Longing + Intention
Remember last week when we discussed longing? That burning desire to be a meaningful part of a meaningful whole?
When we are infused with our longing - completely present to its movement through our being - we are tapping into the same spark of life that has lit up the universe for billions of years. That is a powerful source of energy.
Pair that with intention - the act of focusing that energy toward a specific aim - and you can create a potent sense of momentum, resonance and magnetism.
Why might it be desirable to hone your practice of focusing that intense life force energy?
Today we are going to explore one way this powerful cocktail of longing and intention can serve us on a developmental level by marking moments of intense transition and transformation.
Crossing the Threshold with Ceremony
One of the ways we can infuse our life with this practice of courting our longing with intention is by finding ways to incorporate ceremony and ritual in everything we do. Essentially, making your whole life a symbolic offering to Source saying, “I’m here, I’m listening, let’s dance.”
To be precise for a moment, I want to define the difference between ritual and ceremony so we can see where these powerful practices might best be woven into our world.
A ceremony is a formal event or occasion that involves a prescribed set of actions or procedures performed in a specific order, often with symbolic or cultural significance. Ceremonies are major threshold moments in your life that, when infused with your longing and intention, can amplify the significance of the event in a potent way. Some examples of common ceremonies are weddings and graduations, but you can make any milestone moment ceremonious.
Rituals are similar in that you still perform actions that have a symbolic or spiritual meaning, but unlike ceremonies, rituals are usually performed for their own sake rather than to mark a specific occasion or event. Rituals may be performed for religious, cultural, or personal reasons. Examples of rituals include prayer, meditation, moon rituals, menstruation rituals and yoga.
We will spend some time in a future blog post exploring rituals and their significance to our evolution, but for now I want to consider how ceremonies can help us in times of intense transition and transformation.
One of my favorite authors and elders, Bill Plotkin, is a depth psychologist and wilderness guide who has written extensively about human and soul development and the stages of life. In his book Nature and the Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World, Plotkin discusses the concept of thresholds as key moments of transition and transformation in human life. Ceremonies celebrate and honor these threshold moments.
According to Plotkin, thresholds represent a crossing-over point, a moment when an individual leaves behind an old way of being and enters into a new phase of life. These thresholds can take many forms, such as a graduation, a marriage, a divorce, a job loss, a health crisis, or a spiritual awakening. What they have in common is that they represent a significant turning point in the individual's life and require them to navigate new challenges and opportunities.
Plotkin emphasizes the importance of recognizing and honoring these thresholds, both as individuals and as a culture. He believes that modern Western society often fails to acknowledge and support the transformative potential of thresholds, leading to a sense of disconnection and malaise among many people. By contrast, traditional societies have long recognized the importance of rituals and ceremonies to mark major life transitions, helping individuals to integrate the lessons and insights gained during these periods of change.
As a fun anecdote, when I left the Oregon Department of Transportation in 2021, I felt that I was crossing a threshold into a deeper layer of my sacred work, and my most beloved coworkers participated in a ceremony that I designed to commemorate this occasion. I could have done this on my own and it would have been fine, but it was made sweeter by having my community there with me.
For Plotkin, engaging with the transformative potential of thresholds is key to living a fulfilling and meaningful life. By embracing the challenges and opportunities presented by these moments of transition, individuals can deepen their understanding of themselves and the world around them, and find new sources of purpose and passion in their lives.
An Invitation - Threshold Inventory
What thresholds are you standing at right now? Take stock of all the ways you are being called to leave behind an old way of being and step into something else.
As you do this, what are you noticing in your body? What stories come up about them?
When you connect to your longing with intention, what is it telling you about these thresholds?
Next week, we will get into the structure and design of ceremonies and rituals. This week, spend some time wandering in nature and ask yourself and the Earth how you might honor this threshold moment with a self-designed ceremony. And if you feel so called, ask some trusted friends if they might join you in ceremony after you have designed it.
As always, reach out if you have any questions or wish to have a thought partner in your process.
May this post and every subsequent ceremony benefit all beings everywhere.
Soulful blessings,
Emily