Ritual

Chip’s Note: Opposites attract or, at least as we age, our polarities alchemize. For this week’s posts, I’ve created a series of juxtapositions because I think so much can be learned in the context of this vs. that. In reality, the truth is somewhere in between, but there’s often a deeper relationship between these polarities than we might see on the surface. Ken Wilber said the "ultimate reality is a unity of opposites," which helps us understand that the journey of life is learning how to make sense of that which seems in discord. Hope you enjoy the next five posts.

For thousands of years, society has celebrated rites of passage as a means of showing community support to people going through a pivotal life transition, whether that be early life (baptism), puberty (bar/bat mitzvah, quinceanera), commencing adulthood (graduation/commencement), marriage, welcoming a baby into the world, or death. Rituals provide a "rest stop for the soul," recognizing the end of one thing, often marking the beginning of an exciting new start.

Our childhood is full of rituals that offer community support: baby showers (before we're born), baptism, confirmation, bar/bat mitzvah, high school homecoming, debutante balls, graduation, and commencement. And there are even more rites of passage in indigenous societies. In Mexico, for centuries, there has been a coming-of-age ritual for girls called a Quinceañera, which happens when they turn 15 years old. Unfortunately, for many Mexican girls, their families couldn't afford this celebration.

“Just as some Westerners can’t conceive of life without running water, electricity, and commodities, indigenous people in tribal Africa can’t conceive life without ritual.” - Malidome Soma