Ceremony and Celebration of Rebirth

Ceremony and Celebration of Rebirth

Whether you have an interest in shamanic ceremonies, or have a purely secular interest in New Beginnings, you might be inspired by this Ceremony and Celebration of Rebirth.

New Beginnings, a Fresh Start, a Rebirth of sorts, don’t we all crave this from time to time? It could be after an ending of a job or a relationship, or a healing journey of any kind. There are so many reasons why we may want to invite into our lives a new beginning, a fresh start, a rebirth.

What are the steps?

1. Reflect about what you are letting go of and what you would like to welcome in. If it’s helpful, you can write about it, brainstorm with others, pull Tarot, Oracle, Inspiration cards, or read a poem, or a spiritual text from any tradition, to help you define what you are leaving behind and what you are welcoming in.
2. Prepare a circle of white flowers such as daisies, following an Andean tradition taught by Puma Freddy Quispe Singona, or alternatively a circle of white (I used a glittery white, oblong silk scarf indoors)
3. Prepare to step in the circle. If you are with shamanic practitioners, you may be feathered down to release the old, or wear a ceremonial scarf to symbolize that you are now in ceremony, and with rattling or soft drumbeat be invited to step into the circle, letting go of the old as you do so.
4. In the circle, imagine this new life, this new you. Feel it, embrace it.
5. When you are ready, step out of the circle, You are now REBORN!
6. If you are outdoors, give thanks to all the Helping Spirits, to Mother Earth and leave a blessing or offering of gratitude (for example fresh water, plant food, in the Andes the offering would be candies or sweets)
7. Allow yourself to be and observe how you feel the shifts that took place for you, and take note of any signs, omens, or synchronicities around you. If you wish, take notes about your experience.

On a magical June morning just before the Summer Solstice, we had a remarkable ceremony that you can adapt for yourself and your circumstances. Nature was singing to us, and with us and through us.

That day, we were lucky enough to be outside- no rain, no swarm of mosquitoes, but a light, refreshing breeze. Rather than use cut flowers, I planted a few weeks prior some beautiful white flowers in a circle and nurtured them so they formed a ring.

The four of us, my friends Lisa and Karen and my husband Brent, stood in a circle on the deck as I invited us all to begin this ceremony of letting go of the old. Just as I said these words, there was a remarkable answer from Nature. Two giant pileated woodpeckers began simultaneously pecking loudly at a dead branch high above us in our giant live oak tree. In the 30 years living with that tree, I had never experienced this on any tree, let alone that live oak. Not just one, but 2 woodpeckers on the same limb, pecking at the same time! Breathtaking. A marvelous way to convey that Nature had our backs and we were on track.

Then each person was feathered down one by one before stepping into the circle of white flowers, while we rattled, and welcomed them as they then stepped out into their new beginning.

After each of us were reborn, I showed everyone the miracles of rebirth that had manifested that day in the garden such as a tiny hydrangea bloom, vivid white and vivid pink, blooming perfectly on a tiny bush that looked otherwise dead in the shade of the giant live oak.

After giving thanks to Mother Earth and all the Helping Spirits in all realms, we celebrated indoors with some morning foods, coffee and tea.

On another stormy June day near the Solstice, I created a white circle of glittering silk surrounded by flowers to substitute for being outside. After an invocation, we each stepped into the white circle one by one, and then stepped out, reborn.

With these examples, I invite you to create a Ceremony of Rebirth or a Celebration of New Beginnings at any time of the year that is just right for you!

For those interested in other shamanic ceremonies, I highly recommend my long time teacher Sandra Ingerman’s book The Book of Ceremony: Shamanic Wisdom for Invoking the Sacred in Everyday Life.