Collective Body Mapping Ritual

Abstract

This paper introduces and describes a collective body mapping ritual presented as part of the Goldsmiths International Art Therapy Conference. The following reflections on the unfolding of the ritual were distilled from a series of conversations between Christina, Annette, Sue and Penny that took place immediately after the conference, and in the ensuing weeks and months. The article has been co-written by all four – a process that echoed the collective sharing and making of meaning that took place among participants in the ritual circle.

Keywords: Body mapping, landscape, ritual, collective body, mark making, feminine embodiment