last sunday, i went to my friend Lisa's Blessingway. she's expecting her second baby any day now, and we had a small gathering of women in her honor. i am so glad that i was part of this, i feel like it renewed me. my friend Sue lead the ritual, which felt intimate and comforting; we had some amazing, home-cooked food afterwards; but the best part for me was meeting the other women who were there, most of which i did not know. some in particular, i felt like i connected to right away, and when they spoke during ritual, i felt so much power and beauty through them. it was very inspiring.
the ritual was simple but powerful - we each spoke about Lisa and how we knew her; then we each presented her with something for the birth - whether it be a story or birth experience; some inspiring words on motherhood/womanhood; or an object symbolic of a quality that she might find useful during birth. we also made her a necklace, each one of us picking a special bead for it, stringing them all together. she will wear it during birth, and hopefully derive strength, support, or whatever she needs from it.
whatever this blessingway may have meant to Lisa (and i think it meant a lot), it was definitely something i really needed. very nourishing, because it allowed me to connect with these amazing women on a basic level, deriving strength and inspiration from them.
i was never into baby showers, wedding showers, or even weddings for that matter. not my type of gathering. but this is something very different, and if i have another child, i'd love to have a blessingway celebration.
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