Rites and Rituals

I didn't have a Menarche ceremony, but I remember my mom's best friend giving me a big hug and saying, "Welcome to the club! You're a woman now!" which is about as good a welcoming ceremony as I could have expected (if I'd known what they were), as I adored and looked up to her.

A group of girlfriends and I are putting one together for our daughters...well...their daughters for now, mine in the future! They have five girls between them, in the same age ranges, so in about 5 - 10 years we're going to be very busy - thank goodness we have a lot of time to plan. Menarche ceremonies/rituals are overlooked in our culture...your menstrual cycle is not something to be ashamed of, it's not dirty, and it doesn't need to be embarrassing to talk about. It should be something to be excited about, to be taught about in a loving manner. Girls should know what to expect, to be able to talk about their periods with a light heart, and to know that they are part of a huge interconnected network of women that they can draw strength from.

We're also putting together a yearly women's retreat for 18+ women to celebrate our own monthly cycles. We have a couple of places staked out and are putting together a ceremony to give of our bodies back to Mother Earth and the fertile energy that she needs to stay healthy, and then to renew and rejuvenate our own bodies, celebrating the differences and beauty in each of us.