A Graduation Ceremony To Mark A New Chapter

Ashley’s sister gifted her a graduation ceremony to mark a new chapter as a Social Service Worker with a focus on Mental Health and Addiction.

Ceremony Story by Ashley Sammut

My sister, Nicole Sammut, is a Life-Cycle Celebrant and she has shown me how important it is to mark the big and small moments we face in life. She gifted me a Graduation Ceremony from the Be Ceremonial app to help me acknowledge and honour my accomplishments.

My first ceremony was a sobriety ceremony held back in June 2021. This ceremony helped me acknowledge my personal healing journey. My hurdle back then was leaving my previous life for an alcohol-free one, and creating a new path forward. Every year since, I have acknowledged and celebrated my sobriety anniversary with a ritual.

Through that experience, I learned how important it was to carve out time and space to acknowledge those threshold moments. This time, with the presence of my mother and sister, I created a Graduation Ceremony to celebrate all that I have accomplished the last few years. I am very proud of where I am and how far I have come.

My Graduation Rituals

Opening Ritual: Three Breaths Ritual

We started with the three breath ritual to ground us. It really helped me feel comfortable and relaxed in this ceremonial setting.

What Was: Heavy to Light Ritual

I chose a giant rock that represented what I had been carrying. I carried it for a while and then put it down, helping me release what was weighing me down.

What Is: Light, Dark, Horizon Ritual

I felt relieved to let go of the dark areas I’d been through with this ritual. I named what was lighting me up, what was feeling heavy, and what I was anticipating. I felt a sense of letting go of the past and transitioning to the future.

What Will Be: Secret Wishes & Release Boat

We combined these two rituals as we wanted to send my wishes on a journey. I wrote my secret wishes on a piece of paper and added it to a little paper boat I made, sending it down the river along the Rideau Canal.

Closing: Bubbles Ritual

We closed the ceremony by blowing bubbles and sending my wishes out into the world. It was playful and light, a wonderful way to end this significant time of change and celebrate my accomplishments!

The Power of Ceremony

After the ceremony, I felt so much lighter. The Secret Note and Release Boat were the most powerful and impactful rituals because I felt that writing down my wishes and acknowledging them will help me transition into my next career with ease and awareness.

I loved the Be Ceremonial app because I could pick and choose the rituals that felt most like me. I liked the fact that I had options to choose from and could make a ceremony that was unique and meaningful.

During my formal convocation ceremony in June I felt that I was overwhelmed as the moment went by too fast/quickly. I enjoyed the fact that I was finally able to take my time in to be patient, calm and quiet to complete the rituals for my graduation ceremony.