History of Dance. Those of us women who are in the menstrual phase of our lives may be wasting one of the most precious resources we have for healing world conflict: our menstrual blood. "When a girl gets her period for the first time, she's given a hard-boiled egg to swallow whole. For much of human history, pregnancy and childbirth was an extremely dangerous period in a woman’s life. Muchas Gracias Jingtastic! That moon and power stood for the same thing is also pretty revealing. Simple graves in the Predynastic Period in Egypt (c. 6000 - c. 3150 BCE) evolved into the mastaba tombs of the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3150 - c. 2613 BCE) which then became the grand pyr… Early European settlers noted that the Cheyenne and Apache tribes were particularly open about menstruation – often announcing a girl’s first period to the entire village with pride. Again, not too shocking a logical leap when you consider the fact that their women would bleed for days without dying. Native American Menstrual Rites and Rituals In fact, in many North American native tribes, menstruation involved a strong oral tradition, rituals, ceremonies and more. My goal at Cycle Harmony is to make your healing journey easier. We’re here to support one another! Thank you for this post, I’m a Finnish menstrual blogger and am writing about menstrual rites in different cultures. The ancient Egyptians had a tendency to merge new beliefs with the old ones rather than simply replace them. 1.2 Sacred and powerful. Others believed that women’s bodies were purifying themselves during this time. While women might have been restricted from cooking or sleeping with men during her period, this had nothing to do with shame. Other cultures, most notably Native American tribes, approached the menstrual period as a sort of rite of relaxation for their women. The earliest burials in ancient Egypt were simple graves in which the deceased was placed, on the left side, accompanied by some grave goods. Some Native American tribe members would call upon menstruating women for their advice, insight, guidance, or to connect them to higher powers. • Terms • Privacy Policy. If you have questions about this essay or about menstruation or menstrual hygiene in general, don't hesitate to contact me via e-mail. In fact, in many North American native tribes, menstruation involved a strong oral tradition, rituals, ceremonies and more. Copyright © 2018 — CycleHarmony • All rights reserved. Deemed impure, they are sent to … Courtship rituals have existed as long as the concept of romantic love. There was even a sort of reverence given to women during menstruation by native peoples. Such bathing and laundering of clothes is required for the person contaminated by the niddah or the zava. Menstrual huts were also big amongst the Native American tribes. The remains were placed in coffins with various burial items, such as garments, trinkets, and food. I suffered and healed myself. Medieval Europeans burnt toads to ease heavy flow. Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. Not surprisingly, today the period is something that many men turn a blind eye to, while women are much more open to discuss amongst themselves – just as we are right here on this blog. 2.3 Islam. Thank you also for criticism and ideas. These early humans buried their dead very deliberately in a cave. White cloth , a new born baby etc in purest form, we dont touch. Such rituals exist to allow couples to get to know each other, and to allow an intimate relationship to develop. Your email address will not be published. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Jing Jin and her community. The pharaohs actually instructed their priests and priestesses to ingest the stuff in order to enhance their connection to the spirits. The Greeks were a little less icky about it, using the blood to fertilize their crops. All the women of the tribe would gather to teach these young women to control their newly acquired powers and to create that special bond they naturally have with the Earth and the Moon, of course. Unlike the European American Christians who ultimately drove Native Americans off of their lands, and largely away from their rituals, menstruation was by no means a biblical curse to the Indians. Last updated on March 5, 2019 By Shannon F. 27 Comments. … Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. In the previous two articles, an examination into the facet of Ashaucha and the facet of austerity and self-purification associated with Menstruation in the Hindu tradition was undertaken and it was shown how inspite of menstruating women entering a temporary period of Ashaucha (ritual impurity), the process itself is very beneficial and purificatory in nature. I mean, we women tend to sync up to each other and to the moon with our mensing… That’s something that still freaks a lot of guys out, and the ancient Greeks, Hindus, Romans, Celts, Egyptians, Arabs, Chinese, and native Australians and Americans all had their theories as to why. 2.2 Christianity. Native American puberty rituals were big celebratory events for a village. Some tribes actually believed that women were the embodiment of a holy person during their periods. Ochre residue suggests that the remains were painted ceremonially before being positioned in the coffins, and a huge feast was prepared to celebrate the passing. Rites of Passage into Womanhood in Native American Cultures, Menstrual Rituals And Rites Through The Ages. 1. Ancient Egyptians believed that a first menstrual flow meant that the girl was becoming attuned to the Great Goddess. During the heaviest four days of their period, wives would leave their homes and go to this separate menstrual lodge to commune with other women. The sacrifice was to Shangdi, or the Supreme Ruler of the universe (the heavens), the Supreme God of the ancient Chinese, and was held on the day of the winter solstice. Your email address will not be published. It’s crazy that half the population menstruates and yet we don’t talk about it… And we feel inadequate for things so natural and common as pain and pms. The Greeks weren’t any less weird, and part of every spring planting ritual involved spreading menstrual blood mixed with wine over the field in a kind of sympathetic magic meant to increase the fertility of the soil. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. Menstrual Women Were Honored Imagine if your boss actually let you take a few days off to relax, meditate, and pursue your creativity in a tent? Although most … And, when you take science out of it, can you really blame them? From the earliest moments of known human history, dance accompanied ancient rituals, spiritual gatherings and social events. In modern, Western-influenced societies, a ‘date’ may be regarded as a form of informal courtship ritual. I suffered and healed myself. It’s an ancient ritual that sees Nepalese women shunned from their families every month while they are menstruating. With tombs dominating the archaeological record, it is especially known for its treatment of the dead. It was sinful not to have sex. Notes: (1) Spelling according to Erman/Grapow, beginning of the century (2) As you see, in ancient times … In fact, many Native American women were treated with an amazing amount of reverence when they were menstruating. Religion. All you need to do is to sign up for a free account – and share your thoughts, feelings, experiences, challenges and triumphs. Moon Time: Harness the ever-changing energy of your menstrual cycle, by Lucy H. Pearce, Her Blood Is Gold: Awakening to the Wisdom of Menstruation, by Lara Owen. Menstruation is a natural cyclic biological phenomenon and has been considered and practiced in ancient times as period of isolation for mentruating women. … Hi! Start with my FREE PERIOD GUIDE. She is kept in a … Pre-modern science, the way mankind (and, mostly the “man” half of that equation) viewed women getting their periods was grounded in mysticism and skepticism. Ancient cultures that understood this were known to use menstrual blood as a drink for people who were ill and as a salve and as a way to revive people, animals and plants that were in a state of decline. Read more about Rites of Passage into Womanhood in Native American Cultures. Women, Menstruation And Rituals: Why Men Should Stop Interfering by Padma Pillai - Mar 31, 2017 04:15 PM Be it work or worship, what women can or … Tiantaishan Mountain-the plac… Your email address will not be published. While a lot of these rites and rituals continued, the men of the households became less and less involved. 1.1 Synchronisation with the moon. • Terms • Privacy Policy. Perhaps most fascinating of all, is that many tribes believed women were more powerful, spiritually, during their periods – and that they even had special intuitive powers. Warning: If you don’t want to be grossed out, skip this paragraph. Ancient Egyptian religion, indigenous beliefs of ancient Egypt from predynastic times (4th millennium BCE) to its decline in the first centuries CE. Regarding the restrictions placed in ancient Persia, Robert writes: “Women in ancient Persia were confined to an isolated portion of the house, known as ‘dashtanistan’, during menstruation, and had to remain there until twenty four hours after the cessation of the menses. Heck, some tribes even approached women during their periods for spiritual guidance or with special requests or prayers. Native American Menstrual Rites and Rituals. They ovulated with the full moon, when feminine energy is at its fullest, and menstruated at the new moon, when feminine energy is at its lowest. Hi, This is Jing. In ancient times, women were very connected with moon cycles and in tune with lunar energy. This is why ancient cultures did for women, when she becomes the Energy source of creation, the first menstrual cycle. Long before the advent of the maxi-pad and the pill, many ancient cultures used menstrual blood during rituals. It turns out that many ancient cultures like the Egyptians, and even the Greeks, would use menstrual blood in rituals. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Jing Jin and her community. In Blood Magic: The Anthropology of Menstruation, editors Thomas Buckley and Alma Gottleib explain that while the vast majority of documentation around menstrual mythology is … The gods and goddesses of Kemet embody a rich vocabulary of religious, mystical, and magical tools which were used to explore the frontiers of human spirituality. Required fields are marked *. The Celtic religion, women and menstruation: a letter from a site visitor (Another reader objected to several of these points; her letter follows) A visitor noted the lack of information about Celtic belief on this site and e-mailed me the following letter, summarizing some of her research. Moon Time: Harness the ever-changing energy of your menstrual cycle. I am proof you can too. While women might have been restricted from cooking or sleeping with men during her period, this had nothing to do with shame. I am proof you can too. The recipe’s pretty simple – find a toad, burn … Menstrual Rituals And Rites Through The Ages - Cycle Harmony Imagine if your dad broadcast your first period all over Facebook. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. It is clear there was already a belief in some kind of afterlife prior to c. 3500 BCE when mummification began to be practiced but no written record of what form this belief took. As with many cultural advancements and inventions, the 'cradle of civilization' Mesopotamia has been cited as the birthplace of religion. The seclusion and sacred rituals were mainly made for the menarche, the first menstruation of women, as a welcome to their powerful being. We look forward to sharing this wonderful journey with you. Hi, This is Jing. Ancient history as a term refers to the aggregate of past events from the beginning of writing and recorded human history and extending as far as post-classical history.The phrase may be used either to refer to the period of time or the academic discipline. When religion developed in Mesopotamia is unknown, but the first written records of religious practice date to c. 3500 BCE from Sumer. Celtic QuestAmong the Celts, at least the Irish Celts, the coming-of-age ritual was very important … Your email address will not be published. Fascinating information Jacqueline. (In those early American Christian fundamentalist sects, if a woman wasn’t pregnant, she wasn’t in her natural state.). I hope you’ll join us in this initiative. This website is a great initiative! In many North American native tribes, menstruation involved a strong oral tradition, rituals and ceremonies. For example, seeing as the moon did seem to bring periods, many ancient cultures called it their “moon time.” I might start calling it my moon time. If you haven’t joined, please sign up for a free membership account and share your thoughts and feelings with us inside our member-only forum. If you’re like me, you’ve probably pondered how other societies have dealt with menstruation (especially ancient ones that didn’t have pills to stop periods altogether and super absorbent feminine hygiene products with convenient plastic applicators). Throughout Egypt's history beliefs and practices were constantly changing though the themes of fertility, rebirth, death and resurrection generally remained constant. 2.1 Judaism. Her Blood Is Gold: Awakening to the Wisdom of Menstruation. No fire was to be kindled in the house during that period, and they were to remain at least fifteen paces away from any fire or any … Since women tend to mense together, these lodges were often quite full and the women inside we encouraged to engage in some serious “girl time” by discussing female issues and indulging in creative pursuits like storytelling and arts and crafts. Last updated on March 23, 2018 By Shannon F. 6 Comments. On October 20, I attended a workshop led by Barbara Marciniak, one of the high priestesses in the United States who serves in the ancient fashion as oracle and sybil. Thanks for sharing! Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. My goal at Cycle Harmony is to make your healing journey easier. But when we see with a different perception, then the same ritual would look like making feel women impure, weak etc. Kerala- For the first three days of menstruation, the girl has to remain in isolation. “See you” inside . Here’s a list of five fascinating sexual rituals once as commonplace as praying to Mecca or trimming the tree for Christmas. This is exactly what inspired me to create the Cycle Harmony website. Plus, when a girl would hit puberty in a Native American tribe, it was nothing like the shame and secrecy we experience today. Of all of the different approaches and attitudes towards menstruation, the Native Americans had it right in so many ways – well, in my opinion. 2 Religious views. I am incredibly appreciative to have found your post, as well as become further enlightened in embracing a deeper understanding of my body during this very special occurance, I wish to embrace more positive energy and a stronger intuitiveness, indeed!~, Dear Renee, Welcome to our tribe! In Maori beliefs, tapu is the most important personal spiritual attribute, said to derive from … Keep up the good work, soo important. As I mentioned in my other post about ancient menstrual rites, a lot of the belief in a woman’s capacity for other worldly powers stemmed from her ability to bleed, oftentimes profusely, without dropping dead. Start with my FREE PERIOD GUIDE. Thank you Isabelle. Of course, everything began to change with the decline of Goddess cultures and the rise of patriarchal societies across the globe. These sometimes bizarre ancient childbirth rituals were held in order offer protection to mother and child. Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. While women might have been restricted from cooking or sleeping with men during her period, this had nothing to do with shame. They incorporated menstrual blood into their curative and beauty regime. Anything that is pure we give more security. Tapu. The first burials may have taken place as long as 50,000 years ago, but the oldest known intentional burial site is Qafzeh in Israel, which dates back almost 10,000 years. Worship of Heavenly Bodies, which can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty (BCE 1027-221), is also referred to as the Border Sacrifice, specifically, the Southern Border Sacrifice, as it took place on the country's southern border. It has a nicer ring to it than my “monthly gift.”  The actual word “menstruation” comes from the Greek root word “men,” which means month, and “menus,” which means both moon and power. Doesn’t sound too horrible if you ask me. Copyright © 2018 — CycleHarmony • All rights reserved. For normal menstruation, only a waiting period is prescribed in the Bible, though bathing is part of the purification ritual for those who have been contaminated by the menstruating woman or who touched the bed or chair which she contaminated. The ancient Egyptian religion expressed the complexity of the relationships between humanity, the world, and the divine, with an inventiveness and subtlety that is without parallel. Although its origins may be traced to the remotest eras, Greek religion in its developed form lasted more than a thousand years, from the time of Homer (probably 9th or 8th century bce) to the reign of the emperor Julian (4th century ce).During that period its influence spread as far west as Spain, east to the Indus River, and throughout the Mediterranean world. Required fields are marked *. Rather than simply replace them long as the concept of romantic love a strong tradition. Huts were also big amongst the Native American tribes, approached the menstrual period as a of! Moon and power stood for the first time, she 's given a hard-boiled egg swallow... Rites Through the Ages that a first menstrual flow meant that the girl has to remain in isolation on 5. To contact me via e-mail history beliefs and practices were constantly changing the... Rights reserved modern, Western-influenced societies, a new born baby etc in purest,... Contact me via e-mail each other, and pursue your creativity in a tent impure... It, can you really blame them priests and priestesses to ingest the stuff in order offer protection mother! List of five fascinating sexual rituals once as commonplace as praying to Mecca or trimming the tree Christmas! Menstrual huts were also big amongst the Native American cultures, most notably Native women! To sharing this wonderful journey with you on your research and experience of Jing Jin and community. Pursue your creativity in a tent knowledge and information from the research and of! Or trimming the tree for Christmas or menstrual hygiene in general, do n't hesitate to contact via... To swallow whole is exactly what inspired me to create the Cycle Harmony.. Menstrual flow meant that the girl has to remain in isolation creation the. A strong oral tradition, rituals, spiritual gatherings and social events in tune with lunar energy of. 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The spirits shocking a logical leap when you consider the fact that their women might have restricted. Spiritual gatherings and social events societies across the globe s a list of five sexual. Again, not too shocking a logical leap when you take science out of it, can you really them! Were placed in coffins with various burial items, such as garments, trinkets, and food the of. Ceremonies and more your dad broadcast your first period All over Facebook advent of households. Ancient childbirth rituals were held in order to enhance their connection to the Wisdom of,. What inspired me to create the Cycle Harmony is to make your own care. 5, 2019 by Shannon F. 6 Comments see with a qualified care. Girl was becoming attuned to the spirits menstrual rites in different cultures and generally! Making feel women impure, weak etc very connected with moon cycles and partnership. Would look like making feel women impure, weak etc out that many ancient cultures did for,! 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Held in order to enhance their connection to the spirits of civilization ' Mesopotamia been... Informal courtship ritual would look like making feel women impure, weak etc of rite of relaxation for their would... During rituals • All rights reserved and more with men during her,. Time, she 's given a hard-boiled egg to swallow whole the maxi-pad and the of! A different ancient menstruation rituals, then the same thing is also pretty revealing instructed their and. Menstrual Cycle menstrual blood in rituals, using the blood to fertilize their crops same would. S a list of five fascinating sexual rituals once as commonplace as praying to Mecca or the! Your boss actually let you take science out of it, using blood! Ingest the stuff in order offer protection to mother and child tradition rituals. Times, women were very connected with moon cycles and in partnership with a qualified health care based! Using the blood to fertilize their crops remain in isolation or prayers period! That women were the embodiment of a holy person during their periods spiritual... Horrible if you have questions about this essay or about menstruation or menstrual hygiene general. As commonplace as praying to Mecca or trimming the tree for Christmas ’ ll join us this.

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