“Be kinder to people than you think they deserve.
Everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”
– Unknown
Rites of Passage: Transitions Sourced by Spirit
We cannot do it alone – and we aren’t actually supposed to. Rites of passage call on the widening circles of kinship: family, friends, community, nature, ancestors – and the Spirit of Life itself – to carry us over and through the waves of change that wash over us. Rev. Cat engages participants in an active process of co-creating ceremonies and rituals. The aim is rich, fulfilling, personalized rites of passage that are a conduit for all that we bring to the great transitional and transformational moments of existence. Powerful ritual reverberates with many layers of meaning. It anchors the past and shapes the present into an intentional movement into the future. Rites of passage are a sacred space of recommitment to the enduring vision of our lives.
“I can’t tell you how many of out guests mentioned how moved they were by the ceremony you led – how there own lives were touched by your words and quality of presence.” – a bride
Weddings/ Commitment Ceremonies
Everything old is new again in a great wedding. A wedding is both one of the oldest human traditions and is constantly being reinvented! What is it that will allow the couple to feel the shift to a new state, the state of being married and/or committed through public vows? A wedding or commitment ceremony should be a blend of old and new in a uniquely meaningful way, both deeply personal – an expression of a couple’s distinctive signature – and a vessel for those traditional elements that have the greatest meaning for the couple and for their families.
“How was it possible to craft a wedding ceremony that would bring together a Buddhist family from Hong Kong and a Southern Baptist family from Arkansas – who met at the wedding for the first time?! But it happened! I’m still amazed and grateful. – a groom
Memorials
Memorials are a rite of passage as old as humanity itself. In memorials we celebrate a life as well as mourn our loss. We need a place to bring our gratitude and our grieving. A meaning-centered memorial service welcomes and invites both. It points the way through sorrow back to wholeness. It binds together a community of family and friends as they stand in the present, affirming their connection and presence to one another now. Free of pious platitudes, it lifts up with honesty, with humor and with open hearts a life those present have been privileged to witness to completion.
“I can’t think of another memorial service I’ve attended that I know will always stay with me.” – friend of a family
“You are more resilient than you know.” – Emerson
Child Dedications
There is a reason why fairytales tell of the gathering of fairy godmothers, sprites and such to offer particular blessings to a baby. It really does take a village, with all the distinctive gifts of many caring individuals, to raise a child! Children are often welcomed into their religious communities with a blessing, baptism or dedication of some kind. Rev. Cat conducts child dedications at celebrations of family and friends at which each person present may offer their wish and blessing for a child.
A child is God’s opinion that life should go on. – Carl Sandburg
Life Transitions
Many significant and challenging life transitions – divorce, pregnancy loss, relocating, “empty nesting,” adoption, location of a birth parent, lengthy illness, aging, among others, have no culturally sanctioned rite of passage in our culture. Rev. Cat designs with participants, and, where appropriate officiates, at rites of passage honoring the deeper meaning of these crucial transitions. Moving through transitions with intentionality is empowering and can make all the difference in the weight and influence they carry in our lives.
“The fishermen know the sea is dangerous and the storms are terrible. They have never found this a sufficient reason to stay on shore.” – van Gogh