Printed in the Summer 2020 issue of Quest magazine.
Citation: Pateros, Christina, "The Call to Ritual: Quieting the Mind and Calming the Heart" Quest 108:3, pg 26-27
By Christina Pateros
As I step out of the tub at the foot of the mesa, sun waning and air chilled and frozen, I realize I am partaking in what has been a healing ritual of the ancients for centuries. There is a comfort here in the healing properties of the hot, earthborn mineral waters, and in knowing that natives before me have soaked in these stone baths as a practice rooted in the bounty of Mother Earth.
Rituals can provide us with purpose, familiarity, meaning, and structure in our lives, which often yearn for these elements. Ritual practices can offer grounding, peace, joy, abundance, and good health. They can also return us to the sacred and to living from the heart. But perhaps their deepest and most meaningful raison d’être is connection with honor and respect for ourselves and others.
Purpose, Meaning, and Intention
Energy follows intention, say the pacos, the medicine men and women who are descendants of the Inca. An intentional mindset, applied to even the most mundane practices, like gathering branches from the sidewalk after a windstorm, can transform simple chores into ceremony. In this case, the intention can be to honor the resident trees for the shade, for sheltering four-leggeds and winged ones, and for providing beauty throughout the seasons. One can also focus on service to neighbors.
With clear intent and presence, this simple ritual can provide joy and a heartfelt sense of gratitude. Suddenly the mundane becomes sacred.
When there is mindset, there is awareness. With awareness, there is intention. When there is intention, there is presence. They can transform any daily act from chore to a ritual with meaning. It is that simple and powerful. The twice daily ritual of brushing teeth can simply be fulfilling a requirement for healthy teeth, mouth, and gums. But adding presence and intention to this everyday action, perhaps by adding gratitude for health, creates a solo ceremony.
Preparation and Setting
Structure, frequency, and scope inform the depth of ritual practices. Content informs the order of action, movement, gestures, and even words. Setting the tone within a space can transform a trite series of actions into a meaningful and even magical experience.
Imagine an event. The simple requirements are met—chairs, tables, food are provided—yet it might feel flat. But if creativity, presence, and intention enter the space, with every detail carefully attended to, the same event can be powerful and transformative. Purpose—even a simple one, such as sharing beauty or spreading love—can be infused into even a typical training. The learning objectives are still met, but intention, attention to detail, and accoutrements, like art on the walls, can transform the event into a meaningful experience. One can even speak the goals and intention of the event into the room beforehand, honoring the space and the land it stands on.
Invitation
Ritual involving others can compound their meaning. Extending invitations to participate can deepen the experience at hand. A birthday party with a guest list of one is nothing compared to a celebration including people who are meaningful in the celebrant’s life.
When I hold sacred despacho ceremonies, with intentions such as ayni, (reciprocity with all of life) or honoring a loved one who has died, the invitation to honor, grieve, be in quiet, and be connected with like-minded ones can be a transformational experience.
Community in ritual brings people together through purposeful practices. Collective energy and action toward a goal or purpose can be exponentially powerful. The gifts of empowerment for those attending, as well as those honored in the ritual, cannot be overstated.
Action and Gratitude
Action is the pièce de résistance in ritual. When we show up with intention and presence, magic can happen beyond what our minds can know. Action with gratitude is precious and palpable. The simple ritual of thanking our food can transform the energy of the simple process of eating.
Sacred ritual can root us, ground us, and take us from our busy thinking minds to our compassionate, feeling hearts. When we lose our minds and come to our senses, intuition and inner knowing show up with their own voice. Sacred ritual and ceremony in our daily routines can shift our lives from stress-filled, anxiety-prone days to peaceful, manifesting moments. When we bring these practices into the world through our work, the possibilities are infinite.
Joy, purpose, service, good health, prosperity, and peace are the outcomes of intentional mindful actions: the mundane becomes sacred.
Christina Pateros is a painter and healer. Her shamanic healing practice includes clearing and blessing space and land, and she serves adults and children both in life and in conscious living and dying. She guides groups in ceremonies and teachings for empowered living. Her article “Simon’s Crossing: The Death Ritual of My Beloved Animal Companion” appeared in the summer 2019 Quest. Christina lives in Boulder, Colorado and welcomes art collectors and healing clients worldwide: Christinapateros.com; Whispering-stones.com.