Kaile Judge - Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture - Post 2
The Rites of Transition
In Victor and Edith Tuner's, Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, they talk about pilgrimage as "rites de passage," or rites of transition. There are three main phases within this passage or transition: separation, margin, and aggregation. The first phase, separation, is when the individual going through this passage is taken away from what they know, whether people or place, oftentimes both. This part is important because a defining part of the journey is the start, and the "passage" cannot begin until the individual leaves the mundane place. The second phase is margin, which I have spoken on before. This is the most important phase, the journey. This is where the individual is in the phase with the most growth, but the most strength is required here. In terms of pilgrimage, this would be the pilgrimage itself, when one is hiking or traveling from one place to another. In this phase, the person will be closest to the axis Mundi, the place where they meet with God. The last phase is aggregation, when the individual returns to life as they know it, but with this new understanding gained during margin.
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