Sacred Ceremony by Steven D. Farmer

Author:Steven D. Farmer [Farmer, Steven D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hay House
Published: 2002-10-30T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Adult Transitions

If you bring forth that which is within you,

Then that which is within you

Will be your salvation.

If you do not bring forth that which is within you,

Then that which is within you

Will destroy you.

— Jesus, from the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas

Passage into Midlife

Someone once defined “middle age” as ten years older than the age you are now. It’s true that we often don’t want to face this particular milestone, but I can guarantee you that if you don’t squarely confront this passage and deal with it, it’s going to jump out someday and bite you in the behind.

If you do not tackle the challenges presented during the 35- to 55-year-old time period and make a conscious effort to “bring forth that which is within,” you can find yourself discounting your natural internal pressures, trying to cover them up through a variety of addictions or escapades. If that’s the case, you may try to continue with habits and behaviors that were more appropriate when you were younger. In our youth-obsessed culture, it’s no surprise that we attempt to defer and deny the aging process by holding on to whatever representations of our youth we can. Plastic surgeons make lots of money as a result of this kind of obsession.

During this midlife transition, those parts of you that have been submerged begin to call for your attention. If you’re a family man and have dedicated much of your life up until now to your career and family, the call to adventure beckons more strongly. If you’re a mother who has devoted much of your early adulthood to raising a family, you may feel an increasingly strong urge to go out and meet the world, return to school, or start a new career.

For some, this natural developmental pressure is so great as to cause a major disruption in your life. A divorce or other major loss, or else a sudden career transition, knocks you on the head and says it’s time to make some changes. That’s how it’s happened for many people I know, as well as myself.

What I’ve found, though, is that an excellent way to deal with all these changes and challenges is to mark them with an appropriate ceremony—perhaps more than one—to provide some soulful and spiritual attunement.

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