For women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy

Blessingway Ceremony

What is a blessingway ceremony?

A blessingway ceremony is a ceremony to honour a pregnant woman and assist her to prepare for childbirth.   It brings women together in a circle of sisterhood around the pregnant mother.   It gives close friends and family the opportunity to express their love, appreciation and support.   And it gives the pregnant mother the opportunity to receive these blessings, and to honour the scale of the changes that are taking place in her life.

A blessingway ceremony is generally held in late pregnancy, so that the pregnant mama can carry the blessings with her into the experience of giving birth.   A blessingway can also be in early pregnancy, as a way of welcoming and celebrating the baby's spirit and the pregnancy journey which has just begun.   Or at any other point at which a woman feels the need.

Beginnings and endings go hand in hand, so a blessingway ceremony can be a useful place for beginning to consciously release and grieve aspects of the old life, the pregnant or pre-pregnant self, even as we open ourself joyously to the new beginning, the new way of being which is ahead of us.   A blessingway circle is a special place for heart-to-heart sharing between women, where fears and doubts can be aired, honoured and released into the light.   Or it can be pure celebration, something like a baby-shower, only with the focus firmly on honouring and blessing the mother-to-be.

Custom-designed ceremonies

Ishara will design and facilitate a blessing ceremony for you and your chosen circle of friends and family.

Ishara's Blessing Ceremony package includes:

• an initial 90 minute planning session to clarify your personal needs and desires for the ceremony
• follow up conversation by phone or email to confirm final ceremony outline and arrangements
• a ceremony designed to reflect your personal journey, which Ishara will facilitate for you in your own home (or your venue of choice)
• a copy of any special poems, prayers or blessings you choose to incorporate

  In addition the deluxe package includes

• an additional consultation in your own home to review & refine the ceremony
• materials and assistance to creat your own hand-made invitations
• candles & flowers for use in the ceremony

Costs:

Blessing Ceremony Package $200
Deluxe Blessing Ceremony Package $340
Planning consult only (to generate ideas for a do-it-yourself ceremony) $100

Baby Welcomings / Namings also available on a similar basis.

If money is an issue and you are not worried about having a custom-designed ceremony, Ishara can come to your home and perform a simple Goddess blessing for mother & baby for $75.