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... Read more
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... Read more
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... Read more
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 childbirth,... Read more
by Kira Nuit Growing up Catholic, I’ve prayed a rosary or thirty. The experience is meditative and calming. Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam also have rituals involving beads. Beads may have been among the earliest ornaments created by humans. Their colors please the eye; their textures and weight please the hands; their soft clicks please the ears. During the inescapably visceral experience of pregnancy I felt fully connected to my body for the first time. It seemed the perfect opportunity to... Read more
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... Read more
This is the first in a new series, inspired by Radical Doula Profiles, 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. If you would like to be a part of the series please send an email to [email protected]. What is your name? Jane Hardwicke Collings What kind of work do you... Read more
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,... Read more
On the night of the Winter Solstice this year, between fifty and sixty people gathered in the chapel at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in San Francisco. Women and their loved ones came to honor their ‘spirit babies’ - those who had been lost due to a miscarriage, abortion and stillbirth. It was standing room only. Read more
Pagan Families has been growing as a resource on Pagan pregnancy and birth because of its many readers and contributors. We’re up past 540 likes on Facebook, and the writers who’ve contributed to the blog number in the double digits. That’s pretty exciting! Are you a writer who’s been thinking about making a contribution? Now’s a great time to have a look at our contributor guidelines and send us that post. Here are some topics it would be great to... Read more
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