For the Love of Beauty and Chaos
A personal note and ritual how to for the start of Summer with Jeana Donovan
On evenings like this - when I’ve slithered out of bed for the umpteenth time, trying ever so carefully not to wake up my sleep deprived toddler (why is it so hard to nap when you’re tired?) and my seriously teething 4-month-old, I crave the silence and reverence of prayer.
A prayer for forgiveness, of my not so subtle frustration, a call for softer, slower days (which in this family, there are many but still not enough) and newer ways to soothe my children to sleep without the rotating milk bar and endless stories and red light on a timer that always goes off before we’re finished reading.
If you’re reading this, you’ve caught me in a loquacious mood.
Overtired from a vacation (which should be a crime) and the anticipation of summer in Vermont (praying for no more rain) without any real plans to show for it, has begun to haunt me.
I refer to Amy Keller’s BIG LIST often and have implemented small routines that significantly shift my overall mood and optimism throughout the day. (Not to mention, and this is the first and only time you’ll catch me thanking Mel Robbins for the most basic morning routine tips like drinking water and making the bed. But seriously, hydration and order and small successes are a game changer).
So in this space between over-sharing information, my pillow calling out to me to rest my head, and the anticipation of a beach day with moms and friends tomorrow afternoon on the first day of summer, I am reminded of the potency and beauty in ritual.
As we prepare for the Summer Solstice, we wanted to reshare this community favorite; Prayer Tree Ritual.
Let this be an invitation to create your own rituals around the Summer Solstice, to light a flame to your creative desires and use your hands while having fun doing it.
Give forth thy light to all without doubt; the clouds and shadows are no matter for thee.
Make Speech and Silence, Energy and Stillness, twin forms of thy play.
Prayer Tree Ritual
Originally published 02/07/2025
Its Origins and How to.
I have always been drawn to the reverence in silent prayer.
It is within that intimate time and space where divinity and spirit is ever-present.
For the baby shower of my first son, I had this idea to create a ritual for all guests to participate.
We drilled holes into a log and invited everyone to write their blessings for the unborn child on a piece of paper, roll it up and insert it into the hole.
Days later, my husband and I wrapped the log with dried flowers from the party and went to the foot of a waterfall. There we lit a candle and read our personal prayers aloud before throwing it into the rapid roaring waters.
The prayers floated downstream like a cosmic creative flowing force. (Aquarius is the water-bearer and it felt appropriate for the prayer tree to submerge in water.)
We never opened the individual blessings that our friends and family wrote. We didn’t have to. Like the silent prayers held between us and the ethers, with God and the divine, we knew they would be answered.
For my Second Child / the ritual
We made another prayer tree for our daughter (when still awaiting her debut). This time we intentionally drilled 22 holes for the 22 paths on the Tree of Life. Inviting 22 prayers within.
We put 5 candles on top to represent each element and its color attribution - fire (red), water (blue), air (yellow), earth (green) and spirit (white).
We said a prayer aloud for the energies of each element while lighting its candle.
It now sits on an altar adorned with crystals, flowers and tarot cards in the birthing room. And we plan to burn the log after she is born.
Growing, Inspiring
What I love most about this tradition was how quickly it became a part of the family. My sister hosted a baby shower for her first born a couple weeks ago in Northern California and made her very own Prayer Tree. It is such a beautiful thing to share. I sadly wasn’t able to physically be there but I got to send my blessing for the tree.
Each of us has a story to tell,
a remarkable triumph to share in the creation of new life and the transformation from maiden to mother, to mother again.
As we experience these milestones throughout cycles in our lives, I invite you to create your own rituals in whatever medium resonates with you. I knew a woman who would paint postcards of her pregnant body and mail them to friends OR would capture photographs documenting her growing naked belly and body. I’ve read about the beautiful traditions of the Navajo BlessingWay and the Red String Ceremony that strengthens the bond between mother-to-be with her sisters and ancestors. I have chanted Adi Shakti to balance the divine masculine and feminine energies in the unborn child, and built altars with art and artifacts to honor the spirit of the child.
Create Your Own Personal Ritual
These sacred spaces we hold and create through ritual can go beyond pregnancy and postpartum.
It can be rituals we make when we first bleed. Or it can be a silent grounding moment for the Solstice or Equinox.
Allow it to be an artistic expression of you.
Lastly, please share your most cherished rituals in the comments. We love to hear from you!
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