The bridge between the emotional and the actionable
Inside the doorway to the marketplace is a space betwixt and between.
Because the purpose of ritual is to enable a transition between identities, it begins with an act of detachment.
The disorientation inherent in the ritual process sets the stage for creative visions that provide the foundation for innovations.
As ritual participants break specific rules, they prove that they are willing and capable of rejecting the norms that once defined them.
Symbolic recombination is a cultural analogue to genetic recombination, sparking fruitful innovation.
Ritual guides are the stage managers of the liminal performance, with the responsibility of maintaining a tricky balance in the threshold experience.
Rather than shrinking from pain and loss, people often seek out challenging experiences because they yearn for opportunities to be tested, and to prove their worthiness.
The process of ritual disorients by design, in order to make people receptive to the transformative experiences contained within the liminal sphere. Well-designed rituals, however, never leave participants in this fluid state. Because the purpose of ritual is transformation, effective…..