The Power and Purpose of Ritual
A ritual is a simple and intentional action designed to bring deeper meaning to our lives and connect us with ourselves and the world around us. Rituals are often used in ceremonies but can be a stand alone action and are typically recurring at consistent intervals such as daily, seasonally, or annually. There is a lot of talk about ritual in the death work community as well as a push to reintegrate old rituals or create new ones. The most common events using ritual that we are familiar with in the US are birth, marriage, and death. Perhaps because we live in a largely secular society ritual is not as common as in societies with more robust religious and cultural practices. Regardless of whether someone considers themselves religious or spiritual or neither, most everyone seeks meaning in life.
Most rituals contain use of at least one of the four basic elements. Water, fire, earth, and air are the foundation of human existence and are very useful in creating secular ceremonies as they are universal and highly valued across cultures. Water is life-giving and associated with restoration, healing, cleansing, and rebirth. Some common rituals involving water are ritual bathing, baptism, and dropping natural elements into moving water. Fire is what evolved human civilization. It’s linked to purification, warmth, safety, preparing food, and community. We use this element when we hold a candlelight vigil, bonfire, or burn incense. Earth is where our bodies are inextricably connected and how we are nourished. It is powerfully grounding to hold a crystal, prayer beads, or dirt from an important place or homeland. We might plant a tree or garden in remembrance of someone. Air symbolizes life itself as the breath and some might say wind symbolizes our communion with the spiritual. Air allows for sound such as singing, prayer, chanting, and music. According to David L. Bieniek in At the Time of Death: Symbols and Rituals for Caregivers and Chaplains, “Wicca, native religions, and many earth-based spiritualities see the elements not as symbols or part of a ritual, but as actual sacred manifestations themselves.” Incorporating elements is easy to do when we know the purpose of our ritual. Are we marking death and rebirth, promoting cleansing and healing, or bringing together community?
Some of my favorite rituals are around the changing of the seasons and the rhythms of the earth. Seeing as we are currently at the end of summer and beginning of fall there are a few fascinating events I will highlight. Samhain (pronounced sow-in) is a Wiccan holiday celebrated between sunset on October 31st to sunset on November 1st. While it is the basis for what we know as Halloween it was first observed by Celtic Pagans. Marking the new year, the end of the harvest season, and beginning of Winter. The Celts believed the veil between the living and the dead was especially thin during Samhain and allowed spirits to visit. Some of the rituals incorporated are feasting, dancing, and building altars to honor their ancestors.
Dia de los Muertos, or ‘Day of the Dead,’ began thousands of years ago in Central and South America. Those who celebrate the holiday believe that at midnight on October 31 the souls of their deceased children reunite with them and the following day the souls of their deceased adults join in the reunion. This is a very festive and celebratory event in which families gather typically at night at the cemeteries to light candles and place flowers on the burial sites of their deceased. The Aztecs used to offer food and water to their dead to assist them on their journey. Now, Mexican families create beautiful altars including marigolds, sugar skulls, bread, photos, and other items that honor their dead. All Saints Day is celebrated by Western Christians on November 1st and by Eastern Christians on the first Sunday after Pentecost. This holiday has slightly different meanings to different worshippers but generally involves attending mass to pray and worship. All of the Saints of the church are honored and remembered. While the origins are unclear it is notable that Pope Gregory Illreigned built a chapel in Rome dedicated to the memory of all Saints on November 1st during the 8th century.
Once you see the common threads of ritual woven into our lives and how the common elements play a role in them it becomes easier to create our own rituals to mark both momentous and invisible transitions in our lives. This can bring a sense of awareness, awe, and connection and many times a clearer way forward.