Master the passage from one stage in life to the next
transitions
Rites of passage embody the essence of transformation and maturation during pivotal transitions in life.
The odyssey commences with a departure from the familiar and culminates in a return. It is a mythological journey through death and rebirth.
Authentic initiation comprises four pivotal stages: Awakening, Departure, Tests, and Illumination. This cyclical process echoes sevenfold, aligning with distinct life phases—birth, adulthood, first love, marriage, parenthood, sagehood, and death.
Initiation intricately intertwines with myth, portraying journeys of passage. Actively pursue these rites of passage on a mythical plane for personal growth.
A hollow bone
In the absence of voluntary transitions, fate may intervene forcefully, orchestrating a process replete with the elements of a rite of passage.
This was my experience, set into motion by an accident. The ensuing narrative seamlessly wove into the myth of the hollow bone—an emblem and oracle in Native American mythology. When the hollow bone manifests, there is a summons to attune to the winds of change and heed their counsel. The white, flute-like bone imparts a message of destiny.
In early autumn, hastening toward a copy shop under radiant sunlight, I inadvertently overlooked two pillars, evading them but stumbling into radical helplessness—I had sustained a fracture in my left femoral neck.
Passage through the 4 Stages
What unfolded subsequently adhered to the criteria of the four stages of initiation or rites of passage.
Awakening: Failing to heed a call, fate conspired with destiny, propelling me into stage one. Removed from familiar environs and comfort, I found myself thrust into an entirely unknown setting.
Great Departure: The accident forced me into the present moment, rendering everything else momentarily inconsequential. Post-surgery, with an artificial femoral joint, I grappled with the unfamiliar life in clinic and rehab. My focus shifted inward, bereft of familiar distractions. Stripped of my usual activities, I confronted the patience required for convalescence, a painful process despite the aid of painkillers.
Tests: Clearing my mind, I bid farewell to ingrained attitudes and thinking patterns. In rehab, surrounded by individuals undergoing leg treatments and amputations, isolated in a remote location, I gained insights into tolerating vulnerabilities. The absence of visits from my daughter accentuated the need to refrain from fixing things for others.
Illumination: This phase brought awareness of weakness, helplessness, and imperfection, juxtaposed with the goodwill of those striving to navigate their situations. No longer succumbing to the temptation of being a teacher, I assumed the role of a wounded healer, seeking ways to empower others.
