First Moon Workshop

Today I attended a workshop with my daughter and most of the other sixth grade girls & mothers. It was empowering & educational. They split up the girls & the mothers. The girls formed clay uteruses, as an educational tool & distration while they learned about their bodies. We learned that...

*When a young woman begins to bleed she first experiences her Wise Woman, then throughout her life she practices her Wise Woman, and alas when she quits bleeding she becomes the Wise Woman.

*Menstration was considered sacred throughout much of history in many cultures. Women were honored and considered to have special powers (they could bleed for days and not die). Men would travel to hear their wisdom.

*The moon interacts with the electromagnetic fields of our bodies, so our creative biological and psychological cycles (and the seasons & stages of life) parallel the phases of the moon.

*If your cycle is not being regulated naturally by the moon (bleeding on the new moon & ovulating on the full moon), go out and spend some time in the moonlight and your pituitary gland will sync you back with the moon.

*Evidently menstration blood is the highest bio-energetically charged substance...and can be an outstanding fertilizer for your garden!!

I'll just take their word on that one.

We also learned about alternative supplies, without all the harsh chemicals & environmental burden... such as Lunapads (washable organic cotton pads) that come in a variety of fun prints.

I never even considered using cloth diapers with my children, but I will admit these are interesting. My daughter after seeing all her options, said these were definitely her pick.

I have preferred "Instead" for years, and now they have the new "DivaCup", which is a reuseable silicone cup. They also showed Sea Pearls (sea sponge tampons!). Curious!

They gave each of the girls a wooden box to create (with their mothers) a sacred "Moon Box".

The demonstration box was beautiful-- paint, glitter, pictures, symbols, glass gems/stones, sm. dried roses, and a peacock feather. I want to do one too now. They also gave them a small journal that could fit inside. The idea is to set up a monthly ritual. The box could also hold a favorite tea (or herbs for moon tea), dark chocolate, symbolic jewelery (red ring), lavender oil, bath salts, a moon calender, alternative supplies... Evidently, women that slow down and listen to their bodies experience less PMS.

We all wrote a special letter to our daughters...then sewed it up inside a red felt heart pillow (with fairy dust). At the end of the wkshop, we did a ceremony. The girls made a shrine with their favorite childhood momento, then lit a candle, placed it on the designated red velvet tablecloth (with flowers and the symbol of the young maiden as a butterfly) and joined their mothers. We fed each other chocolate covered strawberries (good ice breaker) and then gave them the heart we made for them. It really was lovely.