By Elaine Voci, Ph.D., Certified Life Cycle Celebrant
I love
rituals, don’t you? They have been
around forever: rituals have been core elements of the customs and traditions
of indigenous peoples over the eons.
Rituals can be found everywhere in modern life, too, and are often
associated with religious and spiritual practices. Rituals have even recently become a new interest area for
workplace research and have been shown to strengthen desirable employee
behaviors, to create a sharper mental focus on goals, and to help foster a
sense of belonging – all factors that contribute to increased
productivity. An article published
by the Harvard Business Review Blog Network showed how “rituals make us value
things more.”( https://hbr.org/2013/12/new-research-rituals-make-us-value-things-more/
)
As a
Celebrant, one of my favorite tools in my vocational kit are rituals, rites of
passage and ceremonies. As someone
said at our graduation ceremony, “Celebrants have never met a ritual they
didn’t love.” But rituals are also
treasured by other people who appreciate creating and celebrating meaningful
life events. I recently read an
article about a new idea called “Ritual Salons.” These events bring ritual enthusiasts together with groups
of friends and colleagues to create and utilize rituals for everyday life. Here’s how the salons are described by
the author, Daren Polito, “My salons are a laboratory where about ten friends
and I explore creating rituals, doing one together and then discussing its
impact over a potluck dinner.” (http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/blogs/posts/the-ritual-space/) I plan to adapt this great idea to
my practice, and will be glad to share my experiences with you on this blog
later in the spring.
As January arrives, one of my favorite rituals in our Web-based
world is watching on television as the New Year is rung in across the globe.
It’s a thrilling spectacle that brings me a direct experience of being
connected to One Humanity. It never fails to choke me up with
emotions of gratitude, awe, and joy.
May I take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful year of rites,
rituals and ceremonies – and, from
my heart to yours, have a Happy New Year!!
Elaine Voci is a life coach,
specializing in career coaching, in private practice in Carmel, IN and a
graduate of the Celebrant Foundation & Institute class of 2014 where she
concentrated her studies on funerals.
A published author of five books, she has loved rituals and ceremonies
since she was a girl. This blog showcases – all the many ways meaning and
purpose can be found through rituals, rites and ceremonies. It’s written for fellow Celebrants and
for all others who place a value on meaningfulness in daily life experiences,
and who delight in marking those passages that bring us through our milestones
and adventures of the spirit
Please direct all request, comment or concerns about our CF&I Blog to our Social Media Manager ~ Marcia Almeida, Master Life-Cycle Celebrant. at celebrantsocialmedia@gmail.com
Or to the Celebrant Foundation & Institute’s director, Charlotte Eulette at:charlotteeulette@celebrantinstitute.org or call us at (973)746-1792.
