In a faith tradition that tends not to focus on rituals, how do we create rites of passage? How do we hold pilgrims in the Light without forcing ritual upon them?
The following is are basic guidelines for creating pilgrimage rituals within the Quaker tradition:
One must ask to undertake a pilgrimage. The pilgrim must initiate his or her pilgrimage.
There is no requirement that one must go on a pilgrimage.
There is no specific age at which a pilgrimage is expected.
There is no specific thing that one must do as their pilgrimage.
To help people feel more comfortable asking to go on a pilgrimage, these are the Monthly Meeting's (or other community's) responsibilities:
The Meeting should unite around the goal of making pilgrimage a centerpiece of their community. If pilgrimage is an essential part of the community, individuals will feel more empowered to undertake their own journeys with the blessing of the Meeting.
Pilgrimages should be overseen by a "Pilgrimage Committee" that acts as clearness committee and oversight committee for each person's pilgrimage. When a person asks to begin a pilgrimage, this process should come under the care of the Pilgrimage Committee.
This Pilgrimage Committee should work with the pilgrim to develop his or her own journey or ritual based on the following two guidelines:
(1) One's pilgrimage should be tailored to his or her skills and loves (as Joseph Campbell said, "Follow your bliss");
(2) One's pilgrimage should also push him or her beyond his or her comfort zone.
Just because each individual's pilgrimage should be tailored to his or her gifts doesn't mean we have to start from scratch developing pilgrimages and rites of passage. Continue to the next page for links to existing Quaker pilgrimages.
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