One of the keys to being an Urban Priestess is to know what tools to use during each moment of life to bring us back to our center – grounded, clear and confident.
Being a woman of power means resting deeply in our spiritual nature – poised, open and empty – ready to receive exactly what life is bringing us and knowing how to transmute this energy and redirect it to design the life of our dreams.
Rituals are one of the most powerful tools to help us mark important thresholds in our lives, to heal and integrate. Each phase of our life and growth provides specific lessons. When we pause to reflect, pray, acknowledge, activate or celebrate – we move forward with more peace and joy. Rituals help the psyche integrate the disparate parts of ourselves. Ritual and ceremony bring completion, understanding and closure – opening us up fully to the next phase of life.
One of the greatest benefits of creating and holding ritual space, is that it shifts the psyche into a diffused quality of awareness, a holographic lens where we have more access to spiritual truths and naturally align with the collective unconscious. We call on our inner wisdom, Spirit guides and allies, elemental forces and universal intelligence. We process and release difficult emotions. We gain clarity and peace.
One of the reasons I wanted to create an Urban Priestess Mystery School was to help women everywhere learn to easily craft rituals, build a boho sisterhood, hold circles and sacred space to heal on the deepest level while building nourishing community and having FUN!
The key to any ritual or ceremony is that you follow your own intuition. No need to read a book of look anything up online. Trust your soul. Use whatever tools, props or symbols you have at hand and design a ritual that feels most appropriate and meaningful to you and your participants.
Below is an infographic of the 5 Key Elements for crafting a potent ritual. Following this framework, you can fill in the material and actions that most resonate with you.
NOTE FOR KIDS: Creating rituals with your children is a super fun way to play, tune them into their spiritual nature and stimulate their creativity! You can honor accomplishments such as: potty training, first/last day of school, first sleepover, learning to read/alphabet/count to 100, recitals, winning a game, etc.
Other common thresholds to mark with a ritual are:
One of our greatest gifts as an Urban Priestess is holding sacred space for others and ourselves. In ritual space, we become a clear reflection of truth. When we simply witness growth, success, joy and challenges…we allow the psyche feel seen, felt and understood. The greatest gift we can give is our presence.
Gather your sisters, your family or yourself. Try out a simple ritual. Say a prayer. Ask for what you need. Celebrate! And…see how you feel.
[infographic] Wanna create some magic? @AshleyTurner1 shares basic guidelines + HOW TO’s of crafting a potent #ritual: http://bit.ly/ritual5 (click to tweet)
Enjoy getting creative and have FUN crafting rituals that represent you! Let us know what kind of rituals you do and leave a comment below telling us how it turned out!
xoxo,
Ashley
To learn more about Ashley’s upcoming URBAN PRIESTESS MYSTERY SCHOOL click here.
Dear Ashley Turner,
Thank-you for sharing your gift and your passion with others. I’ve been using your yoga DVDs for two years and am so inspired by you. Keep up the wonderful things you do that help women accept themselves and feel good in their body through your work. *hugs* from Ontario, Canada!