Maidens, Mothers, and Crones – Januar...

Maidens, Mothers, and Crones – January in the Red Tent

It was a silver gray day, clouds pregnant with something, Mother Earth at rest in the winter deep. The naked limbs of the trees seemed to beckon the women, “Come in, come in, and we will watch over and bless you.”

And come in they did, to the first Red Tent Temple of the new year and the special occasion planned for the day. The women were looking forward to this tent even more than they usually do as it would be a day that we would honor one of our daughters whose Moons have carried her into her Maidenhood.

Joy and anticipation informed the creation of the tent. Many hands made light work of draping fabric, lighting candles, creating altars, heating soups and water for tea. Every woman looked forward to providing McKenzie and Mia, friends and goddesses-in-training with the honoring that few of us were blessed with when we began our Moon times.

Once the tent was ready, we relaxed into our soothing communal energy and shared with the girls what the Red Tent is and what it means to each of us. Some drew, some told stories, others read cards or wrote. Throughout this time of peace and laughter, warm, winter food, and sharing, the girls and the women – maidens, mothers, and crones alike – received the gifts of the Red Tent community, creating an easy comfort and a soft, gentle magic away from the cares of the world and our daily lives.

As we gathered in circle, we passed the talking bowl and offered our gifts: gifts of advice, of elder-wisdom, of gratitude, and of prayers. The women also shared some of their stories and feelings that are always spoken among us into the safe container of the circle. The girls listened carefully and we know they will remember what they heard that day. Their shy, simple “thank you” was enough for us to know.

As our time together came to a close – how does a whole day go by so quickly – the rains came. The cleansing, healing waters were the closing sacrament as the Earth Mother took part in all the blessings of our very special day.

Please join us at the Red Tent Temple on Sunday, February 21^st, and help us to rest and rejuvenate, explore, and create yet another very special day for women. The trees wish it to be so and have promised to continue to be our welcoming guardians.

~

To My Daughters

by Corey Alicks

I’ll tell you about power:

We are born with the potential

for every daughter we will ever have

embedded like pearls in the dark flesh of our ovaries.

You were already there, in me,

while I was yet curled within my mother, as she was,

inside my great-grandmother;

each mother birthing her grandchildren, through her pelvis,

ivory cradles protecting secret worlds within our own seas,

worlds of fierce hearts and minds beyond knowing.

Is there a greater power than holding the entire

universe in your belly?

All of Creation? What about our own galaxies pouring forth?

The summoning of all that is love

and alive into our very breasts, our marrow,

our coursing blood, a luminous milky way

so bright it blinds, with all the power and force of life,

heaven meeting earth, giving to those worlds we hold,

that we see in the irises of our daughters’ eyes.

~