Are rites of passage something that needs to return?

[Neuromancer]

For most African peoples, spirituality is inseparable from life (Smith, 1946); it is thus inseparable from initiation and circumcision (Gitywa, 1976; Heald, 1999). The specific act of circumcision is said to bring the boy closer to his ancestors and to the supernatural world (Gitywa, 1976). The practice, while introduced by women is attributed to the Gods or to the fore-bearers who are considered Gods, and is done with their approval and with much entreaty and invocation for them to look kindly on the rites and on the young men who must endure the ordeal set for them by their elders (Beidleman, 1997). In many cases animals are sacrificed to ensure the protection of the ancestors and to help ward off any evil spirits that may bring wrongs (Heald, 1999). Initiation and circumcision are ties that bind males spiritually–to the land, to the spirit ancestors who have gone before, to the living, and to those yet to be born (Sagnia, 1984). If a boy dies during the period of initiation it is accepted fatefully as the will of the Gods (Droogers, 1980).

The activity and celebration that surrounds the initiation ritual frequently begins many months prior to the actual seclusion of the boys. The culmination of the process of initiation, however, ends with the boy’s symbolic rebirth and reintegration into the village society. A joyful ceremony greets the return of the boys heroically having endured the trials and have become men. Numerous symbolic rituals often take place to reintegrate the boys back into mixed society. No justification is needed for the celebratory ceremonies that accompany the reincorporation of these now men into the society other than their safe return from what is seen as a heroic and dangerous mission.

Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity » Boys to Men: African Male Initiation Rites into Manhood

I have been thinking about this for sometime. What are the benefits of rites of passage? Should they be reinstated?
Has anyone been through any?

Note: Also found an alternative womanhood rites. https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/2127311

@Diasporan Royalty @The Wave @Poitier @The Odum of Ala Igbo @Voodoo Child @Grano-Grano @Elle Driver @xoxodede @Karbaash

 

[Bawon Samedi]

This seems like an interesting discussions.

Will share my full thoughts later.

 

[Poitier]

I think things like this give a sense of a community bigger than self where boys and girls have roles they have to fulfill?
They also bring people together.
Never been through a rite myself.
I think it'd be tough to reinstate such a thing in the Western world.

 

[GPBear]

It's just cultural indoctrination.

Ancient Athenian rites of passage mostly revolved around groups of people dancing to music and getting intoxicated. EDM festivals today are the same thing. Meanwhile Ancient Spartan rites of passage involved declaring a war on the helots every autumn, and letting their teenage boys stalk the countryside killing them. So like people who join the military or the police force, just to feel more like men on some bullshyt.

I think America's too diversified to have a singular rite of passage, too many different demographics with their own unique cultural perspectives, so one unifying ritual wouldn't work.
Instead I think society sets up a lot of possible rites of passage. Driver's licenses, graduations, etc. And the more of those a person participates in, the more they become a "normal" member of society.

Flipside is, some people dedicate their whole lives to just going through rituals society has prescribed to them, and they end up becoming cogs in a machine, and wind up having major regrets about not pursuing what they wanted as opposed to what society mandated for them.

 

[Jimmy from Linkedin]

Absolutely. We can't keep continuing to live where we independently figure things out as we go along. Especially those of us who didn't come from two-parent households that manage to make it work, we can't keep hoping for that successful management. The good news is that some of these works have been written already. Making them relevant to AA/DOS culturally/pragmatically is the difficult part. That is our part to help our grandchildren's generation have these passages iron-clad and effective.

 

[AlainLocke]

No.

I believe in complete and utter radical individualism. Groups and community and society are only used to aggregate power in my opinion. You are not meant to absorb yourself in it.

I believe in creating a self-sustaining and self-supporting identity by yourself. Devleoping your own character and etc and etc.

Rites of passages get in the way of that. Rite of passages are used to indoctrinate and control members of a group.

I am not a revivalists. Traditions are meant to die. Everything needs to die and new things need to arise. And the cycle should repeat itself over and over and over and over until the end of the time.

Cultures are meant to change and morph to fit the times.

Clan systems, caste systems, tribalism, rites of passages....nah...we have come so far as a species in certain parts of the world to get away from that and I ain't going back...

 

[Matt504]

absolutely, I've mentioned this a few times on here.

 

[JahFocus CS]

Yes, traditional culture needs to be reinvigorated and appreciated, rites of passage are a part of that (adapted to modern contexts when appropriate and necessary tho)

 

[Hoodoo Child]

Yes,it would really help with the mental & spiritual direction of our young men. Do I see it happening overnight in a widespread phenomenon, in a Western country like the US? No..plus,we have too many old fools out here, who couldn't teach a rock how to stay still. Not every Elder is wise.

 

[K.Dot]

Yes. One of the reasons I'm reaching out to prince hall is so I can experience something like this. High key, it might be why the initiation into a gang is their favorite part.

 

[Iceson Beckford]

Yeah but not circumcision

 

[The M.I.C.]

Yes. One of the reasons I'm reaching out to prince hall is so I can experience something like this. High key, it might be why the initiation into a gang is their favorite part.

You do know I'm a master mason...the initiation ceremony is rather simple when you join, it's when you attain certain degrees to where things become more elaborate.