Rite of Passage
by David Romanelli
"Wise
are they who have learned these truths: Trouble is temporary. Time
is tonic. Tribulation is a test tube." William Arthur Ward
A "rite of passage" is defined as any ritual in which one "passes"
from one condition of life into another. Throughout history, people
have honored a new stage of life with a ceremony. Joseph Campbell
writes in The Power of Myth how a boy becomes a man in Aboriginal
culture. The boy is brought into the field and put thru an ordeal
involving circumcision, subincision, and drinking of men's blood.
After this rite of passage, the boy is officially a man and as
Campbell said, "There's no chance of relapsing into boyhood after
that." Granted, who in their right mind would want
to perform or endure such a traumatic experience?! But Campbell
points out that because modern culture lacks such rituals, you'll
have a confused 45 year old man still trying to be obedient to his
father.
Maybe the rite of passage doesn't need to be so extreme as drinking
blood but there's something to be said for a ceremony that defines a
new chapter, a new era, a new leg in the journey. Some examples of
rites of passage include the sweat lodge (see photo above) which in
Native American culture was symbolic a womb from which one is born
into a new era. One enters the sauna-like atmosphere, sweats out
their worries, fears, demons; and leaves a new person. Another
example might be a broken heart in which case one enters an
emotional chamber of pain only to leave with a purified heart. In
today's world, we leave one with a broken heart to sulk in sorrow.
In some primitive cultures, there were spells and ceremonies to
honor the broken heart which enabled the afflicted to perceive a
broken heart with respect and humility rather than sheer anguish.
Campbell points out that the trial-like nature of most rites of
passage is to see if you are a match for the task; if you have the
courage, the knowledge, and the capacity to go the distance in life.
Often, "the distance" refers to something much more significant than
ascending Mt. Everest or becoming CEO of a company. Rites of passage
are signposts on the inner journey. As Julien Green said, "The
greatest explorer on this earth never takes voyages as long as those
of the one who descends to the depth of their heart."
Find out more about David Romanelli at www.yeahdaveyoga.com
