Book 'Rituals at milestones in our life' Author: Roelien de Lange
Many thick books have been written about the history of rituals. This book has been written to enable and stimulate the reader to perform rituals in daily life. To use creativity, alone or with family and friends to create sacred, special moments. In these moments we can become aware of the milestone we have reached in our life.

This book was written with great respect for existing rituals. Often they are mentioned as a source of inspiration and, when possible, is explained what their origin is.

I think in every human being exists a natural born tendency to perform rituals. Thus everybody has an ability to perform rituals. In every ritual performed with positive intentions the performers connect to a wider channel of Divine Energy. In doing so we are lifted, for a moment, above daily existence. This enables us to go on, reinforced, in our daily life.

What are rituals?
Rituals are actions, performed with a ceremonial intention at special occasions in one's life. As a result the process of transformation, of transition into a new stage of life, can be experienced on a personal level. Everybody knows the deep wish to be part of something. Rituals give us the opportunity to take a unique place in a bigger context. When this event is reinforced with a religious prayer or a self-designed ritual more connection and harmony can be experienced as a result.
 
Rituals give us the time to stand still for a moment at milestones in our life, but also at tragic moments. They supply us then with the power needed to go on. Milestones, for instance, can be: becoming a man, becoming a woman, the start of a relationship, to become a father/mother, birth, a new job, the passing away of a friend or relative or to buy a house. Initiation is then needed. The 'rites of passage', even if they are simple, are of great importance to make us feel more human and to make us a part in a larger unity. 

In many cases rituals are unknow to us. Far away from our daily life. On some level we feel or know they might be good for us, but we know little about them and our culture does not provide us with guidelines for rituals.

Trompets are blown, the ritual that marks the start of the Olympics has started. A Greek ritual almost 2500 years old with which very many people around the world feel connected. Many smaller rituals do exist in our daily life, although we may not consciously experience them as rituals. The jubilee, for instance, when someone is employer for 25 years.
 

The book has the following chapters