Rites of the Heart: Other Services

Ceremonies for the most important moments of life
All human beings, even in our modern societies, know instinctively how important it is to acknowledge the most significant times in their lives. We often do this by setting aside a special time and place and holding a rite or ritual, simple or elaborate, spiritual or secular. Weddings are just one such rite.

Rites are valuable, regardless of whether they arise from your faith tradition or from your personal sense of what you want. Most religions offer specific rites for specific times in life, but rites frequently take place outside any religious context. They are equally important to those who do not have any religious or spiritual tradition.

quote Rites and rituals enrich our humanity. They provide a way for us to feel deeply and share our greatest joys and our deepest sorrows. Our culture sometimes does not give us any other way to honor the life-changing moments we experience.

Celebrate

House blessings and house "warmings" set the stage for a new time in your life
Naming ceremonies, baptisms, and welcome-to-the-world ceremonies honor new children and the lives their parents intend for them
Anniversaries and renewals of vows celebrate again the joy of your marriage
Commitment ceremonies celebrate the choices of life partners

Remember

Memorials and funerals pay tribute to and celebrate the lives of those who have left us while honoring our own needs and giving us an opportunity to share the inevitable grief that comes with loss
Memorials for lost animal companions acknowledge how deeply such losses can affect us
Ceremonies of letting go can help us acknowledge and begin to move beyond devastating losses that our culture sometimes underestimates, such as divorce, miscarriage, loss of a dream

Honor

Celebrating milestone birthdays helps us acknowledge the importance of different stages of our lives. Examples of milestone birthdays are 13, 18, 21, 30, 40, 49, 50, 60, 65, 70, 80, 90, 100 or any other that has special significance for you.
Rituals can honor any major change, e.g., a change of name, a return to health after a long illness, any new beginning, any significant loss

Rev. Patricia Drury is experienced in creating and celebrating many kinds of rites. She has created new ceremonies for unique circumstances as well as celebrated traditional rites. In creating something new, she always collaborates with the person requesting the rite to design an event that fits with his or her values, traditions, style and purpose.

Patricia would feel privileged to work with you to honor your life or the life of someone you love through ritual. Please feel free to contact her for a free consultation at patricia@ritesoftheheart.com.