ABOUT RITUEL

RITUEL is a ceremonial wellness practice devoted to the art of emergence.

Founded by Eve Gaines, RITUEL was created to honor the thresholds, transitions, and subtle awakenings that shape a life. This work supports the moments when something new is beginning to take form — a deeper self, a clearer calling, a new chapter, a more honest rhythm, a more connected way of living. It is rooted in the understanding that emergence is rarely linear. It asks for attention, beauty, structure, time, and spaces where what is becoming can be gently and powerfully brought into form.

RITUEL lives at the intersection of ritual, beauty, nature, embodiment, creativity, education, and community. Through private Rite de Passage mentorships, bespoke Threshold Ceremonies, immersive wellness experiences, seasonal gatherings, community-centered programs, Field Notes Journal, and L’Atelier, RITUEL creates pathways for people to return to rhythm, deepen their relationship with themselves, and participate more consciously in the life they are creating.

At the heart of this work is a devotion to cultivating community. RITUEL is interested in the way people gather, the way we mark what matters, the way we restore belonging, and the way shared experience can become a source of healing, remembrance, and renewal. Community here is a lived practice — formed through circles, ceremonies, workshops, meals, conversations, creative exploration, seasonal rituals, and immersive experiences that invite people into deeper relationship with themselves, one another, and the living world.

This work honors both the individual and the collective: the private passage and the shared table, the personal threshold and the circle of women, the family ceremony and the seasonal gathering, the creative awakening and the longing for kinship. RITUEL is grounded in the understanding that transformation is nourished by the environments we enter, the beauty we allow ourselves to receive, the people who witness us, and the communities we help cultivate.

YOUR GUIDE

Eve Gaines is a ceremonialist, transformational mentor, designer, educator, and founder of RITUEL. Her work is rooted in the cross-cultural study of rites, rituals, healing traditions, and life cycle ceremonies, shaped by an honors degree in medical and psychological anthropology and deepened through decades of professional practice in the healing arts, embodied education, ritual design, and transformational facilitation.

Eve’s education gave her a foundation in understanding how cultures make meaning, how communities mark transition, how healing systems emerge across place and lineage, and how rites of passage support the psychological, spiritual, and social dimensions of human development. This academic grounding continues to inform the way she approaches her work: with reverence for tradition, curiosity about the human experience, and a deep respect for the ways ritual, symbolism, embodiment, and witnessing help people integrate change.

Her professional background weaves together rites of passage theory, psycho-spiritual mentorship, somatic practice, traditional herbalism, ecological awareness, yoga therapy, women’s leadership, ceremonial design, hospitality, beauty, and integrative healing. Across these fields, her work has remained devoted to one central inquiry: how do we create the conditions for people to become more whole, more connected, more vital, and more fully expressed?

Eve’s approach is highly attuned, deeply personalized, and informed by both scholarship and lived experience. Whether she is guiding a private Rite de Passage, designing a Threshold Ceremony, shaping an immersive wellness experience, or cultivating a gathering for women, she creates spaces where people can soften, listen, reconnect, and remember the deeper architecture of their lives.

Her work is known for its emotional intelligence, aesthetic sensitivity, and capacity to hold complexity with tenderness, clarity, and depth. She brings together the rigor of study, the refinement of design, the wisdom of the body, and the intimacy of ritual to support people through the passages that ask to be honored.

RITUEL is one expression of Eve’s lifelong devotion to the art of emergence — a living body of work created to support beauty, belonging, transformation, and a more meaningful way of inhabiting life.

  • “Eve is love embodied. The way she is able to see others as they truly are no matter what they are going through is a true gift. She holds space for the most tender and difficult moments and energetically holds your hand while she walks you across the bridge of change and stays with you on the other side until you feel safe to walk alone. She is a true visionary that carves a beautiful path for all. Her intuition is a loving guide that's supported by her years of studied knowledge and wisdom. The care she provides for her land is the same care infused into her profoundly personalized Rites de Passage. I truly feel so grateful for Eve & couldn't imagine this time without her love & wisdom.” - Juliette

  • “I’ve attended several gatherings at RITUEL over the past few years, and each one has left an indelible mark on my heart. There is truly nothing else like it. Whether I’m stepping into a seasonal ceremony, a guided immersion, or a one-on-one experience, I always leave feeling more aligned, more grounded, and more fully myself.

    What Eve has created at RITUEL is rare. It's not just the beauty of the land, the thoughtful rituals, or the seamless way each experience is woven—it's the deep integrity and care that infuses every detail. You feel it immediately. You exhale in a way you didn’t know you needed to.

    One particular day stands out: a private ceremony Eve crafted with such precision and heart, it felt like time slowed down. I had been navigating a tender transition, and the way Eve held space allowed me to process, release, and emerge renewed. It was subtle and powerful at once—the kind of experience that doesn’t just stay with you, but changes you.

    RITUEL is now a vital part of my year. It’s where I come to remember what matters. I’m endlessly grateful for this work and can’t recommend it enough for anyone feeling called to reconnect with their inner compass.”
    – Marisol

  • “I spent a day at Rituel to celebrate my 50th birthday, and it was one of the most meaningful experiences I have ever given myself.

    From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed and cared for. The land is breathtaking, peaceful in a way that immediately allows you to exhale. There is a quiet beauty to the setting that makes it easy to step out of everyday life and into something more intentional.

    The setting is beautiful, but what stayed with me most was how the day made me feel. Something softened in me. Between the massage, the bath, and the quiet moments in between, I felt myself letting go in a way I hadn’t in a long time. It was more than relaxing. It felt deeply personal. I realized how rarely I allow myself to fully receive care without feeling like I have to earn it first.

    At one point during the day, a kind of stillness settled in. Not just in my body, but somewhere deeper. I did not know how much I needed that until I was in it.

    The day concluded with a ceremony created in honor of this milestone birthday. It was thoughtful, intimate, and incredibly moving. I felt truly seen. Not just for turning fifty, but for the life I have lived and the threshold I am stepping into. It brought tears to my eyes in the most beautiful way.

    I left feeling clearer, steadier, and more alive. It felt like I had genuinely marked this transition instead of simply letting it pass. The impact of that day is something I am still carrying with me.

    I cannot recommend this experience highly enough. If you are even thinking about it, say yes. It is a rare and extraordinary gift to yourself.”

    — Liz

  • “Eve led me through the most exquisite process of transition and created such a beautiful ceremony when I transitioned into a new career and to launch my new business. She was very thoughtful, intentional, and supportive during and through the entire process. She took the time to make sure she understood each element of what would be represented, left behind & brought energetically into this next chapter & connected with each guest in advance so they could offer a contribution or prayer. She took the time to get clear on my intention & what I wanted to share as I walked this new path. I had time to sit with her and the land in sessions before we began and after the rite of passage journey and that meant so much to me. She curated a visually emotionally & physically beautiful space that felt full of love and support for this special time. It was a space that encouraged vulnerability, connection, community and a portal to usher in a new path. I would highly recommend working with Eve, her strong feminine energy made me feel supported, loved, seen and heard. Eve is pure magic and she brings this magic with her and sprinkles it onto everything she does. She has a very gentle, nurturing way.” - Shannon

  • My Rite de Passage with Eve over these last several months has been absolutely life changing. I started feeling like I was at a crossroads and seeking support and guidance and what I was brought back to was a true sense of confidence and connection to who I am and where I want to take my life from here. It feels like we peeled back so many layers that were holding me back from trusting myself and now I feel free and powerful. Work with Eve if you have the opportunity, she is a true miracle worker and radiates so much love. - Bethany

  • “Modern life can often feel empty, as we suffer through an epidemic of loneliness despite our digital ability to connect like never before. The lost art of human connection, of celebrating our life’s moments with depth and reverence, has drifted through our busied fingers. Eve helps us close our hands around our hearts, around our humanity, and brings us back to a lost art…of finding one’s self in the presence of a ceremony, guided by a wise and wonderful soul. Give yourself the honored gift of sitting with Eve. My life has felt all the richer for it”. - Christina

  • “Eve created a magical experience for our family blessing ceremony that we will remember forever. She weaved in blessings for our baby, our new roles as parents, and our new home, which was incredibly special to us. From the words Eve spoke to the flowers and crystals that were chosen, everything was so meaningfully put together to honor this new chapter and transition. We were moved to tears by her warmth and care and the love she poured into the ceremony. Thank you, Eve, for holding such a beautiful, and sacred blessing for our family.” -Kristina

  • “Honoring my parents' lives in a Celebration of Life ceremony led by Eve Gaines at Rituel Retreats was one of the most profound and meaningful experiences of my life.. My brother and sister and I, along with our spouses and children gathered together at the top of the Santa Monica mountains. The stunning backdrop of the mountains and sky and ocean comforted us and created an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. It was an incredibly spiritual and profoundly beautiful experience. Eve led the ceremony with grace and compassion. Her words resonated deeply, capturing the essence of our parent’s lives. The thoughtful ceremony that she crafted helped us to process the significance of their passing on a profound level. It was a truly unforgettable tribute to our parents, filled with love, reverence, and a sense of unity among all who attended. I am forever grateful for Eve’s guidance and the sacred space she created for us to honor and celebrate our parents. There are no words to express how much it meant and will always mean. It will influence generations to come”. - Dana

  • “I organized a day retreat at RITUEL for a circle of dear friends—women I’ve known for decades, but who rarely get the chance to gather like this anymore. From the moment we arrived, it was clear this was going to be something entirely different from anything we’d done before.

    Every part of the day was curated with such intention—from the welcome tea to the beautiful outdoor setting for our healing baths. Each of us had our own moment to unwind, receive, and just be—which, as busy women and mothers, is such a rare gift. The massages were deeply restorative, and the meal felt like it had been made with so much love —nourishing in every sense of the word.

    What moved me most was watching my friends soften over the course of the day. I saw layers melt off. I saw laughter return. I saw one of us cry in the bath, and another be held in a way she didn’t even know she needed. By the time the sun was setting and we lay together in a sound bath under the open sky, we all felt changed.

    I had hoped to create a meaningful experience—but what unfolded was truly unforgettable. RITUEL gave us a space to reconnect not just with each other, but with ourselves. It was sacred, healing, and deeply real. I can’t thank Eve enough for making it all possible.”
    – Rachel