Rites of Passage

Passage Rituals recognize and celebrate the various transitions of our lives. Our modern society, with its neverending deadlines and stress, arbitrary age-based laws, adoration of youth, and narrow vision of beauty has all but eliminated Passage Rituals from our lives. Many of those that are still kept, such as the rite of marriage, have been politicized and institutionalized. The original intent of these rituals, like so many of the rituals themselves, have been lost to obscurity and labeled as "quaint".

When Passage Rituals are celebrated and held as important to the individual, the family, and the community as a whole, however, they fill a gaping void in our modern lives. They give a true perception of connectedness to the community, a sense of personal achievement, and a recognition of increasing individual responsibilities. All of these aspects serve to help the individual grow to maturity with an understanding and acceptance of personal accountability, as well as an acknowledgement of and respect towards one's family, ancestors, and God(s). Given the widespread feelings of disenfranchisement among the many segments of today's world, perhaps it's now time to turn towards these Passage Rituals again; to celebrate more than birthdays and weddings, and extend recognition of loss to more than simply funerals.