons I … Continue reading
Episode 4 – Oathing Stones and Ritual Rocks for Personal Goals and Wedding Vows
Layered, piled, buried, jutting up from the ground, stones weave the tapestry of the earth. They symbolize the old, the everlasting…the ancestors. What does it mean to make a oath on a stone connected to the realm of the departed? … Continue reading
Episode 3 – Baby Blessings Intergenerational Ceremony for the Unchurched
Have you seen Walt Disney’s The Lion King? One of my favorite scenes is when the witch, Rafiki, presents the newborn cub, Simba, to the gods while Simba’s parents beam with pride. That scene is what inspired a baby blessing … Continue reading
Episode 2 – Imbolc Rituals with the Celtic Goddess Brigid and Root Vegetables
What do root vegetables, horseshoes, the groundhog and the Celtic Goddess Brigid have in common? They’re the ingredients of two mid-winter rituals I want to share with you. I live in Connecticut. Winters are long and cold. In early February, … Continue reading
Want a meaningful way to celebrate the holiday season?
It’s early-December. Here in the northern hemisphere, the days shrink as darkness, unstoppable since the Summer Solstice last June, relentlessly nibbles the light. This battle between night and day is as old as time. And things are about to change.