Nina's Nib

Ritual and reconnecting with the right brain hemisphere

Think of a ritual. What comes to mind? Something emerging from the darkness? Something from another world? Maybe it just feels a bit woo-woo?

In fact, our lives are surrounded by rituals. If you were to completely remove ritual behaviours the average person would be completely disorientated. Rituals effect how we greet strangers. How do we eat a meal with our family. How do we celebrate a birth. The union of two people. And how do we deal with death. Most common human experiences are touched by some form of ritual. And many of these rituals were originally preformed within a sacred context, because sacred existence used to be an integrated part of everyday life, a way of living, not only reserved for special occasions. As secularisation slowly expanded formalised religions took ownership of the rituals and dictated their uses – and abuses. The rituals were appropriated by churches/ religions to control populations and to exclude those, who were unwanted or did not comply with the prevailing doctrine.

During the evolution of modern civilisation over the past 150 years industrial and technological ideologies were intensely embraced and formed the materialistic world view. A view in which rituals became even more marginalised and emptied of meaning or even turned into consumerist products. Just consider how winter solstice went from a festival for the sun returning to the earth, to a celebration of the birth of a spiritual figure to a twisted cornucopia of decorations, presents and overeating. We now, in western society, find ourselves in a state where we are almost oblivious to the origins or purposes of the rituals we exercise.

Iain McGilchrist states that the trajectory of contemporary society is shaped by a left brain dominance, i.e. a focus on detail, on immediate results and functionality and with an inability to comprehend the whole, the connections and the bigger picture. The left brain dominated society regards the society as individual bits that are put together side by side in accordance with their use and function. It’s easy to see how a purely profit oriented ideology can arise from this way of thinking. And how, in this context, rituals, such as Christmas, become vague gestures that get deeply commodified. Turned into a cheap glue that superficially binds people together in order to keep the peace and make more money.

In this process the sacred has been removed from the rituals. Yet, these – I will argue – are the most important rituals. The sacred ritual reminds us that we are part of a design much, much larger than ourselves. The ritual that reminds us to be humble in it’s presence. That we are connected to the bigger picture, to nature, to everything. Through ritual we can access the right brain hemisphere with symbolic actions that are beyond words. They resonate on a deeper level where rational explanations falter. Rituals are to be found at the core of our existence. They shape humanity and connect us with what lies beyond ourselves.

With family.

With community. 

With nature.

With the unknown.

With the universe.

Rituals come in many expressions. 

Of the Earth, of others, of the mystery of life. Ritual is a portal.

Smoke and sounds, chanting and strange movements.

Convolutions, cries, sacrifice and blood. 

Ritual and nature are intimately connected.

Humans and nature are intimately connected.

Sit with a tree for a while. 

You will sense the passing of time, not only of your life but of generations before you. Generations to come.

Lift your gaze to the sky.

Let the vastness of the universe fill you with humble thoughts. Next to a cloud you will feel your size.

Breath in the cool air.

Fill your lungs with this wonder, this the breath of life. That is with you from birth to death. 

Let water run over your hands.

Water, so powerful, so soft. The water that is in your body and in every living thing.

The ritual is water pouring on open hands. It is the chanting of words of a deeper meaning. It is the sound of a bell, a vibration echoing in your soul. The ritual is beyond, above, below and around. It is something calling you. It is sacrifice. You make your sacrifice within. Ritual turns the world inside out to reveal it’s true nature. Ritual is tricksters and gods and spirits, the daemons and elves. Ritual is union. It recognising that you are light. That all is light. Ritual is fire transforming the air into rich, smoke smelling of herbs and wood and your ancestors for whom the fire meant life and death. It is the mother moon that controls the waters and father sun who makes things grow. Without them we do not exists. Without them we do not exist. We are not separate from all the movements of the earth, the trees, the plants, the animals. We all come from the same place. The one. The living, breathing cosmos. The ritual is your way to honour that. To cleanse, to burn, to transform, to give voice, to birth, to sacrifice, to give, to receive, to let go, to honour, to show devotion. 

Something is calling you.