Celebrant in Training - Inspired. Thankful. Exhausted

Blog by Lel McAteer, Feb 26

Inspired. Thankful. Exhausted.

When my husband asked how I felt after my first Rites and Rituals Scotland training weekend, I answered with three words: inspired, thankful, and exhausted.  I’m Lel, one of two practising celebrants lucky to join the first round of Rites and Rituals training for 2026 which began with the theme, The Art of Ceremony & Ritual.

I already felt inspired even before I arrived at the training location in Ardlui on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, just over an hour from my home in Glasgow.  I left when it was dark and reached the west side of the loch as the morning light touched the misty hills and water with muted colours shifting between soft greens, blues and greys – those gentle, calming colours of a Scottish winter. 

Fleur, my fellow trainee, and Gordon, a Rites and Rituals Scotland ceremonialist I’d met online at monthly gatherings, greeted me warmly in the car park.  Gordon led us to the venue, where Lindy and Victoria welcomed us with hugs and mugs of tea.  Smiles and laughter, along with the stunning surroundings, set the tone for the weekend.  Our lodge sat right on the water, with a deck and jetty looking south along Loch Lomond, Ben Vorlich to the west, and Stob an Fhainne, Ben Lomond, and Ptarmigan to the east – hills, Bens, and water that held us and witnessed ritual, thanksgiving, and learning throughout the weekend.

Lindy and Victoria believe in learning by doing, and the first undertaking was to bless the venue – a homely and comfortable lodge.  I’ll admit, I shed a tear at Victoria’s poignant welcoming blessing as she grounded us and welcomed the sacred. Lindy’s guidance on altar creation and her wise words and teachings throughout, stayed with me.  The weekend was filled with activities to help us get to know and trust each other, quiet time for reflection and journaling, and revealing lessons on symbolism and storytelling.  While the new experiences felt a wee bit daunting, everything was inspiring and delivered with real care and compassion.

I felt a bit nervous, a feeling I know well because I don’t mind stepping out of my comfort zone.  Every celebrant knows it’s important to embrace uncertainty, but this felt even deeper.  It’s like standing at the start of a new path that may, at times, feel unsettling as I open myself to spirituality and get to know my own spirit and the sacred better.  Every challenge seems to begin with a step into the unknown, and now I understand why Lindy chose ‘threshold’ as her word to bless the house and mark the start of our adventure. 

This will be a creative and sacred path that will teach me and help me discover the ingredients and magic that shape powerful ceremony.  I’m excited to see where it will take me and meet people who will trust me with their stories, memories, loves, and losses, and creating meaningful ceremonies for their important life events.

It was indeed an inspiring couple of days.  I thanked Fleur for being my fellow traveller and my teachers for supporting me as I stepped out of my comfort zone, but at the time I used the word ‘pushed’.  On reflection, instead of feeling pushed, I was guided and invited forward, which honoured the very spirit of what we were learning.

I was grateful that the experience was everything I hoped for, and I think I’ve found something that fills a space inside me, like finding a missing puzzle piece.  I say ‘think’ because I want to see how things go, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be back with an update, changing ‘think’ to ‘know’. 

And I was exhausted - the kind of tiredness that means something important has happened.  It was the exhaustion that comes from being emotionally and spiritually opened up, leaving me relieved rather than drained.

I’m grateful for meeting ‘new old friends’ and for doing something meaningful that has left me excited and open for what’s next.  There are five more months of growing and practice when I’ll meet the other Rites and Rituals ceremonialists, who, along with Lindy, Victoria, and Gordon, have already made me feel so welcome.

I’m ready!