Grief & Gratitude Ritual: A Communal Ceremony for Our Times

In these times of great change, many of us are carrying unspoken grief. We grieve the loss of loved ones, the breaking of relationships, the fading of health or youth. We grieve for the state of the world, for our fragile ecosystems, for wars and injustices, for the unraveling of culture and community. We grieve for dreams that never took shape, for the care we needed but never received.

So often these sorrows are minimised or silenced. We are told to “move on,” to stay strong, to carry our pain in private. Yet grief unexpressed does not disappear. It lodges in the body, dims our vitality, and leaves us feeling disconnected from ourselves and from life.

When grief is welcomed in community, something profound happens. Sorrow reveals its hidden twin: love. Our hearts open. We remember that we do not carry our burdens alone. We discover the medicine of shared humanity, of being witnessed, and of returning to the village our souls have longed for.

This is why we are offering this larger-scale Grief & Gratitude Ritual. While our smaller circles create intimacy, this gathering will allow us to experience the collective power of grieving together in a larger field of resonance. The scale of this ritual matters. At a time when so much loss is collective, our healing too must be collective.

This will be the only in-person grief ritual we hold in 2025. If you feel the call, this is your chance to be part of a rare and powerful ceremony.

Who This Is For

This ritual is for anyone carrying grief in any form, personal, ancestral, or collective. Whether you are mourning a recent loss, tending to old wounds, or grieving for the Earth and our shared future, you are welcome. You do not need previous experience of grief work to join us. All that is required is your willingness to come with an open heart. If you’re unsure if this right for you to attend, please email Tanya at [email protected]

What You Can Expect

• Grounding & Guided Meditation to create safety, ease, and connection.
• Gentle Practices of reflection, movement, and sound, inviting expression in ways that feel right for you.
• A Central Grief Ritual, where emotions can be shared, expressed, and held by the community with the support of live sound and song.
• Closing Gratitude Circle, honouring what sustains us and helping us return with integration and belonging.

Everything offered will be invitational, you choose how deeply to engage. There is no expectation to “go” anywhere you are not ready to go.

Why Now

We are living through times that call us to feel deeply, together. To face what is breaking, and to remember what is unbroken. To make space for tears, song, rage, silence, gratitude, and love, all parts of our shared humanity.

Grief, when expressed and witnessed, becomes a pathway back to life. Gratitude anchors us in what remains, reminding us that even in the darkest times, beauty and connection endure.

Together, we weave grief and gratitude into one cloth — honouring the pain of loss, and celebrating the gift of being alive.

Warmly Held By 

Tanya Forgan ~ Circle Facilitator, Yoga & Mindfulness Mentor
Catherine Holt ~ Musician, Healing Sound Artist, and Facilitator

Support
Alongside Tanya and Catherine, there may be additional experienced space-holders (depending on numbers) supporting the gathering to ensure the circle remains safe, held, and nurturing for all participants.

“Grief and love are sisters, woven together from the beginning. Their kinship reminds us that there is no love that does not contain loss and no loss that is not a reminder of the love we carry for what we once held close.” 

Francis Weller