Rituals are the Key to Meaningful Transformation

We all crave a meaningful life. To live a life filled with meaning, humans have 11 specific psychological and spirit needs. We are continually striving to meet these needs. We know we are falling short of these 11 needs when we feel broken, grief-stricken, empty, betrayed, scared, lost, alone, unseen, blocked, orphaned, and small. Along the journey of life, we are continually striving to be transformed from these feelings to where we want to be: healed, integrated, renewed, prepared, wiser, related, acknowledged, inspired, grounded, and connected. But how do we get there?

If personal transformation is the journey, then ritual is the key (to taking the first step).

The ritual I’m referring to doesn’t have to involve a priest, priestess, minister, or shaman (although it could). The ritual I’m talking about doesn’t require a full moon, stained glass, holy water, crystals, icons, or the alignment of stars (although it might). The ritual I’m talking about is any meaningful, symbolic action that you take. 

While we often use ritual in public and in groups, most often we conduct them in private and alone. While ritual may occur in ornate buildings when we are wearing formal garments, it usually happens in common places while we wear our every-day t-shirts and sweat pants. The most common rituals are the seemingly small gestures only we know about, but mean more to us than we can put into words.  

I’ll say it again: Meaningful ritual unlocks the door to a journey of powerful transformation.