"Why I married the river Avon" with Mrs Meg Avon & Celebrant Ruth Sidgwick Artwork

Opening Ceremony Podcast with Jess May

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.

All Episodes

Opening Ceremony Podcast with Jess May

"Why I married the river Avon" with Mrs Meg Avon & Celebrant Ruth Sidgwick

April 04, 2025 • Jessica May • Season 1 • Episode 18

Megan Trump who recently featured in the film Rave on for the Avon married the River Avon...for real.

On Opening Ceremony this week we meet 2 incredible Environmental Activists passionate Wild Swimmers taking peaceful Direct Action to affect policy change for our polluted rivers.

Hear from accomplished poet Megan and her Celebrant Ruth Sidgwick all about why a wedding ceremony, a river and an independent film about the River Avon is making waves....

Megan on instagram

@mrs_meg_avonhttps://www.instagram.com/mrs_meg_avon/

Buy Megan Trump's latest publication: 'My Avon'

eastbristolbooks.co.uk/pages/book-events

https://www.bookhausbristol.com/

RAVE ON FOR THE AVON FILM:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvU8Vt10JAM

BBC FILM ABOUT THE FILM: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgq22y97n58o

THE OUTDOOR SWIMMING SOCIETY

https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/rave-on-for-the-avon/

Another interesting article:

https://thebristolcable.org/2023/06/campaigners-marry-river-avon-as-battle-against-water-pollution-continues/