What is it that enables some people to cope with the big changes in their lives while others seem undone by them? For psychiatrist Abigail Brenner, the answer lies in the act of consciously and ritualistically marking those changes. Rite and ritual, bringing the unconscious to consciousness, can help in the process of sorting through and making sense of life themes. In doing so, we realize the goal of our rites of passage, which is to create a roadmap that gives tangibility, meaning, and full expression to the structure of our lives.

In this provocative and lucid book, Dr. Brenner describes how rites of passage have changed over time. Traditionally, society had a strong hand in marking passages, insuring that its members always knew their identity, their place, and what was expected of them. Women’s Rites of Passage grew out of Abigail Brenner’s desire to answer some fundamental questions about the role of rites of passage in contemporary women’s lives. Relying on a research study involving over 50 women, the author shows how women today understand the need to take responsibility for their lives and for directing their own paths, and are beginning to do so by creating their own very personal rites of passage.

Distilling the best of the scholarly material, made accessible and interesting to a mainstream audience, combining this with inspiring personal stories, and completing the perspective with Dr. Brenner’s expertise and guidance, Women’s Rites of Passage is a richly rewarding book that will help reconnect women to their important life transitions, while giving them the tools to honor those transitions and to understand their significance in the broader scheme of their lives.