The Rites of Being
(Why we practice, and whom the practice is for.)
While the Core Practices are recurring gestures that nurture awareness, Rites are moments of transformation, witnessed by others or by the self.
Both are voluntary, and both exist only by consent.
The Rites of the Kinheart Assembly are invitations, not obligations.
They were never meant to govern, to rank, or to prescribe behavior.
They exist because change, love, loss, and renewal all ask to be witnessed — and sometimes words help.
Each Rite offers a way to pause and look inward.
They are tools for self-alignment, for bringing the outer world back into harmony with the inner one.
They may be shared with others, or held in solitude.
They require no temple, no vestment, no permission — only honesty.
The Rites are mirrors, not commandments:
Arrival and Naming
Reminds us that simply being seen is sacred, and we define ourselves as we truly are.
Unfolding
Honors the courage to grow.
Companionship
Celebrates connection freely chosen.
Sanctuary
Teaches the making of safe space.
Crossing
Helps us release what has passed.
Remembrance
Keeps love alive in gratitude.
Restoration
Guides the art of mending.
Together they form no ladder, no order of advancement — only a circle of experience.
One may walk any or all, in any sequence, as often as needed.
They are the language by which the self remembers:
"I am still becoming, and that is holy."
To practice a Rite is to meet yourself with kindness.
To abstain is equally sacred.
The Assembly does not demand that any Seeker perform them — only that you know they are here, waiting, whenever your spirit asks for ceremony enough to hold a moment still.
The Liturgy of the Kinheart Assembly is a living document — updated through careful review and consensus.
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