Of Rights of Passage - Transitioning Life Stages - TribeSteemUp QOTW

@trucklife-family bought my attention to the #TribeSteemUp BiWeekly Question - "What is your understanding of Rites Of Passage? Are They Important and why do you think it is something that is mostly ignored in the western world Today ?" and got me thinking about Rites of Passage and transitioning into the different stages of our life.

The first two consider the transition into adulthood, from a girl to a woman and a boy to a man.

Physically the body of a girl will begin to develop preparing her for the ability to reproduce and bear children.

The body develops a fertility cycle, menstruation cycle. This period could be a time of strength, where you can tune into the bodies cycle and the energies associated with it, honor the fertility cycle.

You can choose to go with the flow of your cycle, helping to correct imbalances from not honoring the feminine.
For further reading on tuning into your cycle and creating ritual - Moonsong's
The Spiritual Practice of Menstruation
Such an empowering view!

Now for many (myself included) this was not the reality. Some how menstruating was considered dirty and the beginning of something embarrassing, bringing discomfort, and even worse to now be considered a sexual object.

I had no celebration upon the arrival of my first menses. I was just given a small booklet that my mom couldn't even give to me, she just handed it to my younger brother to give to me. I was so embarrassed and it was always something hidden in our family, something you don't talk about, and I carried that almost shame with me on until I became a mother, missing on all the beauty of transitioning to a woman.

All indigenous people provide specific rites of passage to signify their transition/change in status to adulthood.
This gave the explosive energies of puberty a way to channel into something constructive. Also it showed that the inborn gifts were ready for recognition and some serious development.

Christiane Northrup, M.D - Celebrating a Girl’s First Period shows the wide range of positive coming-of-age rites from indigenous cultures including those of the:
Nootka people of Canada
Dagara people of West Africa
Navaho people of North America

Also The Red Web, www.theredweb.org , a site providing information on celebrating the menstrual cycle and creating lifelong menstrual health for the current modern times.

One other transition related to this is honoring and understanding menopause which again creates a new you as you transition into the autumn of your life, Maga and again into the winter of your life, the Crone stage. These too can be celebrated, with a new strength that it brings. Meaning more than just retiring from the workplace with a simple retirement party.

As for boys transition to manhood, it tends to be more severe, perhaps because they will never have to endure the pain and struggle of giving birth.

Rites of passage these days seem to have almost disappeared. Many males are lost, uncertain of when they’ll transition into men. There is a lack of a community of males to initiate them into manhood and to give them the recognition of their new status.

My husband, who comes from a hunting family, speaks of how he was taken by his father along with a hunting party, his community of males, and how this helped him transition into adulthood.
He needed to gain the respect of the older men, starting from a position of just retrieving the ducks, and once he showed he was a good shot,and that he respected the game (wildlife), he moved up into the ranks, becoming a hunter. This fulfilled the role of the man as a provider for the family.

The Art of Manliness shows 8 Interesting (And Insane) Male Rites of Passages From Around the World
including:
Vanuatu Land Diving
Mardudjara Aborigines Subincision
Hamar Cow Jumping
The Ancient Spartan Helot Killing
Satere-Mawe Bullet Ant Glove
Maasai Warrior Passage
Mandan Hook Hanging
Sambia of Papa New Guinea

The tamer rites of passage in North America today include things like bar mitzvahs and confirmations, school graduation ceremonies, weddings. On the negative side it is getting to drinking age, or even joining a gang and going to jail.

I had heard of a wonderful recognition and support for a young couple entering into a married life, when they were leaving their family homes and making a life for their own.
On their homestead it was decided how they would like to develop it and the gifts for the new couple would be the things that would help them in that direction. It could be trees or perennials, a barn raising, all showing that they were supported and that there is a desire for this newly recognized couple to thrive!

How beautiful is that. What strong communities could be built if the youth are supported! I'm all for that, for after all it is the youth that are our future.

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