GreenSpirit Book Series, 2026
ISBN: 979-8255260317
Reviewed by Chris Holmes
When I was young I believed that rituals were for older people and those easily satisfied with empty conformity; some seemed to be quite violent. My celebrations were limited to a small number of commercialised festivals, birthdays and the end of school term. The natural world and the seasons played little part.
Over time I came to see that there was another, more profound world of ritual and celebration, one with real meaning and depth, intimately related to the Earth. I came to understand their importance in our highly competitive, individualistic society.
‘Rituals and Celebrations’ is one of two latest books in the wonderful GreenSpirit Book Series. Compiled by Marian Van Eyck McCain and Joan Angus, this book (which in its hardback format that I read for this review, is a joy to hold) brings together many of the practices over three decades of GreenSpirit life.
It begins with a lovely introduction by Emmanuela Marchiori and a memorable opening sentence which could also serve as the book’s closing sentence:
‘How healing it is to be close to the Earth Community!’
Ian Mowll then takes us through the Celtic year, which provides a structure for the whole book. This is followed by an entertaining piece from Joan Angus, based on the ‘Poem of the Months’ by Sara Coleridge (1802-1852), and an essay by Piers Warren which adds much substance to each of the Celtic celebrations. By the end of the first chapter, there is already more than enough material to encourage the reader to go much deeper into the meaning of the festivals and the rituals which accompany them.
Chapter 2, ‘Living Rituals’, adds more possibilities. Caroline Born writes that ‘religion can be too formal and unrelated and people have been taking ritual into their own hands to create new forms to define and shape their spirituality.’ Don Hills suggests how one might merge the Universe Story with the Celtic calendar, and Steve Wollaston reproduces the ‘Pentangle’ introduced to GreenSpirit by the late Michael Colebrook, which was based upon traditional English longsword dancing. The final part of this chapter gives some fascinating insights into the personal rituals of some GreenSpirit members, each so very inspiring and interesting; I finished the chapter thinking ‘I must try that!’
Chapter three refocuses on the communal with ‘Practices for Local Groups’ – which can be followed by any gathering. Joan Angus describes the ‘Four Directions’, a practice much loved and used both in-person and at online gatherings (and in all kinds of weather on GreenSpirit walking retreats!). This is followed by a brief and expert summary of Creation Spirituality by Steve Wollaston, which leads us into Grace Blindell’s wonderful introduction to the ‘Four Ways’. These were originally set out in Matthew Fox’s ‘Original Blessing’ (1982), and it was good to see how seamlessly we were taken back to GreenSpirit ‘basics’ and the initial inspiration for the Movement.
Chapter 4 focuses on ‘Rites of Passage’, a subject of huge importance which could easily become a book on its own. These are so important for humanity, helping us to navigate the anxieties and joys of life transitions. The next chapter introduces Circle Dancing, which has always been an important part of GreenSpirit celebrations. Traditional, inclusive, accessible and with a wide geographical provenance, it seems to me to fit well into all types of gatherings.
A series of Guided Meditations follows, and as Joan Angus says in her introduction, ‘some lead us to beautiful refreshing places, others help us take on the being of a member of the Earth community in our imagination’. Chapter 7 sets out poems and songs appropriate for each point in the Celtic calendar. I was particularly pleased to see the music and words for ‘The Turning of the Year’, a beautiful song composed by Jenny Joyce and Alan Whear. I remember them singing this together some years ago at a Gathering, a performance which I found very moving. The final chapter gives us two body prayers (one by Debbie Rabia, one by Judith Bromley-Nicholls) which embrace and ground our bodily presence as fundamental to our spirituality.
I finished the book more enthused than ever to participate and keen to give far more thought than I currently do to the importance of rituals and celebrations in my life. Each of the contents offers both the finished product and also a starting point, small things which can open up the Universe. The contents of the book can not only help strengthen our relationship with the Earth but also point the way to a much-needed regeneration of our ‘social soil’, to a deeper awareness of what is required in the re-imagining of our place in the Cosmos.
On completion of reading ‘Rituals and Celebrations’, I also had a strong sense of the generosity of spirit of all those who contributed and who have played such an important part in the life of GreenSpirit. Many wonderful contributions have gone unmentioned in this short review, and sadly, some contributors are no longer with us. This book stands as a record of what has been and as an important pointer to the way ahead.