The Thundering Years: Rituals and Sacred Wisdom for Teens

By Julie Tallard Johnson

Book Overview

Shows teens how to harness the intense emotions and drives of the late-teen years using wisdom from cultures around the world. * Includes exercises, personal and community rituals, and resources that show how to successfully navigate the Thundering Years without heading toward violence, drug abuse, and other self-destructive behaviors. * Includes inspiring quotations from many spiritual traditions as well as the words and real-life experiences of other young adults. * Presents an honest view of the passions and pain that occur during this major life transition. According to native traditions, the Thundering Years are the time in life to listen to intense feelings, dreams, desires, and goals--to be outrageous and even difficult. The Thundering Years are the teen years, the time when you are journeying into adulthood. They are exciting years, full of potential and creative energy, and they are painful years, full of turmoil and self-examination. Author Julie Tallard Johnson has collected wisdom from cultures around the world to help you survive your Thundering Years with your soul, creativity, and even sense of humor intact. She offers numerous techniques and traditions to help harness the powerful energy released during this time. She shows that when you connect with your thunder in a respectful way, you are given the confidence you need to accomplish all your dreams. Includes: Mindfulness and energizing meditations Vision quests Dream weaving Drum medicine Initiations and rites of passage Rituals for releasing anger and celebrating the seasons Making your own journals and medicine bags Finding your creative community

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0892818808
• ISBN13: 9780892818808
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Bindu Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 12 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 7 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Psychotherapeutic applications

As a psychotherapist working with adolescents in the Juvenile Justice System, I find the strategies and wisdom in this book to be one of the best suited for deep therapeutic work individually or within the context of a group. Highly recommend it it to other mental health professionals.

Inspiration and Survival

A lot of useful inspiration and practical information from the world's spiritual and religious traditions has been brought together in this psychic survival guide for teenagers. With many quotes from both modern writers and sacred traditions, the focus is on learning to be strong in oneself and compassionate towards others, what Johnson calls being a spiritual warrior. The tools and insights are directed toward the transition from childhood to adulthood - learning to be an independent person in the world. Johnson calls this time, which people are called upon to face in their teens and early twenties, the thundering years. Native American wisdom is used as a principle guide, but many sources of wisdom are brought in - Christian, Buddhist, Sufi, modern psychological. Young people are encouraged to live creative lives and to tells their stories. A cornucopia of techniques for living a vital life and dealing with its challenges are presented - everything from meditation, working with dreams, drumming, and various forms of exercise to helping others, connecting with nature, and creating rituals to mark the changes in one's life. Many useful books, resources, and Web sites are included at the end of each chapter. As most topics have to be dealt with relatively briefly, these references allow readers to delve more deeply into areas which they are drawn to. This is an inspiring guide and companion, not only for young people, but anyone hoping to ride the waves of modern life more effectively, and enjoy the ride.

An important contribution

This is a well-written book that promises to be helpful to therapists as well as to teens. I found the ideas thought provoking and sound. Vera J. Elleson, Ph.D.

Thunder On!!!!

I am so excited to see a book available to teens that confirms for them....and for us their parents, that their loud confusion, creative depressions, outbursts of truth and pain, all have such an important place in the process that is life.Having waited until mid-life to honor the journey, I look forward to the process found in this book assisting society, teen by teen,person by person,in honoring our place here, by connecting us with the planet we are on and the energy we all share. I encourage teens every where to read up........and Thunder On!!!!!!!!!!!