Today I read an interesting post by some one who was reflecting over life and the many problems that can occur within ones life time. These problems were explained as something negative that can happen to someone and are unwanted, with no way out. The four problems he identified , were Birth, Old Age, Disease and Death.

Disease I get, no one wants that, but there are ways to treat a lot of diseases today, quite efficiently if you know where to look. Knowledge is power for sure. But the others, Birth, Old Age and Death. All of these are rights of passage. They are a natural part of life and they really change us, in such profound ways. And yet here we have some one who identifies them as huge problems. Why? I ask myself this question, because it really saddens me to think how far we have come in some ways, but yet how dangerous a road we have taken for others.

It is how we think that dictates who we are, what we create, or indeed even if we believe we are capable to create anything. I understand that there is a natural fear of the unknown, but how much those fears are being manipulated by others, seems to be almost unknown. Life is a circle, we are born, we live our life and then we die. But death is not the end of the circle, it is just the beginning of another life cycle. Whether you believe in re incarnation, heaven or like me that your body returns to the earth to feed the soil, so therefore your body feeds new life. We are part of this circle, as is all living things.

But there are so many more parts to our circle, so many Transitions, Rites of passage. These need to be marked, they need to be celebrated, rituals/ gatherings need to be held so that we move from one period of our lives to the next. These celebrations help prepare us, educate us and provide us with the time to listen to our own inner wisdom and that of those around us. Yet it is something that so many of us are missing out on today.

Our lives are so hectic, we are so bombarded by external noise and external pollution, that so many are not even aware of the importance of marking these hugely influential times within our lives. So they go unacknowledged and at these times we may find that we have created challenges and risks for ourselves unconsciously, craving this acknowledgement that our lives are changing and seeking out guidance from others.

But of course unless this is something that is actually happening around you, you will not be able to identify it in that way. It will just be a hunger that you have and you will seek out ways to fill that hunger. But will it be in a creative or destructive way? That depends on what is around you and what is being promoted around you. But for us to thrive in life, we need to respect all aspects of life, of our natural life. It is not something that should be feared or viewed as problematic. It is something that needs to be embraced and celebrated.

I am a huge advocate for Natural Birth as many of you will know from reading my blog, but more than that I am an advocate for a woman's right to choose where and how she will birth her baby. But when important information is being kept from women, information that would effect her decisions, then how can she make an informed choice. So many women today are not informed about the potential risks that happen when you attend a hospital or go for an ultra sound Scan. Yet the one thing that is being played out, is the fact that birth is painful and something that you will want to pass quickly. So that their offer of making you more comfortable and of the whole "procedure " being almost pain free is too much to pass up on. But all these interventions are not risk free. Yet is that being discussed, No, the emphasis is always on the pain that the mother will experience. This is something that is focused on and so much fear is build up around it.

Me and my firstborn at her naming ceremony.

Women have been birthing their babies naturally for thousand's of years, I have birthed 2 of mine naturally. What I went through, to birth them earthside, prepared me in certain ways for motherhood, it was an initiation in itself. At the end of the day once you birth your baby you are a mother, but there are somethings that are beneficial for us, that help prepare us. These things are not being talked about, they are not being promoted. As mothers we deserve all the respect and help given to us. We need to be ready both mentally and physically and yet no one wants to talk about it. Instead all the focus is on the pregnancy and the birth. Yes that is huge, but it is only part of what makes you a mother. We need time to sit with others and talk and share what will happen, what has happened, we need to be supported. This is what happens when we actively create time to celebrate our rite of passage into motherhood.

But this is exactly what needs to happen during any Rite of Passage. I have just announced the TribeSteemUp BiWeekly Question which ties in with this, so if anyone wants to answer it please do. "What is your understanding of Rites Of Passage? Are They Important and why do you think it is something that is mostly ignored in the western world Today ?". The deadline is next Wednesday the 19th December. I plan to write more on this really important topic in response to that question.

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