Pomp & Circumstance

by Alisa Peskin-Shepherd | May 29, 2017 | Off Topic

I read many things on a daily basis for inspiration – legal precedents and news, spiritual texts, daily emails with yogic wisdom. A recent email from OM Times about “Letting yourself be seen” inspired me to think about the ceremonies we engage in to mark times of passage in our lives.

Why not create a ceremony for the conclusion of your divorce, as you step into the next phase of your life?

Such a ritual – either something you create yourself, or something someone else suggests – can bring peace to you, show you the support you have around you to guide your next steps, and help you reflect on good moments so you can close a chapter of your life and let it go.

Some people use sage and crystals to alter the energy of their spaces. Others switch habits – one divorcee stopped listening to 94.7 FM when she moved into her own home post-divorce and realized that was the preferred station of her ex. She started tuning in daily to 89.9 FM, liking its eclectic format as a reflection of her personal style.

At a time when you feel like your world is in chaos, taking an opportunity to witness the moment, to bring it to its inevitable conclusion, and sending it out into the universe can bring peace and calm.

There is an important role that a witness can play in this process, too.

When someone else comes alongside us to mark our importance and provide support for our emotions, we find transformation in the safety of being supported.

Some people think of a funeral, however sad and tragic, as a celebration of a person’s life.

A recognition of their meaning in this world, the imprint they made while alive.

So, too, a ceremony to mark the end of one chapter of your life and the beginning of a new one can shed light on all the good that came until now, and the potential that lies ahead. Inviting other people to witness that transformation can help build gratitude for all the support in your life, the connections, the meaning.

In order to truly let go, we have to experience the moment in front of us, the art of truly being. It’s easier to achieve when another person walks along the same path, hand in hand, sharing the moments as they unfold.