Invisible Middle Aged Women: Part 2
People universally recognize the importance of transitional periods in life. We can observe rituals related to such transitions across different religions and cultures (bar/bat mitzvah, confirmation, quinceañera, sweet 16, etc.).
There are usually three main stages in a human’s life, each accompanied by rituals: 1. birth, 2. coming of age (into the reproductive period), and 3. leaving the reproductive period. Each stage marks a significant turning point in life. Our ancestors understood how critical it was for these transitions to go smoothly and how a person’s life depended on a good passage through these stages.
People created special ceremonies to celebrate such transitional points. Non-religious ceremonies often involved celebration and rituals with family members. Religious rituals included prayers for blessings during the transition. In either case, the person transitioning was initiated by the “tribe.”
Even today, the symbolism of initiation remains the same: a person transitions from one form of existence into another—graduation ceremonies, fraternity/sorority initiations, citizenship oath ceremonies, presidential inaugurations, weddings, etc. As a result of specific accomplishments, a person is accepted into a new group.
Although the initiation itself may not be directly tied to the achievement, it holds strong psychological and symbolic meaning. For example, a student has already passed all exams and completed coursework before graduation. The graduation ceremony is a symbolic initiation into a group of people who hold the same degree.
Various religions and cultures place strict requirements for initiation into different life stages.
To be initiated into the first stage (life), a person must be born and live for a certain period (in many cultures, a minimum of seven days). In some traditions, the initiation includes physical actions such as circumcision, haircutting, or water pouring. Aqiqah (Islam), Brit Milah (Judaism), Namkaran (Hinduism), and Baptism (Christianity) are examples of initiations into the first stage of life.
The second stage of life is associated with puberty, coming of age, and entering reproductive potential. Different cultures place requirements on their young adults based on the needs of their society, often with different expectations for boys and girls. For example, in some Aboriginal Australian cultures, “Walkabout” is a rite of passage where boys live in the wilderness for several months learning survival skills.
In the Apache Sunrise Ceremony, a girl undergoes a physically and spiritually demanding series of dances, prayers, and rituals that symbolize her readiness for the responsibilities of adulthood. She must demonstrate endurance and spiritual connection during the ceremony.
Many other ceremonies exist in religions and cultures worldwide. Some are still practiced today, while others have been forgotten or modernized. The initiation into adulthood (reproductive age) as a ritual continues in modern society, together with its symbolism.
Yet, when we examine the number of ceremonies across cultures and religions, we see that most relate to the first stage of life, many to the second, and very few to the third. There are several explanations for this imbalance.
First, historically, few people survived to the stage of life where they left the reproductive period, so they moved directly to death ceremonies, which every culture has. Our ancestors considered themselves lucky if they survived childhood and reached reproductive age. In 1945, no one expected people to live beyond 45. Second, and most importantly, initiation into the third stage of life is an individual process and should remain a mystery.
In cultures that observe third-stage initiation, the focus is often on the spiritual empowerment of the person being initiated. For example, in some Pagan and Wiccan traditions, women reaching post-menopausal age are honored as entering the "Crone" phase, representing wisdom, introspection, and spiritual guidance. In the Eleusinian Mysteries of ancient Greece, the third stage represented "the vision," the most advanced level of initiation.
I will continue exploring the third age of life and the transitions and initiations related to it. Many women in their 50s find themselves at this threshold—about to leave the reproductive age and enter the stage of "the vision."
