Rituals, Dreams and Communities

Ritual and Community
Communities are held together by relationships. Some relationships are born of necessity, such as a baby depending on her mother. Others are born of inclination and attraction, such as husband and wife.
However, all relationships are based on our emotions - Love, hate, fear, desire, jealousy, pride, etc. Ceremonial rituals provide times in which we reflect on and examine our emotions and our relationships ~ with each other, nature, the divine.
Rituals give us opportunities to change the emotional energies of relationships: by making commitments, making amends, making confessions, acknowledging love, offering forgiveness, etc.
People take emotional risks in rituals, which generates great trust and respect. People open up to each other, and as they do so, they open up to the world around them, and the deep forces of compassion, healing and the divine.
In this way, rituals forge close bonds between people, forming the foundation of community, and running far deeper than the ties of business and mutual advantage that our secular society offers us.

Dreams and Community
Dreams provide us with symbols for our emotions, and stories to explain our relationships.
By working with our dreams, we can explore why some of our relationships work well, and some don't. We can identify the emotional blocks which keep people apart, and explore ways to overcome these barriers.
We can come to know ourselves, our prejudices and assumptions about others. This leaves us free to explore new possibilities in our friendships and communities, and open new chapters in our lives.
When people work on their dreams in company, with a facilitator, therapist, dream group, or on a retreat, they come to trust each other and begin to understand each others' deepest emotions. As in rituals, people start to open up to each other, to value and respect each other. Again, the forces of compassion and healing grow, and again, close and deep bonds are forged.