The Red Yarn

There has been much talk here lately about the juju at the mama gatherings, and it seems a discussion on the topic would not be complete without a few words on the red yarn. This soft ball of yarn has traveled to every blessingway in our tribe - and that is a lot. In the past year alone, it has graced the circles of at least a half a dozen mamas-to-be.
With this charmed ball of yarn, at the close of each blessingway, we create a web that binds us together in sisterhood. Beginning with the honoree, the yarn is passed from person to person, each woman wrapping it around her wrist or ankle a few times. As the yarn travels around the circle, we sing a rhythmic song: Woman am I. Spirit am I. I am the infinite within my soul. I have no beginning and I have no end. All this I am. The red yarn symbolizes the connection of the blood from mother to baby, as well as the blood that runs through the veins of every woman, binding all women together. Once we have woven ourselves into this web of womanhood, the yarn is cut and everyone ties their section around wrist or ankle to wear as a symbol of support until the mother gives birth.It seems I almost always have a length of this yarn tied around my ankle... so for me, it represents the support I'm offering, but also serves as a loving reminder of the web of support I have in mothering mindfully.

"Buddhists have a tradition of tying a piece of red string around the neck or wrists of a pregnant woman's family as a way of keeping vigil for the birth. The string is a daily reminder to hold the woman in their prayers as she approaches the moment of motherhood." - Mother's Nature