CELEBRATIONS AND RITUALS
WEDDINGS
We are honored that you are considering Soulful Connections to be a part of your special day. We can participate with you in whatever depth you wish. From a simple witnessing and blessing to co-creating the Wedding of your dreams. We are available for pre-wedding counseling or to address any of your concerns.
Your wedding day is about you...your traditions, your beliefs, your special bond. We can assist you in finding the perfect words, readings, poetry, rituals that speak to your relationship and makes your ceremony uniquely your own.
We are here to help you with your Wedding Day, traditional or non-traditional, Commitment Ceremony, or Vow Renewal.
Samples of Rituals –
Unity Candle -
Two single candles are lit which symbolize separate lives and separate families. The individual candles represent your lives before today. Lighting the center candle represents your two lives joined to one light and the joining together of your families. The three candles remain lit, one for each of you and your families, and one for your marriage, as symbols of your commitment to each other and to a lasting and loving life together.
Wine and Chocolate –
Wine and chocolate are considered gifts from the gods. Wine represents the blood and life of the earth and abundant harvest. Chocolate is revered as the ambrosia that would heal your body and soul. Ritual is to drink from a single cup and eat from the same bowl signifying you are becoming one blood and one family.
Handfasting or Handwrapping –
This is an ancient Celtic tradition. It is the “tying of the knot”. This is a fairly universal ritual. Hands convey the warmth of the heart and when placed in the infinity symbol, they are a symbol of never-ending love. The couple put their hands together in a figure eight and then a cloth is draped over and around also in a figure eight.
Ritual honoring the mothers with the symbolic gift of a flower –
Presenting of roses originated as a Catholic tradition, evolving from honoring the Blessed Mother to the honoring of one’s own mother. Variations could be to tie a personal note to the flower.
Samples of Different Spiritual Traditions:
Earth-Based or Wiccan Elements –
Adapted Wiccan Blessing–
Above you are the stars; below you are the stones. As time passes, remember: Like a stone should your love be firm. Like a star should your love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your marriage. Let the strength of your wills bind you together. Let the power of love and desire make you happy, and the strength of your dedication make you inseparable. Be close, but not too close. Possess one another, yet be understanding. Have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they will pass quickly. Be free in giving affection and warmth.
I now present to you a union reinforced by the earth, the sky and all that lies between: Mr. And Mrs._________. Blessed be.
Buddhist Elements –
Lighting of two candles – one represents the light of your love; the other signifies your commitment to share that love with your family and friends.
Celebrant pours water over the couple’s joined hands; the water flows into a bowl containing flower petals as the celebrant offers a blessing.
Buddhist Blessing-
We have come together to bless the marriage of ________and_________. This day is possible through the grace of your ancestors, your parents, your friends and society, and indeed of the earth and all creation. We, your family and friends, are here to witness and celebrate your love. You are not alone. All that lives, all that is, abides within this moment. The past and future are also here. As you confirm your relationship in the eyes of this greater community, you are also confirming that this community lives in your love for each other. May your life as one be dedicated to the well-being of all creation.
Native American Elements –
Ritual -
Smudging, or “sweeping the smoke,” is a simple but powerful Native American purification ritual, meant to clear away negative energies. Sage is the traditional choice. The celebrant first offers the smoke to the four directions, prayers may be offered silently or aloud Then the couple is bathed in the purifying smoke. “All thoughts, all energies are purified and transformed, from the negative to the positive, from darkness to light, from fear to love, and from disharmony to peace”.
Native American Blessing -
May you have the strength of eagle’s wings,
And the faith and courage to fly to new heights,
And the wisdom of the universe to carry you there.
Other Readings and Blessings
Love walks in and opens the door when all else fails. There is no problem on earth that Love cannot heal. Love is the answer to every human need. Marriage to be complete, must first be spiritual. From this inner state of conscious unity in thought, purpose, plan, and action, there comes the outer state corresponding to it, making the outer like the inner, peaceful and harmonious.
--Adapted from “Your Needs Met” by Jack and Cornelia Addington
May your love be firm,
And may your dream of life together be a river between two shores—
By day bathed in sunlight, and by night illuminated from within.
May the heron carry news of you to the heavens,
And the salmon bring the sea’s blue grace.
May your twin thoughts spiral upward like leafy vines,
Like fiddle strings in the wind,
And be a noble as the Douglas fir.
May you never find yourselves back to back
Without love pulling you around
Into each other’s arms.
--James Bertolino
Apart from Love, everything passes away. The way to heaven is in your heart.
Open and lift the wings of Love! When Love’s wings are strong, you need no ladder.
Though the world be thorns, a lover’s heart is a bower of roses.
Though heaven’s wheel be mired down, lovers’ lives go forward.
Invite love into each dark corner. The lover is bright as a hundred thousand candles!
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere; they are in one another’s souls all along.
--Rumi
Examples of Closing Blessings –
May the blessing that rests upon all who love, rest also upon you and fill you with spiritual grace. May the bond that unites you ever be strengthened.
May the love in your hearts give you joy. May the greatness of life bring you peace. And may your days be good, and your lives be long upon the earth
BABY BLESSINGS/NAMINGS
What a gift! What a special time in your life! Honoring your beautiful child would be a delight.
Ceremonies can be tailored to take into consideration family traditions and spiritual paths. Elements could include Poetry, Prayers, Water Blessing, Naming Ritual, Lighting Candles, Participation and Blessing by Family Members, and more.
"You are the poem I dreamed of writing
the masterpiece I longed to paint.
You are the shining star I reached for
In my ever hopeful quest for life fulfilled...
You are my child. Now with all things
I am blessed." -Author Unknown
Please consider a ritual to honor an older child joining your family, such as adoption, foster, blended families.
MEMORIALS
"If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the river and sea are one. " - Kahlil Gibran
Our Western Culture has a tendency to want to deny the inevitability of our passing. This leaves many of us unprepared for a time which holds many opportunities if one is aware of what to expect and open to possibilities. As Elisabeth Kubler-Ross stated, "The only thing that lives forever is love."
We would be honored to help you plan a memorial ritual in tribute and celebration of your beloved family member, friend, or pet. We are also available for bereavement counseling and support.
OTHER RITUALS
We can help you plan a ritual to celebrate, embrace, detach, transition, empower, release, bless, any and all important milestones and passages in your life. Ritual brings meaning and purpose into our lives. We would be honored to assist you.