Crafting Ritual for Life Transitions

Life has many transitions: From the birth of a child, to the loss of a parent, from getting a new job to grieving a pet. We all experience these “hello or goodbye” moments of change but what do we do to mark them meaningfully? Could our lives be better, richer, and more resilient if we had real ways to honor, sanctify, and make sense of these important thresholds?

What we need is ritual. 

Rituals are our most trusted guide during times of change. They give us a sense of stability in the face of uncertainty and offer us a tangible and time tested way to acknowledge that as life changes, we too must change. 

Join internationally renowned author, artist, and ritual teacher Day Schildkret, the visionary behind the Morning Altars nature/art/ritual/movement, to understand ritual crafting.

Based on Day’s newest book, “Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration and Change,” (Simon Element) this transformative workshop will give you a basic foundation of what ritual is and isn’t. Together, we will explore the historical, sociological, and ancestral understandings of ritual, its functional relationship to thresholds, and how ritual provides stabilizing and integrating benefits such as understanding, meaning, and reflection.

This workshop will not only teach you the concepts and theories of ritual itself, but also the components of ritual design. You will cultivate a ritual toolkit in order to experiment and craft your own rituals that bring wholeness.  

During the day we will focus on the importance of preparing ritual time and space, practice the art of bearing and being witness, as well as story-sharing and story-listening in pairs and triads. At night we will craft a collective creative ritual, offering the group an opportunity to practice and experience ritual design in action that allows for greater awareness, empathy, and deepening relationships.

During this workshop, you will practice:

• Ritual and Meaning Making for sane-making, deeper understanding and wisdom
• Creative Expression for finding fulfillment, facing fear and courageous living
• Relating to Impermanence for skills of mindfulness, non attachment and resilience
• Wonder for renewing a sense of awe, curiosity and aliveness.
• Witnessing and Story-sharing for profound and generous acts of listening and presence.

You will come away from this workshop with the courage, resources and skills to ritualize your losses, celebrations and life changes to bring stability and resilience when life changes.

Special Note: This workshop will be held as a 2-night, 3-day, and also have the option to extend your time and workshop content into a third night and fourth day.  To extend your time in the workshop, select the “Add Extra Night” option when completing your reservation.

Recommended reading: Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration and Change, Schildkret (Simon Element)