A rite of passage is a ritual that marks a change in a person's social or sexual status. The term was popularised by the French ethnographer Arnold van Gennep (1873-1957), in the early part of the twentieth century. Further theories were developed in the 1960s by Mary Douglas and Victor Turner. Rites of passage are often ceremonies surrounding events such as childbirth, menarche or other mile ...

Read more here: » Rite of passage: Encyclopedia - Rite of passage

Including:

• Ceremony - Celebration of life
• Ceremony - Celebration of events
• Ceremony - Process

Read more here: » Ceremony: Encyclopedia - Ceremony

rites of passage: Sacraments marking crucial stages of life.

See: samskara.

(See also: Rites of passage, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Coming from the Latin, initiation implies a beginning. The related verb, initiate, means to begin or start a particular action, event, circumstance, or happening. An initiation is also a ceremony by which a person is introduced into a society, or other organized body, especially the rite of admission into a secret society or order. Normally an initiation rite would imply a shepherding process where those who are at a higher level guide the initiate through a process of greater exposure of knowledge. This may include the revelation of secrets, usually reserve ...

Read more here: » Initiation: Encyclopedia - Initiation

In Hinduism, diksha is the ritual of initiation into the worship of some deity by a guru (diksha guru) who bestows mantra(s) and takes the karma of the initiate - at least in case of Vaishnava diksha, as per Hari Bhakti Vilasa 1.70: raji catmatyaja dosah patni-papam sva-bhartari tatha sisyartjitam papam guruh prapnoti niscita "The faults of the counselor fall on the king, and the sins of a wife fall on her husband. In the same way a spiritual master attains the sins of his disciple. That is certain." Diksha primarily means a transfer of spir ...

Read more here: » Diksha: Encyclopedia - Diksha

Samskaras are tendencies inherited from previous births which form a person's propensities in this life. In Hinduism, the samskaras are the purificatory rites to be performed by a person during rites of passage. Category: Concepts in Hinduism ...

Read more here: » Samskara: Encyclopedia - Samskara

A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures. In traditional Lakota culture the Hanblecheyapi (vision quest, literally "crying for a vision") is one of seven main rites. Vision quest preparations involve a time of fasting, the guidance of a tribal Medicine Man and sometimes ingestion of natural entheogens; this quest is undertaken for the first time in the early teenage years. The quest itself is usually a journey alone into the wilderness seeking personal growth ...

Including:

• Vision quest - Other uses

Read more here: » Vision quest: Encyclopedia - Vision quest

A rite is an established, ceremonious, usually religious act. Rites fall into three major categories: rites of passage, generally changing an individual's social status, such as marriage, Christian baptism, or graduation. rites of worship, where a community comes together to worship, such as Jewish synagogue or Christian Mass rites of personal devotion, where an individual worships, including prayer and ...

Read more here: » Rite: Encyclopedia - Rite

Please remove this notice after the article has been expanded. Details are on this talk page or at Wikipedia:Requests for expansion. This article is in need of attention. You can help Wikipedia by editing it into a better article. Please also consider changing this notice to be more specific. Coming of age is a young person's formal transition from adolescence to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes places varies in society, as does the n ...

Including:

• Coming of age - Religious coming of age
• Coming of age - Buddhism
• Coming of age - Christianity
• Coming of age - Greek polytheism
• Coming of age - Hinduism
• Coming of age - Judaism
• Coming of age - Islam
• Coming of age - Cultural rituals exclusive to Nations
• Coming of age - Australia NZ etc.
• Coming of age - Hispanic
• Coming of age - Japan
• Coming of age - Papua New Guinea
• Coming of age - Samoa
• Coming of age - United Kingdom
• Coming of age - Pygmies
• Coming of age - Professional initiatory rituals
• Coming of age - Academic Initiations
• Coming of age - Printing industry
• Coming of age - Films
• Coming of age - Webcomics

Read more here: » Coming of age: Encyclopedia - Coming of age

The human condition encompasses the totality of the experience of being human and living human lives. As mortal entities, there are a series of biologically determined events which are common to most human lives, and some which are inevitable for all. The ongoing way in which humans react to or cope with these events is the human condition. However, understanding the precise nature and scope of what is meant by ...

Including:

• Human condition - Events
• Human condition - Self-awareness
• Human condition - Study
• Human condition - Change
• Human condition - Negative usage of the term

Read more here: » Human condition: Encyclopedia - Human condition

Arnold van Gennep was born 23 April 1873 at Ludwigsburg in Germany and died in 1957 at Bourg-la-Reine in France. He was an ethnographer and folklorist known mostly for his work regarding rites of passage and his significant works in modern French folklore. He is recognised as the founder of the academic studies of folklore in France. His work on rites of passage and his theory of 3 phases (preliminary, liminaire, postliminaire) was pursued and expanded by Victor Turner. Other

Read more here: » Arnold van Gennep: Encyclopedia - Arnold van Gennep

Confirmation is a rite used in many Christian churches. Though beliefs about confirmation differ among traditions, it is commonly seen as a mature statement of faith of a person already baptised. Customarily, it is done during adolescence, and, as such, is often seen as a rite of passage. In some traditions, confirmation is seen as a sacrament. Confirmation sacrament - Roman Catholic views. In the Roman Catholic Church, confirmation is one of the seven sacraments instituted by Christ for the conferra ...

Including:

• Confirmation sacrament - Roman Catholic views
• Confirmation sacrament - Orthodox views
• Confirmation sacrament - Anglican/Episcopal views
• Confirmation sacrament - Protestant views
• Confirmation sacrament - Latter-day Saint views
• Confirmation sacrament - Each person is confirmed at most once

Read more here: » Confirmation sacrament: Encyclopedia - Confirmation sacrament

Victor W. Turner (May 28, 1920 - 1983) was a renowned anthropologist. Turner was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He initially studied poetry and classics at the University College, London, but during World War II his interest in anthropology was sparked and he returned to university to begin pursuing anthropology. During the period of 1950-1954, Turner studied the Ndembu tribe in central Africa. While observing the Ndembu, Turner became intrigued by ritual and rites of passage. Turner spent his career exploring rituals. As a profess ...

Read more here: » Victor Turner: Encyclopedia - Victor Turner

Schistosomiasis or bilharzia is a disease affecting many people in developing countries. It is also called snail fever but is not to be confused with swimmer's itch. In certain African communities the process of overcoming Schistosomiasis is an important rite of passage. Although it has a low mortality rate, schistosomiasis can be very debilitating. (Bilharzia, or bilharziosis, is a largely obsolete eponym, after Theodor Bilharz, who first described the cause of urinary schistosomiasis in 1851.) ...

Including:

• Schistosomiasis - Types
• Schistosomiasis - Geographical distribution and epidemiology
• Schistosomiasis - Life cycle
• Schistosomiasis - Pathology
• Schistosomiasis - Clinical features
• Schistosomiasis - Laboratory diagnosis
• Schistosomiasis - Treatment
• Schistosomiasis - Prevention and hygiene

Read more here: » Schistosomiasis: Encyclopedia - Schistosomiasis

Adolescence is the transitional stage of development between childhood and full adulthood (gender-specific manhood, or womanhood), representing the period of time during which a person is biologically adult but emotionally not at full maturity. The ages which are considered to be part of adolescence vary by culture. In the United States, adolescence is generally considered to begin around age 12-13, and end at 19-20. By contrast, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines adolescence as the period of life between 10 and 20 years of a ...

Including:

• Adolescence - Puberty
• Adolescence - Preteens
• Adolescence - Teenagers
• Adolescence - Emerging Adulthood
• Adolescence - Discrimination against adolescents
• Adolescence - Psychology of adolescents
• Adolescence - Social significance
• Adolescence - Legal issues
• Adolescence - Fiction about teenagers
• Adolescence - Nonfiction about teenagers
• Adolescence - List of people who achieved fame in their teens
• Adolescence - Historical significance
• Adolescence - Literature
• Adolescence - Entertainment
• Adolescence - Sports
• Adolescence - List of famous teenagers
• Adolescence - Compare with

Read more here: » Adolescence: Encyclopedia - Adolescence

Ritual magic is the performance of a ritual for magical purposes. Practically all magical traditions include ritual magic. It may be highly complex and include nearly all of the magical system such as in hermetic or salomonic magic, or be merely a more extensive form of intuitive and informal magical practices as in shamanism or chaos magic. As opposed to religious and social rituals, magical ones are not necessarily repeated in the same or a similar way on certain occasions. However, there always are elements and symbol ...

Read more here: » Ritual magic: Encyclopedia - Ritual magic

Chrismation is the name given in Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern-rite Catholic churches to the sacrament known as confirmation in the Latin Rite Catholic churches. It is so called because of the holy oil, or chrism, which has been consecrated by a bishop and with which the recipient of the sacrament is anointed, as the priest speaks the words, "the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit." All Roman Catholics are encouraged to receive the sacrament of confirmation. All Orthodox Christians are required to receive the sacrament of chrismation, and do ...

Read more here: » Chrismation: Encyclopedia - Chrismation

A ritual is a formalised, predetermined set of symbolic actions generally performed in a particular environment at a regular, recurring interval. The set of actions that comprise a ritual often include, but are not limited to, such things as recitation, singing, group processions, repetitive dance, manipulation of sacred objects, etc. The general purpose of rituals is to express some fundamental truth or meaning, evoke spiritual, numinous emotional responses from participants, and/or engage a group of people in unified action to strengthen their ...

Including:

• Ritual - Sociology
• Ritual - Psychology

Read more here: » Ritual: Encyclopedia - Ritual

Abaddon, in demonology, was chief of the demons of the seventh hierarchy. He was called The Destroyer and in the Book of Revelation St John called him the King of the Grasshoppers. The Thanksgiving Hymns (a copy was also found in the Dead Sea Scrolls) tells of "the Sheol of Abaddon" and of the "torrents of Belial [that] burst into Abaddon". The Biblical Antiquities of Philo mentions Abaddon as a place (sheol, hell), not as a spirit or demon or angel. In Paradise Regained, Milton also uses Abaddon as a place — th ...

Read more here: » Abaddon demon: Encyclopedia - Abaddon demon

Traditionally, a ceremony may mark a rite of passage in a personal human career, marking the significance of (for example): birth initiation puberty social adulthood graduation marriage death burial In certain circumstrances a ceremony may only be performed by a person with certain authorities. For example, the opening of Parliament is controlled by the Speaker of the House. Tha naming and launching of a war ship will be under the supervision of its Captain or a higher ranked naval officer. A wedding will be performed by a priest or a ...

See also:

Ceremony, Ceremony - Celebration of life, Ceremony - Celebration of events, Ceremony - Process

Read more here: » Ceremony: Encyclopedia II - Ceremony - Celebration of life