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As we make our way through life, we reach many milestones that mark our transition from one stage of living to the next. There is great value to be gained by taking the time and making the effort to infuse these passages with significance and sanctity.
Special times call out for special ceremonies — whether to consecrate new beginnings and growth, to honor relationships and responsibilities, or to ease times of pain and burden. By ritualizing these profound passages, we honor our journey, our loved ones, and Spirit.
Since 1972, I have created, facilitated, and officiated at hundreds of ceremonies of every description for every conceivable occasion (and some inconceivable, as well).
I can design rituals for such joyful occasions as:
I also perform rituals to help with the harder times of life, such as:
As an experienced ritualist, I can help you to create a personalized ceremony for any life transition that perfectly expresses your intentions and reflects your beliefs, values, aesthetics, and vision. Together we will co-create the unique ceremony of your dreams.
Fees vary depending upon the complexity of the ritual, supplies required, location, and number of attendees.
Please contact me by email or call 718-857-1343 to discuss your ceremonial needs.
Your ritual exploded inside me with such joy and inspiration, expanding my vision and experience one hundred fold. Possibly more, but who's counting? Just let me say it now and I will say it forevermore, how immensely grateful I am for our meeting and the transformation in my life since that time.
— Jennifer, England
Celebrate your love and commitment to each other in a special, meaningful, and joyful ceremony. Together we will create a personalized ceremony that reflects exactly who you are as individuals and as a couple, and that expresses your unique love story.
As an experienced nondenominational ritualist and Certified Funeral Celebrant (by the In-Sight Institute, sponsored by the New York State Funeral Director’s Association), I offer customized creative, sensitive, spirited end-of-life ceremonies. All services are designed specifically to suit the individual needs of each family and are planned in collaboration with the near and dear of the deceased.
Your home is your castle, your refuge, your sanctuary. Or it should be. If the energy feels negative or blocked, it will impact negatively on your emotions and sense of well-being. Cleansing ceremonies are extremely effective for dispelling unwanted energy and purifying the environment that surrounds you. This can be done when you first move into a new place, or at any time that you feel the need to clear your space. Blessing ceremonies are perfect for establishing an inviting, peaceful, creative, and safe atmosphere in a new home, studio, office or even car.
Thank you, Mama, for healing our house. The shift in energy was immediately apparent. Even our dog seems more at ease. Our house is now our cozy home!
— Bob, Susie, Pam, Scott and Evan, NJ
Welcome your newborn or adopted child into the loving fold of your nearest and dearest relations.
This joyous occasion presents a ceremonial opportunity for parents, siblings, friends, family, and community to express their hopes for the future and to make offers of guidance, support, and love.
Our little one is a miracle in our lives. And your Baby Blessing was a perfect celebration of that. The altar you made was gorgeous and we loved that you included our family and friends in the ceremony. Shari has now been officially blessed by all of the people most important to us. You are a real delight!
— Fran and Joe, NJ
Traditionally, coming of age ceremonies are performed to welcome an adolescent into the adult world. Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Confirmations, Sweet 16s, and Quinceañeras are common contemporary versions of this custom. Especially for families who are not practicing a religious tradition that celebrates this important milestone, a nondenominational coming of age ceremony serves to honor your child’s participation in this archetypal rite of passage.
For girls, it can be a celebration of the occasion of their first bleeding (menarche). For both boys and girls, coming of age marks the beginning of their own spiritual journey to discover personal beliefs and values. In addition, it celebrates their increased autonomy and freedom in the world, based on their expanded responsibilities.
Ceremonies can be performed privately within the immediate family, or can be full-blown celebrations of extended family, friends, and community.
I am glad that you did the Red Ritual with me. It made me really feel like I was a young woman and not a kid any more. My friends liked it, too. They said I was lucky to get this special day. And I know I am lucky. I hope I grow up to be like you.
— Danesha, NY
Marriages and partnerships dissolve for many reasons. The important thing is that all parties (including children) are able to find peace following such a major disruptive event. There are no traditional ceremonies for divorce, but there is clearly a need for one.
Whether the divorce is by mutual assent and amicable, contentious in nature, or involves the abandonment of one partner by the other, a divorce ceremony can offer consolation, closure, and emotional healing.
I was devastated by my divorce. It was unexpected, a shock, really. Having a ritual really helped me to find some closure. I came out of the ceremony with a new feeling of peace in myself that has actually stayed with me. I am so grateful for this creative, powerful way of dealing with my broken heart. I am not completely healed, but now I have hope, which I thought was dead. You were a godsend during a terrible time. With sincere gratitude.
— Brenda, PA
At midlife you are in your prime. Though you have amassed life experience, you are still young enough to be energetic and active. This transition can be a time of upheaval and uncertainty, but it can also be an exciting time to explore new possibilities.
Traditionally, midlife is when one celebrates achievements and accomplishments, but it is also when you might choose to reevaluate the progression of your life so far and to redirect your energy toward fulfilling your true purpose, passion, and power.
A Midlife Ritual can commemorate a menopausal change of life, a career change or retirement, a return to school, or the beginning of a new adventure, relationship, or lifestyle.
Mama Donna's Tea Garden & Healing Haven, PO Box 380403,
Exotic Brooklyn, NY 11238-0403,
CityShaman@aol.com, 718-857-1343
Copyright © 2018 Donna Henes. All Rights Reserved.