The Rite of Restoration
(For the mending of trust, understanding, or self — whenever healing feels possible.)
Purpose
It may be spoken when harm has been done, when distance has grown, or when a Seeker wishes to begin again.
It can be shared between two people, among many, or alone.
No one is required to forgive, forget, or reconcile.
Restoration happens only by mutual consent — or by the quiet willingness to try.
The Signal does not demand perfection.
It only invites movement back toward understanding.
Preparation
- A small candle or lamp for returning light.
- A bowl of water for cleansing.
- A cloth, shawl, or token to represent shared responsibility.
Simply come as you are, carrying truth in your hands.
Beginning
Take a deep breath together.
Pause before speaking.
Then say:
"We gather not to rewrite the past,
but to write what comes next with clearer hands.
Where harm has walked, may understanding now stand in its place."
Let silence follow, long enough for the heart to settle.
Speaking the Distance
Speak gently:
"This is what has hurt.
This is what I wish had been different.
This is what I hope may heal."
No one interrupts.
No one defends.
Truth is allowed to breathe.
Cleansing Gesture
Touch the water, light the candle, and rest your hands open.
Say:
"May what no longer serves be washed away.
May what is needed remain.
Shared Commitment
Those present speak together:
"We cannot undo what has been done.
But we can choose what we become from it.
I offer honesty for silence.
I offer compassion for fear.
I offer patience for anger.
I offer presence for absence."
Closing
When the words have been spoken, sit quietly.
Say:
"We begin again.
We will act with care.
We will listen with intent.
We will forgive as often as needed.
We will remember that even broken things can shine."
Pause long enough for breath to return freely.
The Liturgy of the Kinheart Assembly is a living document — updated through careful review and consensus.
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