Mother Blessing
The transition to motherhood is one of life's biggest milestones. But in western culture, this transition is rarely celebrated...the mother-to-be, rarely honored. Baby showers are the closest that our modern society has come to honoring the mother, but these are primarily occasions to gift parents with all the material things they might need and tend to focus on the child and the child's needs. While happy and practical occasions, they do little to prepare a woman emotionally or spiritually for the work that lies ahead of her as she nears birthing and motherhood. Without such preparation it can be very difficult for a mother-to-be to fully welcome both the process of labor and the new being who is coming through her. Even more so if she is a first time mother.
Thankfully, our society is getting better with regards to pregnancy and birth. Women are educating themselves about the process of pregnancy and birth as well as about their bodies, and subsequently, have healthier and more realistic attitudes. Pregnant women are increasingly viewed as beautiful and vital, instead of fat and temporarily "out of order". Natural childbirth and breast-feeding are on the rise, whereas excessive medication or medical intervention during childbirth is on the decline.
However, we still have further to go. On the one hand, we have seen husbands and partners becoming gradually more involved in the entire process of pregnancy and birth (Yay!) But on the other hand, we seem to think that is enough. As long as a woman has her husband/partner with her, she doesn't need anyone else. (Boo!) These two items are not mutually exclusive. The truth is a woman will reap the greatest benefit when surrounded and supported by both her partner AND other women, especially women who have been through the same process she is experiencing. That's where the mother blessing ceremony comes in.
While often attributed to the Native American culture (because of the [misuse of the] term "Blessingway"), a mother blessing ceremony is by no means the exclusive domain of the Native Americans. On the contrary, we see many cultures around the world with long-established traditions of honoring and/or celebrating the woman in her role as mother. We can even trace rituals of this type back to the earliest days of recorded history.
To recap, unlike the more modern baby shower that celebrates the coming child, a New Mother Blessing focuses on the woman and her journey towards birth and motherhood. This joyous occasion serves to welcome the mother into her new role and into the universal circle of mothers, celebrate this new status, and can also be used to start building a circle of support...probably one of the most important outcomes of the process.
At Life Rites and Celebrations, we believe it is essential that a woman welcomes and embraces her role as mother before she can truly welcome and embrace the new life she will birth. Let us help you design the perfect ceremony to celebrate this most important time in your life, or in your friend or sister's life.