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valarltdSo, today I found out that some Christian groups, in addition to purity balls, do Manhood ceremonies.
Generations of Light is a group that throws purity balls, where daughters pledge to remain abstinent until marriage and fathers take the responsibility to see that they do. They also have Brave Heart of a Warrior ceremonies for 12 year old boys. (12, because that was when Jesus questioned the elders in the Temple, and also because at 13= Today I am a Man)
The boys are also given a purity ring. But the get a sword as well, one almost too large for them to wield. And no, they are not given training. "At that time the immense sword was almost his height. I explained to him that although he could not wage war right now with this imposing sword, he would grow into the weight of the sword just as he would grow into the weight of manhood."
It strikes me that these are very similar to rituals we have in my own grove, but the warrioring is done at the wrong time. We honor the Fourfold Goddess: Maiden, Warrior, Mother and Crone. The God also has four faces: Green Man, Warrior, Father and Sage. They correspond to the elements, the seasons and the Quarters.
At menarche, we have a Maidening. The girl who has previously only attended rituals is now allowed to be part of them. She is encouraged to bid farewell to childhood, and the women of the grove celebrate her maturity. She is now considered a physical and spiritual adult. (Mental, emotional and legal must wait a while).
If we had a young man in the grove, he would have a Greening. The men would celebrate his passage into manhood, dedicate him to the service of the God of his choice, and announce his spiritual adulthood.
The Warrioring comes in the early to mid 20s, after the person has moved out of the learning phase of life and is moving into the protector phase. This often corresponds with college years. It is a time for getting out, being active and making things better. Doing it too early deprives a person of the learning time and thrusts too much responsibility on them too soon.
Mother/Father is not necessarily a physical phase. It is an automatic ritual when someone becomes a parent, but non-parents may have the same when they are ready to move out of protecting and into nurturing the group. Some people never have a warrior phase, or it comes later.
Crone is more a physical phase than Sage. Menopause marks the onset of cronehood, for some. Some women choose to remain as mothers until their children no longer need them, regardless of their cycles. Some women may never go through menopause or may have hysterectomies while still young. These will choose their time of croning, when they are called to it. Saging is generally set around 50ish.
Not everyone will hit every phase of life. I missed the warrior phase entirely.
But the Generations of Light seems to miss that each phase must come in its time.
They rush them, pushing the Maiden and Youth back to childhood, leaving the girls maidens--but under the guidance of men who really don't GET the phase--until they become mothers, and pushing warriorhood on the boys too early. Of course, they push early parenting as well, for purity's sake, as if no one is living past 50.
Each season in its time. Holiday, Year-wheel or Season of Life, each in its time.
Generations of Light is a group that throws purity balls, where daughters pledge to remain abstinent until marriage and fathers take the responsibility to see that they do. They also have Brave Heart of a Warrior ceremonies for 12 year old boys. (12, because that was when Jesus questioned the elders in the Temple, and also because at 13= Today I am a Man)
The boys are also given a purity ring. But the get a sword as well, one almost too large for them to wield. And no, they are not given training. "At that time the immense sword was almost his height. I explained to him that although he could not wage war right now with this imposing sword, he would grow into the weight of the sword just as he would grow into the weight of manhood."
It strikes me that these are very similar to rituals we have in my own grove, but the warrioring is done at the wrong time. We honor the Fourfold Goddess: Maiden, Warrior, Mother and Crone. The God also has four faces: Green Man, Warrior, Father and Sage. They correspond to the elements, the seasons and the Quarters.
At menarche, we have a Maidening. The girl who has previously only attended rituals is now allowed to be part of them. She is encouraged to bid farewell to childhood, and the women of the grove celebrate her maturity. She is now considered a physical and spiritual adult. (Mental, emotional and legal must wait a while).
If we had a young man in the grove, he would have a Greening. The men would celebrate his passage into manhood, dedicate him to the service of the God of his choice, and announce his spiritual adulthood.
The Warrioring comes in the early to mid 20s, after the person has moved out of the learning phase of life and is moving into the protector phase. This often corresponds with college years. It is a time for getting out, being active and making things better. Doing it too early deprives a person of the learning time and thrusts too much responsibility on them too soon.
Mother/Father is not necessarily a physical phase. It is an automatic ritual when someone becomes a parent, but non-parents may have the same when they are ready to move out of protecting and into nurturing the group. Some people never have a warrior phase, or it comes later.
Crone is more a physical phase than Sage. Menopause marks the onset of cronehood, for some. Some women choose to remain as mothers until their children no longer need them, regardless of their cycles. Some women may never go through menopause or may have hysterectomies while still young. These will choose their time of croning, when they are called to it. Saging is generally set around 50ish.
Not everyone will hit every phase of life. I missed the warrior phase entirely.
But the Generations of Light seems to miss that each phase must come in its time.
They rush them, pushing the Maiden and Youth back to childhood, leaving the girls maidens--but under the guidance of men who really don't GET the phase--until they become mothers, and pushing warriorhood on the boys too early. Of course, they push early parenting as well, for purity's sake, as if no one is living past 50.
Each season in its time. Holiday, Year-wheel or Season of Life, each in its time.
no subject
Date: 2014-05-11 08:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-05-11 09:35 pm (UTC)They learn, but they are not part of the greater life of the group. Much as Christian children aren't before baptism.
The "You will be what we say you are" was part of why I left Christianity. There wasn't a place for a queer genius witch, they couldn't make one and they didn't want one. (Their god also let me know I wasn't his)