Becoming a Woman – Book Review

May 16, 2013 By 6 Comments
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I really wish I'd had a book on what it means to become a woman when I was 12. The only text I had was Judy Blume's generation defining book, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. I wish that some one would have told me that my cycles would be erratic for a couple of years, not just in spacing, but in flow. Finding that out at a slumber party in the 8th grade was a deeply embarrassing experience (imagine having to knock on your friend's parents' bedroom door in the middle of the night, because … [Read more...]

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Make Magic of Your Life As A Parent

March 1, 2013 By 3 Comments
MakeMagicofYourLife

"There is nothing in your life that is outside the purview of your witnessing the sacred. There is no place where you are not shaman, priestess, magic worker, seer of visions large and small. " -T. Thorn Coyle, Make Magic of Your Life What do I desire? In the last few years of pregnancy and parenting, often all I've been able to think of is a full night of sleep or a trip to the bathroom completely alone. But I know there's more -- the pull to devote my energy to the places I can do the most … [Read more...]

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She did what she could…

February 18, 2013 By 11 Comments
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She did what she could. She acted. She didn't just think about acting. She didn't act out of obligation. She didn't let others act for her. She didn't wait to be invited. --Elisa Morgan (in Refuse To Do Nothing) The Patheos Book Club is currently discussing the new book Refuse To Do Nothing: Finding Your Power to Abolish Modern-Day Slavery. The book is a quick read focused on human trafficking throughout the world. While acknowledging the gravity and depth of the situation, … [Read more...]

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Reviewing ‘Pagan Parenting in the NICU’

January 15, 2013 By 2 Comments
Bennett day one

Sarah, our fearless editor here at Pagan Parenting, asked me months ago to review this ebook for the site. My first child was born six weeks premature and spent four weeks and one day in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). I admit that I’ve dragged my heels in reviewing this book. The topic of NICUs can be quite triggering for me; I kept waiting for some spacious period in case I had a hard time with content. Turns out the only thing triggering about this book is the front … [Read more...]

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Review: The Mother’s Wisdom Deck

December 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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I immediately resonated with the beauty of online images from the Mother's Wisdom Deck created by Niki Dewart, Elizabeth Marglin, and Jenny Kostecki-Shaw, so I was thrilled when I wrote to ask for a review copy and they mailed one to me right away. My kids participated in opening the deck and the preschooler immediately spread the cards out across our rug - a great way to begin to interact with a new deck. The four suits of this deck are a bit unusual: Natural Mother, Animal Mother, … [Read more...]

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Review: Sacred Pregnancy

August 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Orange Sacred Pregnancy

"Growing a baby offers a woman the opportunity to be part of Mother Nature's mysteries, which directly connects her to the source of all things." (99) Sacred Pregnancy is a guidebook and journal for pregnant mothers. "The point of this book is to help you feel prepared emotionally, spiritually, and physically to birth your baby and enter motherhood," says author Anni Daulter. (291) Get the book in your hands and you'll see it was obviously lovingly designed.  It's filled with gorgeous … [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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Ten Moons: The Inner Journey of Pregnancy, Preparation for Natural Birth

February 7, 2012 By 5 Comments

A review by Niki Whiting I admit I am completely intrigued by the idea of shamanic midwifery. Jane Hardwicke Collings, an Australian, has forged this path, combining traditional midwifery with shamanic concepts and work with the Divine Feminine. She trains other women, midwives and doulas, in this process, which, from her websites, is more of a set interpersonal skills and mindset, than an actual magical system. I was sent the e-book version of Collings's book on preparing for natural … [Read more...]

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Review: Birthrites

January 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Birthrites

Birth is the archetypal rite of passage for a woman, containing the essential elements of any ritual: separation from normal life, a profound transition during which the participants occupy a timeless time, followed by re-entry into society in a changed state.  It can also be seen as a holy sacrament; the entry of a soul from another plane into this earthly dimension. -- Jackie Singer, Birthrites Birthrites: Rituals and Celebrations for the Child-bearing Years was a fortuitous find for me, a … [Read more...]

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Review: Bless This Child

July 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

"Here, under my heart you'll keep till it's time for us to meet..." --Erica Mann Jong (33) Edward Searl is a Unitarian minister and the editor of Bless This Child: A Treasury of Poems, Quotations and Readings to Celebrate Birth.  He writes that the collection, "gives voice to the many hopes and wishes that accompany the arrival of a new child." (vii) These prayers, poems, and meditations are "culled from antiquity and from our contemporary world, written and spoken by parents, priests, … [Read more...]

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