A mainstay of many ancient cultures is respect for the elders—those who have preceded us in life and whose wisdom gives guidance and comfort. But our modern culture only rarely honors those who have earned elder status. This is a great loss to young and old alike. Those who are beyond our youth but who don’t think we’ve reached elder status yet can correct this and give a priceless gift to our families. If we create the time and place to gather family to listen to the oldest members’...
Blog
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
November 26, 2012 - 12:35pm
By Cindy Matchett My young son and the many children I have spent time with over the years have all taught me a lot about celebrating. From them, I have learned that children love to be in community. They love to wear special clothes and have special jobs and be a part of something important and meaningful. But they also can get tired, shy, overstimulated, hungry, and cranky, and need to be protected and cared for. Celebrations are big energy. Whether acting as a ring bearer for a...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
November 6, 2012 - 10:00am
By Carol Takacs My friends and family have spent many a get-together listening once again as I raise my glass and toast to “new beginnings.” So much so that it’s becoming a signature mantra. Why do I savor new beginnings with such passion? It’s not because I don’t appreciate what has come before. On the contrary—when faced with a new beginning I make a special place for it in the tapestry of life. My passion for new beginnings comes rather from the energy of renewal and hope that a new...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
October 29, 2012 - 12:06pm
By Patricia Eagle
Have you ever wondered what you could do to air out your home after a difficult argument, or following something unfortunate happening in your home, or just after making a move?
Home is where our hearts abide, and if there isn’t a healthy heartbeat in your house, it may be time for a little CPR.
For many of us, home is sacred ground, where we go to replenish our souls’ tanks. We need to feel safe there. We want to feel like our...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
October 9, 2012 - 9:57am
By Holly Pruett
Years ago, I had the privilege of facilitating weekly support groups for battered women. People often said, “That must be so depressing!”
Yes, the violence the women suffered was depressing; their lack of options, even more so. But the women themselves were a daily miracle of inspiration. Despite the abuse and degradations, some small place inside held enough self-worth that they got themselves to a support group. They broke the rules that...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
September 27, 2012 - 2:21pm
By Annemarie Juhlian Yes, I’m one of those crazy dog lovers. My husband and I have a household of older and special-needs dogs, all rescued from neglect and abuse. Throughout the years, in the dog rescue work that I do in Seattle, we have taken in many dogs, often in their final months and years. Over time, our hearts have been momentarily shattered when we have lost one of our companion animals to old age and/or illness. Dog is truly “GOD” spelled backwards. No matter what your faith...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
September 19, 2012 - 9:49am
By Lara Vesta
I come from a line of powerful women. My great-grandmother birthed her 12 children alone with her husband on the Canadian steppes. The nearest town was 70 miles away. My other great-grandmother, the scandalous one, was the child of a wealthy Irish family until she threw away her inheritance to sing opera. They remind me that we, all of us, have that strength as our potential.
In times of change, we can draw upon the strength of our...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
September 3, 2012 - 12:00am
By Janna Henning People in helping roles, such as therapists, ministers, and hospice workers, bring great compassion and empathy to their work as they care for those who suffer. We deeply resonate with the pain of others as we serve them, but continual exposure to stories about trauma, pain, and loss may make us vulnerable to negative physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual effects. Exhaustion, physical illness, and despair may not only harm us, but reduce our ability to assist...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
August 22, 2012 - 4:03pm
By Robyn Greene
Most people are aware of the big transitions or events in life. We honor births, birthdays, perhaps coming of age, starting and ending school, leaving home, marriage, retirement, and eventually, death. But how often are we even aware of mini-transitions that occur throughout the day? We don’t usually acknowledge those. But maybe we should. You may remember a particular song called “Strangers in the Night” that used the lyrics “Do Be/Do Be Do” in part of the song.... Posted by: Celebrant Institute
August 17, 2012 - 2:01pm
By Sheri Reda We’re savvy, right? We post our thoughts on blogs, our invitations on Evite, our ideas on Facebook and Pinterest. We text, tweet, and email until we’re surprised when we look up and see a flesh-and-blood face. But my cousin in Portland tells me another kind of posting has sprung up and flowered like mint along the streetscape there. Poetry posts are like those real estate signs that hold listing sheets—except that instead of listings, they hold and display poems. Some posts...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
July 27, 2012 - 5:07pm
By Lissin Lev Chaya Ever since I was little, no matter where I was, I knew when the sun was going down. When I moved to the Pacific Ocean 15 years ago, my awareness became a daily sunset ritual. My partner and I were even nicknamed “Team Sunset” by our neighbors. From the moment the bottom edge of the fireball hit the horizon we would sit in silence, simply watching, until it fully disappeared. No two sunsets were alike, and I never grew tired of them. I was often filled with gratitude at...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
July 12, 2012 - 2:47pm
By Dana M. Zipkin As a mom to three children under the age of six, I’ve grown to appreciate those daily rituals that seem so ordinary: preparing breakfast, going to the park after school, reading a story before bedtime. They provide a comfortable routine and, even more importantly, positively impact the relationships among everyone in the household. Each day-to-day ritual provides us with an opportunity to celebrate being a family and to recognize that we are loved and needed, a much-...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
June 11, 2012 - 9:04am
By Patricia Noel Breen
“There is a quiet light that shines in every heart. It draws no attention to itself, though it is always secretly there. It is what illuminates our minds to see beauty, our desire to seek possibility and our hearts to love life.” - John O'Donohue
From almost the instant the doors opened to an Internet company I built in the '90s, I saw a change in the very nature of how we would live and communicate as human beings. Without evaluation or discernment we...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
June 1, 2012 - 3:09pm
By Kevin O’Brien
When you walk into the chapel at Christ’s Peace House of Prayer in Easton, Kansas, you remove your shoes as you step on holy ground. In its glory, religious symbols from all major religions are represented. The altar rests on dirt and is made of wood from the horse barn that once stood where the chapel does. Three times a day, communal prayers are said. Guests are welcome to come if they choose. The sound of the waterfalls outside the sliding glass door is heard all... Posted by: Celebrant Institute
May 25, 2012 - 3:10pm
By Ivy Cox
The smell of incense wafting through the air is at once familiar and soothing to me, having spent part of my childhood in Taiwan. On the first and fifteenth of every lunar month, the Taiwanese light incense and honor our ancestors at the family altar, set up with the ancestral tablet and adorned with offerings of food, rice wine and light eternally lit. We pray to our forefathers and foremothers, wishing them well and requesting blessings for ourselves and our loved ones....
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
May 18, 2012 - 4:14pm
By Shevaun Rafferty
You are touched by music and sounds in more ways than you may ever know. In the scientific study of cymatics, both simple sounds and complex pieces of music can be shown to create patterns in matter: the higher the frequency, the more complex the patterns, the more beautiful and harmonious the sounds. You can find amazing examples of this on the web, such as this TEDx talk, and this YouTube video.
We all turn to music to find a resonance for our emotions,...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
May 7, 2012 - 2:13pm
By Marilyn Rampley
When our children were little, bedtime rituals included a bath, brushing teeth, one last drink, snuggles, thoughts about the day’s blessings and lessons, and reading a picture book. Nighttime kisses, of course, ended the ritual and their sweet dreams began. (Sometimes I drifted off, as well!)
Bedtimes with our grandchildren began with the same script. Somewhere along the way, though, that special good-night time morphed into “Tell Us...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
April 5, 2012 - 5:39pm
By Michelle Smith
When we hear of a death in our family or community we feel a powerful urge to offer comfort—and so, we bring food. In almost any culture bringing food to the family is one of our most universal gestures of support.
While it may be quicker to pick up something already prepared at the grocery store deli, this is an opportunity to value this moment and to appreciate deeply the gift we are for each other.
So when you wish...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
March 26, 2012 - 7:20pm
By Jeff Wallis
The restorative power of nature can be accessible—anytime, anywhere—through the ritual of a Memory Walk. All you need is a route to walk and a camera.
Pick a five to 10-minute route that comforts or captivates—or find a new one. Use this as an opportunity to explore the trails of a local park or nature preserve. Or when vacationing, identify a stretch of beach or woods, or find a historical site that connects with you in a special way.
Before embarking on...
Posted by: Celebrant Institute
March 19, 2012 - 6:56pm
By Wendy Macdonald
Water is life: elemental, essential, mysterious, sacred. One has only to experience a blooming desert, a sprouting seed, a clean body, or the sense of well-being after a refreshing, hydrating drink of this clear liquid, to grasp the value of water. In the U.S., drinking water is available to everyone, and east of the Mississippi River, water is plentiful. Yet, there are places in our country where man-made aquifers and irrigation methods are necessary and places on...
