Rites of
Passage
GESTURES THAT MARK
“I dedicate this death to Odin,” said the man, formally. “It’s only a gesture,” he said, turning his back to Shadow.
“But gestures mean everything.”
American Gods by Neil Gaiman.
Liminal Spaces
In anthropology, liminality (from Latin līmen 'a threshold')[1] is the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of a rite of passage, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they will hold when the rite is complete.[2] During a rite's liminal stage, participants "stand at the threshold"[3] between their previous way of structuring their identity, time, or community, and a new way (which completing the rite establishes). Source
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You are standing on the brink of a new phase of you life.
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Perhaps it's your birthday. Your father has died. Your baby has been born. These small (or sometimes big) shifts in our identity hold a lot of power in our lives. They open doors into new parts of the Self.
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It can feel both beautiful and overwhelming. There might be some fear. The unknown can feel daunting.
How do we integrate these new identities more consciously? And how can we do that in the context of our community?
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Archeology has shown that ritual - burying our dead with reverence for instance - has been there from (almost) right at the start of our humanoid development. It is a fundamental part of who we are. It allows us to communicate with the world in a much deeper way; a language we all somehow remember that connects us to the soul of the world.
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In an age that is focused on the future - personal development, growth etc. - ritual and ceremony has lost its place. Instead of being future-focused it offers a way to connect us back to the original Oneness of things. The beauty of life is behind us, not somewhere in the future, and our humanness relies on keeping the connection to that original source of life alive. To speak the language of the soul. To sing the songs that bring us together. To connect with nature and our community.
Rites of Passage offer profundity. They may incorporate elements of the 'Eight Wonders of Life' (Dacher Keltner). Nature, music, visual design, group spirit and moral beauty (when we witness people helping other people) all inspire a sense of awe in us.
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I'm attracted to liminality. These spaces offer transformation and carry a sense of inspired potentiality when we approach them with love.
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My offerings are all in consultation with you - what you need, want and what might be supportive. It can be elaborate or minimalistic. My wish is that, whatever it is, it feels touching and beautiful.