I LOVE music. And yes, I’ve loved the music Michael Franti makes for many years. After his concerts, I feel energized for days afterward. Seems like everyone else feels that way, too! A girlfriend and I just saw him in concert with Spearhead. People were literally skipping down the road after the show! We felt raised up, despite how nerve-wracking times have been lately. We were transformed. So here I am posting about it.

Why? Because I’m observing how much of what I hear Michael say about his newest release, is parallel to what I feel about the power of ceremony. I feel energized for days after leading an original ceremony for clients, too. It can be transformative. Okay, wait just a minute say you? Well, check out what he says here:

“Like sunshine, music is a powerful force that can instantly and almost chemically change your entire mood. Music gives us new energy and a stronger sense of purpose. Music is something you can’t hold in your hands, smell it, taste it or even see it, yet somehow just coming together and feeling these little vibrations that tickle our eardrums can somehow lift us all up out of our most difficult moments in life to unimaginable heights.”

What if you substituted ‘ceremony’ for ‘music’ in that passage? I heartily believe that experiencing ceremony helps us face what is too big to face alone – whether it is welcoming a baby, marrying your life partner or committing the ashes of your beloved parent – it helps lift us up. The shared experience of a truly meaningful ceremony may give us new energy, a sense of purpose, or maybe just a pause for pure expression.

This NPR story about The Sound of Sunshine also inspired me, because it helped me see that Michael really is writing and playing new sounds that will simply elevate listeners. It was a good awakening for my critical mind, because I most enjoy an older and slower tempoed acoustic version of the tune. He played it when I saw him last September. Tears streamed down my face when he said, “This song is for you if you had a rough day.” And well, my greyhound Tiny just died that morning. It was a really tough day. Yet my friends helped me bury her and eased the burden. Spearhead is the only show I would drag myself to see after a day like that. Of course, the music raised me up. Come to think of it, the show was a kind of healing ceremony in of itself!

Give a listen and let me know your thoughts . . . or as Michael always says to his crowds, “How You Feeeeelin?”

Kristine

I must share this great idea: creating a  vision board for a ceremony. This could be a creative exercise for conceptualizing weddings, commitment ceremonies, vow renewals or a celebration of life. Most of us have created idea, vision or story boards at some time in our lives to plan and shape projects, right?

How fun for a couple or family to create one for a shared event. As a Life Cycle Celebrant, (and a visual person!), I would love seeing a board like this during client consultations. It would certainly help convey the feelings and tone clients desire for their event, which would help me personalize their ceremony that much more.

I’m curious, have you ever used this technique while planning an event – wedding or otherwise?

Kristine

Hello September! Unbelievably, today is my one-year anniversary with the blogosphere. When I began making blog entries for Sweetgrass Ceremonies many posts ago, I ventured into a world bigger than I imagined.

I’ve hopefully shared inspiring thoughts about rites of passage with folks across the world. (Google analytics tells me someone in South Africa sees this!) I’ve learned quite a lot from experimenting, too. In the year ahead, I will increase my post frequency to bring readers more views into the amazing ceremonies I co-create with Sweetgrass clients, based on their own stories, beliefs and values.

Road to sacred places in Zuni, New Mexico

The road I’ve traveled with clients in the past year led us to a wide array of experiences: tremendous joy, soulful stillness, fizzy laughter, peaceful sighs and heart-wrenching tears. What underscored all of these moments acknowledging new life, love or loss for my clients? A delicious sense of  satisfaction, because we celebrated their life passages with heartfully handcrafted ceremonies that I composed with great intention and awareness, specifically for them.

In the year ahead, who really knows where the road will lead us? I do hope to celebrate my second anniversary of posting with many new followers, folks who add their spicy thoughts to this blog. Plus, I hope to celebrate with new found joys in my practice as a Life Cycle Celebrant, too!

With Joy,

Kristine