Menarche
Traditionally, and stereotypically, from when a girl gets her first bleed (menarche) she is considered a young woman. She crosses a portal and there is no turning back. She can now get pregnant and in yesteryears this is what defined her as being "a woman".
Yet menstrual blood is still seen globally as something to be ashambed of, a burden, or at least something to hide.
So if Menstruation = Being a Woman: The conclussion by the overwhelming majority of humans on the planet who spend a large part (an average of 40 years) of their life having a menstrual cycle, is that being who they are, a woman is something to be ashamed of, a burden, or at least in some way needs to be hidden.
WOW! That applies to about 4 BILLION human beings right now possibly having made that conclussion, and to the rest of the 4 billion being affected by that conclussion!
THE day that a girl gets her first bleed marks her life forever, consciously and unconsciously. Ask anyone who has ever had their menstrual cycle how it was for them the first time they bled. It doesnt matter if they are grandmothers now, they will likely remember. Not only the circumstances, but especially how they felt, and who was/ wasn't there. It is a superpowerful moment. And yet... for the overwhelming majority of menstruators, it is an initiation into shame and secrecy, not celebration and honor.
What if we lived in a culture, a planet, that celebrated menarche instead of keeping it a secret, shaming it, seeing it as a burden?
What if THAT day would be remembered as a rite of passage, a day filled with love, connection and joy, instead of fear, contraction and disgust?
What if this was honored by those in female and male bodies?
WHAT IF?
How different would our lives be, as a humanity, if a woman's imprint of "becoming a woman" was celebrated not shamed? How different would the sons we raise be? How different would our relationships be? How different would we treat our bodies? How different would we regard the feminine in everyone and everything?
PAUSE and give this a 2 minute consideration!
IF ONLY THIS ONE THING CHANGED externally, what would that mean for the inner shift of all 8 billion of us living on this planet today?
What would it mean for the planet itself?
What if...
Here are resources to overcome and turn around the couple of millenia of shaming we have inherited as a collective around the feminine!
If you have other resources to suggest, please let us know.
Click the link to access the desired resource
Winter Jade Icely
She Remembers
A story about the moon and you.
This story is from a time long ago, a time of great magic and mystery. In this story we follow a girl not different from you.
This was a time when people sat by firelight and sang songs about the changing seasons. They danced everyday and gazed into the nights sky with wonder.They listened to the whispers of the stars. The earth was celebrated as the great goddess and every rock every leaf every drop of water every animal and most importantly our bodies were seen as deeply sacred.
Do you remember?
Kristin Murray Alexi
Susmita becomes a womban
A journey getting to know your cycle and everything it entails with Susmita.
JAne Hardwicke Collings
Mother Nature’s Wisdom children’s book
Mother Nature’s Wisdom is an educational and interactive children’s book teaching the wisdom of the cycles.
Beautiful illustrations by Freya Rose accompany a journey through the seasons of the Earth and Life.
Ways to flow with the Lunar Cycle and a glimpse at a woman’s cycle remind us of the ancient wisdom teachings from the Earth’s Song of Life.
Jane Hardwicke Colling
Becoming ~ a Woman: A guide for girls approaching menstruation
Becoming ~ Woman is a booklet Jane Hardwicke Collings for girls and their parents who are looking for some easy-to-understand information about the menstrual cycle.
DeAnna L’am
Resources
My name is DeAnna L’am, and my own coming-of-age, probably like yours, lacked in warmth or empowerment. In 1992 I began a personal journey toward embracing my monthly cycle, which led me to “reverse the curse!” I committed myself to learning everything I could about What Girls Need!
Here are my findings:
* We can not give our daughters what we didn't receive!
* The key is in Making Peace with our own Adolescence
* This becomes the Spring Board to empowering our girls with ease, confidence, and joy!
Over the past 30 years - I've developed a series of Tools to:
~ EMPOWER you to talk confidently about Coming-Of-Age with your girl
~ SHIFT your mindset from dread to ease
~ COMMUNICATE authentically to create life-long friendship with your girl
I'd like to offer you Tools & Experiences that are inspiring, fun, and age-appropriate, to Help you feel Calm and Competent when Steering the Coming-Of-Age Wheel!
This is what is Possible:
~ Feel Peace about the girl You once were
~ Deeply Understand what your girl is feeling
~ Competently Discuss any topic with your girl
~ Have a Tool Kit for the Coming-Of-Age journey
~ Experience Ease going into the TEEN years