Rite of Passage
Acknowledging & Celebrating the Life Transition from Early Childhood into the “Primary Years”
What is a Rite of Passage?
A Rite of Passage is a ceremony that acknowledges a significant transition that happens around the age of 7, as a child starts to gain more competencies and becomes ready to take on more responsibilities and privileges. The ceremony is designed to acknowledge and celebrate the specific competencies of a child as they relate to family values. It prepares them, their family and community for their next stage of development and the changes that will occur. And most importantly, it reflects to them that they are connected to nature and that they are loved and supported by their family and community.
Often people recognize and want to celebrate the transition of a child into adolescence (sometime referred to as “coming of age”) but find that their young teenager isn’t interested in being acknowledged. Having a Rite of Competency introduces a child to ceremony, setting the stage for future ceremonies so that when a child does “come of age” a Rite of Passage is something familiar and expected.
What we offer
At Earth Arts we work with families to guide you through the process of designing & facilitating a Rite of Passage Ceremony for your child. Over the course of several months, we meet (in person or by phone) for three 1 hour sessions to prepare. We share the framework of the Rite of Passage, offer mentorship in conscious parenting, tell stories and walk you through the different steps of preparing for the Ceremony. On the day of, we help facilitate the Ceremony (much like an officiate for a wedding) so you the parents can be fully present. To close we have a follow up meeting to check in and reflect about the experience, welcoming you into a new beginning.
How it works
Whether we work with your child in one of our Earth Arts programs or not, we would love to work with you in designing & facilitating a Rite of Passage for your child because we truly believe in the invaluable experience this offers children and families.
The process can take anywhere from 3 months to a year. In working with the natural cycles we believe the best time of year to have such a ceremony is spring, which means a good time to start planning is early- to mid-winter. That said, this really can be done at any time of year. In a situation where your child is clearly on the edge of the transition and it’s summer we believe that honoring where they are in their development is most important. It also never hurts to start early and give yourself more time to engage in the process of preparing.
If you are interested, get in touch with us and we can work out a schedule that works best for your family.
Cost
We believe that a program like this does not fall under normal pricing guidelines. The following pay structure is suggested for this service.
$200 deposit at the beginning of the process, than an additional offering to Earth Arts at the follow up meeting (suggested $200). This can be more money, a trade or barter. Let’s be creative together!