“The function of ritual, as I understand it, is to give form to human life, not in the way of a mere surface arrangement, but in depth.” — Joseph Campbell
As I awoke to puffy pink clouds and dark roasted espresso with my hubby, I pondered my practice of giving thanks every day for another morning while sipping my brew. Another daily practice is reading non-fiction or poetry each morning, with novels and short stories set aside for bedtime. Psychology Today Magazine explains that “The practice of rituals stems from our most ancient instincts for connection, meaning, and shared experience.” Tiny though these daily rituals are, they seem to provide a wholesome sense of groundedness and structure in this sometimes crazy world. Other rituals I enjoy are exercise, deep breathing with meditation, and prayer.
The magazine explained that intentional acts may “decrease anxiety, strengthen relationships, and add more meaning to everyday life.” When I think back to family rituals that were embedded in traditions during my childhood, such as celebrating holidays, birthdays, and taking camping trips to the coast, which all served as varieties of rituals, I can treasure those long-ago practices of connection and enjoyment and enjoy the bonding that held us together.
Adding purpose, meaning, or a sense of the sacred is a healthy approach to anyone’s life.
Some people feel best when their assigned activity includes serving others through volunteering or even money. What serves as a font of ritual morphs over time. Perhaps you no longer experience the special positive feelings that you once derived from an activity and need to realign your methods of boosting happiness and a sense of purpose.
Human life rituals have certainly changed over thousands of years. The California Native American Heritage Commission website explains that indigenous rituals, both today and long ago, take healing and ecological renewal and balance it all out with long-held traditions, some of which they share with the public while some practices are understandably kept private and sacred.
For example, some California indigenous tribes hold fall ceremonies that both celebrate the abundance of food supplies and help ensure future supplies. Then, they employ sacred dances and songs in gatherings to honor traditional ways. Other rituals include powwows, or gatherings with drumming, a sweat lodge practice, and more.
The Pomo people, who have always called Lake, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties home, practiced many mysterious (to non-native people) rituals. In his paper entitled ‘The Supernatural Frontier in Pomo Cosmology,” E. Breck Parkman, retired California Senior State Archaeologist said, “APomo ritual which may have included movement through rock involved the ethnographically-documented petroglyph boulders known as ‘baby rocks.’ The spirits of future children dwelled in these rocks and were born to parents who followed the proper ritual. The wilderness was full of power capable of affecting human fertility, and certain springs, trees, gopher mounds, rocks, mud, and snakes could cause pregnancy. In addition, a female effigy made of clay, and called ‘Earth Woman,’ was given to sterile women to ensure conception. Apparently, the powers affecting fertility resided beneath the surface of Mother Earth.” Some of these rocks are located at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park.
It’s fun to think back on the features of various rituals, rites of passage, and transitions experienced in a lifetime. From graduations and first-day-of-school photos to retirement parties and other social rituals, each has a way of marking time and giving our lives definition and special attention.
