Rituals for Our Times Celebrating, Healing, and Changing Our Lives and Our Relationships

by Imber-Black, Evan; Roberts, Janine

• ISBN13: 9780765701565
• ISBN10: 0765701561
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-02-01
• Publisher: Jason Aronson, Inc.

Summary

Authors Evan Imber-Black and Janine Roberts show how we can learn to tap the power of rituals to mark transitions, express important values, heal the past, and deepen relationships. Each chapter looks at the special issues and possibilities for nuclear, extended, single-parent, and remarried families, as well as for single adults and couples. The authors also pay particular attention to how changing gender roles are reflected in our rituals, and how revitalized traditions can actually alter the course of intimate relationships. Filled with first-person stories and practical examples, this book will help all readers enhance the meaning of traditions old and new, reinforcing and celebrating life's many milestones and ties.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
Rituals and Relationships
The Possibilities for Rituals Today	p. 3
How Rituals Work for Us: The Five Purposes of Rituals	p. 25
Your Family Heritage: Understanding Ritual Styles	p. 57
Making Meaningful Rituals
Planning Your Rituals: Preparation, People, Place, Participation, and Presents	p. 81
How Rituals Make Meaning: Symbols and Symbolic Actions	p. 125
Rituals Throughout Our Lives
Daily Rituals: Shaping Relationships Day by Day	p. 143
Birthdays: Remembering Life's Beginnings and Affirming Relationships Across the Years	p. 169
Anniversaries: Honoring Relationships and Marking Personal Changes	p. 191
Vacations, Reunions, and Seasonal Events: Making Special Time for Yourself and Your Relationships	p. 209
Holiday Rituals: Celebrating with Merriment, Memory, and Meaning	p. 229
Life-Cycle Rituals: Living Life's Changes	p. 267
Keeping Your Rituals Alive: Where to Go from Here	p. 291
Author's Note
Notes
Suggested Reading
Index
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.