The Art Of Ritual

Beck and Metrick explain the power, relevance, and need for ritual, describing the various types of rituals and their myths, symbols, and history, as well as how to prepare, perform, and complete rituals to honor each rite of passage in a truly personal way.

Rituals mark life'¬?s momentous and symbolic events: from special birthdays and holidays to personal affairs such as a child'¬?s first day of school or the death of a beloved pet. Over time, and as people and circumstances change, some rituals become merely habitual, losing their significance and creating a hunger for more meaningful methods of celebration. In THE ART OF RITUAL, Renee Beck and Sydney Barbara Metrick explain the power, relevance, and need for ritual, describing the various types of rituals and their myths, symbols, and history, as well as how to:Prepare, perform, and complete rituals.Integrate the five elements into ritual practice.Craft and consecrate ritual tools.Make and use altars.This revised and updated edition also includes a new healing ritual for small groups and a series of self-exploration exercises that assist with the integration of ritual into daily life. Presenting a multitude of ways to create ceremonies for healing, growth, and change, Beck and Metrick will inspire you to honor each rite of passage in a truly personal way.A guide to creating rituals, vows, and affirmations to celebrate important events, promote healing and growth, or affect change.Includes guidelines for creating personal, family, or group rituals as well as advice for crafting and consecrating tools, making an altar, and using the five elements to balance your rites.

This unique volume details the art of ritual in Jewish ceremony and how those customs relate to the rise of spirituality in the United States.

Describing various types of rituals, their myths and symbolism, and ways to create ceremonies for healing, growth, and change, this book will inspire you to honor each rite of passage in a truly personal way.

RITUAL ART OF INDIA shows the splendor and diversity of an art form that has enriched every stage of human life in India--and reveals the inward-seeking quality of relationship with the divine that exemplifies Indian ritual art. A stunning guide with over 100 color photos and 34 b&w photos.

A leading scholar in the United States on Chinese archaeology challenges long-standing conceptions of the rise of political authority in ancient China. Questioning Marx's concept of an "Asiatic" mode of production, Wittfogel's "hydraulic hypothesis," and cultural-materialist theories on the importance of technology, K. C. Chang builds an impressive counterargument, one which ranges widely from recent archaeological discoveries to studies of mythology, ancient Chinese poetry, and the iconography of Shang food vessels.

The Art of Ritual takes you through every step of ritual format from the basics to the more unusual. What ritual is, how to create it, work with it and all the different aspects and stages of putting a ritual together and how to get the best out of it whether you are a solitary or within a group. From set up through the entire process including the cake...this book covers just about all you should need to know to give you the best ritual experience. Drawn from the author's own teachings and experiences this book also shares a variety or different ritual scripts and suggestions along with those from members of her coven.