MINMIA BLOG SERIES 2 (CONT): SOME REBIRTHING CEREMONY STORIES

Jane’s Rebirthing Ceremony Story…

I am one whose placenta was probably burned with many others ‘back in the day.’ It’s not that I haven’t ‘had a life’ so to speak, or not been motivated or felt passion for my work etc, but I do know that I have wondered if what I am ‘doing with my life’ is what I’m ‘meant’ to be doing… And have often asked myself ‘is this how I can best serve?’ And I can report that since doing my Rebirthing Ceremony, I have most definitely felt a difference.

Here are some excerpts from my journal… 28.06.16

My ReBirthing Ceremony

Just 58, just past winter solstice.

On my natal moon phase I planted my symbolic placenta in the earth on our land in the middle of the lem-

 niscate I ‘painted’ where I poured my blood for many moons, so many moons. I poured my blood on the earth offering it to Nungeena each cycle for 12 years here before I stopped bleeding.

I spoke the words from the instructions –

“Guide, anchor, and make this one a good strong earth-connected Miwi. I give thanks for courage, compassion, wisdom and love.

I Anchor my journey I Anchor my journey I Anchor my journey I Anchor my journey I Anchor my journey I Anchor my journey I Anchor my journey I Anchor my journey.”

I placed a camellia flower on the top of the earth, one of my (dead) mother’s favourite, it means gratitude. I wonder for while what she would have to say about all this…

Weekend after…

I’m feeling a deepening on my connection with my Power Animals, and I wonder about that…as my connection with the earth strengthens so is my connection with my body and the spirit representation of that in the shamanic realm that shows up as my power animal… interesting…

02.07.16

I can feel some changes/differences/developments since planting my ‘placenta’… For example, this morning I was quite happy pottering in the kitchen, decanting broth, preparing an oatstraw infusion, making seed

bread, dreaming about having bees and a cow… feeling the ‘life on the land’ calling me loudly and it felt good. And feeling the ‘use’ of me really showing up in the shamanic womancraft sessions I’ve been having on the phone or by skype with women from all around the world this past week… and seeing and knowing that I can really help this way…

20.07.16

And since then I’ve been ‘doing’/facilitating more really powerful shamanic sessions on the phone… I wouldn’t have believed that possible before…

The other thing that’s happened is a driving focus on the ‘as without, so within’ perspective… the two way connection… I’m feeling the Mother and her pain…

Earth my body Water my blood Air my breath and Fire my spirit

And I’m thinking about the oestrogen dominance/pollution of the earth and within the bodies of women, men, children and all beings… and the hunt I’ve been on to see the links between how the earth deals with this and therefore what we can learn from that and can do for our bodies. Oestrogen dominance is the ‘cause’ of so many of our ‘problems’. A quick google search reveals so much. And this list of symptoms from oestrogen dominance:

Weight gain, PMS, Mood swings, High emotional sensitivity, Heavy periods, Breast tenderness, Head- aches, Decreased libido, Sluggish metabolism, Menstrual cramps, Cystic Fibroids, Ovarian Cysts, Endometriosis, Adenomyosis, PMS, PMDD, Depression, Hypothyroidism (estrogen is antagonistic to thyroid hormone), Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Cervival Cancer.

If you’re wondering about the legitimacy of Oestrogen dominance, see here and here.

I have always looked to permaculture for ideas and solutions for the ‘problems’ of our bodies, our lives, our culture. Thinking whole system. For example as I have written and said so many times:

We need to consciously use one of the main principles of permaculture for our children’s wellbeing, and for our future, we need to create the conditions, the culture, inside and out, that supports them not just to grow but to thrive. 

So, my research revealed that the earth filters oestrogen and other pollutants with the Mycelium. And, that the equivalent of the Mycelium in our body is the fascia… and this information, I have been furiously hunt- ing since doing my Rebirthing Ceremony will undoubtedly inform much of my work to come…

Here is the story of Melissa’s experience of her Rebirthing Ceremony and encounter with Minmia’s teachings…

Reflecting on My Rebirthing ceremony

Melissa, wife of Andrew and Mother of five boys living in Bellingen, graduate of the School Shamanic Woman- craft, Doula

So I travelled down to Mystery Bay to the women’s initiation weekend with Minmia – I was 28, I knew the requirement was that I needed to be in my 30th year – however I was thinking, I have 4 kids, I’ve been do- ing lots of work on myself, I’m a woman, I know stuff…

My two friends I was travelling with were each in their mid to late thirties and we began to discuss this change that happens around thirty – it was described as the true dawning of responsibility – they kind of sounded like they knew something I didn’t – but I didn’t think so! And all this talk of responsibility and planning didn’t sound like a great deal of fun to me. I remember thinking “ I don’t think that sounds like me not even an old version of me!”

Well we don’t know what we don’t know… anyhow I really loved making my own mistakes and learning from them – I felt so fre e- even with 4 kids under 6, I felt very carefree and somewhat protected from the harsh realities of life…

After day one of Minmia’s teachings I felt very different – I no longer wanted to push my way into the ini- tiation process – instead I was humbled with the realisation that very soon I would be moving into a new phase of my life and change was inevitable. Under Wirradjiri law, it is believed that up until the age of 30 the traditional female/male initiation time, we are in a learning phase of life – and there is great forgiveness and understanding for the mistakes we make in this process of growing up. I actually felt relief, I could wait another year and come back ready to truly take on my adulthood.

Over the weekend we did a letting-go ceremony in which I found myself released from an incredible weight of shame and guilt I didn’t even know I held. We also learnt how to conduct our own rebirthing ceremony

This teaching resonated so deeply within me – I was born in a Sydney hospital along with quite a few others on the 19th January. Our placentas were gathered up and taken to the incinerator to be burnt – our miwi prints mixing together – our soul prints entwined – the earth unable to discern one from the other. And so it followed that around the time of menstruation when with the spilling of my blood my unique blueprint would have become available to me – I was confused, unable to go back to what was known but no clear path ahead either – that confusion stayed with me for a very long time – my teenage life was like a tedious puzzle

– I did the best with what I had.

I arrived home from the initiation weekend uninitiated but feeling right on track. I knew I had a power- ful tool to help me on my way – I set the intention that I would find my surrogate placenta in the form of a rock – in no great hurry it came on my morning bush walk – I planned my rebirthing ceremony for my 29th birthday. I cut my hair and I collected my blood. I dug a hole and chose myself a tree, a tree that held the qualities that would support me on my journey.

I paid a lot of attention to my surroundings – the animals, the plants and the unique energy of that particular place, knowing that all these factors play a powerful role in supporting my own unique journey. I made  a fire and using sacred gum as a smudge I cleansed myself and also the land we were living on, the place of my rebirthing. I prepared my surrogate placenta and placed it in the hole reciting the words that Minmia  had given us women. I spent a long time making wishes and prayers and reflecting on my life. I did this surrounded by my closest circle of women who also leaned down and placed their blessings and commitments to me in the hole with my placenta. Later other friends and family arrived. I asked them individually that if they felt called to do so I would love for them to visit my hole and make a commitment to me – this commitment was between them and the universe. Even with a little eye rolling from some family members everyone participated. It was very beautiful and within my comfort zone at the time. I personally couldn’t have been with the process as deeply with all the people I loved and wanted there if I involved them with the whole process – it felt powerful and undiluted this way.

Afterwards I filled in my sacred hole and planted my tree on top. The whole process was deeply transformative. I felt strong, clear, actually I felt rather queenly! Ruler of my own life and destiny. Very interestingly the following year I was completely ready to take on the commitments of my initiation – being deep in my Saturn return – such wisdom in these teachings – I no longer rush through things, having had this beautiful lesson in perfect timing and everything in its right place providing me with all I need to know all that I am.

I repeated this process for my first two boys – they each chose their own surrogate placenta, my next 3 boys