Coming of Age Ceremony
Here's to strong women. May we be them. May we raise them.
I would be honored to guide your maiden's Coming of Age Ceremony. Let's talk!
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Examples of Coming of Age ceremonies include...
- Faery Godmother Ceremony – Cinderella knew how hard it was to blossom without a little help. This ceremony pairs your daughter with trusted women in her life that can guide her through her teenage years when she can’t (or won’t) turn to mom.
- Threshold Ceremony – Using the symbol of the “threshold” (or rather an archway garden gate), a young woman literally step across the threshold into a conscious adulthood.
- Bridge Ceremony – Using the symbol of the bridge, a young woman crosses the bridge into adulthood into the loving company of other adults in her life.
- Rose Petal Wishes – A community gathers and offers wishes while holding a basket of rose petals. These are sprinkled upon the young woman.
- Story-Sharing Circle – A young woman’s friends and their mothers gather and share stories about their own transitions to adulthood.
- Red Tent Ceremonies & Red Parties – Celebrating menses and the beginning of womanhood.
- Candle Ceremony – Special women in the young woman’s life light candles while sharing significant stories about her.
- Blessing Before College – Honoring the start of the big adventure that is college.
- A Blessingway-style Ceremony – Based on the Native American tradition, Blessingway ceremonies are for women in all kinds of transitions. This powerful and moving ceremony builds a strong container for deep sharing and powerful support.
You want your daughter to grow into a strong, confident woman
Even under the best circumstances, the teen years are tough. Thankfully, most kids make it through and realize at some point that it’s time to start behaving like an adult.
And they want to be treated as one. The problem is that the current culture doesn’t offer a modern, meaningful way to mark this decision and the following transition. Some established religions do offer generalized ceremonies that occur at the start of puberty, which is really too early for modern adulthood. |
Science has found that the adolescent brain doesn’t finish developing until the age of 25!
That leaves a gap. Without something to fill that gap, many parents who do recognize the importance of marking the transition are at a loss as to what to do. And so they let it pass by, unacknowledged.
Neither option – too early or not at all – truly addresses the needs of today’s teenagers.
What young women need are ceremonies of their own making – ones that reflect their values and highlight the things they find meaningful and inspiring! Ceremonies in which the best in them is reflected back to them in such a way they can accept what is being said as true and valid.
Ceremonies like these are my passion. After a rough adolescence myself, I was determined to offer young women a different paradigm. Coming of age ceremonies are a part of that paradigm shift towards young women growing up confident, supported and empowered.
That leaves a gap. Without something to fill that gap, many parents who do recognize the importance of marking the transition are at a loss as to what to do. And so they let it pass by, unacknowledged.
Neither option – too early or not at all – truly addresses the needs of today’s teenagers.
What young women need are ceremonies of their own making – ones that reflect their values and highlight the things they find meaningful and inspiring! Ceremonies in which the best in them is reflected back to them in such a way they can accept what is being said as true and valid.
Ceremonies like these are my passion. After a rough adolescence myself, I was determined to offer young women a different paradigm. Coming of age ceremonies are a part of that paradigm shift towards young women growing up confident, supported and empowered.
Sound like something you and your teen would be interested in? Schedule a a 20-minute consultation today, and we’ll discuss what’s right for you.
Many things go into a successful coming of age ceremony
Working together, we’ll walk through the process, step-by-step.
We’ll start by deciding:
What’s the right age – The average age is 16 -19 years old. That said, there are ceremonies, like the Faery Godmother Ceremony, which are designed for tweens. My own personal coming of age didn’t happen until I was 28.
Where to have it – The most comfortable place to have it is in your living room or backyard, but local beaches and parks also provide a lovely backdrop. Mostly it depends on your daughter’s preferences and style.
Who to invite – Most coming of age ceremonies involve the women in a young woman’s life – her family, friends, friends’ moms, and your friends. The choice depends upon your daughter and the kind of ceremony she wants. (We can create a ceremony to include the guys, though, if that’s your preference!)
Many things go into a successful coming of age ceremony
Working together, we’ll walk through the process, step-by-step.
We’ll start by deciding:
What’s the right age – The average age is 16 -19 years old. That said, there are ceremonies, like the Faery Godmother Ceremony, which are designed for tweens. My own personal coming of age didn’t happen until I was 28.
Where to have it – The most comfortable place to have it is in your living room or backyard, but local beaches and parks also provide a lovely backdrop. Mostly it depends on your daughter’s preferences and style.
Who to invite – Most coming of age ceremonies involve the women in a young woman’s life – her family, friends, friends’ moms, and your friends. The choice depends upon your daughter and the kind of ceremony she wants. (We can create a ceremony to include the guys, though, if that’s your preference!)
I’m often asked if La Padre ceremonies are right for more “traditional” family members. Only you know for sure, but I always encourage people to err on the side of inclusion. I’ve never had a client disappointed by including someone; ritual has a way of bringing out the best in people.
Once we’ve worked out those details, the fun really begins. Together, you and I and your daughter (unless her ceremony is a surprise for her!) will brainstorm, deciding which activities will best fit her particular emotional needs.
Does she need a boost to her self-esteem?
Faery Godmothers to support and love her?
Guidance before going away to college?
A bond with the community of women around her?
We’ll find just the right thing to do during her ceremony to meet her emotional needs and your wishes for her.
Does she need a boost to her self-esteem?
Faery Godmothers to support and love her?
Guidance before going away to college?
A bond with the community of women around her?
We’ll find just the right thing to do during her ceremony to meet her emotional needs and your wishes for her.
We’ll also take into account her temperament. Depending on how much she likes the spotlight, we’ll determine what the focus of the ceremony will be. (A neutral focus, like a story-sharing circle, allows wisdom to be imparted without putting a shy honoree on the spot.)
We’ll discuss her belief sets (and yours) and create a fully secular ceremony or work in elements from an existing faith. Both are beautiful, and just as meaningful.
We’ll consider her aesthetics and what’s important and beautiful to her. We’ll add elements of these to truly personalize the experience.
And on the day of her ceremony, I’ll be there to organize your guests, explain the meaning behind what we’re doing, and make sure everything flows smoothly. It’s called “holding the space.” That means creating a safe and protective environment for intimacy and heart-connections to be made.
We’ll discuss her belief sets (and yours) and create a fully secular ceremony or work in elements from an existing faith. Both are beautiful, and just as meaningful.
We’ll consider her aesthetics and what’s important and beautiful to her. We’ll add elements of these to truly personalize the experience.
And on the day of her ceremony, I’ll be there to organize your guests, explain the meaning behind what we’re doing, and make sure everything flows smoothly. It’s called “holding the space.” That means creating a safe and protective environment for intimacy and heart-connections to be made.
"Each of my godmothers chose a small gift to give to me. They took time out of their busy lives to think about what it was they wished they had had when they were my age. They took the time to find gifts that symbolized that, and they shared these little pieces of their souls with me.
They took that time for ME, and made me feel like I really mattered to them – like they got me."
-Morgan Globus, La Padre's oldest
They took that time for ME, and made me feel like I really mattered to them – like they got me."
-Morgan Globus, La Padre's oldest
When young women take part in ceremonies they become:
When we hold ceremonies for our daughters we:
Ritual is the gift that gives as much to others as it gives to you. It may be a ceremony in honor of your daughter, but others receive the gift of an intimate and heart-felt interaction. Celebrating in this way provides a time and a place for the people who love her to speak from the heart, knowing they’ll be heard.
And she’ll be able to really hear them.
People long for that, and yet it’s not something our culture makes room for. Imagine the gift you’d give your teenager by celebrating her in this way.
So, schedule your free 20-minute consultation, and let’s talk about how you’d like to honor your daughter and this new phase of her life.
- More self-assured, confident and self-aware
- Aware that they aren’t alone in their complex feelings and experiences
- Able to share in the wisdom of the community of women around them
When we hold ceremonies for our daughters we:
- Demonstrate sharing wisdom and accepting it from others in safe ways
- Model being in community in healthy, supportive ways
- Support them in a unique and powerful way
Ritual is the gift that gives as much to others as it gives to you. It may be a ceremony in honor of your daughter, but others receive the gift of an intimate and heart-felt interaction. Celebrating in this way provides a time and a place for the people who love her to speak from the heart, knowing they’ll be heard.
And she’ll be able to really hear them.
People long for that, and yet it’s not something our culture makes room for. Imagine the gift you’d give your teenager by celebrating her in this way.
So, schedule your free 20-minute consultation, and let’s talk about how you’d like to honor your daughter and this new phase of her life.