Sacred Space: Cleansing

Author: Deanna Norris of Earthbound Soul Birth Services

The holy act of space cleansing can look different for everyone. For some, it's salt on the windowsills and chanting prayers on the new moon. For others, it's a physical removal of negative weight to make room for positive. Others prefer holy water and sacred words. For me, I like to keep it simple. 

White sage, salvia alpiana, is known for its ability to purify space. There's something cathartic for me in the act of placing fire to sage. Smelling it's sweet scent wafting into the four corners of my room always puts my mind and soul at rest. It is interesting to note that Salvia comes from the Latin root salvare, which means, "to heal." 

"Sacred white sage (Salvia Alpiana) is one of the most potent plants for purification, cleansing and clearing. Traditionally used by many desert dwelling tribes. Often referred to as Grandmother sage, it represents a divine feminine medicine that purifies negativity and connects and grounds us with mother earth." via powwowlodge

Indigenous people have used sage for centuries, ceremonies clouded with the thick white smoke. Plains people would line the floor of the sweat lodge with sage, rubbing it over their bodies as they sweat, to purify. Sage is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive out bad spirits, feelings, or influences, and also to keep bad spirits from entering the area where a ceremony takes place.

Simple Smudging Ceremony:

Take a minute to collect your thoughts. Set your intention for the space you are about to smudge. Light sage bundle. Blow on it a bit to get the smoke flowing. Walk with intention around your space, using whatever path you feel called upon, but most cleansers go north, east, south and west. Using a feather that you have purified with sage, or your hand, fan the smoke into the spaces you feel need to be cleansed. You may say a few words, or not, and snuff out your sage while facing east. 

You can continue the cleansing process with cedar and sweetgrass. I enjoy using both, but do no always feel the need to utilize them. If you choose to follow this ceremony with cedar and sweetgrass, here are simple suggestions for their use. 

After using sage to drive out the bad influences, purify yourself with cedar and then repeat the cleansing process throughout the space with the cedar. Use sweetgrass in the same manner to bring in good influences. All the while, praying for help in this cleansing and/or keeping your intentions set on the space. Finally, you may take a candle over the space and push its light into every corner. The People of the Pacific Northwest Coast call this, "lighting-up".

You will instantly feel lighter and more pure after this ceremony, air all cleared, intentions set.

to purchase sage from an ethical source, go here:

powwowlodge

to purchase sweetgrass & cedar from an ethical source, go here: 

taosherbco

Bio:

Deanna Norris is a Holistic Birth Doula in central Oklahoma. She holds certifications in Raw Food and Holistic Life Coaching as well as Space Cleansing. She is also a certified Home Apothecary and uses these skills to add depth to her calling of being a birth worker and feminist. She is a writer, artist, gypsy and momma. She lives barefoot with her Englishman, growing things in their backyard, in a quiet little neighborhood in Edmond, OK. You can find out more about Deanna on her website.

Sacred Name - Naming Your Baby

By: Kandace Beck, CD(DONA), CPES, CEIM with Butterfly Birth, LLC

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose.. By any other name would smell as sweet" Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet

As your pregnancy moves farther along, you may start to ask the question “What should I name my baby”. Choosing a name for a precious name family member can make the whole experience seem very real. Sometimes we struggle with naming our babies, because let’s face it, it’s another person identity. You may find clarity by asking yourself what is holding you back. As the amazing poet Rumi once said “Our children are not ours, but they come through us. We do not own them, we guide them”. Choosing your new babies name is the first step in guiding them into this world.

“Naming your baby is personal, it’s political, it’s spiritual, it’s artistic, it’s identifying” Anni Daulter

Finding a new name for your little one should be a celebrated experience during your pregnancy. Something you may also want to explore is the relationship you have you’re your own name. Find out how and why your parents gave you the chosen name you have, are you comfortable with that, and what would you change about it? These are all things that can help you find the perfect name your baby was meant to have. Sometimes you may want to wait until your baby is earthside to name your baby. Many cultures name their children in this way. If you have older children, you may want to get them involved in the naming of their new sibling. In many cultures older siblings care for the younger siblings as if they were parents. Your babies name is what he/she will hear more than any other word in their lifetime, it’s the essence of who they are and what they are to become. A person’s name carries with it the energy of that person and as such should be given with care. You may also want to hold a naming ceremony.

A naming ceremony is a non-religious celebration of the arrival of a new child. It is a way of welcoming the child and officially introducing him/her to family and friends. Naming ceremonies are appropriate for anyone, at any age. The arrival of a new baby, uniting of step or adopted children within a family, or an adult name change are all great reasons to hold a naming ceremony.

Naming ceremonies involve the important people in the child's life - family and special friends. Parents have the opportunity to ask other adults to play a supportive role to their child through to adult life (grandparents, godparents, mentors or supporters). Poems, readings and quotes of personal significance can be used throughout the ceremony. Often a symbolic gesture is also made such as the lighting of a candle, planting of a tree etc. In addition, certificates are presented to parents and other special people as a record of the occasion. Naming ceremonies are not a baptism or christening. While the ceremonies are non-religious, many parents with religious beliefs hold naming ceremonies to welcome their child. Doing so does not prevent the child from holding or participating in a religious ceremony at any stage of their life. While the Naming Ceremony and accompanying documents don't have any legal status, they are a wonderful way to welcome your child and celebrate them as they begin their journey through life. Each ceremony is unique and is tailored to suit your individual needs.

A basic checklist of things to consider follows:

• Choose date and time for the ceremony 
• Decide on venue 
• Confirm celebrant 
• Meet with celebrant to ensure you feel comfortable 
• Pay deposit to celebrant 
• Collate guest list 
• Decide on invitations (optional) · 
• Send invitations (four weeks prior is a good guide) 
• Select ceremony style and format 
• Choose 'special people' to participate in the ceremony 
• Choose symbolic gesture for ceremony (optional) 
• Choose the music (optional) 
• Choose poems, readings or quotes (optional) 
• Write any special words, poems etc (optional) 
• Choose a theme (optional) 
• Choose decorations (optional) 
• Decide what child will be wearing 
• Decide on food and drink requirements 
• Follow up guests who haven't sent an RSVP (one week prior) 
• Ask for volunteers to help on the day 
• Book a photographer or nominate a friend to take photos 

Here are some ideas to help you plan your special day: 

• Time capsule/treasure box - Can contain small gifts, photos, letters or written note cards. The capsule/box is presented to the child when they turn 18 or 21. Invite guests to bring an item instead of a present i.e. CDs; magazines; newspapers; the Guinness Book of Records; coin collections; symbols of something they wish for the child such as runes & crystals to symbolize different things like peace and hope; pebbles from someone's favorite beach 'that the child may always have a special place to go and think'; Celtic symbols such as a horseshoe for good luck; cuff links that he may be a gentleman; a joke book - that she/he may always keep her/his sense of humor; a pressed leaf that they may appreciate nature. 
• Photo board of baby photos of 'special people'. 
• Personalized stamps with a photo of your child - for sending out the invitations or thank you notes. 
• Planting of a tree - Guests help plant the tree and as they place dirt into the ground, they say a word/s expressing their wish for the child OR give out bells for guests to ring as the tree is planted (Native Australian Plants are ideal and symbolic). 
• Lighting of a candle - Candles can be personalized and decorated with little flowers, butterflies, sporting items, cars, child's name, photo, date of birth, weight and length and a poem etc. The parents light the candles, make wishes for their child and promise that on each birthday when they light the candle on the cake they will remember what a miracle the child is. 
• Historical significance - mentioning important things that happened in history on the child's day of birth. 
• Video record - get all your guests to say something about the child (wishes etc) to play back at their 18th/21st. 
• Release a dove - the worldwide symbol for peace. 
• Wishing well/cards - Guests write their wish for the child on a note and place it in a wishing well for the parents to read and keep for the child. 
• Rose petal blessing - Shower with rose petals. 
• Fairy Dust - used at the blessing instead of roses/water. Special people say nice words/wishes as they sprinkle it (Fine glitter, nontoxic - warning it sticks to absolutely everything!). 
• Soaring spirit celebration - Releasing of balloons to encourage your child's spirit to bloom and grow. 
• Write a poem about your child to read at the ceremony. 
• Meaning of name commemorative certificate - a detailed full color, laminated certificate. The child's name is displayed at the top of the certificate, along with the names origin and meaning. The rest of the certificate could include details such as Emotional Spectrum; Personal Integrity; Personality; Relationships; Travel & Leisure; Career and Money; Life's opportunities; their lucky numbers, star sign and birth date. 
• Ceremony theme - base the ceremony around the meaning of your child's name. 
• Star sign commemorative certificate - a full color, laminated certificate providing information about the child's star sign. 
• Astrological chart about your child's life - various charts are available depending on the level of detail you want. 
• Signature bear - For guests to sign creating a permanent memento of the day and guests who attended. 
• Photo signature frame - Frame a photo of your child with a large enough border for people to write on it. It becomes a beautiful reminder of the day and something you can hang in their room or the house. 
• Thank you/Memento cards for guests - Cards mailed out within a couple of weeks of the ceremony are a lovely way to thank your guests for being part of your child's special day. You could hand-make the thank you card and include a photo of your child or consider ordering personalized cards. The options are limitless.

Naming Story

When we got pregnant with our 1^st son I really struggled with what to name him. I knew I wanted it to be unique and something he would not be hesitant to love as much as we did. I knew that this is the 1^st thing I would be giving to him as a parent.

I began doing lots of family research to come up with the “perfect” name for him. My husband is Irish, and we both decided that we wanted him to have a good, strong, Irish names. I also began to ask my mother why my brother had 4 names. She told me all of the men on her side of the family have 4 names, and I knew that was a tradition that I wanted to carry on. My husband also wanted our 1^st sons name to begin with an R, as that was a family tradition.

So.. We started going through “name books” like most parents do. I just didn’t find anything that I fell in love with or that fit our needs above. So.. I just quit looking for a while, and meditated about it, and just let things fall into place. My mother called me one day and said she dreamed of the name “Ryker”, I asked her where she found it, and she couldn't tell me, she said it just came to her. I fell in love with the name right away, but wanted to make sure it was Irish and what it’s meaning was.

I took the name and started doing some research. Turns out the name “Ryker” is Irish Celtic for “Robert”, which incidentally is my father in laws name. So then I started thinking of the other 2 names. My husband’s name is Ryan Lee and I knew I wanted that to be incorporated. So I just decided to change the order a bit. My 1^st son was born with the name “Ryker Lee Ryan Beck”. I am proud to be his mother, and am proud to have given him a name that can carry him through life, with pride and understanding.

What will you name your baby, or have named your baby? Leave a comment below about your babies name, and story!