A Mother Blessing Ceremony (also known as a Blessingway), is a beautiful way to honour the woman’s pregnancy and transition into motherhood, and has its roots in Navajo (native American) ceremony, which celebrates this momentous rite of passage. Unlike a conventional baby shower, where the focus is on bringing gifts for the baby, a Mother Blessing is a way for a woman’s close friends to make her feel loved, nurtured and pampered, to infuse her with blessings, strength and confidence for the birth and wisdom for motherhood.
From the Belly Belly article:
A Mother Blessing involves a gathering of the mother-to-be’s most trusted friends and family, who sit in the power of a circle and share amongst one another. Traditionally it is a woman-only gathering and may include her mother, sisters, aunts, daughters, best of friends, mentors – anyone she respects, looks up to or values. It helps the woman to prepare herself for the birth, emotionally, spiritually and mentally, for the all important role of a new mother. She feels ‘held’ and supported by those she loves and respects – a great way to help her release any blockages she may be feeling and to allow her to embrace what’s to come. Hearing other women’s birth stories as you share around the circle can be surprising, exciting and heartwarming to hear. A Mother Blessing can be very affirming, empowering and uplifting.
For my own Blessingway, I had each guest bring a vegetarian dish, 2 beads – 1 for myself and 1 for my baby, to contribute to a Blessingway necklace to be worn or hung around the neck during labour. I also had each woman bring me a 8″ x 8″ piece of funky fabric to make a bunting, or flags to be hung above the birth space and/or above the baby’s sleeping space after birth, to remind me of all my friend’s blessings and well wishes. Some women also have their friends write words of affirmations for the birth.
During the ceremony I was pampered with a herbal foot soak while I had my belly painted with henna, and during this time each friend bought me their beads and a blessing to wish me a good birth and to wish the baby a safe arrival. My friends also told me their birth stories and read poems and words of affirmations to fill me with confidence for the birth. After the ceremony my flags were sewn together to make the bunting which was hung above the spot he was birthed for years until we moved house!
If you would like me to conduct a Blessingway ceremony for you, please get in touch and I can help make this journey to parenthood an extra special occasion that is suited to your individual tastes.
Price is $250* which includes the following:
*Digital design of invitations
*Virginia to MC the day
*Some pregnancy and mother/baby statues for decoration
*Use of Smudge spray, Essential oils and diffuser to energetically clear the space and infuse a delicious aroma
(*Extra for travel outside of my area)
If you would also like some henna belly artwork, that can also be arranged. (Extra charge)
