Celebrant Institute

Ceremony: How to Honor the Elders in Your Family

A mainstay of many ancient cultures is respect for the elders—those who ha…

7 Strategies for Child-Friendly Celebrations

By Cindy MatchettMy young son and the many children I have spent time with over …

A Ritual for New Beginnings

By Carol TakacsMy friends and family have spent many a get-together listening on…

Holding up the Mirror: Rituals for Self-Reflection

By Holly Pruett Years ago, I had the privilege of facilitating weekly support g…

3 Ways to Celebrate Your Canine Companions

Yes, I’m one of those crazy dog lovers. My husband and I have a household of old…

Circle of Strength: A Ritual for Times of Change

By Lara Vesta I come from a line of powerful women. My great-grandmother birthe…

Rituals to Restore & Refresh the Spirit

By Janna HenningPeople in helping roles, such as therapists, ministers, and hosp…

Honoring Everyday Transitions: "Do, Be"

By Robyn Greene Most people are aware of the big transitions or events in life.…

Best Post Ever

By Sheri RedaWe’re savvy, right? We post our thoughts on blogs, our invitations …

Turning to the Morning: Sunset Rituals

By Lissin Lev ChayaEver since I was little, no matter where I was, I knew when t…

Magical, Not Mundane: Daily Rituals and Children

By Dana M. ZipkinAs a mom to three children under the age of six, I’ve grown to …

Giving Pause

By Patricia Noel Breen “There is a quiet light that shines in every heart. It d…

When We Enter Silence: Shanti, Shalom, Salaam, Peace

By Kevin O’Brien When you walk into the chapel at Christ’s Peace House of Praye…

Remembering Our Roots

By Ivy Cox The smell of incense wafting through the air is at once familiar and…

The Great Symphony of Life

By Shevaun Rafferty You are touched by music and sounds in more ways than you m…

Tell Us a Story

By Marilyn Rampley When our children were little, bedtime rituals included a ba…

Bringing Food: Making a Gift of Comfort More Meaningful

By Michelle Smith When we hear of a death in our family or community we feel a …

Memory Walk: An Everyday Ritual to Connect to Nature

By Jeff Wallis The restorative power of nature can be accessible—anytime,…

A Ritual to Honor Water

By Wendy Macdonald Water is life: elemental, essential, mysterious, sacred. One…

Loss and a Snowflake: A Ritual for Healing

by Amanda German In December 2002 I became pregnant with our first child. A few…

Honoring Our Ancestors: They are Closer than We Think

by Kim Nash Do you ever think about your ancestors—distant relatives whom…

Deepen Your Practice: A Neighborhood Pilgrimage

By Amy Benedict We think of a pilgrimage as a journey of great spiritual or mor…

A Goddess Water Ritual for New Year's Eve

by Elizabeth Phaire For those of us who follow the Gregorian calendar, the year…

Celebrating Winter: Retreat and Renew

Use these practices to inspire more ease and play this season

Practice: A Rite for Bill of Rights Day

By Cristina Spencer Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the pres…

A "Peak" Experience: Celebrate International Mountain Day

By Jack Cuffari December 11 is “International Mountain Day.” This commemorative…

Practice: Write a Handwritten Letter to a Friend

By Kit Turen In addition to being the season of holiday greetings, December is …

Harvest Ritual: Feast On Your Life

By Nick Meima “Sit. Feast on your life.” – Derek Walcott, from the poem “Love a…

Honoring the Journeys in Adoption

Each year, November is recognized as National Adoption Month. It is a time to ce…

Ritual: Make Peace on Veterans Day

By Barry Klassel Of the two federal holidays that honor those who have served i…

Ritual: Find Peace in the Significance of Circles

“God is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.”…

Divorce Hurts: Finding a New Way to Heal

by Michele Davidson Divorce holds the potential to transform the lives of those…

Ritual: Instigate Breakthrough Change

By Francis Michael Lee Mid-October marks the one-year anniversary of a mileston…

Ritual: Experience the Fullness of Life

By Joan Phillips This week opens with a full moon on the 12th, and four days la…

Ritual: When Organizing Becomes an Act of Beauty

by Lois Heckman The week of October 5th is designated as “National Get Organize…

Ritual: Reveal the Archetypal Energies Within

By Rani Findlay This week marks the new moon at harvest time, and the Hindu fes…

Ritual: The September Equinox and You

by Kezia Bacon-Bernstein September 23 is the equinox, a twice-annual occurrence…

Ritual: Go Inward With the New Moon

This week there was new moon in the sky, did you notice it? Aha! That was a tric…