The complete rite is pregnancy, birthing and post-partum, as all elements need to be honored and protected for a fully successful integration.
All parts of the process are not only building a new individual but also creating a mother - and she is re-created at every pregnancy and for every child she has.
This is the major rite of passage associated with the archetype of the Mother.
In our lives, it starts either when we give birth, or around the age of 25 until Menopause.
All parts of the process are not only building a new individual but also creating a mother - and she is re-created at every pregnancy and for every child she has.
This is the major rite of passage associated with the archetype of the Mother.
In our lives, it starts either when we give birth, or around the age of 25 until Menopause.
This part of our lives is also associated with the season of summer, the full moon and in our menstrual cycle, with ovulation - the peak of energy, sexual drive, giving of ourselves to the world and magic in action.
As with many natural processes associated with women, this rite has been downplayed, pathologised and co-opted by the patriarchy. Many women both fear and misunderstand this major formative event available to us thanks to our biology.
In reality, nature has created a fine-tuned and beautiful portal for us that contains the ultimate features of growth and maturity: the experience can be challenging but the greatest rewards come with overcoming the challenge.
As with many natural processes associated with women, this rite has been downplayed, pathologised and co-opted by the patriarchy. Many women both fear and misunderstand this major formative event available to us thanks to our biology.
In reality, nature has created a fine-tuned and beautiful portal for us that contains the ultimate features of growth and maturity: the experience can be challenging but the greatest rewards come with overcoming the challenge.
When we become attuned to our menstrual cycles and know how to receive guidance from them, we can travel through this rite of passage with open eyes.
The experience of birth is an unforgettable one for women. It is important to remember that it also is true for the baby. Babies are active in their birth and work with the mother's body and psyche to create their own birthing. What happens and doesn't happen at the time will create an imprint on the new person and unconsciously shape their beliefs; while the mother can glean some insights about their babies' personality through what naturally unfolds during pregnancy and birth.
As women, our own birth was the first of our rites of passage and learning about what unfolded at that time and early post-partum can give us many insights about ourselves, our assumed understanding of the world, and how we 'birth' things, including any creative endeavor.
- Pregnancy resembles the energy of the luteal phase, as we are increasingly drawn inward and given the opportunity to confront and clear away all that is not going to serve us during birth and motherhood.
- Birth is the deepest state of spiritual openness and receptivity, like an enhanced menstrual phase. Many women having undisturbed births describe a state of altered consciousness and traveling to the cosmos or the underworld to bring back their babies.
- Post-partum, like the follicular phase, is a time of regrowth, recovery and extreme tenderness but again, at a greater level. This is the time when the newly born mother and her baby integrate their new life and learn who each other and themselves are in this dyad. It is a sensitive time where it is best to be completely supported by our community and family so the mother can recover from birth and be fully available to bound with her baby and learn how to care for her/him. Some cultures still honour a period of lying-in, where all the mother's needs are taken care of for between and month and 6 weeks.
- Together, these phases of the process correspond to the ovulatory phase, a state of beautiful fruitfulness and the culmination of the menstrual cycle.
The experience of birth is an unforgettable one for women. It is important to remember that it also is true for the baby. Babies are active in their birth and work with the mother's body and psyche to create their own birthing. What happens and doesn't happen at the time will create an imprint on the new person and unconsciously shape their beliefs; while the mother can glean some insights about their babies' personality through what naturally unfolds during pregnancy and birth.
As women, our own birth was the first of our rites of passage and learning about what unfolded at that time and early post-partum can give us many insights about ourselves, our assumed understanding of the world, and how we 'birth' things, including any creative endeavor.
As we become familiar with the circular conception of time, we learn that both Life and Death are an integral part of our embodied experiences.
Not all pregnancies last 9 months and not all babies are born alive. However, there will always be a birth and a post-partum. A woman and her family will need the support of community at this time.
As our cycles allow us to become familiar with loss and destruction through our menstrual phase, we can shift our perception of grief from one of total rejection to understanding that it is part of the reality of being a woman and of being alive. We can shift our cultural attitude from fear and blame to one where women are lovingly embraced by their sisters in their time of hardship.
Not all pregnancies last 9 months and not all babies are born alive. However, there will always be a birth and a post-partum. A woman and her family will need the support of community at this time.
As our cycles allow us to become familiar with loss and destruction through our menstrual phase, we can shift our perception of grief from one of total rejection to understanding that it is part of the reality of being a woman and of being alive. We can shift our cultural attitude from fear and blame to one where women are lovingly embraced by their sisters in their time of hardship.
Explore the Maiden to Mother passage
A nurturing mothers' circle designed to support women through the transition into motherhood. The space blends emotional support, reflection, simple and nourishing practice, and connection aligned with the natural rhythms of the New Moon and Full Moon.
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Adrianna Zaccardia: mother, spiritual doula, and postpartum educator.
- To book a private session please email [email protected] - To join Flourish, online international mothers group, click here - Listen to The Mother Service Podcast click here - Connect on Instagram, click here |