Red Tent Temple

"...Demystify the period and make SOMETHING that is innate 'normal' again, cause rape categories in porn are okay. Objectification and sexualisation is okay. [...] Abuse is okay but this makes them UNCOMFORTABLE..."

This is the infamous Instagram picture of a woman on her period taken by Rupi Kaur as part of her final project for a visual rhetoric course. It was removed twice by Instagram claiming it was not in accordance with the sight's community guidelines. Kaur had more than a few legit responses to Instagram, like what about the mostly naked presumably underage girls whose photos have seemed to meet the guidelines and remain posted on the sight. Kaur also recognized the rejection of her  'leaking' photo and general sense of uncomfortableness it caused as further proof of the point she is trying to make. "I bleed each month to help make humankind a possibility. My womb is home to the Divine. A source of life for our species. Whether I choose to create or not. But very few times is it seen that way." Read the full article here. And also check out Kaur's site here. 
Our society has somehow forgotten, and is choosing to no longer recognize, a woman's monthly period as a Divine miracle and cause for celebration. Young girl's are being taught to hate their bodies' natural rotation, and to be embarrassed and even ashamed of having their periods.. When in fact a woman's growing and shedding 'moon' is what singularly makes her a woman and able to create life. 

"their patriarchy is leaking. their misogyny is leaking. we will not be censored." 

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never come between you and yourself stop denying yourself the comfort of self love

I truly believe that learning to love your period and remembering our Divine purpose is the first step a woman must take on her journey to self discovery, self love, and ultimately her journey to connecting with Spirit. And if it isn't the first step, it is definitely a huge discovery she will make along her way. To say our society is patriarchal would be an understatement. But don't check out yet, I'm not here to burn my bra. I would like to shed light on the fact that if and when you say something similar to the former statement you'd be called a feminist. I am a female, so yes I am a feminist. And now I'd like to bring attention to the numerous eye-rolls, and the "oh, here we go again"s when a woman admits to being a feminist. We (as women) are continuously being taught, from the moment we are born (from a woman's vagina. that bleeds. every month.) that the word "feminist" is an insult. That an aesthetically pleasing body is a woman's greatest possession. And that a period is an unclean misfortune of nature that every woman must secretly endure and never speak of. And to add insult to injury, we are teaching these things to each other. It's what our mothers were taught, it's what we learned, and it's what we are teaching our daughters. Woman are incredibly strong creatures, but we are blindfolding and leading each other to the butchering block by demoralizing our incredible role in the Divine scheme of creation. 
The frustrating thing is all we have to do is take off the blindfold. You, as a woman, are insanely powerful and necessary. Your body is a temple and should be celebrated and judged on the interior conditions, not the outside. And your period is a miracle and enlightening source of pure power.
So if embracing your period is the answer, what is the question? It's simply what kind of period do you have? Every month, when it's your time, you make the decision what kind of period you will have. Change your perception and you change the circumstances. 

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 Red current or crimson tide?

I grew up in a beach town in Northeast Florida. Every couple of years we would have 'Crimson (or red) Tide' warnings, and during this time we weren't able to go swimming in the ocean and usually avoided going to the beach at all. Crimson Tide is a natural phenomena known as an algal bloom. It's a large concentration of aquatic microorganisms that can turn the water a deep red color, and causes a lot of devastation to the marine life where the swarm forms. 

Red Current is a shrub native to parts of Europe, whose fruit is included in jelly's and other sweets, and whose berries are made into a delightful incense. Every month, during my period, I symbolically burn Red Current and Dragon's Blood incenses. They both are said to promote a serene feeling of protection and calm. They're symbolic of blood, of life force, and of creative power. 
Are you going to make your period into a swarm of devastating energy that you and others try to avoid at all costs, or are you going to recognize it as a blooming flower inside you.. capable of creating and sustaining life, providing a moment of calmness, and even protection. 

The Red Tent Temple Movement is is an organization dedicated to educating and uniting women on the importance of taking time to recognize their femininity and to make time to take care of themselves and each other. 

You can create your own symbolic red tent temple every month by taking time to recognize your period for the miracle it is. To pamper yourself. To create a sacred space to relax and ground yourself. 

ways to honor your inner goddess

burn incense . light candles . drink your favorite tea . relax . dance . indulge . meditate . paint . pray . write . make magic . Have a ritual you do every month to honor yourself and your period. 

how do you honor your period? tell me about your sacred rituals and indulgences in the comments.

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