Say “I do” to you!
Greetings, friends! And Happy Summer Solstice!
A Magical Ritual of Self-Marriage for the Summer Solstice season
June weddings are always popular. The sun is shining brightly and conferring blessings of light and warmth.
In many cultures a traditional way for a couple to get married (or hitched or hand-fasted, whatever we want to call “tying the knot” and uniting two lives together) has been to jump over a broom.
The broom represents the threshold, the doorway from one moment in reality to another. When all four feet touch the ground on the other side, the people are married.
I did it. (Both times!)
(Polygamous groupings might require a longer-than-usual broom!)
But what about commitment to oneself? Why not make a vow to be there for yourself through thick and thin? Have we not all turned our backs on ourselves too many times? Judged ourselves? Kicked ourselves for doing or saying the wrong thing? There is a person inside each of us who longs to know you will always be there for her/him/them, no matter what. This kind of reassurance, this promise enacted ritually, can go a long way to developing true self-acceptance, and that leads to confidence and inner peace, and that encourages more peace in the world.
Two Possible Rituals of Self-Marriage –
You can adapt these rituals to suit yourself. Dress up. Add a toast. Get a ring. Whatever works for you. The essence of the ritual is simply to: JUMP THE BROOM with a commitment to honor, cherish and accept yourself. The ritual opens the door. After that comes the practice, the celebration and the work, the tending that any relationship requires.
I’ve done both of these rituals, more than once, and they are supportive and meaningful. You can do this alone, or even better, in a ritual circle, with witnesses.
The first version is to marry your (whole) self.
Make a commitment to be there for yourself in all circumstances.
Perhaps write vows!
JUMP THE BROOM!
*Make Space For Every Part of Yourself to Have a Safe Place to Be
A rose would never think, I like my flowers, but my thorns are ugly.
Pushing part of yourself away never works. None of us is just one thing; we are multi-faceted. Every part of you has or had a purpose. If it’s time to let some aspect go, compassionate self-acceptance will help the parts you’ve outgrown to fall away naturally.
The Second Ritual Option:
Choose a part of yourself you have left out in the cold and marry that part of yourself. Bring them home. This is very powerful medicine. It could be a part that you’ve been to shy to bring into the light, or it might be a part you do your very best to hide.
Either way, begin in meditation, get centered around what you are doing. Choose what part you are marrying, allowing to exist, and either naming it out aloud, or keeping it to yourself for now.
JUMP THE BROOM!
Whatever Part of Yourself You Try to Get Rid of Will Stick to You like Glue
From the scaredy-cat to the raging fiend inside, we tend to project our unwelcome aspects onto others rather than risk meeting them in ourselves.
When parts of you that you see as negative are allowed to exist, they stop turning up at the worst possible moments just to get your attention.
Humor can help. When I catch myself sitting in judgment of someone, I imagine donning a white wig and wielding a gavel; this makes me laugh and fall off my high horse!
All these pairings, some more challenging than others, lead to this:
As We Come Home to Ourselves,
We Inevitably Come Together to Create a Healthy World
When we are at peace inside ourselves, at home in our own skin,
we transcend our sense of separation from others and realize we are one in infinite forms.
Everyone, human and more than human, matters deeply.
These are excerpts from my newest book, publishing date TBA,
A Green Witch’s Pocket Book of Wisdom
Rain and Sun
When the sun’s shining on me
Hard times may be raining
on someone else.
Robin Rose Bennett 2022
As of late, I have been working a lot with Linden, not only for delight (as this plant definitely “lightens” my mood), but also to help move through the heaviness that keeps filling my heart: from the mindless violence running rampant through our country, to the loss of life of indigenous land-keepers, and the pervading pressure of the powers-that-be to suppress our inevitable human evolution, these are intense times to be alive!
Now, more than ever, we need to connect with the plants and our Mother Earth to bring about the changes within ourselves that we wish to see in the world. And while it is very important for you to feel your feelings fully, sometimes emotions can get trapped in the body and prevent you from moving through them and incorporating them into your rich inner tapestry of emotions. So, I turn to Loving Linden to wrap my heart in a gentle hug and pulse a lullaby through my veins.
Remember, you were incarnated at this exact time because you are meant to play a role in this pivotal era. You are exactly where you need to be, and you were born with all the tools you need. You are important and Earth needs you.
Here’s a recipe for a Grief-Healing Linden infusion from my book The Gift of Healing Herbs:
Grief-Healing Infusion
1 cup dried linden blossoms
1 cup dried violet leaves
1⁄2 cup dried hawthorn berries and/or flowers and leaves
Pour 1⁄2 gallon of boiled water over these herbs in a half-gallon jar. Fill it to the top, as full as possible, then cap it. Let it steep overnight, and then decant. Refrigerate, or heat and put in a thermos.
This luscious mixture is a perfect infusion to celebrate life and love when your heart is happy, or to help you heal when your heart is aching or broken, or when you’ve just soured on life in general. It is mood-altering, like a good glass of red wine. Taken over time, it is a transformative blend.
This tart yet sweet aromatic recipe is one you can count on to help you heal when you are grieving, even if you have turned inward, isolating yourself physically and/or emotionally and psychically. These plants have a way of helping you be with your feelings. When you allow your feelings space simply to be what they are, you can and will heal.
JUST AIRED!
I am thrilled to be a guest on Season 4, Episode 10 of the Herbs with Rosalee podcast. It’s all about the juicy PEACH and its various medicinal qualities. Listen in as we discuss the future of herbalism, and I’ll share my delicious peach oxymel recipe. Here's what you don't want to miss!
🍑 How to work with peach pits as medicine (and do it safely).
🍑 How peaches are fabulous medicine for summery things like sunburns and bug bites.
🍑 What other herbs you’ll want to pair with peach medicine for best effects.
🍑 My poem about peach kisses!
Green Blessings,
Robin Rose ~*~