Rite Of Passage

Rite of passage is usually the process done by younger people who are making the transition from adolescence to adult hood.

At a broader level the rite of passage is simply a transition from one stage to another. For example, marriage can be seen as a transition from being single to being with a life partner. Death can be seen as a transition from life to the after-life. And puberty can be seen as the transition from childhood to adulthood.

Many ceremonies have existed throughout history to mark this transition period however the common theme of the ceremonies is firstly a separation phase, then a transition phase and finally a re-incorporation phase. The rite of passage traditionally had a physical challenge to test the spirit and strength of the young hero...

Rite of passage - venture forth into the unknown

The vision quest process is one such powerful rite of passage ceremony to help with various transitions in people's lives as they move forward into a more authentic way of being.

For example, the separation phase is when you tidy up lose ends at home and with your work and venture out alone into a place in nature. This separation phase separates you from your ordinary life and allows you the space to be and communicate with the deeper levels of your being.

Whilst on your vision quest the transition phase is when you start to gain insights from nature and spirit around the intention you have set for your journey. For example, the way the wind blows through the trees may give you an insight around how many of your plans are just 'blowing in the wind'. Or the heat from the summer sun may give you an insight into the intensity of some of your relationships if your intention is around relationships.

However, it is these insights from nature and the interpretations you make that set the stage for transitions occuring in your life.

In my experience, the insights themselves have next to no power in making differences in the transition from one phase of your life to another. The place where the real power comes from is the third stage. And that is the re-incorporation phase.

Rite of passage - integrate the insights into your life

The re-incorporation phase of a vision quest is critical in order to make real and tangible changes in the way you are living your life. The idea with the re-incorporation phase of a vision quest is to take the insights you receive during your transition phase in nature and turn them into a step-by-step plan of action around the issue you are looking at.

For example, when I got the insight from tree-roots that I was 'grounded' in this nature-based spirituality work it was great. A great insight. However if I just left it there all it would be is an insight. I was still making the transition from working as an Engineer to facilitating vision quests. So I started asking 'How...' questions around the insight.

For example one of the questions I asked was 'How can I be grounded in this work?' And then I started journaling answers to that question. One of the answers that came was to create a content-based website and that is how this website came into existence.

The point here however is that the third stage of a rite of passage is the most critical. It is about taking the insights you gain from your vision quest and turning them into a step-by-step plan to incorporate the insights into reality. It is by doing these steps that makes you transition from one phase to another. This is how you physically move through a rite of passage.

There are a number of ceremonies that make the rite of passage however I find the vision quest process to be one of the most effective. The reason for this is that it includes the separation phase - by leaving the comfort of your home and going into nature, the transition - phase where you connect with spirit and nature and interpret the messages you receive and if it's done properly it also includes the final stage which is the re-incorporation phase where you develop a step-by-step plan to transition in that area of life you are looking at.

In my opinion it is this re-incorporation phase that is the most critical part of the vision quest process. The reason for this is that it gives you concrete step-by-step actions to take to pass through the rite of passage in the transition area that you are looking at.

Rite of Passage

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