The Importance of Rites of Passage

<p>When I worked for Outward Bound, one of the most rewarding aspects was how it acted as a rite of passage for many of our students. You may have heard of rites of passage from other cultures (Native American vision quests, once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimages in Buddhist, Hindu or Muslin traditions, for example). They’re ceremonies or practices that mark an individual’s progression from one stage of life to another. </p><p> </p><p>There are generally three phases in a rite of passage:</p><ol><li>Separation: the individual changes from their current status and prepares to enter a new stage.</li><li>Liminality: the person is often temporarily removed from their normal surroundings and community to experience tasks or rituals that prepare them for the next stage of life.</li><li>Incorporation: The person return and is welcomed back into their community with their newly-attained status and responsibilities.</li></ol><p> </p><p>It’s important to note that a rite of passage in and of itself doesn’t make the transformation happen. It doesn’t mean you have a rite of passage then, “Yay, you did it, now go forth!” True inner growth and taking on new levels of responsibility are an essential part of rites of passage – and what they’re designed to <strong>mark</strong>, not <strong>create</strong>.</p><p> </p><p>While it’s well-researched that there is a lack of meaningful rites of passage in modern industrialized societies for life stages like transition into adulthood, the absence of a ritual to mark those stages still isn’t the most significant problem in terms of obstacles to Soul development.</p><p> </p><p>Really the rites of passage are meant to <i>confirm</i> a life transition that has already been reached, often through a long steady process of doing this work. So what’s <i>more </i>significant is what happens <i>between </i>the life stages than the rites of passage themselves.</p><p> </p><p>The primary work of maturing takes place gradually and on a daily basis as we apply ourselves to the developmental tasks of our cur