The Power of Ritual (OMEGA INSTITUTE MIND, BODY, SPIRIT)

A common purpose unites each and every ritual, explains author Rachel Pollack, who offers this primer on creating meaningful rituals. At its core, a ritual helps us acknowledge the important moments in our life, whether it is marriage to one's beloved or the welcoming of the spring equinox. A ritual "connects us to each other, to nature, to the cycles and rhythms of life," she explains. "It opens our heart to love and to intense emotion-sadness and longing as well as joy. And it opens a space for what we call the sacred or spirituality to enter our lives."

Chapter by chapter, Pollack offers do-it-yourself suggestions for creating grand and small rituals, such as the exchanging of love vows, conceiving a baby, or the saying of a daily blessing. She also explores the many tools of ritual, including sound (humming, turning a rainstick), sight (rock art, working with color), and "Smell and Taste" (preparing food, sipping wine, introducing essential oils). Other rituals include walking labyrinths, making a pilgrimage, celebrating menopause, and burying a placenta. --Gail Hudson