Deep gratitude to each of you who came to gather this month, from many places, life paths, and tender truths. This session felt like a weaving: Together, we explored ritual and prayer not as lofty ideas, but as lived gestures ... the way we tend to our inner world, mark transitions, and come back to what matters.
We asked: What does ritual mean to me now? What has become my quiet prayer? What am I ready to release, and what longs to be received?
We dropped into a visualization and also moved through a guided anointing ritual, an invitation to bless the body as a living altar, taking account of what we’ve carried, touched, digested, and witnessed.
If you were there, this recording is here to revisit at your own pace.
If you couldn’t make it live, may it still meet you exactly where you are.
The script for the anointing ritual is shared below, so you can return to it anytime.
And if this circle nourished something in you, I’d love to have you with us again, please join the next gathering on September 8th (I will be taking a break during the month of August to be with family in Europe).
With love,
Christina 🌙
Ritual: Anointing the Body as Prayer
Adapted from the ritual called ‘The Anoint and Account Ritual’ on page 35 of the book HELLO, GOODBYE - 75 Rituals for times of loss, celebration and change by Day Schildkret.
This is a ritual for returning to self, reclaiming tenderness, and remembering the body as sacred.
You’ll Need:
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A candle and lighter
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Optional: a few drops of essential oil, calming music, dim lighting
Light your candle. Take a drop of oil and gently rub the palms of your hands together. If you don’t have oil, simply rub your hands and feel the energy you are cultivating. You will gently anoint, massage or simply bless each part of your body, inquiring slowly and intentionally. Take as much time as you need between each body part and inquiry.
The Ritual Sequence:
Crown of the Head
"What ideas, dreams, or worries have circled here?
What kind of thoughts would I like to invite in more often?"
Forehead / Brow
"Where have I been overthinking or trying too hard to figure it out?
Can I soften the need to know?"
Eyes
"What have I truly seen - not just with sight, but with insight?
What do I wish I could unsee, and what do I long to keep seeing more of?"
Ears
"What have I been listening to - voices, needs, noise, wisdom?
What am I ready to stop listening to?"
Cheeks / Jaw
"What moments made me smile, laugh, soften?
Where did I hold back emotion or truth?"
Where have I clenched - and where might I let go?"
Throat / Neck
"What truths have I spoken this week - or silenced?
Where have I stretched beyond comfort, and where do I need to rest?"
Shoulders
"What weight have I carried this week that no longer belongs to me?
What can I choose to put down?"
Arms
"Where have I extended myself - in love, in care, in effort?
What did I reach for?"
Hands
"What have I received?
What have I given?
What do I still long to touch?"
Chest / Heart
"What emotions passed through here?
Where did I close?
Where did I open?"
Ribs / Sides
"What surprised me?
What did I protect instinctively - and why?"
Belly / Stomach
"What am I digesting - physically, emotionally, spiritually?
What is asking to be processed more gently?"
Womb / Lower Belly (if applicable)
"What desires or dreams are growing quietly here?
What do I know deep down - even if I’m not ready to act on it yet?"
Low Back
"Where do I need support?
What have I turned my back on that still asks to be seen?"
Thighs
"What strength lives here?
Where have I moved through fear, discomfort, or fatigue?"
Knees
"Where have I humbled myself?
What am I bowing to now - willingly or not?"
Calves / Ankles
"What kept me moving when I wanted to stop?
What held me steady?"
Feet
"Where have I been?
What paths have brought me here?
Where am I being invited to go next - slowly, honestly, freely?"
Skin (general)
"What has brushed up against me lately - lovingly or harshly?
How have I been touched - by others, by life, by beauty?"
Stay with your eyes closed for a moment. Notice what is alive.
Click below to add the next gathering to your calendar:
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