Birth on the Labyrinth Path

June 9, 2012 By 2 Comments
Birth on the Labyrinth Path

Last week I told you I was on the verge of announcing a project for which I got to do the writing and let other people be the editors.  I'm so excited to announce that my new ebook Birth on the Labyrinth Path: Sacred Embodiment in the Childbearing Year is now available for download! It's priced at an accessible $2.99.  If you're new to ebooks you can download a free Kindle app for your computer or phone and be reading in minutes.  My partner got lots of my friends and family to pitch in … [Read more...]

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A big week at Pagan Families

May 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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I totally missed that Pagan Families turned one year old last weekend.  I have a really good excuse, though.  I was celebrating my daughter turning one week old. While she sleeps on my lap I'm taking the opportunity to celebrate the first year of this website, and to fill you in on some other exciting news. On May 26, 2011 I announced that Pagan Families: Resources for Pagan Pregnancy and Birth was born.  In the past year I've been blessed to be able to publish the writing of some really … [Read more...]

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Book Review: Pagan Pregnancy

April 24, 2012 By 2 Comments
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It is important to think of pregnancy as a process, not a condition... pregnancy changes you and your life on a deep level. - Arin Murphy-Hiscock I am aware of exactly one book available for purchase right now specifically on the topic of Paganism and pregnancy.  Arin Murphy-Hiscock wrote Pagan Pregnancy: A Spiritual Journey from Maiden to Mother years ago, and the book was finally released as an ebook just a few months ago.  As soon as I saw the news I enthusiastically set to work … [Read more...]

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Link round-up

March 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Lotus

Did you know the Pagan Families page on FaceBook has well over 900 followers?  I often post links and short quotes there.  Here's a round-up of some of the best from the last few months: * Doulas draw from Jewish tradition as birth helpers. “Doulas support women informationally, physically and emotionally — we can also add ‘spiritually’ to that list.” * An Intimate Pagan Mother Blessing. "At 36 weeks pregnant with my husband and my first baby I really wanted to connect with … [Read more...]

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Our new store

February 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

You may have noticed there's a new Store link at the top of this site which takes you to our new Amazon page. Up until now no money has exchanged hands over the creation of Pagan Families.  The closest thing has been that two of us have received free copies of books to review.  Everything from the web design to the posts you read to the banner image to the social media promotion has all been donated as a labor of love. But we do review and make reference to a lot of books here and I … [Read more...]

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Birth Guardians: Ben Houshour

February 27, 2012 By 2 Comments
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Today we continue the series profiling people who work with pregnancy, birth, or the postpartum period (prenatal massage therapists, childbirth educators, OB/GYNs, doulas, midwives, lactation consultants, labor & delivery nurses, pediatricians, etc.) and are Pagan or work with a Pagan community. Our first profile featured Jane Hardwicke Collings. If you would like to be a part of the series please send an email to paganfamilieseditor@gmail.com. What is your name? Ben Hoshour What … [Read more...]

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Eating and Spirituality Part 3: Food rituals in the childbearing year

February 23, 2012 By 1 Comment

In part 2 of Eating and Spirituality I talked about how the food we eat is connected to the physical well-being of our bodies and of the planet, as well as how enjoying food can be a way to celebrate the Goddess.  This week I want to suggest some specific ways to incorportate food into your spiritual practice. Food is at the heart of so many rituals.  Probably your tradition already has food rituals such as sumble or cakes and ale.  You can also design rituals around nourishing your … [Read more...]

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Eating and spirituality Part 2: From the fields to our bellies

February 16, 2012 By 3 Comments

Food is the product of the earth; the earth is a mother goddess, literally the matrix of our physical existence. We are all products of the stars: earth, animals, plants; all the elements were forged in the reactions in the heart of stars. We are what we eat, so it is important to eat healthily & well. --Yvonne Aburrow In Part 1 on Eating and Spirituality I talked about getting started incorporating food into your spiritual life during pregnancy.  I also had the pleasure of introducing … [Read more...]

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Eating and spirituality when you’re growing a baby

February 9, 2012 By 4 Comments
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Food, nutrition, and nourishment can raise a bewildering array of questions during the childbearing year.  Can I eat a healthy vegetarian diet while I am pregnant?  What foods should I eat and what should I avoid?  How much weight should I gain?  Should I be concerned about gestational diabetes?  Will I breastfeed or bottle-feed my baby? On top of all that, Pagans who celebrate their physical bodies and their connection to the natural world may also have ritual and theological questions … [Read more...]

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CDC data: home birth on the rise

January 26, 2012 By 2 Comments

The CDC released new data today on home births in the U.S., finding that "the percentage of U.S. births that occurred at home increased by 29%, from 0.56% of births in 2004 to 0.72% in 2009."  This increase mostly represents non-Hispanic white women. The report says "Women may prefer a home birth over a hospital birth for a variety of reasons, including a desire for a low-intervention birth in a familiar environment surrounded by family and friends, and cultural or religious concerns." We … [Read more...]

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