I have wanted to redo my menarche for a long time. Mainly because I have experienced a residual feeling of lack in this aspect, I think, due to the fact that it was never celebrated. I have no recollection of my mother (or anyone) initiating me into womanhood. It just sort of happened. I can still recall my mother’s sigh when I had my first period meaning “Oh. I’m sorry you have to go through this from now on”. Not much of a celebration. I went into my womanhood with a sense of inconvenience and loss (and sexual shame, but that’s another story).
I got a chance to change that a couple of days ago.
On fertile soil, under the lushious green beeches, around a fire. In a circle of women, surrounded by a circle of men, I got to celebrate my menarche by speaking out lound my sorrow around never celebrating it in my teens. And then speaking out loud my desired beautiful experience around stepping into the wonder of the cyclical woman. The healing I experienced trancends time and space and I felt a deep sense of the wheel of life turning.
One my one the other women stood forward speaking their celebrations, clearings and desires out loud for all of nature to hear.
The power I felt in this, exceeded my wildest imagination. I wept the entire time.
We closed the ceremony by singing and the we dissolved the circle.
After the ceremony, after everyone had left, I quietly went back to the fire and drank my blood. My sigh was from relief.