The Book of Modern Ceremony: Practices to Mark Life's Big and Small Moments

by Shari Dunbar Boyer

204 pages, Hardcover

Published September 2, 2025

Reviews

[Ann T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Workman Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

The Book of Modern Ceremony is a celebration of life, giving it meaning and pause in amongst our busyness. It reminds us to slow down, experience everything and celebrate both the big and small moments.

Shari Dunbar Boyer has created a stunning book that deserves a place in your home where is is seen, visited and enjoyed regularly.

Ceremonies provide the opportunity to reconnect to something greater. They may be the usual ones we recognise such as weddings, birth of a child, funerals etc but there are so many more opportunities where we can mark moments in our lives.

Ceremonies explored in this gorgeous book include thanksgiving, the Autumn Equinox, Winter Solstice and other seasonal markings but also life events such as graduation, menopause, moving homes and finally ceremonies of personal growth such as Changing Mindset, Integration and Personal Strength.

Each ceremony includes the time this would take to conduct and the elements it requires. Often these ceremonies are for more a small group but there are also many that can conducted alone.

The elements can include, garden items such as plants, flowers, dirt. They could be pieces of paper, fire, candles, water or food.

The ceremonies bring a sacred space , a safe container to mark a time or event. I am going to plan and include the New Year Ceremony into my life as this builds on practices I like to do and creates a more sacred way to celebrate this.

I loved the photography throughout this book, it was comforting, enriching and simply beautiful. There are also relevant websites for deeper exploration, within the pages.

There are great resources at the end of the book including a ceremony template, playlists, more websites and books to explore, podcasts to listen to.

This is a beautiful, slow, calming book which is a gentle yet powerful reminder to live more intentionally and to celebrate more moments and of course all the special people that come into our lives and enrich it.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Carolina Goldthwait · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will give you so much more than you know. The idea of creating a ceremony intrigued me. I created one to commemorate my sons going off to college. I thought it would be a fun, even kitschy way to send them off. It was so much more! The ceremony gave our goodbye significance and meaning, made our home sacred, and showed our sons how loved and supported they are. In addition, it marked our time together and this time of entering into adulthood in a formal way. I think my own boys were surprised at how much they enjoyed it. When I went to visit them, I found the little containers in which they gathered bits of nature from around our home, prominently displayed on their desks. It touched me deeply to know it really meant something to them.

[Ellen Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was such a cool and unique book, and it is full of inspiration for celebrating everything in life. Not only does it explain the history of ceremony but then it explains in great detail the different types of ceremonies and the different roles, so that you can plan your own using this book as a guide. I love that it inspires us to celebrate not just holidays, but life events, solstices, and equinoxes. The photography was beautiful, and I loved that it included ceremonies for children and all genders.

[Lucinda Bhavsar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It inspires us to celebrate holidays, and life events. I thought the photos were lovely and it was full of inspiration.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of like a Martha Stewart Living book for parties of the Wiccan -inclined.