A Year of Seasonal Ceremony
Join Megan Sheldon & Alyssa Ackerman for a year-long journey to acknowledge the changing seasons, to deepen our relationship with ritual, and to connect with a community of care.
Move Through The Year With Intention
This is an invitation for people who want to acknowledge the turning of the seasons within a community of care. There will be four seasonal ceremonies and four connection circles, inviting us to slow down and reconnect with the natural rhythms of life. Each gathering is designed to deepen our connection with ourselves, with each other, and with nature.
Four Seasonal Ceremonies
These guided ceremonies occur at the turn of each season, inviting us to collectively gather, share and acknowledge the visible and invisible changes around us and within us. We will share our knowledge, wisdom and teachings around the season we’re moving into, including symbols, metaphors and archetypes.
Spring Ceremony
Spring is a time of hope, renewal and new beginnings. Together, we will explore the symbols, metaphors and archetypes of spring, and learn about spring rituals This gathering will foster a sense of belonging as we cultivate a renewed sense of possibility and look to the future with hope.
March 21st 2026
Summer Ceremony
Summer symbolizes a time of peak growth in nature, mirroring the potential for growth and abundance within ourselves and our communities. This gathering will offer an opportunity to slow down, deepen our understanding, and create moments of deep connection.
June 20th 2026
Fall Ceremony
Winter Ceremony
Winter, while often associated with dormancy, also symbolizes a time of inward reflection, restoration and preparation for what’s to come. This gathering will focus on nurturing our resilience, strengthening our connections, and finding strength in the face of adversity.
Dec 19th 2026
Four Connection Circles
These quarterly connection circles invite us to gather as a community of care to acknowledge the in-between moments. These are unscripted and co-created by whoever shows up, reminding us to flex our ritual muscles during the less visible moments and milestones. Our circles are 60-90min long, with the invitation to linger after if conversations are flowing!
Mid Winter Circle
This first connection circle will introduce us to one another, sharing stories, reflections and intentions for the year ahead.
Jan 31st 2026
Mid Spring Circle
Our second connection circle will invite us to notice the subtle shifts and transitions between spring and summer.
May 9th 2026
Mid Summer Circle
Mid Fall Circle
Our final connection circle will invite us to share how the year has unfolded and where we are wanting to deepen our practice.
Nov 7th 2026
Who is this for?
This year-long experience is designed for anyone seeking more ritual in their lives, as well as an opportunity to co-create an intentional community of care. We will connect with each applicant to ensure they are a good fit.
Why is it needed?
In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to lose track of the natural rhythms of the year. Seasonal gatherings provide a way to ground ourselves in the natural world, connect with our community, and acknowledge the cycles of change that shape our lives. We love the idea of reconnecting during the visible and invisible moments of change throughout the year.
What is the commitment?
We ask that everyone commit to attending all four seasonal ceremonies (pending unforeseen circumstances) with your video turned on. The in-between season Connection Circles are optional but we strongly encourage you to join those as well. All gatherings will be recorded in case you miss one. We will also offer a private channel to share resources, stories and experiences throughout the year.
When will the gatherings take place?
We will host four 2-hour seasonal ceremonies and four 1-hour connection circles. Our gatherings a held over Zoom on Saturdays starting at 10am PT. They will be recorded and shared if you can't attend live. Our gatherings are based in the Northern Hemisphere; we welcome people from the Southern Hemisphere to join and adapt accordingly.
Investment
The cost for this year-long journey is $450 USD (offered in CAD for Canadians). You can request a $100 scholarship if finances are a burden. This includes eight virtual gatherings, access to a private community forum, and a digital copy of our Living Calendar full of rituals, prompts and seasonal reflections.
Curated By
Megan Sheldon
Megan is a Humanist Celebrant, Cultural Mythologist, and End of Life Doula. She is also the co-founder of Be Ceremonial, the world's first guided ritual app. Megan has been crafting and convening ceremonies across the life cycle for years, with a focus on the seemingly invisible moments of change, such as organ transplants, divorce, pregnancy loss, dementia, living funerals and death anniversaries. When she’s not crafting ceremonies, you can find her swimming in the sea or meandering in the rainforest with her husband Johan and two daughters.
Alyssa Ackerman
Alyssa Rose is a grief guide and death doula in Portland, Oregon. She works with individuals and small groups navigating deep change and loss. She tends to the body, mind, and spirit, co-creating beautiful ritual spaces for the deep soul work of grieving. She hosts monthly grief rituals and annual retreats, works with clients one-to-one, and trains practitioners in becoming grief literate. With a background in Eastern and Western healing modalities, end of life work, trauma-informed coaching, animist psychology, and Integrative coaching, Alyssa is committed to creating a grief literate culture and developing resilient modern villages.
Application to Join
FAQs
We ask that you do your best to attend all 4 seasonal ceremonies and all 4 connection circles (bearing illness or unforeseen conditions). We will also set up a community forum to connect us throughout the year.
If you miss one of our gatherings, there is no penalty. We do encourage people to check their calendars ahead of time to ensure all four seasonal gatherings are possible, but we also know that life happens and circumstances change. Our gatherings are recorded and will be shared after.
If you are curious about rituals and ceremonies, especially as they relate to the seasons, this offering is for you! Ideally you have some experience or awareness about rituals already, if not we invite you to watch out free Introduction to Ceremony workshop in the Be Ceremonial app before we begin.
We host our meetings on Pacific Time (PST) as we are based in North Vancouver, BC. We encourage you to research the time zone difference based on where you are to see if the 10am PT start time works for you. We also set our seasonal themes based on the Northern Hemisphere but will invite questions and reflections from anyone joining from the Southern Hemisphere. Each participant who joins will help co-create our community experience, so we welcome folks from all over the world.
We will accept cancellations up to 30 days before our first gathering, less a $50 admin fee. After that, there will be no refunds throughout the year because we cap the number of participants. You will also have access to each recording, so even if you can’t attend the live gatherings, you can still learn from and with us!
To make this offer more accessible, we offer $100 subsidies for people facing financial barriers. You are invited to apply based on your circumstances and we will issue a discount code to claim your scholarship.
