Published Articles
By Dr. William R. Morrow, D.Min. LMFT

“Rites of Spring”

Whatever your religion, you can’t escape the rites of Spring. Whether your religion is Christian, Jewish, or even Baseball, you are going to be exposed to the age-old springtime ceremonies that make you truly human. Although my wife finds no comparison between religious faith and baseball (let alone the Final Four), in terms of what builds up the soul of mankind, I contend that it is indeed spiritually helpful to engage in rituals of various kinds.

Joining in Easter ceremonies of family and church, or Passover rituals that include family in such a wonderful way, molds the true character of communal living. Going to a baseball game probably has some other, unique benefits. Did the Lord God plan for all these springtime events, or did it just happen that way? Inquiring minds want to know.

For those who put baseball above attendance at church or synagogue, I can only wish that these sports fans might catch spring fever in its many forms. While it might have been better to attend Passover or Easter celebrations, baseball may still hold some value for the traditionally non-religious. This is because baseball, as an American pursuit, honors the value of ritual and ceremony. It is something you just do, whatever the score. These are traditions that some of the calloused unfaithful would otherwise not be able to immerse themselves in. Got it? Baseball is good, but church and synagogue are better.

Springtime traditions have a way of teaching us about ourselves. They put us in touch with dormant strengths that have likely been neglected during the winter months. Short days and long nights can be depressing. But, to observe the Rites of Spring is to once again contact the deeper forces of the unconscious mind, which many poor souls pay no attention to throughout the year. Like the eruptions of an earthquake, ceremonies of Spring bring things to the surface, which we didn’t even know were there! An infusion of inspiration, family renewal, or just plain joy of being alive bubbles up to the surface, rattles the dishes and jars the earth beneath our feet. Yet, unlike an earthquake, it is like being contacted by an old familiar friend whom we had nearly forgotten about. The old friend barges in, unannounced, and makes us feel renewed, as if there were hope after all for the troubles and uncertainties in our life.

Although we each have our own individual inner realm of undreamt dreams and unrealized hopes, together, as a community, there is also a collection of common inner resources. Psychologists call it the Collective Unconscious. It is a supply of endless new beginnings waiting to be expressed in some symbol or ceremony carried out by us mere mortals. When we enact the (positive) traditions of our family, our church or synagogue at the holidays, we tap into forces that can only be called spiritual. Who knows what family relationship might feel the renewal, or what mental anguish might experience comfort. As a result of joining the ceremonial dance, we get to transcend the mundane, and to make contact with something holy. I think it is more than Mother Nature or Spring fever.

Bottom line: to be truly human, in all respects of our self, is to incorporate the deeper and unconscious parts into the living of our relationships. This includes our World family as well as our blood family. I believe that ceremonies and symbols help make this blossom. It is as if your unconscious mind had said, “Contact me, and I will enrich your life”.

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