Ritual Recipes

The Celtic festival of Beltane, celebrated on or about May 1, is associated with fertility, flowers, fairies, the Hawthorn tree. From the Hawthorn, we get the story of Bloddeuwedd, a woman created from nine plants and trees by two magicians who wanted to make the perfect bride for a young man. All went well for a while, until Bloddeuwedd met another man and fell in love. What follows is a story about death, transformation, and the power of a woman’s authentic self. Books mentioned in the podcast: The White Goddess by Robert Graves; A Compendium of Herbal Magick by Paul Beyerl; A Modern Herbal by Mrs. M. Grieve; Voice of the Trees by Mickie Mueller; Midsummer: Magical Celebrations of the Summer Solstice by Anna Franklin

Spring is here! It's time to break the bonds of winter. How? This episode offers safe and simple rituals for groups and individuals, adults and children, to celebrate spring: Break chains. Plant symbolic seeds. Plant metaphysical seeds. Wake up the trees! As one season begins, another season ends. In the excitement of welcoming the new, don't forget what has been left behind.  Mentioned: Episode 27 of "5 Minute Feng Shui," a podcast by Kathryn Weber, in which she talks about wood and paints a vivid picture of the power of spring. A 2017 article written by Arjun Walia in Collective Evolution, talking with Dr. James Oschman, a biologist from the University of Pittsburgh, about the benefits of going barefoot.     

Combine acts of kindness and generosity with safe and simple rituals designed to open the heart to give and receive love. Each of us has something to give. That may be time, or money, or things, or energy. How much we have will vary. What's important is to recognize that these gifts have an endless return on investment. Whether you volunteer at a nursing home, help comfort and socialize animals at a shelter, or put extra effort into donating items to your local thrift shop, you can add create rituals that could change your life.  Mentioned in this episode is an episode of "On Being," a podcast hosted by Krista Tippett, in which she interviewed Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist. They talked about love as the next frontier for science!   

Unity candles and sand ceremonies are lovely but couples do have other options. On this episode, you'll find ways to personalize the meaning of the traditional rituals and discover new rituals inspired by the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Any ritual can fall flat without context. For example, the fire of a Unity Candle can symbolize the porch light a parent leaves burning until her "child" -- of whatever age -- arrives home safely. That same flame will mean something else to an Eagle Scout who had to learn how to make fire to survive.   For a water-inspired unity ritual that blends wine, look to Wine Spectator magazine. Draw some wedding wisdom from what they have to say about the top wines of the year.  Use silk-like butterflies for a ritual inspired by air. Unite the couple and all their guests in a unity ritual around the Om chant. Plant a tree for a ritual inspired by earth. Or, designate personal meaning to the colors poured in a sand ceremony. Or talk about the origin of the sand if that

The Celtic fire festival of Imbolc is celebrated in early February. It honors Brigid, patron Goddess of blacksmiths, brewers, and bards, also referred to as smithcrafters, healers and poets. For an individual, follow a simple ritual using a red or white candle and something to symbolize Brigid -- a cast iron skillet, a mortar and pestle, or journal.  For a group, create a ritual using white ribbons to represent the swans that migrate from Iceland to Ireland for the winter. See Episode 2 for an Imbolc ritual inspired by the magical properties of root vegetables, especially potatoes, carrots, and onions.  See MegsInspirations.com for a calendar of upcoming rituals conducted by Life-Cycle Celebrant Zita Christian.

A Rite of Passage ritual has three steps: Separation, Transformation, and Incorporation. Seeing those steps in a wedding deepens the meaning to the elements of the ceremony. Those same rite of passage steps can also be seen in the process a contestant goes through to win the television reality show, The Voice. Zita shares personal stories about the power of reflection, about a groom whose grandfather died at the reception, about how her own husband's struggle with Alzheimer's, and about how a bride's request for gravitas led Zita to write about the emotional weight of wedding vows.  Zita also talks about closing a wedding ceremony with the magic of three kisses!  

What does the Winter Solstice have to do with gifts and candles, pigs and wine, freedom and fear, New Year’s resolutions, handfastings and the infinity symbol? A lot! Helpful links:  For the associated blog post with photos - http://moonriverrituals.com/blog  For "Light is Returning" on the CD "The Winter's Night" by MotherTongue - http://www.earthspirit.com/category/mothertongue For Crystal Journey Candles - https://www.crystaljourneycandles.com/ For astrologer Donna Woodwell - https://donnaphilosophica.com/  For Astrology Hub - http://astrologyhug.com For Meg's Inspirations - http://megsinspirations.com For the 19th century Webb Barn in Old Wethersfield, CT, home of a beautiful sun dial in the wedding garden - https://webb-deane-stevens.org/historic-houses-barns/the-webb-barn    

I learned a valuable lesson the day a skunk crossed my path. It was about animal totems and the magical medicine they offer. Seeing animals as spirit guides is at the heart of a public ritual I created for Samhain, the Celtic festival that marks the death of summer. The mysteries of Samhain are at the heart of the holiday we call Halloween.  The ritual offers ways you can connect with an animal totem that chooses you. Yes, it chooses you, not the other way around. You'll get a taste of the magical medicine of the bear, the bee, the hawk, the salmon.  You'll see how those gathered for the ritual called on the animals to help the survivors of the synagogue shooting in Squirrel Hill.  Books mentioned in the episode:  The Druid Animal Oracle by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews

How to use the physical and metaphysical properties of butterflies to create rituals for wedding ceremonies, funeral services, and memorial celebrations of life.  Did you know that in some Native American traditions, a butterfly is thought to be a living piece of a rainbow? That's just one of several nuggets from folklore and cultures around the world used to create the "Butterfly Blessings" ritual.  Originally created for a wedding, the ritual is easily adapted for birthdays and as a self-affirming activity for children.  The Butterfly Blessings ritual uses butterflies made of feathers, cloth, or paper. No live butterflies!  See the book, Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small by the late Ted Andrews.   For other gifting rituals, see Garden Gifts (Episode 5) and Gifts from the Trees (Episode 6).  

If you want do DO something to help heal the world, consider making a pot of healing soup. You won't find the ingredients in your pantry. You'll find them in your heart.  In this episode, I share a harvest ritual I created to empower each of us to be part of the solution, not the problem. The ritual involves receiving ingredients we need to heal ourselves and sharing ingredients we believe will help heal others. What kind of ingredients? Ask / Bridge / Courage / Dialogue / Friend / Honesty / Link / Protect / Seek / Team / Twinkle (yes, twinkle!) / Wisdom / Wish.  These are just a few of more than 200 ingredients available for the soup.  What ingredient would you add? Let me know on Facebook.com/MoonnRiverRituals or email me at zita@ritualrecipes.net .  We'll be making a new pot of soup for the Spring Equinox next March. 

The Celtic harvest season honors the sacrifice of the Corn King, a/k/a John Barleycorn. Time to celebrate community and settle debts, and compete in the Highland Games. Ask yourself: What debt will you pay? What debt will you forgive?  Mentioned in the podcast:  2018 Highland Games in Scotland, CT Meg's Inspirations, an inspirational and spiritual boutique in Manchester, CT Viriditas Beautiful Skin Therapies, my daughter's skincare clinic in Providence, RI Amazon's Alexa device

Include prayer flags for a visual wedding ritual or meaningful activity with children. Create fantastical blessings inspired by visionary activist Caroline Casey. Get Zita's take on what really happened when Dorothy Gale clicked her ruby slippers 3 times.  See: Caroline Casey at http://coyotenetworknews.com

Did you know that unicorns like ash trees? That the locust tree represents strength and the will to live? That planting a juniper by the front door is said to protect the home from thieves? What magical gifts do the trees in your neighborhood offer?  Gifts from the Trees is a ritual that can be used for woodland weddings, unity rituals, birthdays, retirement parties, croning ceremonies, memorial services, and more. Looking for a simple ritual to bring love into your life? Step 1: Cut an apple to reveal a star, symbol of Venus, Goddess of Love.  See the shownotes for more, including photos and helpful resources. Go to MoonRiverRituals.com/podcast

Do you need protection? Eat basil. Do you need abundance? Have some mint. Do you want to help your family find peace? Serve coriander.  Do you want to stir up some magic in your kitchen? Use a spirit spoon!  Connecticut wedding officiant Zita Christian shows how "Garden Gifts," a ritual she created, uses the magical properties of herbs and spices for weddings, birthdays, croning ceremonies and more.   

Throughout history, stones have played a role in affirming all that endures, all that is steadfast. In many cultures, stones are believed to bridge the connection between the living and the dead. Centuries ago, a person could be banned from the village for breaking a vow made on a stone connected to the ancestors, for the ancestors offered protection from the Other World. If a person broke such a sacred vow, how could he or she ever be trusted?  With such a legacy, it's easy to see why a couple would want to take their wedding vows on an oathing stone.  Oathing stones aren't limited to weddings. Anyone making a personal vow to begin a project, kick a habit, or commit to a change of any kind can do so on an oathing stone.    Small "ritual rocks" can be used the empower daily affirmations and to serve as touchstones in times of stress, uncertainty, forgiveness and gratitude.  Every stone has a message. All we have to do is listen with an open heart. 

Connecticut Life-Cycle Celebrant Zita Christian shares details from a baby blessing to help others create a ceremony of their own. She talks about "The Nest," a baby blessing ritual she created to involve the baby, the parents, grandparents and guests.      

Connect with the energy of mid-winter with two rituals. First, a simple ritual that celebrates the magic of root vegetables. Then, a substantial ritual that celebrates the Celtic Goddess Brigid and the solar festival of Imbolc. 

Use this simple ritual at the beginning of  a year a day a project a relationship Use focus and intent to begin any new venture.