Opening Ceremony Podcast

About Opening Ceremony Podcast

Podcast blurb Welcome to ‘Opening Ceremony Podcast’ with me, your host, Jess May. I'm on a mission to keep ceremonies alive! Join me to hear all about why! In the UK people are giving up on ceremony and I believe it is making us sick. I don’t want that for you and that is why we’re here. Ceremonies remind you that you belong here, you’re precious and you’re never alone. I hope that this podcast will do that too. On my podcast we connect with Academics, Professionals, colleagues, friends & clients share their life events, passions, careers and the ceremonies associated with them. Ceremonies hold power to create meaning and are a vital source of connection and belonging for human beings. As cultures evolve, ceremonies do too, how we approach that shift matters, because even as they disappear and change shape, they continue to hold power for both good and bad. I want to empower you to create ceremonies which honour your values and remind you that you and yours belong in this world. Good ceremonies tell your own story and help you to find your own meaning by reflecting who you are, healing you and showing you how much you matter. But they can also be used in damaging ways. If you don’t claim that power and choose your own way of celebrating your life and telling your story, someone else will do it for you. Even as they fall from fashion, they will continue to matter to us societally, historically, personally & culturally. There is never a time in human history where people don’t use them somewhere in the world for myriad reasons. Focusing on ceremony shows us the interconnected multitude of human lives throughout history and across cultures. Ceremonies help us to hear those voices, their differences and similarities and understand the world-views behind the ceremonies they create. Jess May is an Award Winning Celebrant who started her career in 2013 creating hundreds of life changing ceremonies for every occasion. Join the Opening Ceremony constellation to learn more about why ceremonies still play a central part in human and animal societies.

Publisher

Jessica May

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 May 2024

Latest episode

13 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Mar 2026

   YOU CAN CHANGE HISTORY...MARRIAGE LAW REFORM with Professor Russell Sandberg & Miranda Ash, Independent Celebrant

   MARRIAGE LAW REFORM is a subject close to my heart. Consultation to update an archaic legal system is currently starting to happen in the UK. I am joined by 2 experts in this field. In it we discuss what is at stake, what it means for you and how you can shape the future. It's a good one. x You can find Jess here: https://www.jess-may.com/

2. 

   29 Oct 2025

   Samhain! Is it CHRISTIAN or the OG of HALLOWEEN? with PAGAN specialist Dr Jenny Uzzell

   HERE'S ONE FOR HALLOWEEN Dr Jennifer Uzzell is a freelance researcher and academic in the field of Pagan Studies and Death and Bereavement Studies. Her doctorate, from the Centre for Death and Life Studies at Durham University looks at the ritualisation of Death among modern British Druids. Jenny is a member of a number of Druid Orders and is the Education and Youth Manager for the Pagan Federation. She is also an Educational Consultant in the field of Religious Education. She is co-owner of ...

3. 

   11 Sept 2025

   CEREMONY & SELF WORTH with MIRANDA ASH

   SELF WORTH & CEREMONIES WITH MIRANDA ASH https://www.mirandathecelebrant.co.uk/ Miranda Ash is a Celebrant with a rich and varied career behind her and ahead of her now firmly rooted in created warm, authentic ceremonies across the UK and beyond. She has 13 years experience in this particular role as a Celebrant and she is known for her down to earth approach, thoughtful touches and a strong belief in community over competition. In 2023 she was named the Wedding Industry Awards Nati...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 19 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

24

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.