In this episode of Living Myth, Michael Meade considers how until modern times, people have relied on ritual practices to heal the wounds of culture, draw upon the renewing energies of nature and rejuvenate the life of both individuals and the community. Ritual gives a place for constricting attitudes to loosen, for emotions to flow and for the reservoir of genuine hope to renew.

Creative rituals can help release the burdens of our lives and can remove ego attitudes that block the flow of feelings and vital energy. Transformative rituals have the capacity to reconnect our minds and hearts in ways that reduce fear and anxiety and ease the grief of isolation.

On the ground of ritual, undiscovered parts of ourselves can awaken and strengthen our sense of meaning and purpose in life. All the arts were originally used as vehicles of vision and aspects of ritual and ritual is its own expressive art. In drawing upon the primal elements of nature and the inspiration of spirit, we can access spontaneous sources of healing, vision and renewal for both the individual and the community.