The Power of Ritual

Some interesting concepts about bringing rituals to the everyday without necessarily being religious. Talks a bit too much about his podcast. 3.5* rounded up.

This was a quick read, a blessing and a curse: I was able to read it quickly (helpful, when I'd been putting it off for the past three weeks and it's about to expire this evening), but I am left craving more ideas and examples to employ what was talked about in the book. I think it would be enriched by more examples of practice that the author didn't necessarily do himself.

I think there's a lot of wisdom in this book and I will be rereading when it comes off hold again, taking notes and hoping to absorb more and apply more to its teachings.

We've been taught to see the world as divided between the sacred and profane, the religious and the secular. We've been taught that there's someone a line that makes a church building sacred and a supermarket secular. That vertical line is an invention. Imagine a a horizontal line between the shallow and the deep. It stretches across every place and every person. When we can sink below the blur of habit, we can be present to that portion of our experience where we find deepest meaning.

his earnestness bled from the pages but despite my best intentions, I could not connect with his message, relate to his life experiences, or seriously consider practicing his spiritual suggestions. I was hopeful that this might be the book that would urge me into “connecting” more but it all felt so hokey. also I understand the importance of quotes from other sources for research and the purposes of appearing well versed in the material BUT there were so many that it felt distracting and all over the place.

but maybe that's just me projecting