Leaves of Love
Blessings from the celebrant community
At the recent Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants National Conference held in Adelaide, I conducted an enactment of a naming ceremony. The celebrants participating were encouraged to write a blessing for the family prior to the start of the enactment.
I invited them to imagine a favourite place they loved and write a blessing for the family using the imagery they had in mind to inspire them. I offered a few examples to encourage the theme of place:
May the ocean remind you of the vast horizons that life offers.
May your family be blessed with the strength of a mountain that holds strong no matter the weather and offers magnificent views of the wonders of life.
May you see the beauty of leaves falling in winter.
May you take time to look at the flowers.
May you enjoy walking amongst the trees and remember to look often up to the sky.
I invited the celebrants to write their blessings on the handprinted leaves I had prepared… this is the magic of the blessing tree. As a celebrant, you could select one or a few of the following lines and create a short blessing for a naming ceremony. I took the liberty to collate and edit them and create a series of blessings. I will create a book for Diana and Nathan and their family as a memento of their time together.
If you choose to use any of these readings in a ceremony, I would suggest acknowledging the author as, The AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective. There was one blessing acknowledged by a celebrant which I have noted below.
If you are one of the authors from the conference and would like acknowledgment in a different way please let me know.
May you enjoy walking amongst the trees and remember to look often up to the sky. May you take time to look at the flowers. May you see the beauty of leaves falling in winter. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May your family be blessed with the strength of a mountain that holds strong no matter the weather. May you enjoy the magnificent views of the wonders of life. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you find peace and comfort amongst the trees. May the scent of the clean air sustain you. May you always enjoy the wonder and beauty of sunrise and the promise of joy in life. May you find peace in your happy place. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you be blessed with health
and a loving family life.
May you be enriched
by the beauty of your world.
May you be blessed
with great happiness.
May you feel the peace.
The peace of silence,
the peace of sunshine
and warmth.
The peace that is you.
(AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you always remember that the mountains in your life
were once as tiny as you are now.
May you breathe the scent of the tall trees as they touch the sky.
May your love be a strong as the waves and as calm as the water that follows
May you enjoy nature
and appreciate this beautiful country.
May you shine as brightly in your life as the Milky Way on a clear night.
May you enjoy the peace and serenity in the sun and rain in the years ahead.
(AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you be empowered by the ancient strength of the volcano and soothed by the serenity and solace of the lapping ocean. May the ocean remind you of the vast horizons that life offers. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you watch the stars and see the sunlight on the flowers and smile. May you always find wonder and joy in small things, and always believe in new beginnings. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you feel the freedom of the African plains and experience its abundance of life. (Author unknown)
Under the mulberry tree, let your grief bleed here as a mulberry stain, to nourish your love. (Sue Oliver)
As you walk upon the land throughout your life, may you always take the time to appreciate the earth and rejoice in the wonder. May you walk through the shadows of dappled light into the sun where warmth, light and love will embrace you. May you be blessed by all the colours of the earth as they bring you love, joy and memories. May the sunrise each day bring you peace. May you stand close to the edge of the sand and see the vast ocean and not be afraid to dive in. May happiness, serenity and love be with you always. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you be immersed in the wonder of life as if exploring the forests—taking in the beauty and love. The strength of the trees be granted to you, the gentle freshness of the breeze sweeping your face and may the colours of the foliage bring joy to you; and the smell of the forest bring you peace. May you feel the all-encompassing protection of the mountain range as it wraps itself around you. May the ancient rocks of this land and the never-ending movement of the southerly ocean remind you of the constant movement of life. May the water hold a special place in your heart. May you breathe while watching the waves. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you experience the joy and strength of the mountains as your family grows; and also, the serenity and peace it will offer you in times of need. As you stand under the magnificent trees in our world, with their huge and intertwining branches, may you be blessed by the spirit of wholeness and inclusion. May the softness of the gentle wind caress your hearts and leave them glowing with love and ease. May the ocean tides rise and fall and bring you blessings every day. May the sea breeze blow away any doubts you ever have and show you just how wonderful you truly are. May you guide your children through life’s joys and sorrows with love. May you hold in your life the glittering lights of the cityscape and its reflection in the calm river. May you reach for your dreams and achieve your goals for your life. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you always enjoy the beautiful vistas of high places and may they bring you joy. May you enjoy life’s journey, much like the ocean—waves crashing where you will stand strong or enjoy the calming ebb and flow and the serenity and peace of the rippling water. As the big clouds bounce across the vast sky, shining in the sun’s rays—may you feel their warm light shining on you. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you listen to the wind whispering through the trees of life and understand their messages to you May you find serenity in the solace of a garden. May you make time to talk with a friend, laugh out loud and listen to the breeze. May your family be like a billabong, still and deep, reflecting the beauty around it; surrounding you with love and laughter, light and energy for your life. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you know that you will always be loved. May you treasure the moments at this beautiful beach and love it as much as your wonderful mother loved it. May your life be enhanced by the clear blue ocean, with waves bringing you the gift of joy, happiness and great memories. May your lives be enriched with love, laughter, health and well-being. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you forever walk
with joy among the gumtrees.
May you bring joy to all
whose path you cross in your life.
May you see the rain
and smell the bush at the same time
May the sounds of the ocean ripple beautifully throughout your life.
May you feel the warmth
of the sun and the warmth of friendship, always.
Peace every step.
(AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you absorb the vision of nature from the top of a hill and let it inspire happiness for the rest of your life. May the rolling green hills bring you joy and peace in your life.
May you feel the love and energy of the beautiful gumtrees. May you feel the crunch of the fallen bush leaves under your feet, as you walk on your way to the sparkling creek; filled with yabbies and tadpoles and bugs, and may you be reminded of all your wonderful adventures with love.
May you feel the strength of the river on its ever-winding path, holding you together through every bend and turn.
May you flow through life with the ease of clear and calm waters. May the healing waters of the river bless you and your family today and always.
(AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you walk with the sand between your toes. May you feel the changing winds of seasons—warm and cold on your face. May you always smell the salt, breathe the scent know the peace of the ocean waves. May your family always feel the joy of a beautiful sunset and may you know in your heart the joy of life. May you find joy and serenity as you stand by the ocean tide. May the ocean remind you of the vast horizons that life has to offer. May the vista encourage you to explore the world with courage. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you enjoy the space that surrounds you each day and may you take in every beautiful moment. May you enjoy standing on the top of a hill and feel nourished by the surrounds that envelope you. May the vista encourage you to explore the world with courage. May the beauty of trees and their leaves flowing in the wind, be a blessing to your family. May the ebb and flow of the ocean inspire your own journey of life—take time to ride the waves and surf. May you feel close to your loved ones as you ride the waves. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you feel the earth beneath your feet reminding you of all the blessings that your life will travel on. May you find peace in the flow at the river, that will weave in and out throughout your lives. May your life be like sunshine on the lake, sparkling like diamonds. May the ocean remind you of the beautiful places you can travel to in life. May its ebb and flow give you strength and courage, to navigate the life that lies ahead of you. May you be surrounded by the love that sustains you throughout your life and turns challenges into opportunity. May you find places of tranquillity that bring great comfort to you all. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you continue to embrace each other and connect like the ocean meets the sand. May you experience the ebb and flow of the tide in your life—with joy for the good times and courage for the challenging times. Blessed are those that enjoy the tranquillity of the waves and the sun upon their souls. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you hold the ancient wisdom of the desert granite boulders in the journey of your life. May you feel safe in the warmth of the boulders that will forever remind you to be strong. May you take shelter under the outstretched arms of the trees. May you feel the protection of their unwavering strength and may the beauty of nature surround and bless you with deep love. May the bush nourish your life. May the leaves protect you from the heat and the twigs be your energy to create the fire in your life. May nature’s tranquillity inspire love and calmness in your life’s journey. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May you always look out in this garden and may it bring moments of joy, happiness and smiles when you sit and ponder on your day. May the weeping cherry shed its tears of blossom for you each spring. May you always feel the warmth of your hearts original home, and the joy of the nostalgia. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
The big blue ocean will show you vast horizons. May you find strength in your soul, in your heart and love in your life. Believe and achieve. May you experience the ups and downs of the rolling waves with the sun on your face and the sea salt on your lips. May you feel blessed and renewed with the ebb and flow of the tide. May you take a breath and see the sunshine no matter what the weather is. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
May the peace of the ocean go with you on your journey together as a family. Warm waters, gentle waves. May you never hesitate to dip your toe into the ocean that is your future. May you be brave enough to swim forward each day and may you always float through the tough tides. May the ocean inspire you to big, wonderful and memorable things. (AFCC Ceremony Writers’ Collective)
Invitations to write blessings can evoke an intimacy and generosity of spirit during ceremonies. For our celebration of 11 years, (14 years ago!) my partner and I invited our small group of guests to each bring a quote or write about what sacred union, marriage, intimate relationship meant to them. It was a beautiful sharing.
Do you have any stories or blessings you would like to share? Please leave a comment below.
So many inspiring blessings ❤️
The powerful words & inspirational blessing written by the AFCC collective. Thanks Wendy for helping to make our conference interesting, inspirational, and inclusive. We loved having you.