Light incense; meditate
Chant to the elements: Earth my body, water my blood, air my breath, and fire my spirit.
I come here today to honor the beginning of my marriage in the desert, to honor its life, and to grieve its ending here at the sea. I thank the wind, the sun and moon, the sea, and the earth for holding me in their unfailing beauty.
I am grateful for the joy of our union that we shared with our families and friends; I honor those friends and family now for their love and support as I come here today, alone.
I thank all of the animal spirits for their guidance and companionship, for visiting me in waking and in dreams, especially coyote, the big cats, owl, fox, dog, and bear. [added on-site: seal, pelican]
I am grateful for the time I shared life with another, and honor his own heart, spirit and grief.
I ask for the courage and wisdom to accept my own feelings, for compassion for myself and others, and for the healing of deep forgiveness.
I ask for the vision and intuition to know the soil of my life, to care for my roots and to honor the growth that manifests in the outer world.
I ask for help to not to fall into cynicism, and even for the ability to grow in my capacity to give and receive love.
I ask to know my own truth.
By removing this ring, I accept the ending of this marriage and take responsibility for my own role in it from beginning to end.
I accept the pain of grief now as I accepted the delight of its joy then, and I acknowledge that one does not diminish the other.
Chant: Heart Sutra
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Moss Beach, CA, Dec. 10, 2009.