First, some awesome personal news - it is official, we no longer have any debt except our house - no credit card debt, no consolidation loan debt - It's all payed off! We are still kind of in shock. Now, on to the post! 'Tis a short one today.
As in my previous post on Liturgy, I talked a little about the coming of age ritual(s) I want to write for my reference book. So, what makes a child come of age?
For a girl, the main indicator is menstruation. For boys, there is no physical marker - unless you wish to go by the not-oft followed thought that the main indication for boys is their first wet dream. There is the option to go by age for boys - 13 being thought of as the proper age. Yet, what about mentally? Both boys and girls go through mental changes at this time. Maybe they finally get their own house key, stay up later, are able to finish what they start (most of the time).
So here is my next question for you: In your opinion, what things mark a child's coming of age?
Goddess Bless,
Stacy
When they begin to move away from childish things like toys and begin to worry about how they look or dress. When they start looking toward the future and what they want to get out of life.
ReplyDeleteI don't really think a young lady's menstrual cycle really marks her coming of age. Sure it is one stepping stone to growing up, but for many they are getting their period younger and younger. So I don't necessarily count it as the "marker".
I do believe that menstruation marks a girl's coming of age, in a deep and profound way that changes her on a fundamental level. It is precisely this experience that makes a girl a woman, and it is the reason why Menarche rituals are performed at this time. However, nature does not provide an equivalent physical experience for boys: neither does our culture provide such an initiatory experience, which I believe is one of the reasons young men sometimes fail to recognize when it's time to grow up.I think that, as Pagans, we need to revive the tradition of manhood rites to provide more guidance to our boys and young men as they grow and change.
ReplyDelete