For the last few years, I have been cultivating more intention in all aspects of my life, including my work. I’ve always believed deeply in the power of adornment and the meaning we can create with precious possessions, but not that long ago, I started to open up to other ways of helping people create meaning in their lives.
Recently my friend gave me the good news that she was moving into a beautiful new home. She was so excited about this next chapter in her life, and, knowing how my recent intention setting ceremonies have moved my jewelry clients, I offered a ritual to support her transition from a place that had supported her through many seasons, to a new place where she would grow new roots.
I asked her what she wanted to happen. Over the course of many conversations, we decided to invite a circle of her closest friends to come help her christen her new house with a new name and set intentions for the ways she wanted to be held and nourished by it.
On the night of the ceremony, people who had never met before became intimately connected through the power of intention. What maybe felt risky or silly at first proved incredibly profound and moving to everyone present. We felt the power of all of us coming together in support of our friend’s vision. The evening ended with a delicious dinner, toasts, good conversation, and a deeper understanding of our humanness and each other.
All over the world people celebrate through ceremony and ritual to acknowledge a transition or rite of passage – a new beginning, or an ending. Sometimes both.
They anchor us through time. They give us structure and comfort in an ever-changing life. Like starting your day with a cup of tea. Like making a wish and blowing out every last candle. Like exchanging rings and committing ourselves to our beloved.
What I learned on this very special night is that a life becomes more meaningful when we stop to honor its seasons, its changes, its beauty. And we don’t have to wait for an invitation to someone else’s ceremony. We can create our own!
How are you bringing intention into your daily life? I’d love to hear what kind of intention setting ceremonies you’ve experienced!
