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The Ancient Art Of Creating Ceremony For Conscious Change
By Daina (Dinah) Puodziunas
Throughout history, women have undergone public and private ceremonies to help them make the transition from one stage of life to another, to change a behavior, bring things to completion, and mark new beginnings. Ceremony has a profound and reinforcing effect on the psyche.
The renewal of interest in ceremony can add a fruitful psychological and spiritual dimension to our lives. Many therapies suggest commemorating an important decision, a significant change, or a new desire with a meaningful and memorable action. This is where ceremony becomes a magnificent tool for personal transformation.
I participated in a Croning Ceremony last month. Crone refers to the mother, maiden, crone phases of a woman's life. The crone represents the phase of a woman's life after menopause. The definition we prefer to "an ugly, withered old woman, hag" (as Webster's describes it), is a female leader, counselor, healer who is experienced and wise.
It was an absolutely beautiful and meaningful ceremony. Each woman shared the truths that she gained in her life and honored her own wisdom. It was tremendously inspiriting. Just like we have to wise up to the fact that we have to become our own fairy godmothers if we want our dreams, desires, and wishes to come true, we also have to instate ourselves as wise women within our culture. In both cases, nobody is going to do it for us. The time has come for us to take charge of every aspect of our lives and we need each other to do that.
Ceremonies mark completion's and new beginnings. They assist us with our inner adjustments when our outer reality changes. I love to design ceremonies for transitions, empowerment, clearing out the old, and bringing in the new, and have come up with ingredients in ceremonies that make for powerful and lasting changes to occur.
10 Essential Ingredients For Creating A Powerful Ceremony |
- Getting crystal clear on your intention(s) for the ceremony. Why are you having it and what do you want to accomplish with it?
- Deciding when, where, and with whom you want to do the ceremony. Choreographing a ceremony can be an exciting adventure! Remember ... you are the one who gets to have the final say. You are in charge.
- Leaving the familiar behind in as many ways as possible. This can include location, dress, attitude, etc. This helps us be open to new things, get out of old habits and associations, and be ready for adventure and the new.
- Understanding and harmonizing with the purpose behind the ceremony. Aligning yourself emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually with the reasons for holding the ceremony. What do you want to accomplish with the ceremony?
- Including whatever else allows you to experience "enchanted space" - music, singing, candles, etc. I use the term "enchanted space" instead of "sacred space" because so many of us get very serious and solemn as soon as we even think "sacred". It is unfortunate, but true. We want reverence, but a sweet, loving, magical reverence.
- Having symbols of what you want to empower and what you are leaving behind. Working with symbols is one of the most powerful ways to access the essence of what our intentions are. When they are physical ones, they have a profound effect on our psyches.
- Quieting and centering your energy as much in the present moment as possible. I call this learning how to "down shift" your own energy. Whether it is through meditation, contemplation, or conscious breathing, we all have a mind that goes all over the place unless we take control of it. When we are present in ceremony we are alert, aware, and in our powerful center.
- Knowing how to deliberately raise, focus, and direct your own energies. We were not taught how to "self generate" our own energy so many of us live life reacting to whatever is happening around us. When we learn how to have control over our own energy, we are free beings. Ceremony requires that we know how to do this.
- Including the elements: air, earth, fire, and water to help ground, transform, clear, and empower. Each element has a special magic that assists and interacts with our intentions. They assist us with bringing heaven to earth.
- Knowing how you are going to integrate the change into your daily life. I refer to this as "environmental design." It involves surrounding yourself with whatever you need to make the transition and bring the change into the physical. Remember .... the most profound insights, revelations, and visions don't come alive until we take action on them. This is where a healthy and supportive community, coach, buddies are very important. In my own life, there is no way that I would have taken some of the steps I needed, to get to where I wanted to be, if not for the support, perspectives, love, and insights of others.
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Most important of all, the best ceremonies come from the heart. They can be elaborate and well planned or spontaneous. I have learned that the most important qualities to bring to ceremony are heart, a sense of lightness, joy, appreciation, and connection. Become as a little child... enchanted, immersed in the now, excited, and open!! Then watch the magic, the synchronicities, the serendipity begin to interact with you in your daily life. The universe will speak to those with the ears to hear and eyes to see.
Daina (Dinah) Puodziunas is once again facilitating day long retreats for women of all ages which include contemporary sweat ceremonies at her enchanted cottage on a private lake located near Greenville, MI. She is also a phone coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator providing leading edge tools for midlife women to learn to love and heal themselves. Contact info: (616) 754-9672; Dinah@MidlifeFairyGodmothers.com; www.MidlifeFairyGodmothers.com |
