(no subject)
I'm going through my midwife journal to see what I want to write about.. but I'm not really thinking of anything else... I learned a lot about how pagans and early religions honored a woman's life phases, and the 3 great blood mysteries (period, birth, and menopause) and the life phases (child, maiden, mother and crone) until christians took over the world... I KNOW I was pagan in another life.. I think that the earth has more spirit than Jesus. I very much feel that these things should be honored. Did you know that the word for Vagina in Latin means sheath? That would be the reason progressive people use yoni, which is much more respectful and spiritual in meaning. We are taught to hate our bodies by the very language we use! What happened to worshiping woman's bodies for the life that they bring? I really great idea that still goes on in many indigenous cultures is a menstrual rite that village women have for girls that have just experienced their first menstruation, a birth rite when they become a mother, and a ceremony for the woman who has finished menopause. Especially important is that of the menstruation, if you get your group of women together with your daughter and even do something so small as a hike together, and welcome her to her womanhood and honor her, it will teach her to love her periods, and experience them without the contempt that most women have for it. It also tells her that she can love her body which in turn, is more respect for it as well. One this I am definately going to practice as a midwife is giving the mothers their blessing way (birth rite) I think it is wayyyy too important to leave out of life.