What is a Rite of Passage Wilderness Quest?

In today’s fast-paced and technology-driven world, it can be easy to distance ourselves from nature and community. A rite of passage is a nature-based ceremony that allows us to profoundly reconnect with the natural world. This ancient and modern practice is pan-cultural; it has survived across many cultures but differs from place to place.

At Evolve In Nature, it looks like overnight camping or backpacking experiences designed to awaken, heal, and transform our lives. Participants are challenged to embark on a journey that calls them more deeply into their own selves. When we live with intention and purpose, we can better show up and care for ourselves, our friends and family, and the world around us.

So how does this work, exactly? Rites of passage follow a three-stage process: Severance, Threshold, and Incorporation. Severance is the phase in which you prepare to leave an old way of life, old behavior or belief, or old identity behind and embark on a journey of transformation. This includes identifying an intention toward your goal or purpose with the direct support of the group guides and the implicit support of the other group members in their witness of you. The Threshold, or liminal phase, is the time in between what you are leaving behind and what you are moving toward. Here, you are invited to spend solo time on the land. Depending on the program, solo time may be hours or it may be multiple days/nights. This solo time is intended for you to connect intentionally and deeply with yourself and with nature, to find your ways to let go of the old, and to embody your intention. Lastly, the Incorporation phase occurs when you reunite with your community in order to share your insights with the world. This begins with a reunification with the group; all members will be coming back from solo time on the land. This reunification includes sharing your threshold story/solo time story with the group, receiving witness and mirroring from the group guides, along with support about how to transition back into the world in a new way. Your profound insights and gifts can then be shared with your community; you can offer yourself anew to the world.

We believe that rites of passage are essential for the health of individuals, communities, and the planet.