During times of enormous change, how can you harness the power of ritual to create stability and creativity? How can ordinary practices, such as writing, help us find meaning and cultivate deeper spiritual lives? We talk to author Casper Ter Kuile (The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities Into Soulful Practices) about the difference between habit and ritual and how to turn habits into meaningful rituals. We explore Casper’s journey in publishing, how he moved past the first draft and his practices for overcoming the pitfalls of comparison. 

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Casper ter Kuile is the author of The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices, co-host of the award-winning podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, and co-founder of startup Sacred Design Lab - a research and design consultancy working to create a culture of belonging and becoming. 

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SHOW NOTES

[03:18] Casper talks about his 24-hour tech sabbatical and why rest isn't just about preparing us for the workweek

[07:45] Why Casper, an atheist, was drawn to Harvard Divinity School to study and the surprising pull of community, ritual and tradition in the religious community

[11:18] How his observation of the growing disaffiliation from religion and the fraying of our connections with each other led him to explore the power of ritual

[13:11] The difference between habit and ritual and how to turn habits into  meaningful rituals

[15:51] Why we should develop our ability to be choiceful

[17:23] An observation of connection practices during the pandemic, including the absence of ritual

[19:57] Applying the triptych: intention, attention, and repetition to his writing

[22:23] Casper talks about moving past a terrible first draft of his book, The Power of Ritual, and how he landed his book deal

[27:14] How Casper deals with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, including going on long walks

[29:25] Casper shares how he balanced researching and studying while he was writing his first book, also how he deals with the pitfalls of comparison

[31:13] Casper shares advice from Seth Godin for when you're having self-doubt

[32:43] On how to move away from introspection, and writing not just as something to make you great, but as a gift

[35:08] Casper shares how accountability is important in creating practices in new communities

[36:14] How to both hold on and let go of a growing community

[38:23] Casper shares the origin of his podcast with friends, Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, and the community it built

[41:50] What are the things that started and changed as the podcast community grew, and how did it even bring the community closer?

[44:44] A parting note - understanding the sufficiency of the gift that you have to give

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QUOTES:

“Think of writing, not as something that is going to make you great, but as a gift to someone who might need it."

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RESOURCES

• The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities Into Soulful Practices by Casper Ter Kuile
• Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast
• Seth Godin
• The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
• HarperOne
• How We Gather - Casper’s co-written paper
• David Sedaris
• Vanessa  Zoltan

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CREDITS

Production by Victoria Spooner. Artwork by Emma Winterschladen

For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.com.

For free writing sessions, join free Writers’ Hours: writershour.com.

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FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS’ SALON

Twitter: twitter.com/​​WritersSalon

Instagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalon

Facebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalon

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