RITES OF PASSAGE
At their heart, these rituals are about relationships. I have created rituals for weddings, baby blessings, vow renewals, facing the empty nest, getting divorced, funerals and memorials. These rituals offer ways to give structure and meaning to experiences that can flood the heart, whether the feelings are those of joy or sorrow. Life is never the same after a person undergoes a rite of passage.
Episode 52 / The Wedding Ceremony Arch: The Ancient and Astronomical History / A modern symbol with ancient meaning
Episode 49 / The Language of Shells: Beach Wedding Rituals /Two rituals for beach and beach-inspired ceremonies
Episode 48 / Vow Renewals: A Ritual to Say Yes Again / Would you marry him or her, or them, again?
Episode 47 / The Seven Hills of Rome: A Magical Wedding Ritual / How a big city or a small town can inspire a wedding ritual
Episode 46 / The Enchanted Map: A Ritual When Your Child Leaves Home / Mark the adventure
Episode 40 / Home Funerals: Rituals to Help the Grieving / Talk about medical aid in dying and the death positive movement
Episode 39 / Divorce: Rituals for the Death of a Marriage / Rocky Road and Untying the Knot
Episode 38 / Funerals for Pets / Rituals to say good-bye
Episode 34 / Love Knots: A Wedding Ritual / The magic lore of knots and the wedding ritual they inspired
Episode 31 / Giving the Key to Your Heart: A Wedding Ritual / A ritual for engagements,, first looks, weddings, anniversaries, and much more
Episode 29 / Interfaith Weddings, Chuppahs, and the Royal Stars of Persia / A Jewish-Catholic ceremony with ancient ties to stars and angels
Episode 27 / Circling: A Wedding Ritual / From Game of Thrones – How Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen reflect the Venus-Mars energy in a wedding ritual
Episode 25 / Why Carry a Bouquet: A Wedding Ritual / A pregnant bride makes a choice
Episode 24 / Funeral and Memorial Rituals / Letting go and holding on
Episode 20 / Giant Pandas, Moths, and Flours: 3 Wedding Rituals / Creative wedding rituals to honor special guests
Episode 16 / Valentine’s Day Rituals for One / Simple rituals designed to open the heart to give and receive love
Episode 15 / Unity Rituals for Weddings / Beyond candles and sand ceremonies
Episode 13 / Steps in a Rite of Passage: Weddings / What you need to know as you plan your ceremony
Episode 10 / Butterfly Blessings / A ritual for weddings, funerals, and more
Episode 7 / Prayer Flags: A Wedding Ritual / A Buddhist-inspired wedding ritual
Episode 6 / Gifts From the Trees: A Wedding Ritual / A wedding ritual for nature lovers
Episode 4 / Oathing Stones: A Wedding Ritual / Oathing stones and ritual rocks for personal goals and wedding vows
Episode 3 / Baby Blessings / Intergenerational rituals for the spiritual family
SEASONAL, LUNAR, SPIRITUAL, AND GODDESS-INSPIRED
In this group you’ll find rituals based on the agricultural seasons of my European ancestors, and rituals based on Goddesses from various pantheons. You’ll also find rituals inspired by the mythology of spirit animals and by the stars and stories in the night sky.
Episode 58 / Summer Solstice: A Sun-Moon Ritual of Fire and Water / A comforting ritual inspired by my dying husband
Episode 57 / The Charming of the Plow: Dwarves, Blacksmiths, and a Norse Winter Festival / It’s February, time to affirm your faith in your talent, prepare your tools, and get to work on your big dream.
Episode 55 / A Thanksgiving Ritual for Your Home / A simple gratitude ritual can change your perspective on what your home really means.
Episode 51 / Yemaya, the Yoruba Orisha, and Victims of the Middle Passage on the Atlantic Ocean / Part 2 of the series on shells and ocean Goddesses
Episode 50 / Sedna, the Inuit Goddess of the Arctic Ocean / Part 1 of the series on shells and ocean Goddesses
Episode 45 / Hawk and Falcon Medicine for the Spirit / How the magic and mythology of birds of prey can be used to create rituals
Episode 44 / Owl Medicine for the Spirit / How to use the magic and mythology of owls to create rituals
Episode 43 / Eagle Medicine for the Spirit / Rituals inspired by birds of prey
Episode 42 / Rituals for Podcasters, Speakers, and Storytellers / How your secret sound and the sounds of crows, parrots, and dolphins can help you produce your best work.
Episode 41 / Rituals for Writers / What the Black Plague, the printing press, lions, ants, cardinals, and whales have to do with writing.
Episode 37 / Croning: Rituals to Celebrate Aging / A ritual for a woman of a certain age – certain of who she is, what she wants, and what she has to offer.
Episode 35 / Fairies and How I See Them / How you can see them, too.
Episode 30 / Maiden, Mother, Crone / Group and individual rituals to work with the passages of a woman’s life.
Episode 28 / The Winter Solstice: Messages from the Trees / Instead of making a New Year’s resolution, follow the advice of a tree.
Episode 26 / Thanksgiving: An Abundance Ritual for the Holiday and Beyond / Create a family ritual around generosity.
Episode 21 / Samhain: Threshold, Map, Guides, and Community Fire / Navigate the dark of the year.
Episode 19 / Summer Solstice: Sun, Moon, and Butterflies / A ritual of harmony between the luminaries
Episode 18 / Beltane: Fairies, the Hawthorn, and the Goddess Bloddeuwedd / Two magicians, nine plants used to create one perfect “woman” in a story about love, death, transformation, and the power of a woman’s authentic self.
Episode 17 / Ostara and the Spring Equinox / Rituals to celebrate Spring
Episode 14 / Imbolc: Swans, the Goddess Brigid, Blacksmiths, Brewers and Bards
Episode 12 / Winter Solstice and the Infinity Symbol / The meaning of that figure-8 symbol goes far beyond love eternal.
Episode 11 / Samain: Animal Totems as Spirit Guides to the Underworld / The veil between the worlds is thin. If you plan to travel, be sure you have a guide!
Episode 8 / Lammas: A Celtic Harvest Ritual and the Sacrifice of the Corn King / Time to celebrate community and settle debts. What debt will you pay? What debt will you forgive?
Episode 2 / Imbolc: Midwinter, the Magic of Root Vegetables, and the Celtic Goddess Brigid / You’ll never look at the humble potato the same way again.
COMMUNITY and SELF-CARE
I created these rituals from my belief that our thoughts have energy, that what we think about ourselves as individuals and as members of our communities shapes our reality.
Episode 56 / Hope and the Parliament of the World’s Religions / Religious and spiritual leaders from around the world shared their beliefs and their rituals to show how they’re trying to heal the world. We’re far more alike than different.
Episode 54 / Self-Care Rituals When Your Spouse Has Dementia / Simple rituals I found helpful while I was caring for my husband. Creating this episode is what led me to launch my second podcast: My Spouse Has Dementia
Episode 36 / Colored: A Black Lives Matter Ritual / In 1956 my frail mother was almost killed teaching me that Black lives matter.
Episode 33 / A Gathering of Ancestors: A Ritual to Connect / A call for help in troubled times
Episode 32 / The Spanish Flu and Covid-19: Rituals for the Pandemic / A ritual and writing exercises
Episode 23 / The Making of a Medicine Woman / Attending my first public ritual — a ritual that truly changed my life
Episode 9 / Magic Soup to Heal the World / A harvest ritual with ingredients you’ll find in your heart
Episode 5 / Spirit Spoons and Garden Gifts / Enchant your kitchen with the magic of herbs
Episode 1 / Drink Your Words: Begin the New Year with Intention / A simple ritual to begin the year or launch a project