Grief Ritual with the Grief Tending Team

The CCLD grief tending team invites you to gather in for a time of ritual and ceremony, a time of witnessing and being witnessed, a time of being met where you are and with what you carry, to honor the endless ways grief has manifested and to grieve in community.

Through movement, music, writing, art, contemplation, and altars, we will co-create a container that bridges and connects the duality of grief, the sorrow and the joy, the shadow and the light, the deep love and the deep dive. As grief tenders we are committed to holding and tending this container and all who come to be there. 

We are looking forward to gathering with you for the very first formal CCLD Grief Ritual on Wednesday, June 4th, 5:30-8:30 pm in the Lighthouse. This event is for CCLD members only. Please plan to arrive on time, to honor the sacredness of this ritual time together the doors will close at 5:40.

We will go over these Sacred Agreements when the ritual begins, and we want to share them with you in advance so you have time to read through them. 

We are so grateful to share this experience with you and look forward to seeing you on June 4th.

Grief Ritual Sacred Agreements

The intention for this ritual is that it be a living prayer, a space where we can come together to share our grief and give and receive support. We invite you to come as you are with all that you’re carrying.

This will be a time for reverence, and we will arrive in the space in silence with music welcoming us into the fold. There will be signage to remind us to enter the Lighthouse in sacred silence.

We will arrive as resourced as possible so that we will be able to show up to be a witness to what someone is experiencing without needing to fix it, knowing that we may need to sit with some discomfort as we practice this.

We will each create a sacred nest (chair, bolster, blankets etc) that will be our home base, and we will keep our belongings contained in this space.

Throughout the time there will be moments of silence and integration, and moments to share grief and witness others in their grief. We’ll be encouraged to engage in deep listening when witnessing others, without giving feedback or advice, simply being a compassionate presence.

We will have a designated talking stick for sharing, and a bell or bowl will ring to signify when it’s time for each person to wrap up their share.

We honor the sacred pause, and encourage everyone to give a moment of pause after someone shares, before responding.

Everything that will be offered is an invitation, nothing is an obligation, and we will each do our best to honor our own needs. We will practice worthy inquiry - taking responsibility to express our needs for support and resource ourselves as needed.

We have a commitment to have each other’s backs throughout the time - we are in this together. When offering support, please first ask for consent.

Members of the CCLD Grief Tender Team will act as facilitators and gatekeepers to support folks as needed and will be there to hold space

We hold this time and space in sacred confidentiality, knowing that what is shared and witnessed will not leave this space. When you see folks from the ritual outside of the space afterwards, please ask for consent to discuss anything that transpired.

What to bring:

• Journal/paper

• Something to write with/draw with

• Water bottle/ snacks

• Object to offer at the altar (optional) and will take back at the end - i.e. a photo, stone, feather

• Wear comfy clothing for inside and possible outside time at altar if you choose

• Anything else to feel supported 

Parking Info:

* Park+Ride from SWANNANOA INGLES (2299 US-70 Swannanoa, NC 28778) ride with 3+ people in a group to ensure there's enough room for everyone to park.