Age 15 - 21
Septennial #3

                                                                                            

​

​

​

​

​

​

During puberty the ability to distinguish subtler tones of colour and sound develops. Sexual urges emerge. The young adult may go though the difficult struggle of breaking away from home life and parental influence. This naturally produces conflict in the young adult as they learn independence.   ​​​​​​

                                                                                                                                                                      

​Because of a new range of feelings, many youths experience a different relationship to religion and life’s mysteries. As one approaches 21, a sense of social and individual responsibility emerges and possibly the beginning sense of a direction or life purpose. This may or may not be recognised at this time, even though it is a time of searching for independence, a realisation of choices and a testing of social and personal limitations.

This cycle can be difficult but also may contain unforgettable dreams.

​

Maturity, dignity and poise comes to the person. If these changes have not occurred by 21, then the person has in some way not covered the necessary aspects of development. It is a period of great and sweeping changes, and often change does not occur without some experience of loss. In this case the world of childhood is truly fading, or it may even be torn away, leaving scars.

​

It is also a time of beginnings: new features of the personality developing, for example a religious sense. However as things may begin here, they may also remain undeveloped until later years. Emotional development at this age is possibly seen as initial uncertainty or clumsiness concerning emotional and sexual contact. It often involves the desire to explore many relationships unless there are forces of introversion at work. Boundaries are being discovered and any sexual partner one has at this age may be loved for one’s own needs rather than out of recognition of who the other person is.

​

Exercises

In a journal respond to the following prompts:

​

How were the teenage years? What did you identify with?

How did you experience freedom?

What was your relationship with your body?

How did you experience family dynamics and relationships?

What was inspiring for you? How did you see your ideal future?

What happened at age 18 – anything significant?

What direction did you go in after school?

What seeds were planted for the future?

​

After completing the prompts, divide a page into two columns. The headings for each column should be ‘negative’ and ‘positive’. In the ‘negative’ column, write an equal list of negative experiences, emotions, themes, actions and reactions from this septennial. In the ‘positive’ column write the positive experiences, themes, actions, gifts, relationships from this septennial.

​

Then, take a few moments with your eyes closed to feel into the negative list, considering each item you have written down. Then do the same for the positive list. Now, allow the two lists to merge – try to sit above or apart from the two lists and allow them to merge into one list, being, or energy – however you like to think about it. From this place, ask for a seed image to emerge, which represents the summation of this septennial, of the two lists and the merged lists.

​

Your seed image may appear in your mind visually, or as thoughts describing the image, or in another way. Go with the first image that arises and open your eyes and draw it on the third round piece of paper.