Ceremonial Training: The Elements of Ritual
Join us for a six week learning journey, exploring the roots of ritual and evolution of ceremony within a compassionate community of care. We will draw inspiration from the elements and our senses, and tap into the power of storytelling and wisdom sharing.
Course Details
When
We will host six Saturday sessions from 10am - 12pm PST.
The online sessions will take place on Nov 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th and Dec 7th and will be recorded if you can't join live.
Where
We will host our weekly workshops + gatherings on Zoom, with a community portal that connects us throughout the 6 week journey. We will also give you access to an online learning portal where everything will be stored and shared. This includes a community chat feature to stay connected with the group.
Why
Together we will explore our own relationship with ritual and ceremony, as well as the threads of ritual that can be traced back in time. With a lens on avoiding cultural appropriation, we will tune into our own lineage and ancestry, as well as the modern needs and opportunities ritual can bring.
What
Each week will follow a similar format: Opening ritual ~ Connecting ~ Learning (with slides) ~ Sharing ~ Questions ~ Closing ritualYou will have access to notes, resources, a community chat, and an opportunity to stay connected to the group after the training is completed.
Who
This course is ideal for those who are interested in bringing more ritual and ceremony into their own lives, as well as the lives of others. It is designed for both newcomers to this space as well as those who have a ritual practice or ceremonial offerings already.
Investment
The cost of this training course is $300 USD + tax. We offer three partial scholarships (now filled) and small subsidies for those in need. Please add a note in your application form if you would like to request financial support.
Ceremonial Training 2024 ~ Application
2024 Course Overview
Session 1: Earth
Introduction to ritual and ceremony, with a focus on self-care rituals to ground us.
Session 2: Water
Learning about rituals that move and heal us, with a focus on grief and loss.
Session 3: Fire
Exploring rituals that release and fuel us, with a focus on relationships.
Session 4: Air
Tapping into rituals that transform us, with a focus on time and seasons.
Session 5: Ether
Exploring rituals that expand and connect us, with a focus on legacy keeping.
Session 6: Closing
A closing gathering to explore specific ritual + ceremony needs within the group.
Presented 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 self-guided ritual app. She's been crafting and convening ceremonies across the life cycle for years, with a focus on grief and loss. She is inspired to explore the evolving nature of ritual, especially in connection with the less visible moments of change and transition.
FAQs
This 6 week online course involves different types of learning: we will learn from ourselves, from each other, and from our course facilitator, Megan. There will be slides shared along with the recording each week, and an opportunity to connect with fellow participants during our 6 weeks together.
Each week, the session will follow a similar outline:
~ Welcome + opening ritual
~ Knowledge offering and theme exploration
~ Breakout sessions for more intimate conversations
~ Group Q & A
~ A closing ritual
Each session will be recorded and made available to the group the following day. If you can’t join a session (or any of them live) you can still access the same information and learnings. You will miss the breakout session each week, and an opportunity to ask questions in real time, but you can email questions ahead of time and we will answer them during the session.
This course is designed for anyone wanting to learn more about ritual and ceremony. It’s designed with a beginner mindset, although most participants will likely have some ritual and ceremony experience. We recommend watching our free Introduction to Ceremony workshop in the App before joining. Participants will likely be drawn to this course wanting to create rituals and ceremonies for others, either as a Celebrant, Doula or Ceremonialist. This training focuses on the essential elements of ritual design and ceremony practice, and does not cover the business side of setting up a celebrant or ceremonialist profession, although I can happily answer any questions that arise in this regard.
Payments are non-refundable because all sessions will be recorded and made available to you even if you can’t join live.
To make our course more accessible, we offer three 50% scholarships with a priority for marginalized communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQ2S and people with disabilities.
*Please note that these scholarships have now been filled. We can offer a small discount to those in need.
We welcome participants from all over the world. We tried to choose a time that worked for as many time zones as possible, and will be recording all sessions to ensure everyone can access. If the timing doesn’t work for you, we will be offering this course again in 2025 with different timing.
