Moontime, Renewal for Women
Renewal is to begin again, to start again; it’s the state of being made new, fresh, or strong again. August is the month of renewal, the perfect moment teetering between summer and fall.
Oftentimes, it can be a challenge to identify renewal in our lives. From balancing work, education, family life, and assuming a natural caregiver role in society as a woman – it is easy to pass by these transitions in life. Finding balance and embracing the busy “highs” of renewal as well as giving ourselves the space for renewal through self-care and rest are important.
You cannot share out of your own cup of life if it is next to empty. But if you step back and take the time for yourself, you start to recognize the importance of self-care and reflection and how it helps to fill up your cup if you want to serve others.
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In recent news, our community has been striving to highlight the injustice of residential schools across Canada which brought pain, abuse, loss, grief, and trauma to the forefront. The Indigenous community was assimilated into our western worldview, and as a result there was a loss of heritage, values, traditions, well-being, connection, community, and a loss of our children. I use the word “our”, as we have a natural responsibility as women to be caregivers of not only our own, but our communities' children. No child should be left behind.
Our eyes are opening to how much injustice the Indigenous community has experienced. How can we work towards the next chapter of renewal?
I think honouring the Indigenous cultural worldviews and starting to recognize and educate ourselves about their worldview is a way to bring forth healing into our communities.
Moontime is a ceremony of life for women, and it is also a time for renewal. It is a gift to us women; it is a time of cleansing ourselves in the four realms: mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It is a time for us to relax, to rejuvenate, and to celebrate ourselves, other women, and our relationship to Grandmother Moon.
Grandmother Moon watches over the waters of the Earth. She helps in regulation: regulating the tides of water on Earth as well as in ourselves. She controls female life; she governs the cycle of menstruation. Just as Grandmother Moon watches over earth, women watch over the waters of people.
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Cherishing ourselves, celebrating our achievements, and treating ourselves well is essential to renewal. When Moontime comes to visit us, it is imperative we allow ourselves to take a step back and to protect our feminine energy. Not feeling guilty for taking a sick day to rejuvenate during our time of renewal can help us to reset. If we are feeling burn-out from our various roles as women, setting boundaries and learning to say “no” can help us to rebalance our energy. Connecting with other women, building each other up, and providing support and mentorship can bring harmony and success. The Well Collaborative is one tool that supports us in this relationship building.
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We acknowledge that our office is located on Treaty 6 Territory and is the ancestral and traditional territory of numerous First Nations and the homeland of the Métis Nation. We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for generations. We are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. This acknowledgement reaffirms our commitment and dedication to Reconciliation and to honouring and bettering our relationships with one another.
Written by Well Woman, Geanne Krawchuk
Geanne is a mental health counsellor (B.A., M.A.), community advocate, ally, and creator of Alternative Counselling. She is dedicated to helping clients learn how to cope with challenges they face in life and to work towards healing in the community through exploring intergenerational trauma and working towards changing unhealthy patterns. Her main areas of focus is on the connection between the mind and body, identity, and foster and adoption related issues.
Connect with Geanne