#166 The Power of Ritual (with Casper ter Kuile)
Description
“Ritual makes the invisible visible.”
— Casper ter Kuile
shares insight and inspiration on the future of community, ritual, and spirituality. His work explores how we’ll make meaning, deepen our relationships, and experience beauty in the 21st century. He’s the author of The Power of Ritual and co-founder of The Nearness, a digital community of people exploring life’s big questions through deep conversations.
Casper joins Andy under the Dome to explore how modern life has left many of us with an "ambient absence" — a yearning for depth, connection, and meaning in our fast-paced, disjointed world. Together, they discuss how rituals — both ancient and newly created — can help us reconnect with ourselves, each other, and the living world around us.
From seasonal gatherings like Solstice in the Park to grassroots singing groups, Casper shares how simple acts of gathering can build resilient communities and meaningful culture. The conversation dives into the crucial distinction between tradition and convention, the evolving nature of spiritual life, and the importance of co-creating culture through shared song, storytelling, and collective care.
This episode is a powerful reminder that ritual is not just about the past — it’s about creating the future we long to inhabit.
"Mindful" by Mary Oliver
Every day
I see or hear
something
that more or less
kills me
with delight,
that leaves me
like a needle
in the haystack
of light.
It was what I was born for -
to look, to listen,
to lose myself
inside this soft world -
to instruct myself
over and over
in joy,
and acclamation.
Nor am I talking
about the exceptional,
the fearful, the dreadful,
the very extravagant -
but of the ordinary,
the common, the very drab,
the daily presentations.
Oh, good scholar,
I say to myself,
how can you help
but grow wise
with such teachings
as these -
the untrimmable light
of the world,
the ocean's shine,
the prayers that are made
out of grass?
Show Notes:
Connect with Andy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/wonderdomepodcast
What is your fiercest hope for humanity?
United States
