The Art of Ceremony

What is the Art of Ceremony?

Are you a facilitator who wants to bring more ritual and ceremony into your practice? Or a celebrant inspired by the wisdom of nature, looking to design ceremonies rooted in the natural world? Or perhaps someone who is seeking to mark and honour a significant life transition for yourself or others in your community? Do you want to learn the art of holding magical and transformative ceremonies, that weave deeper connections among people and the natural world? 

The Art of Ceremony is an immersive learning journey designed to equip you with the skills, frameworks, and confidence to design and lead ceremonies inspired by nature and aligned with the cycles of life. It’s for anyone who would like to infuse human gatherings with deeper meaning, cultivate innovative ways of coming together, and spark a sense of awe, connection, and renewal in their communities.

Why?

Rituals and ceremonies offer a profound opportunity to support ourselves and each other through the inevitable transitions of life. Yet, in our increasingly fast-paced and secular culture, the space for meaningful ritual is being lost. Without it, we often face major life changes — both joyful and challenging —without the tools to navigate them fully or the sense of connection they could bring. Rituals inspired by nature can help us situate personal changes within the larger cycles of life, offering perspective and solace. They provide opportunities to celebrate and grieve, connect and reflect, and rediscover a sense of belonging to the natural world.

The Art of Ceremony is about rediscovering and reimagining ceremony and ritual for our modern lives. Together we’ll explore how to bring new depth and meaning to the rituals that have remained in our culture — such as weddings or birthdays — and how to create fresh, nature-inspired ceremonies to support ourselves and our communities in this time of profound global change. This is not about religion or appropriating traditions from other cultures, but about crafting rituals that are meaningful, inclusive, and authentic to our modern lives. This course will inspire and empower you to weave the art of ceremony into everyday life, offering connection, healing, and a sense of belonging to the bigger cycles of the world.

What kind of ceremonies?

This course will empower you to design and lead rituals that support people in navigating both personal transitions and wider social or environmental change. On a personal level, this could include rituals for mergings (e.g. weddings and other relationship commitments), beginnings (e.g. baby naming and welcoming ceremonies), endings (e.g. memorials and honouring passings), and cycles (e.g. significant birthdays and rites of passage).

On a broader level, it’s about creating rituals that help people make sense of and respond to changes in the world, such as environmental shifts, collective challenges, or social transformations. At every level, the rituals are deeply rooted in fostering a connection to nature, helping people to rediscover their belonging to the larger cycles of life.

We suggest coming with an idea for a ritual or ceremony that you would like to hold over the next year in mind.

What will we be doing?

The course is built around four interwoven themes that guide you through the art of designing and leading nature-inspired ceremonies. These themes provide a balance of exploration, practical skills, and hands-on practice, all rooted in connecting people to the rhythms of the natural world.

1. The Essence of Ceremony: Explore what makes ceremony meaningful and relevant in today’s world. Learn about the role of ritual in navigating transitions and challenges, and how nature-inspired ritual can support us to connect to the wider cycles of life. Learn principles for creating meaningful rituals that foster connection and transformation, guided by frameworks like 8 Shields (Jon Young) and The Work That Reconnects (Joanna Macy).

2. Designing with Intention: Learn to design ceremonies with clear purpose and intention, understanding participants’ needs, and aligning with the power of place. We will explore practical frameworks like The 10 Ps (adapted from Priya Parker) and The Process of Ritual (Renee Beck & Sydney Metrick) to help you craft ceremonies that resonate deeply.

3. Crafting and Leading Transformative Rituals: Develop skills for storytelling, symbolism, and sensory engagement. Practice robust processes for opening and closing ceremonies and learn facilitation techniques for managing flow, energy and unexpected moments. Gain confidence through hands-on practice and supportive feedback.

4. Integration and Embodiment: Refine a ceremony you’ve developed and receive collaborative feedback. Explore inspiring and pragmatic ways to weave more ritual into your life and work. The course ends with shared reflection and celebration.

What will you come away with?

• The tools, confidence, and inspiration to create ceremonies that deeply connect people to nature and the larger cycles of life while supporting them to navigate personal and collective transitions.

• A deeper understanding of ritual and ceremony and its role and relevance to modern times.

• Understanding of and confidence to apply a number of ritual-based frameworks and tools.

• Creative inspiration and ideas for weaving ritual into your personal and professional life in a way that feels authentic.

• A supportive learning community with whom to share ideas and grow your confidence.

Where?

We will gather at a 15 acre smallholding just outside Woodbury Salterton, East Devon. The land offers a mix of verdant meadows and ancient woodland, as well as easy walking access to East Devon’s Pebblebed Heath - an expansive wild place and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Our hearth is in a beautiful rustic hay barn, with cushions and blankets to keep us cosy. The farm is a nascent rewilding project with 2000 saplings already planted and other plans on the horizon.