The Return

The final, triumphant conclusion to a rite of passage is the return. The initiate, having claimed their gifts in the fire of the ordeal, returns to the wider community and is received joyfully and with blessing.

Some people get stuck in the ordeal, spending their whole lives fighting the same futile battles over and over, without any hope of victory or peace. But the return, leaving the sacred container and going back to the family, the community, the world, is the final crucial step to fulfill the promise of the rite of passage.

The great gift that traditional cultures have, that our culture tragically lacks, is the built-in cultural institutions to celebrate and bless the initiates upon their return. Our culture excels in cursing, belittling and oppressing, but seems to have completely forgotten how to bless.

But it's never too late to reclaim this archetypal gift. A major step into the healthy elder is claiming the right, and the duty, to bless others in all the ways I, myself, was never blessed. It does not take any special skill, only courage and love.