Dearest Mother,
Congratulations on your daughter’s coming of age!
The journey to becoming a woman begins with her mother’s outreached hand~ welcoming her to the “Red Tent.”
The Red Tent is also called the menstrual lodge or the moon lodge.
In the tent, women share their stories of what it means to be a woman;
what it means to bleed, what it means to carry life, what it means to be a mother…
What it means to be empowered in a time when women often forget how powerful we are.
Together, we REMEMBER!
Mothers, with your support,
We will invite your daughters to connect with their “bellies,” their place of wisdom and intuition.
They will understand the meaning behind menstruation, know their bodies as something to respect, and be CELEBRATED as they become women!
~*~*~*~
Mother:
How we plan your daughter’s menarche ceremony depends on your daughter’s personality.
Please answer the following questions:
(And ask your daughter what she thinks!)
1.
* Is your daughter introverted or extraverted?
* Does she want a simple ceremony with you? Or does she want her friends there?
* Does she want her friend’s mothers there?
* Is she open to this being a public invitation, or does she desire it to be invite only?
* Does she want a celebration where all the girls her age are celebrated? Or does she want this to be specifically about her?
2.
* How do you want to participate in this ceremony?
* Do you want to plan this ceremony with a group of mothers?
* Do you want to plan this ceremony with me, and have me facilitate the circle?
* What parts of the ceremony would you like to facilitate?
* What is really important to you about this ceremony? What do you feel is necessary to be included?
* Do you want educational components to the ceremony?
~ Teaching about the menstrual cycle & menstrual products?
* Would you prefer this simply be a celebration?
(If it is a celebration, I will recommend to you and your daughter easy educational books to read.)
Let’s learn a little bit about the traditional menarche ceremony!
Traditionally (and an option for you),
is that mothers in the community collaborate to initiate their daughters into womanhood.
For example,
one mother makes the red cupcakes,
another mother brings red beads and necklace supplies,
another mother brings the roses,
someone else brings essential oils… or flower crowns…
or the red thread for the daughters to understand that all women are
connected by this red thread.
As part of the ritual, each mother shares her story about what it means to be a woman.
And every maiden who has started her moon, shares about her experience with her blood so far.
Together in the Tent, we share a little bit about “our women’s mysteries” and the blood as a gateway to womanhood.
Often mothers present a special gift to their daughters, something specific and unique, that will guide her on her journey.
After this,
the daughters are invited walk through a threshold, possibly a red canopy, to represent their walk from child to woman.
Then they are anointed!
They are given a red rose!
We are all bound by the red thread, that connects all women.
And we celebrate!!!
It’s time for red cake and crafting red bracelets or necklaces to take home.
Every time they wear this piece of jewelry, they’ll remember this day.
From now on, they are invited to the Red Tent, that is hosted every new moon!
~*~*~*~
Please know,
We can be creative and produce any variation for this ceremony!
I recognize that it may be hard to bring the mothers together to plan this ceremony.
If this is the case for you, I am available to gather the ritual supplies and facilitate the circle.
However, I ask that you and I meet to discuss what your ideal circle looks like.
There will be an additional charge for ritual items that you desire to include that ill need to go out and buy~ such as a red cake, flowers or necklace beads.
~*~*~*~
What I will Provide:
Red Fabric to decorate the space with
Facilitation of the opening circle
Explanation of Menarche as a rite of passage
Rituals to walk our daughters toward adolescence
Any extra ritual objects and supplies that we agree upon.
Homework! What you’ll need to do before the ceremony:
1. Purchase the book: Reaching for the Moon by Lucy Pearce on Amazon.
“Reaching for the Moon is Lucy H. Pearce’s bestselling guide for girls aged 9-14 as they anticipate and experience their body’s changes. A beautiful, sensitive and nurturing celebration of a girl’s transformation to womanhood.”
This book is under 100 pages and has large font. It’s very easy for you and your daughter to read.
Every woman invited to the menarche ceremony, should buy this book.
This allows us to have a celebration, without needing to go deep into education.
2. Devise a special gift for your daughter. Something she can wear, or put on her altar, or use to guide her on her journey from child to woman. This will be a part of the ceremony.
The Next Step!
Let’s meet & discuss things more!
The traditional ceremony described above ~ should last two to three hours.
This all depends on how much sharing circle we choose to do.
If you’d like me to lead the ceremony,
rather than hold a co-creative ceremony where the mothers plan the event together ~ I charge $150.
If we agree on additional supplies, such as red cake, red cookies, plates, silverware, roses, red beads, red string, anointing oils, arts and crafts ect… I will ask that you pay for those.
You will also need to purchase “Reaching for the Moon” which is $7 on Amazon.
BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOUR DAUGHTER!
Congratulations on this joyous time!
I’m excited!
Aurora