MotherCircle

There are three stages of every Rite of Passage: Separation, Transition, and Integration. ⁠

Separation is typically a loss–loss of the person you were, the life you had, possibly a loved one. ⁠

We move from separation into Transition – climbing the mountain, diving into the deep sea, going into the grave, giving birth. ⁠

When we come out, we incorporate what we have learned into the body–we Integrate. You are a new person with gifts to offer the world from your journey.⁠

Week 1 takes a deeper look at each of these stages through the Story of Inanna, culminating in an exploration of these gifts that are unique to you. Who are you on the other side?⁠

Understanding the Seasons of a Woman’s life.⁠

Where am I in these cycles?⁠

Our lives are surrounded by and sustained by cycles. An inhale is followed by an exhale. The full moon is followed by a new moon. Fall always follows summer which we preceded by spring and winter. ⁠

Our bodies bleed and shed, build up then bleed. And one day, stop bleeding and move into menopause. This is the way of it.⁠

We are in a constant state of flux, ever flowing, ebb and flow, in and out, micro and macro.⁠

In Week 2, we walk through the archetypes of Maiden, Mother, Virgin & Crone–the lifespan of a woman. Where are you in these cycles?⁠

Understand 5 universal postpartum needs, and how they are imperative to build Mother Culture and complete postpartum recovery.⁠

Postpartum means “after birth.” This means that once you have given birth, you will always be postpartum–forever.⁠

Every birth is different, and many needs vary depending on one’s situation and support system. But there are some universal needs:⁠

1. An extended rest period⁠

2. Nourishing food⁠

3. Loving touch⁠

4. Presence of wise women⁠

5. Contact with nature⁠

Week 3 walks us through each of these needs, expanding on why they are imperative to complete postpartum recovery. Which of these did you receive? ⁠

Explore how predator/prey behavior and how it connects to our experience as Mothers. ⁠

Our nervous system naturally responds differently under threat–even perceived threat–versus safety. It is more than simply “fight or flight.”⁠

A perceived threat may be a screaming child, painful intimacy with a trusted partner, re-entering the same exam room where you learned there was no heartbeat. Your nervous system responds as it would under a real physical threat.⁠

Week 4 brings awareness to how your nervous system responds to these threats and gives you the ability to modify unhelpful responses to be more present in your life. What responses do you have that feel outsized to the circumstances?⁠

Honoring the Rite of Passage that is Birth.⁠

We can’t fully prepare for birth; nor can we change what happened to us in our birth experience.⁠

But we can integrate the experiences to alter our own way of how we show up in mothering and life.⁠

We can get unstuck.⁠

Week 5 provides powerful tools for moving through the experiences that we feel stuck in, without needing to tell the story again or “process” it more. Where do you feel stuck in your story?⁠

Explore the intersection of our mother selves and our sexual selves.⁠⁠

You are a new person after birth, and that shows up in intimacy with your partner and yourself. ⁠

Things are different–how do you reconcile being both a mother and a lover? How do you receive touch from your partner when you are “touched out”?⁠

How do you make time for your partner when you don’t have time to yourself?⁠

Week 6 takes a deep dive internally to ask questions no one may have asked before: What is sex? What do I want? What do I need? How do I receive?⁠

Illuminating the relationship between mothering, work, and the source of our worth.⁠

Our relationship to work changes through different seasons of our life & mothering journey. Maybe you quit your job to be a stay-at-home parent. Maybe you left a job to slow down and start your family. Maybe you returned to your desk 6 weeks after giving birth because you had to.⁠

We all struggle in one way or another–who am I if I’m not successful? What does success even mean? What is my identity outside of mothering?⁠

Who am I on the other side of the mountain?⁠

Week 7 explores the difference between Value & Worth. What makes you valuable? What makes you worthy?⁠

Identify the values you want to live by to guide your mothering journey⁠

Whether you know it or not, you live by a set of values. Some you inherited. Some you chose along the way.⁠

These values are yours and yours alone. They are different from those of your partner, your parents, or friends. ⁠

Week 8 leads us into an exploration of the values we were given by our motherline, and reminds us that we have the power to choose what we want to keep, and what we want to change for the next generation. What do you want to pass on?⁠