Well, something I never thought would happen just did: my Placenta Tree-of-Life pendant has officially become our most popular piece of jewelry!
I love the design myself, but at first I thought it would appeal only to women on the fringe of the natural birth movement. I must say, this recent rise of placental awareness among modern mothers, midwives, and doulas has done much to restore my faith in our species!
Big props to everyone out there preaching a return to the source, fostering the normalization of something once thought to be just a “fad”. Placenta encapsulation, art, appreciation, and a general understanding of and reverence for this amazing, life-sustaining organ is much more than that. Honoring our afterbirth is not a new concept… it is an ancient ritual, one steeped in tradition, and one that will continue to enrich our birthing experiences for generations to come.
I love to think that my glass placenta pendants are, in some small way, contributing to this rise in awareness, sparking important conversations between women and girls about how miraculous our bodies really are. We truly are amazing creatures! So celebrate every part of yourself!
“At the beginning of your world, I was part of you.Made of the same luminous fabric, flesh of your flesh, of our father and mother’s being.
As we grew, we were separated but united. I fed you, breathed for you,
became a pathway for the flushing currents of our mother’s blood.
As you slept, I was your cradle and your guard; when you awoke I was your companion.
Together for that last day I leashed you the very limits of our linking line before
releasing you to the touch of others – lovers, yes – but surely none will hold
you as nearly, as sweetly or as softly as I did.
As our connection was severed you wept for me once, then were gone.
Carry me deep in your heart as you bury me in the soil of our home, for I am the earth of your making.” ~Kate Alice, 2002
