ceremony

Ceremony is a conscious act performed, uniting in ritual and purpose, the specialness of an event or occasion. Cultural or traditional, religious or civil, communal or private - a ceremony is a creative, powerful, and impactful means of communication and connectivity. 

Canterbury Cathedral Altar

Adding ceremony to our daily prayer is valuable because it consciously directs our purpose and intent. Prayers are universal and every individual prays one way or another. Prayer is deliberate communication issued or action taken to connect with spirit, the divine, all that is, source, the God of our heart. 

A Shinto Kamidana [home altar]

When we pray we are either naming, asking, or declaring with prayers of invocation, petition or decree. The idea expressed or action taken are an expression of honour, worship, or devotion. 

The Opferstein or sacrificial rock, Austria

By extension, we often pray in front of altars of our choice - actual and physical or symbolic and figurative. Real or virtual, these altars symbolize our intention, desire or request. 

shamanic healer's altar

Altars can be simple or ostentatious, crude or refined, basic or complex - each structure is unique, serve diverse purpose, and offer a variety of meanings. 

sound healer's altar

The same can be said for prayers that come in many forms - unique and personal, public and communal, shared and specified. They can be sang or chanted, repeated in rote or ritual, practiced in silent reflection and contemplation. 

Rosh Hashanah & travel altar

We can all derive much from praying - comfort and healing, practice and discipline, even miracles and answers manifested. Even when words are lost, intent and focus is more than enough. 

mother & daughter altar

Prayer as a regular and consistent practice can be magical, mystical, and mysterious. If we transmute our every thought and act into prayer instead, how would that affect us and the world we live in? 

fall equinox altar