Coming of Age - Life Celebrations
Celebrate Change, Uniqueness and Individual Gifts
Rites of Passage provide the celebrant experiences of separation, challenge, education, acknowledgement, love, acceptance, community and culture. Significant passages experienced by most humans are: birth into the earthly life, puberty, adult to elder and death into the spiritual living. Prominent opportunities for ceremonial rites of passage include births, puberty, marriage, croning, grandmother-grandfather, and elder celebrations. Coming of Age celebrations are essential at puberty for both boys and girls, and rites of passage recognizing our elders are also essential.
Adults Celebrating Youth Acknowledging the Transition between Childhood and Adolescence
When the physical signs of puberty begin to manifest, increased intellectual capabilities also become gradually available. The feeling (soul) life is now conscious and experienced. The big questions of life begin to surface and the adventure of becoming an individual personality begins. Experiencing this period of time during pubescence and adolescence brings a conscious metamorphosis for each human being. If family and/or community do not acknowledge these changes, the youth will provide their own initiation into adulthood.
Are you an adult family or community seeking to develop a Coming-of-Age program, enhance existing adolescent education, or strengthen your approach to teenagers? I would welcome the opportunity to support, nurture and help sustain your efforts.
Celebrating the Elder Woman
Croning Ceremony
Croning, elder woman ceremonies or a celebration of age are important not only for women but for society as well. They are initiation ceremonies into the wisdom phase of life. When we think about how important they may be. we have to understand that they are ultimately important because they complete the circle of life for a woman. Sometimes we think of birth, puberty, and fertility but there is a continuum. With the age ceremony women complete this circle of life. This is the most important part of celebrating the elder women.
One of the greatest self rewarding adventures in life is to know that in her elder years she has contributed to society. And that her wisdom will carry on and therefore even if her name is no longer spoken, the things that she stood for will carry on. That’s a great sense of peace and satisfaction. And I believe that what the elder women give to their children, their community, in return, they will learn to give back.
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