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RITE OF PASSAGE. How to find yourself and your purpose. WHAT IS A RITE OF PASSAGE?. A “Rite of Passage” is an event or experience that marks our graduation from one stage of maturity to the next.
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RITE OF PASSAGE How to find yourself and your purpose
WHAT IS A RITE OF PASSAGE? • A “Rite of Passage” is an event or experience that marks our graduation from one stage of maturity to the next. • A “Rite of Passage” marks a person’s growth from adolescence to adulthood, specifically things like; physical change, emotional stability, social awareness, liberation, responsibility, and mental strength.
WHY IS A RITE OF PASSAGE IMPORTANT? • A “Rite of Passage” allow the initiate an experience with a new and empowering story that helps them take responsibility for the decisions that set the course of their future. • A “Rite of Passage” requires the exploration of personal values, communal connections, and most importantly a stronger sense of personal responsibility to all aspects of live extending far beyond the self. • A “Rite of Passage” also allows a space for the community to transmit its core values and the responsibilities appropriate to the initiate’s life stage…insuring cultural continuity.
WHAT RITE OF PASSAGE EXISTS IN AMERICA? • Quincinera • Bar/Bat Mitzvah • Sweet 16 • These are “Rites of Passage” based on age. • Such ceremonies are externally motivated and require no internal growth and no gaining of knowledge.
WHAT RITE OF PASSAGE EXISTS IN AMERICA? • Graduation • Prom • These are “Rites of Passage” based on participation. • Such ceremonies require minimal effort or understanding and act more as celebrations of time rather than achievement.
WHAT RITE OF PASSAGE EXISTS IN AMERICA? • Menstruation • Voice Change • Hair Growth • These are “Rites of Passage” based on hormonal change. • Such biological changes happen naturally and require no true understanding or effort.
WHAT RITE OF PASSAGE EXISTS IN AMERICA? • Drug Usage • Alcohol Consumption • Spring Break Partying • These are “Rites of Passage” based on mood altering excess. • Such acts aren’t about higher consciousness and/or spiritual awakening.
WHAT RITE OF PASSAGE EXISTS IN AMERICA? • Tattoo • Piercing • Branding • These are “Rites of Passage” based on ornamental display and trend. • Such acts don’t require knowledge of history or iconography.
WHAT RITE OF PASSAGE EXISTS IN AMERICA? • Getting a Job • Moving Out • Voting • These are “Rites of Passage” based on age. • Such acts don’t require real maturity or responsibility or any communal connection.
WHAT RITE OF PASSAGE EXISTS IN AMERICA? • Joining a Gang • Prison • These are “Rites of Passage” based on rebellion and physical abuse. • Such acts do not require real bravery, courage, or skill; certainly not the type necessary for successful adulthood.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US? • What do you see happening in our society, specifically in the way “adults” behave, act, interact, and believe? • What does this suggest about a lack of significant “rites of passage” within our culture? • Would you be willing to participate? Crocodile Scarring/Chambri tribe, Papua New Guinea Bullet Ants/The Mawé People, Amazon Rainforest, Brazil Balinese Tooth Filing/Bali, Indonesia Lion Hunting/MaasiTrib, East Africa