Course · Virtual
Ceremonial Training: The Elements of Ritual
Join us for a 6 week guided journey exploring the roots of ritual and the framework of ceremony within a compassionate community of care. We will draw from the five elements, our sensory experiences, and the collective power of storytelling. While the virtual sessions are recorded, we strongly encourage everyone to join live so we can connect with one another and the material in deeper ways.
- When
- Saturdays 10am–12pm PT · May 8th – June 12th, 2027 (6 weeks)
- Format
- Virtual
- Price
- $525.00 USD
Who is this for?
This course is ideal for anyone wanting to deepen your own understanding about ritual and ceremony, and connect with others within a community of care. It is designed for both newcomers to the ceremonial space as well as those who have already been creating ceremonies for themselves and for others. There is a focus on sharing and witnessing so we can learn with and from each other.
What to expect
Each week will follow a similar format: Opening ritual ~ Connecting ~ Learning (with slides) ~ Sharing ~ Questions ~ Closing ritual. You will have access to the recording each week, along with slides, resources, a community chat, and an opportunity to stay connected to the group after the training is completed. Please do your best to attend each week live so we can deepen our connections and practice.
What you'll learn
Together we will explore our relationship with ritual and ceremony. With a strong lens on decolonization, we will explore the symbols and metaphors associated with rituals and the five elements, as well as the modern needs and opportunities for reimagining ceremony to mark visible and invisible rites of passage.
Schedule
This training takes place over six weeks, with live virtual sessions once a week, with integration worksheets throughout the week to deepen the learning. We encourage you to join each session live to co-create the community experience, yet the sessions are recorded if you miss a session.
We host our weekly workshops and gatherings on Zoom. We set up an optional WhatsApp group that connects us throughout the 6 week journey and beyond, offering everyone a place to share ideas, ask questions and connect with one another outside of class. All recordings, notes, slides and resources are added to our shared Google Drive and made available each week.
What's included
Your tuition includes access to all live workshops + recordings, presentation notes, reflection prompts, resources and a community forum. For those facing financial challenges, please email us for a subsidy promo code. If you're a member of Be Ceremonial, you can reach out for your member's 10% discount.
Ready to join us?
Register NowCurriculum
Session 1 · Sat, May 8, 2027, 10:00 a.m. PDTEarth
Opening gathering to connect as a community, with a focus on the earth element and all that it represents.
Session 2 · Sat, May 15, 2027, 10:00 a.m. PDTWater
Diving into the element of water, we will explore rituals that heal and cleanse, as well as those that support us during times of grief and loss.
Session 3 · Sat, May 22, 2027, 10:00 a.m. PDTFire
Exploring the element of fire and rituals that fuel and ignite us, we will also focus on the role of storytelling in ceremony.
Session 4 · Sat, May 29, 2027, 10:00 a.m. PDTAir
Tapping into the air element, we will explore rituals that move and shift us, with a focus on chronos and kairos time, as well as cycles and seasons.
Session 5 · Sat, Jun 5, 2027, 10:00 a.m. PDTEther
Exploring the ether element and the rituals that expand and connect us, with a focus on how to design a ritual and build a ceremony.
Session 6 · Sat, Jun 12, 2027, 10:00 a.m. PDTClosing
Together, we will co-create the closing ceremony so we can share what we've learned and experienced as a community of care.
What participants say
During the Ceremonial Training, Megan gave me the tools to honour the 4 year passing of my husband, and I passed those tools onto my daughter. What could have been a really hard day became something quieter and more peaceful because of that.
Taking this course is a must - you get the tools you need to provide support and healing for your loved ones. This knowledge is a cornerstone of making a true difference in the world.
This course was truly life-changing. It is a beautiful package of incredible knowledge, experience, wisdom and inspiration for how to care for yourself while providing care for others.
Megan shares generously from her depth of knowledge, collective experience, and heart. It was a beautiful course and I've come away with the confidence and wisdom to help others create ceremonies and rituals.
I learned a great deal and have been incorporating small rituals into my life. This course enhanced my knowledge and greater appreciation of understanding the elements and the role they play.
This course taught me that I don't have to be an expert in ceremony to guide ceremony, and that I can start somewhere. It gave me the confidence to start leading small groups and hopefully, larger circles to come! Most importantly, coming together as a group taught me that I am not alone, it validated my feelings of not knowing where to start. And being with others really helped me learn from not only Megan but the whole group.
As someone completely new to ritual and ceremony, I was initially unsure what to expect. The course surprised me with both the instructor's wealth of knowledge and the diverse experiences shared by other participants, which created an encouraging environment for learning.
Whether you're a complete beginner like I was or someone with experience looking to deepen your practice, I wholeheartedly recommend this course. The blend of practical techniques and thoughtful theory creates value for practitioners at any level, and you'll leave with both immediate tools to use and inspiration for continued growth.
I learned so much from Megan’s training on ceremony and rituals. Not only was the content thoughtful and insightful on a cognitive level, but Megan also incorporated several experiential elements that allowed us to embody what we were learning. She shared generously from her rich personal experience, which added depth and authenticity to the training. It was both meaningful and practical, and absolutely worth the investment.
Facilitators
Megan Sheldon
Megan Sheldon (she/her) is a cultural mythologist, humanist celebrant, end-of-life doula, and co-founder of Be Ceremonial, the world's first guided ritual and ceremony platform. She is the author of Ritual Without Religion: A Humanist Guide to Creating Secular Ceremonies, and has spent years crafting ceremonies across the life cycle, with a focus on grief and loss. Her passion is helping people cross the silent thresholds and mark those seemingly invisible moments of change with meaning. She offers workshops, courses and in-person retreats near her home in North Vancouver, BC.
Frequently asked questions
Space is limited - we'd love to have you.
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