The Three Phases of Rites of Passage 12/2/2019/

            One sort of pilgrimage that young adults go through is the transition from high school to college. Going from high school to college can be a real culture shock because of the different people you meet, the different courses that you take, and most importantly, because of the new environment. As one goes from high school to college, they become able to have their past without living in the past, enabling them to grow was people into their new phase of life.

The book, “Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture,” stated that for every pilgrimage, there are three phases that an individual goes through. The first phase is Separation. This is a symbolic behavior signifying the detachment of an individua from their current, but now previous positions. The second phase is Liminal. This is when the state of the ritual subject becomes ambiguous, and the person becomes more immersed in the pilgrimage and continues to further let go from their past. The third and final phase, is aggregation. In this phase, the subject returns back to their life in a healthier and more stable state and is expected to behave as according to the expectations of their new, healthier and more stable state.

These three phases of pilgrimage are something that I have seen in a pilgrimage of my own that is unique from others done in history. This was a pilgrimage into University. If you think about, the transition into college could be considered a pilgrimage because it is a journey into a new season of life.

I think that I went through the first stage, Separation through actions that signified by concluding of that chapter of my life. This includes my graduation party, going to other graduation parties, hanging out with others, and honestly making those last, final goodbyes to people at my high school. These actions reminded me that the door of this part of my life was now behind me.

I went through the second stage, Liminality, through getting settled into college. As I continued to be on campus, I began to adjust to this new atmosphere and new experience- making friends and joining clubs and groups. At this point, I was able to feel the immediate benefits of college, while still remembering high school, I was at a point where both high school and college were it for me- a clear decision had not been made.

I went through the third stage, Aggregation, by becoming fully settled into college, with the atmosphere, the independence, the environment, and the people. Being at college, even for only these three months, I have grown and matured as a person. Because of this, not only do I see myself differently, but others also see me differently. With the observation skills and knowledge that I am in college, others have the expectations for my behavior to be that of a college students’, which makes logical sense, if you think about it.

In all, there are three phases that correspond with pilgrimage, and they can be applied to my college transition experience as I went from detaching myself from high school life, to getting adjusted, to becoming fully settled and growing as a student and person