Rites of Passage

Backlit climber standing at top of a hill

 “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is a Rite of Passage?

A ceremony or event marking an important stage or transition in a person’s life, especially birth, puberty, work, marriage and death. However, there are many passages in our lives if we choose to mark and celebrate them. Engaging with these events or rites prepares us for a new phase of life and helps us to reenter into society and our communities with an embodied sense of who we are in our new role.

Why is Acknowledging Rites of Passages Important?

When we recognize and honor the changes in ourselves and in our lives, we come home to who we really are.  In bringing consciousness and intention to these moments, we both create as well as relax into the profound and meaningful breadth of our human existence.

Giving yourself the gift of consideration, whether your rite of passage was chosen by you or thrust upon you by life, you become connected and grounded in your new way of being. The integration process that rites of passage offers is not only a personal gift to you, but a gift to your friends, family, communities and wider world. In processing life’s impacts, we offer ourselves, community and world the deepest respect.

Benefits of Rites of Passage

There are many benefits of consciously engaging in a rite of passage process. Some benefits include, but are not limited to, increased:

  • Awareness
  • Autonomy
  • Clarity
  • Compassion
  • Confidence
  • Connection
  • Creative Expression 
  • Gratitude
  • Healing
  • Initiative
  • Maturity
  • Resilience
  • Responsibility 
  • Self, Family and Community Empowerment
  • Trust
  • Truth/Truth Telling
  • Understanding
  • Wholeness

Types of Passages I Work With:

  • Marriage and Commitment
  • New Parents
  • Coming of Age
  • Conscious Uncoupling (Divorce and Separation)
  • Death, Dying, and End of Life
  • Individualized and Other Rites of Passage Work