Our Simple Family Rituals

Ritual is able to hold the long-discarded shards of our stories and make them whole again. It has the strength and elasticity to contain what we cannot contain on our own, what we cannot face in solitude. -Francis Weller

Togetherness is one of our family's values (see them all here).

One way we like to foster togetherness is by creating and honoring our own family rituals. Naturally our rituals have evolved over the years, and will continue to evolve to suit our needs and the season of the life we're currently swimming in.

We intentionally made our rituals simple as hell as we want to be able to weave them into our days consistently amongst life's daily chaos and surprises.

Our rituals are small and meaningful to us. They foster all the meaningful "c" words: connection, creation, communication and collaboration.

Here are a few of our current simple family rituals that help us live out our values unapologetically.

Our Simple Family Rituals

1. Seasonal Bucket List // 4 times a year

   In each new season, we gather together to create one family bucket list of our dreams and desires for that specific time of year. It's a fun way to hear what each family member is craving for fun and growth so we can all work together to make it happen!

   
   

2. New Moon Ceremony // monthly

   Each month when there is a new moon we plan to gather around a fire in our backyard or simply light a candle outside and write down (or draw) our intentions for the month on a small piece of paper. For example, "I want to make space to paint more with my daughter." After we read aloud our new moon intentions we release it in the fire (into the universe) and say, "And so it is." *If someone does not care to share aloud their intentions to the family it's completely okay. The purpose is to gather together, not to force anything.

3. Morning Oracle Card Pulls // daily

   Almost every morning after I get a warm mug of whatever tastes good, I sit down at our table with my journal, choose an oracle deck (I have 5 to choose from), and light our beeswax candle (the vibe matters). Then, I spread the deck out on a cloth on the table and ask the cards a question. Example: "How can I love more today?" I then choose a card that I feel drawn to and soak in it's "medicine". I usually write my question in my journal, and then write about the meaning of the card and how it relates to my life. Sometimes I will doodle some art in there as well which my daughter loves to join in with.

   
   

   This ritual is done alongside my daughter and not always with. Sometimes she wants to participate, sometimes she doesn't. I invite her to join, but never force it. But, I've noticed her thoughts and speech reflect the uplifting words of the oracle cards more and more which is all that I can ask for. So no matter if she pulls a card or not, she is still soaking in the magic of the deck and is able to observe how her mother primes each new day with the goods.

   
   

4. End of the Day: What was your favorite part? // daily

   This is probably the simplest ritual of them all. Whether we are gathered together eating dinner, in a car, on a walk or about to go to bed this question always bookends our day. One of us simply asks, "What was your favorite part about today?"

   
   

   We all take turns asking each other and answering. Sometimes the conversation goes a bit deeper with more questions, such as "What was hard about today?" or "What's something new you learned today?" depending on our mood and energy. I love how asking one open-ended question can give you such great feedback/information on how each family member is feeling.

"Let others witness your process, not your conclusions- your body of work isn't the sum of your best takes, it's the documentation of your evolution, still forming, still fragile, still electric."

I hope this post encourages you to create family rituals, no matter how simple or small, that are meaningful to YOU and your family.

xx

Jillian