Workshop Series · Virtual
The Ritual Series: All Four Sessions
A four-part series exploring Ritual Without Religion by Megan Sheldon, with special guests Bruce Feiler, Dr. Gordon Neufeld, Christina Baldwin, and Jessie Harrold.
Megan's new book, Ritual Without Religion, is structured around four dimensions of ceremony: The Nature of Ritual, The Science of Ritual, The Art of Ritual, and The Practice of Ritual. This series is designed to expand and deepen your experience of the book, taking each of its four sections and bringing them alive through the voices of people who have inspired Megan's journey.
Whether you've read it cover to cover or are just arriving, these conversations are designed to bring the themes and ideas presented in the book to life, and to connect you with people who believe that life's moments deserve to be marked with intention and care.
- When
- Sundays · Jul 12 – Aug 2, 2026 · 10:00–11:30am PT
- Format
- Virtual
- Price
- $100.00 USD
Who is this for?
This series is for anyone who wants to live more intentionally. Whether you're new to ritual or have spent years thinking about ceremony, these four sessions offer a rare chance to dive deeper in the company of thoughtful voices working in this space today.
- Celebrants and doulas
- Therapists, chaplains, educators, and facilitators
- Parents, partners, and community members
- Followers of one of the guest speakers
- Members of the Be Ceremonial community
What to expect
Each session stands alone, yet your understanding will be heightened if you join all four. You do not have to read the book ahead of time, although it will help deepen your experience. Every gathering in the series follows the same intentional format:
- Land acknowledgement
- Welcome ritual
- Introductions
- Guided conversation with the guest
- Group sharing and community connection
- Questions and reflections
- Closing ritual
What you'll learn
The series follows the four dimensions of ceremony explored in Ritual Without Religion, moving from the roots of ritual to its science, artistry, and everyday practice.
- The Nature of Ritual: explore the deep roots of ritual across cultures and throughout history with Bruce Feiler.
- The Science of Ritual: examine what happens in our bodies and brains when we mark moments with intention with Dr. Gordon Neufeld.
- The Art of Ritual: explore what it means to hold space with care and create ceremonies that are intentional, meaningful, and alive with Christina Baldwin.
- The Practice of Ritual: learn how to weave ceremony and intention into the fabric of everyday life with Jessie Harrold.
All Zoom sessions are recorded and made available within 24 hours if you cannot join live. Breakout sessions are not recorded.
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 the less visible moments of change and transition.
Bruce Feiler
Bruce Feiler is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including Life Is In The Transitions, The Secrets of Happy Families, and Council of Dads. His three TED Talks have been viewed more than five million times. His latest book, A Time to Gather: How Ritual Created the World—and How It Can Save Us, chronicles his journey through sixteen countries capturing the rise of new rituals around the world.
Dr. Gordon Neufeld
Dr. Gordon Neufeld is a renowned Vancouver-based developmental psychologist, author, and founder of the Neufeld Institute. With over 50 years of experience, he is a leading expert on child development, attachment theory, and emotion, advocating for an attachment-based approach to parenting and education. He is best known for co-authoring Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers with Dr. Gabor Maté.
Christina Baldwin
Christina Baldwin is a writer, teacher, and pioneer in the use of circle and story as pathways to community and meaning. She is the author of The Circle Way and Storycatcher, among other works, and has spent decades teaching people around the world how to gather with intention and hold space for the stories that need to be told. Christina Baldwin's teachings have been a profound influence on Megan's work as a celebrant and end-of-life doula, making this conversation a deeply personal one.
Jessie Harrold
Jessie is a coach and doula who has been supporting women through radical life transformations and other rites of passage for over fifteen years. She works one-on-one with women and mothers, facilitates mentorship programs, women’s circles and rituals, and hosts retreats and wilderness quests.
She is the author of Project Body Love: My quest to love my body and the surprising truth I found instead, as well as the forthcoming title, Mothershift: Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage. She is also the host of The Becoming Podcast.
Jessie lives on the east coast of Canada where she mothers her two children, writes, and stewards the land. You can learn more about her work here: jessieharrold.com.
