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Women’s Wisdom Circle – Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage- July 18, 2026
A colleague in the field of Modern Matriarchal Studies from South Africa, Annette Müller, wrote a thesis entitled “Analyzing and Comparing Rites of Passage in Matriarchal and Patriarchal Societies: How These Ceremonies Shape the Roles and Responsibilities of Women and Men, and Serve as Foundational Elements in Nurturing and Sustaining a Healthy, Thriving Society”. She articulates the importance of rites of passage like this:
Modern society is facing a profound crisis of fragmentation. Across the world we are witnessing declining birth rates, rising loneliness, weakening communal structures, increasing mental health struggles, and growing disconnection from nature, family, and one another. These shifts are not merely economic or demographic. They reveal a deeper cultural rupture: the loss of meaningful rites of passage that once initiated individuals into adulthood, parenthood, responsibility, elderhood, and communal belonging.
Historically, rites of passage served as the social and spiritual architecture of healthy societies. In matriarchal cultures across the world, these ceremonies embedded individuals into systems of reciprocity, responsibility, and reverence for life itself. Women’s initiation rites in particular were treated as sacred communal events because fertility, motherhood, and female generative power were understood as foundational to societal continuity.
There is much to say on this topic, as socially and culturally integrated rites of passage have long-since been erased from memory and practice, leaving many of us with a sense of void or wounding around the tender transitions in our lives. Most of us don’t have lineage or even written historical records to consult; much of this material—preserved as oral tradition passed down through generations—was likely burned with the “witches” hundreds of years ago.
We’ve got much to do to heal, and to reconstruct, re-imagine, and innovate rites that effectively prepare modern girls and women to meet the challenges of our time.
We are beginning with an initial conversation on the rite of birth. Will you join us? We’d love to hold you in our circle, or hear from you remotely. Do you have insights, experiences, or innovations you’d like to share with us? You can send us an email at councilformatriarchalarts@gmail.com, or leave a comment on the blog post here.
To whet our appetite for this conversation, below you will find a few resources on the topic of birth. Please don’t feel pressured to view or read the entirety of this material. Pick and choose, consider a reference of your own choosing, or come fortified with your own personal insights.
Reclaiming Birth as a Rite of Passage, by Rachel Reed, available in many formats including audiobook from several platforms. The first chapter is available for preview free on youtube.
Additional materials, referred by Annette Müller:
Documentary: Giving Birth: Challenges and Choices, created and produced by Suzanne Arms & Susan Berthiaume.
Documentary: Birth Time, created by Zoe Naylor, Jerusha Sutton, Jo Hunter, and Selina Scoble.
Documentary: Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and The Farm Midwives, by Sara Lamm and Mary Wigmore.
Here are a few inquiries to consider or journal about before our dialogue:
What are your key memories from your rites of passage? First menstruation, initiation into responsible adulthood, motherhood, menopause?
What is your birth story?
Why is it important to consider birth as a rite of passage?
How do we heal from less-than-ideal or traumatic experiences of birthing?
Where and how do we begin to reclaim birth as a rite of passage for future generations?
What would it take for all women to emerge from their births physically well and emotionally safe? (This is the central question in the documentary Birth Time)
Are there other important inquiries you’d like to raise around this topic?
→ Read the full reflection here
Logistics
Date: Saturday, July 18, 2026
Time: 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm (EEST, local Crete time)
Location: Armenoi, Apokoronas, Crete
Cost: Free
Facilitated by: Jennifer, on behalf of the Council for the Revival of Matriarchal Arts
What to bring: A sacred item that represents your birth journey. Also, a light and healthy dish to share; please let us know what you’ll bring so we can coordinate a balanced menu and prevent waste.
Please review our Wisdom Circle Agreements before we gather.
Please RSVP: councilformatriarchalarts@gmail.com