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October 2024

Understanding the Difference: Independent Civil Celebrants vs. Humanist Celebrants

As an independent celebrant, I often get asked how my role differs from that of a humanist celebrant. While both aim to create meaningful ceremonies, there are key differences that set us apart. This post will help explain those differences so you can choose the right celebrant for your special occasion.

Beliefs and Approach:

Humanist celebrants follow humanist principles, focusing on human values and ethics without including religion or supernatural beliefs. Their ceremonies are secular and reflect this non-religious approach.

On the other hand, independent civil celebrants are more flexible. We can create ceremonies that include religious, spiritual, or non-religious elements, depending on your preferences. Our goal is to make the ceremony personal, reflecting your beliefs, whether that involves religious rituals or completely secular celebrations.

Ceremony Style:

Both types of celebrants customise ceremonies to fit the people involved. However, humanist ceremonies are strictly non-religious and often focus on personal stories, readings, and reflections. Independent civil celebrants, though, can include religious or cultural elements, offering more options. Whether you want blessings, spiritual rituals, or just a simple ceremony, we can tailor it to your needs.

Being Part of a Celebrant Association:

The Scotch Independent Celebrant Association is a network of professionals who share knowledge and ensure we maintain high standards. Being part of this association also means ongoing training and resources that help me provide the best service for clients.

Legal Authority:

In Scotland, both independent civil and humanist celebrants can legally officiate marriages if they belong to a recognised faith or belief group and are nominated by National Records Scotland. This legal recognition means couples can enjoy a fully personalised ceremony with ease.

Celebrating Life’s Moments:

Independent civil celebrants and Humanist celebrants focus on life events like weddings and funerals – we offer a broader range of services, whether it’s weddings, vow renewals, or memorials, we can help celebrate any of life’s important moments in a way that feels right for you.

Conclusion:

While both types of celebrants create meaningful ceremonies, independent civil celebrants offer more flexibility in terms of beliefs and ceremony structure. Whether you want a secular or spiritual ceremony, Ministers of the Open Sanctuary  can help craft a celebration that truly reflects you.

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Love is the Nature of the Soul: Reflections from Anam Cara by John O’Donohue

I recently immersed myself in the profound wisdom of John O’Donohue’s Anam Cara: Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World, and a particular chapter titled “Love is the Nature of the Soul” deeply resonated with me.

This chapter beautifully explores how love is not just an emotion or state of being but an essential element that the soul needs to thrive, much like air for the body. O’Donohue reminds us that love awakens hidden dimensions of who we are, opening pathways to discovering and fulfilling our deeper human potential.

One of the most striking aspects is the concept of the Anam Cara—the “soul friend.” O’Donohue describes a friendship that transcends the boundaries of time, space, and even persona. In this friendship, the unity of souls defies separation or distance. The connection remains alive even when friends are far apart because they’ve connected at a soul level, breaking through the superficial barriers of ego and identity.

When we open ourselves to love and allow love to envelop us, we begin to access the eternal. This love has the power to transform turning fear into courage, emptiness into fullness, and distance into intimacy. The soul-friend relationship, as O’Donohue presents it, reflects the eternal nature of love—an enduring connection that isn’t easily severed by physical space or the limitations of the ego.

In our fast-paced, modern world, it’s easy to lose sight of these deeper connections, but this chapter offers a profound reminder: true love, at the soul level, is eternal, transformative, and essential for our well-being.

Do you have an Anam Cara—a soul friend—who touches your life in this profound way?

With love, Cate

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