Ritesofpassage storieswere cherished in preliterate societies not only for their entertainment value, but also as mythic tools to prepare young men and women for lifes ordeals. A wealth of such stories can be found marking each major transition in the human life cycle: puberty, marriage, childbirth, menopause, death. Other ritesofpassage, less predictable but equally transformative, include times of sudden change and calamity such as illness and injury, the loss of ones home, the death of a loved one, etc. These are the times when we wake, like Dante, to find ourselves in a deep, dark wood an image that in Jungian psychology represents an inward journey. Ritesofpassage tales point to the hidden roads that lead out of the dark again and remind us that at the end of the journey were not the same person as when we started. Ascending from the Netherworld (that grey landscape of illness, grief, depression, or despair), we are twiceborn in our return to life, carrying seeds new wisdom, ideas, creativity and fecundity of spirit.
About This Quote
About Terri Windling
Terri Windling was a contemporary American writer and editor. Terri Windling is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. She has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Bram Stoker Award, and her collection The Armless Maiden appeared on the short-list for the James Tiptree, Jr. Read more on Wikipedia →
Themes
- Inspirational — Uplifting words to motivate and inspire positive action