10 Ways Rituals Help Us Celebrate Our Lives

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Ritual has its roots in religion, and life's fundamental passages are often traditionally accompanied by religious ritual. But life's great passages are by nature spiritual. They affirm human mystery and mutability, our connection with the universal. Rituals serve as a bridge between our outer and inner worlds, between the profane and the sacred, and between the ordinary and the extraordinary. Rituals: Afford us a sense of belonging. When we engage in the ritual process we are, in … [Read more...]

The Miriam Tradition: Living the Path of Joy

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Remember reading about Miriam in the Bible?  As the sister of Moses, some people remember her from the film Prince of Egypt, and the scene where she leads women in music and dance. The film does a fairly accurate job of telling an ancient story of freedom. The scene is taken from the Bible, where she is portrayed as even more of a hero. Miriam is considered a prophet like her brother Moses.  In Biblical times, music and dance could be a form of prophecy! Why was movement considered so … [Read more...]

The Ritual & Celebration of Food

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Last of a 4-part series Throughout the ages, food has been a part of human celebrations, life passages and holidays. We seasonally rejoice in different foods each time of the year and there have been entire festivities dedicated to each harvest. We are beginning to return to time-honored celebrations of food and harvest. There are more communal pot lucks with different kinds of foods as themes, but for the most part, our meals are rushed and eaten in front of the TV or computer just to … [Read more...]