Ceremonies that mark the transitions of seniors are important for some of the same reasons they are important to adolescents. They provide opportunities to declare new intentions as well as to be honored for past accomplishments. Perhaps the greatest value is to give seniors permission to celebrate aging and the new opportunities and roles that are open to them, whether that be as elders, crones, grandfathers or grandmothers.
I have been honored as a senior in three community ceremonies; the first was marking the beginning of this phase of life with a grand 60th birthday celebration, the second was my initiation as an elder of the community, and the third was my initiation as a “Revered Grandfather”, marking my transition from being a physically active elder to a wisdom elder. There will be a final celebration at the time of my death that I will help design. Each was a collaborative event. They are not representative of a community tradition, although in doing them it is hoped that other seniors will allow the community to do the same for them and in doing so, begin to establish them as cultural patterns.
Let me share my experience of being initiated as an Elder in the community. I had just finished dinner in the community dining room when the Songaia men folk came bursting in, hooting and howling, dancing around the room dressed in various face masks, with some beating on drums. I was escorted out the door and directed to sit in a large, deep fiberglass wheelbarrow-like apparatus. A couple of the men pushed me as far up into our woodland as they could manage, at which point they helped me out of the vehicle and walked me to a fire-circle, where I was invited to sit.
This setting was to be Songaia’s first initiation of an elder and I was the honored recipient. I had just turned 70 a week before and shared with the community my declaration of choosing the path of Earth Elder for this latter phase of my life. I announced that I would be doing a 3-day retreat from the yurt at Songaia with the intent of connecting to nature and the sacred space that our community occupies. The event took place the day after my retreat ended.
The ceremony began with one of the men calling in the four directions, described the energies of each direction by relating them to the qualities I manifest in my life and work in the community. Then each of the 11 men present sequentially affirmed my presence in their lives and the role I played in the community. They also expressed their commitment to support me in my new Elder role. It was a very heart-filled experience.
I was then invited to share my vision of this new role, after which it was announced that the vehicle I was transported in was a gift to me along with registration to a 1-day seminar on mentoring led by Michael Meade. The event concluded with wild drumming followed by hugs all around.
Remembering Fred 