let’s craft a ceremony to honour the threshold you are crossing…
Our modern culture is bereft of ceremony, and yet as humans this yearning for the ritualization of our lives dwells deep in our bones. Marking rites of passage in our lives through sacred rituals helps us to integrate these profound experiences of transition.
Besides bringing greater beauty to these moments in our lives, I have found this work to be deeply healing and transformative. I would be honoured to craft a bespoke ceremony for the threshold you are crossing.
The process of creating your ceremony…
I see ceremony as sacred. I will bring a deep sense of reverence to our work together. We are honouring one of the most important experiences in your life, and I do not take this lightly.
Depending on the scope of the ceremony we are co-creating, we’ll meet once, or several times, to map out a detailed plan for your ritual. I’ll bring my own experience and ideas to the table, but will always ensure any ceremony is tailored to your unique vision and desires.
Below, you can see the various types of ceremonies I offer. However, each ceremony is designed uniquely for you, so if you are craving something that doesn’t fall into the following categories, I’d be delighted to craft it with you.
While my ceremonial work is not therapy, as a therapist I have the skill and capacity to truly hold space for you and all the emotions that may arise as we embark on this journey together.
weddings or vow renewals
These days, so much time and planning tends to go into the wedding reception. And while I love a good party, it is my role I to ensure the ceremony portion of your event is held sacred too.
I love nothing more than honouring the deep love and commitment between two humans as they embark on the journey of marriage or renew their vows to one another.
This is a profoundly important moment in your life. Let’s really pause together, in ceremony, so the two of you can breathe it in and be deeply present for this celebration of your commitment to each other.
I’ll get to know you both, and your love story, so I can weave elements of who you are as a couple into the ceremony we plan together.
Please note: I am not a licensed wedding officiant. Your legal ceremony will need to take place separately, or we can discuss integrating a marriage commissioner into the ceremony we plan.
mother blessings
A mother blessing is a ceremony to honour a woman on the cusp of birthing a child. It focuses on honouring the transition into matresence for new mothers, or the ever-unfolding journey of motherhood for those who already have children. A mother blessing is often offered instead of, or as part of, a baby shower.
Mother blessings are a profound way to honour and love up a mama-to-be. It’s an opportunity to bring together your family and friends to focus on holding you leading up to, and through, the birth portal.
These ceremonies may include sharing prayers and visions for the birth, shared hand crafting, altar making, a foot soak or massage for the mama-to-be, songs, red thread rituals, and more.
rituals for grief + loss
First and foremost, I am deeply sorry for your loss.
Perhaps you lost someone - a family member, friend, an unborn child, or a pet. Or you may have had to say goodbye to a dream, a place, or a part of your identity. All losses deserve to be honoured. And it is vitally important, for our own grieving process, that we do so.
It would be a great honour to craft a ritual - either private or communal - for whatever loss you are tending to right now. Whether it was recent, or a long time ago, your loss is worthy of creating sacred space for.
I can create private or group grief rituals, services in memory of a loved one, or more personal ceremonies to integrate and process the loss of an aspect of self.
rituals for transformation
Throughout our lives we may experience many transformations - significant changes to our circumstances, identity or sense of self. Whether chosen intentionally, or thrust upon us without our choice, it can be helpful to process and integrate these changes through ritual.
Depending on your unique circumstances, we can design a private or shared ceremony to honour a transformation you are moving through. This could include, but is not limited to ceremonies to honour a change in: ability or health, gender, or life stage.
These types of rituals can also be used symbolically to embark on a personal journey such as undertaking a new role, engaging in sobriety, or shedding an old version of yourself.
menarche ceremonies
Traditionally, a girl’s first bleed marked her transition into womanhood and was held sacred. In our modern society, we have lost much of this reverence for menstruation and instead replaced it with disdain.
Menarche ceremonies are an opportunity for young girls and teens to cross the threshold into womanhood intentionally. And it is a beautiful way for their family and community to witness and honour that transition.
If you are a teen, or a guardian of a girl, who has recently crossed this threshold into womanhood, I’d love to discuss how we can practice honouring this portal in a way that feels supportive (and not embarassing!).
Your investment:
Each ceremony is designed to suit your needs, vision and desire. Therefore, the financial exchange for this work can vary greatly.
All ceremonies begin at a base fee of $250 CAD + the cost of any supplies. This includes one meeting for us to plan together, and the ceremony itself.
For more elaborate rituals that require more preparation and planning, this fee will increase accordingly. I can provide a full quote after our free initial meeting.
If you’d like to discuss working together, we can begin by setting up a free 20-minute consultation call to see if I would be a good fit to bring your ceremony to life.
a note on cultural appropriation
Ceremonies and rituals are a part of human nature. Traditions around the world have, and continue to, honour transitions and important life moments through ceremony. And yet our modern, Western society has lost touch with many of these traditions. This often leads us to grasp for traditions that are not ours to hold, leading to cultural appropriation.
I will always do my absolute best to craft traditions in a non-culturally appropriative way. This means, I will do my best to avoid incorporating ceremonial elements that do not have their roots in either my own cultural background (Polish, Ukrainian, Russian and German) or yours. I will always honour my teachers and the lineage of any traditions. And we will not incorporate traditions that are inappropriate for us to practice given our shared cultural background.
Ready to discuss your ceremony?
Email me at: kelsey@herwildhearth.com
or fill out the form on this page.