Ceremonies for Life Birth and Naming Rituals, Marriage and Commitment Celebrations, Remembrance Ceremonies

by Jordan, Michael

• ISBN13: 9781855857940
• ISBN10: 1855857944
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-12-31
• Publisher: Collins & Brown

Summary

Now you can find eloquent ways to celebrate major life events--and everyday happiness. An internationally acclaimed author presents a practical guide to everything from welcoming the harvest to conducting a Wiccan wedding, all beautifully illustrated with photographs. Create a sacred space in the home for focusing positive energy and healing. Stay attuned to nature's rhythms with the Wheel of the Year. Remember a loved one with funeral rites from Egypt, Polynesia, China, or Japan. A rich compendium of inspirational ideas.

Table of Contents

Introduction to alternative ceremonies	6	(2)
The origin of alternative ceremonies	8	(4)
What you need to perform alternative ceremonies	12	(16)
Preparing to perform ceremonies	14	(2)
Sacred spaces and sacred circles	16	(2)
What tools do I need?	18	(2)
Sharing or working alone?	20	(2)
Why we should perform rituals	22	(2)
The spiritual significance of trees	24	(2)
Honouring sacred sites	26	(2)
Rites of passage	28	(26)
Celebrating the transitions of life	30	(2)
A ceremony to mark conception	32	(2)
Ceremonies to celebrate birth	34	(2)
Welcoming the new arrival	36	(2)
Saining or naming your baby	38	(2)
Planting a tree for the birth of a baby	40	(2)
Birthstones for a new-born baby	42	(4)
Birth ceremonies in tribal societies	46	(2)
Miscarriage and stillbirth	48	(2)
Later rites of passage - puberty	50	(2)
Celebrating the menopause	52	(2)
Ceremonies to mark death and rebirth	54	(18)
Journey to the otherworld	56	(2)
Egyptian rituals of the dead	58	(2)
Native American rites for the dead	60	(2)
Polynesian and Eastern funeral traditions	62	(2)
Chinese and Japanese funeral rites	64	(2)
Tailoring to the individual	66	(2)
Woodland and personalized burials	68	(2)
Ancient sacred sites	70	(2)
Ceremonies to honour the cycle of nature	72	(20)
Ceremonies of the natural world	74	(2)
Invocation to the Goddess in Wicca	76	(2)
The Wheel of the Year	78	(2)
Celebrating the spring	80	(2)
Ceremonies to celebrate midsummer	82	(2)
Welcoming the harvest	84	(2)
Rites to perform at the equinoxes	86	(2)
A ceremony for the midwinter solstice	88	(2)
The Yule log: light in the darkness	90	(2)
Celebrating marriage and other relationships	92	(16)
Alternative ways to celebrate marriage	94	(4)
A simple wedding ceremony	98	(2)
The sacred marriage in Wicca	100	(2)
A folk marriage from India	102	(2)
A European wedding ceremony	104	(2)
A ritual of separation	106	(2)
Performing alternative ceremonies	108	(28)
The significance of propitiation and prayer	110	(2)
Rituals of purification	112	(2)
Using herbs for rituals	114	(2)
Herbs and plants for different occasions	116	(2)
Sacrifice: a rite of reverence	118	(2)
The value of prayer	120	(2)
Rituals for healing	122	(2)
Alleviating stress through meditation	124	(2)
Basic yoga positions	126	(2)
Chakras and breathing	128	(2)
The power of dance	130	(2)
The power of chanting	132	(2)
Eastern ritual techniques	134	(2)
Conclusion	136	(2)
The Law	138	(1)
Liferites	139	(1)
Useful information	140	(1)
Acknowledgements	141	(1)
Index	142