We enter ceremony at times of transition. Our ceremonies may be simple, such as the little things we do to remind us that our daily life is governed by something larger than us, or they may be deep – such as the ceremonies we enter to bond our hearts in love or say farewell to passing souls.
It was once thought that ceremony – and the recognition that Spirit exists – was the distinguishing feature of humanity; that animals had neither the privilege or the need to recognize God. We now know that when the Elephants pass around the bones of their deceased, and when Dolphins encircle a calving mother whale, and when bees dance the location of certain flowers, and when birds return to their wintering grounds, that they don’t really “need” to do this. This dance of life we all participate in is the fabric that the Creator has woven us all into. This is our common Ceremony. It is our privilege to make it shine.
A Ho, Michael Stocker