Moontime, period, time of the month, Aunt Flo. Whatever you call it, we all endure the monthly gift we are given. I don't know about you, but mine is tumultuous at best. Cramps, mood swings, and zero energy are just par for the course around here. As I have gotten older, and been on and off fertility drugs for the past few years it has only gotten worse for me. I am a huge proponent of a holistic lifestyle, but when my moontime rolls around my bottle of ibuprofen and I become best friends. I really do not like putting anything non-natural into my body, but for a long time that was just the way it is. I know this subject is still pretty taboo, and most women are really afraid to talk about it. Even though mine is tough every month, I really do believe it is something we can all bond over. When we open up and talk about it, it leads us to a better understanding not only of ourselves, but women as a whole. We should be able to open up and share what works for ourselves, and how you listen to your body each month. I have been looking for different ways to honor my body when my moontime is here, and have really been trying to be patient with my body and listen to what it needs during that time. Self care is a huge part of that for me. This past month I received a Red Tent Ritual Kit from Lindsay of Whole Body Alchemy. If you have read some of my past posts you know how much I love Lindsay and her gorgeous offerings she has. She truly makes magic, and each offering she has is full of love and intention. This kit is no exception. It is filled with beauty, and some beautiful ways to honor yourself and your body.
This is what you receive in the Red Tent Ritual Kit. A 2 oz. tin of handcrafted tea, a kit on how to craft your own moon bag, and also a copy of Moondaughter's moontime e-book, which includes worksheets and rituals. Isn't it all beautiful? I received mine just in time for my moontime. When the time felt right, I sat down and brewed myself a cup of tea, and used Lindsay's guidelines to make my moon bag.
More about the tea in Lindsay's words:
This blend was inspired by a dream a dear friend had about me creating a feminine infusion for our monthly moon.
Lovingly prepared using gemstone infusion of Moonstone, Carnelian, Unikite and sacred mantra.
Moonstone is gentle and soothing and encourages you to "go with the flow". Carnelian is associated with the root and sacral chakras - it stabilizes energy and is known to revitalize the blood. Unikite is a gentle yet powerful stone that brings about connection and aids in female reproductive health.
::Earthy and floral with a mildly spicy and fruity finish::
Organic botanical blend of: Red Raspberry leaf, Saw Palmetto Berries, Hibiscus, Shatavari, Vitex berries, Red rose petals and buds & Ginger root a little ,magic and a lot of love
I made mine with a little honey and it was warm and comforting. I sat down in a quiet spot to make my moon bag. So many beautiful offerings are included to craft yours, a beautiful hand painted stone, cedar leaves, feathers, seashells, little stones. I added a few things of my own that felt right for me. My moonstone pendant, snowy quartz (for tiredness), chrysocolla (for cramps).
I also included a little love note to myself, I put each piece in and filled the bag with healing and love. I sealed it up, and I slept with it under my pillow or carried it with me when I was out of the house. It brought me comfort having it near. Now when each moontime rolls around, I am going to open it and add or remove things that feel right to me at the time.
I also set aside a few minutes each day to work through Moondaughter's e-book. It includes a load of tips, recipes, and wisdom to help you look at your body in a new light and truly celebrate the goddess we all have within us. I loved sitting down and working through it each day.
Now here comes a special treat for you. Lindsay has lovingly and generously offered up one of her Red Tent Ritual Kit's to one of you! All you have to do is leave a comment below, telling me how you would use this kit to honor yourself. I will pick a winner next Monday the 8th!
To learn more about Lindsay and her offerings, please visit her site Whole Body Alchemy. There is a lot of magic there to explore....
Ohmigosh, this giveaway rocks! As you know, my moon times have been pretty awful lately, and this kit would be such a tremendous comfort. I would definitely do the same - brew a cup of tea, and probably drink it in a hot bath, as that always seems to do the trick in alleviating my crampiness. And I would definite add cooling, calming items to moon bag, to help counteract the heat and reactive sensation of my cramps - lavender would go in, for sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting such a lovely giveaway, Hollie and Lindsey! XO
M.
Oh wow! I'm totally blown away by how wonderful this kit is! Thank you so much for your generosity. I will be crossing my fingers :)
ReplyDeleteThis kit is everything my body is craving these most recent moon cycles. As my breastfeeding relationship with my daughter is nearing its end, and she is nursing less with every passing day, by body is sending me signs that my cycles are coming back...soon. Im trying to honor every surge, the eb and flow of my energy, the vibrations telling me the time is coming soon. This kit would be a beautiful way for me to remind myself to celebrate and honor all of this...honoring what my body has done, is doing, and continues to do <3
ReplyDeleteWOW! Thanks for the opportunity for such a wonderful gift! I have been experiencing some of the most awful moon times this year and can only imagine how this would help. A nice cup of tea and a book to flip through while I'm curled up in a ball holding back the tears :) xoxo Thanks again and happy this kit helped you.
ReplyDeleteoh Hollie! How awesome!! My moon cycles have been fairly erratic lately as I think my ascent into crone phase is testing the waters... I would love to have an ally to ease into this next phase. I love your idea of adding and subtracting the properties that most comfort and call during these times and think it is so fitting and just as I wear my medicine bag during the moments of extreme duress or celebration, this bag would serve as a comfort and reminder to celebrate rather than mourn. Thank you, Marissa and Lindsay for these great treats! xo
ReplyDeleteHollie I think the nicest thing you put into that moonbag was a love note to yourself. A love note is just what I need to read at such a time and to have everything resonant all in one place - one bag is a powerful thing indeed when life for me can be so scattered the rest of the time. Blessings & love x
ReplyDeleteSuch a gorgeous, personal post :) I would use the kit to ground and nurture myself during my moon-time while traveling. I will be back-packing around Europe with my soon-to-be-husband and can't wait but really feel the lack of alone time and sacred space when I travel. I feel like a kit like this would help me hold space for myself when I need it most! Thanks! xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful and meaningful give away, how thoughtful!!! How would a kit help me, well I have had very sporadic and miserable moon times my whole life due to illness. I always forget during, to honor myself and make sacred space as they can be so hard on my body, mind and soul. This may be a good way to reverse this and remind myself to love myself during this time. <3 Thank you Hollie.
ReplyDeletewow what a beautiful kit! I've just gotten off of the pill and am trying to get myself back in touch with my moon times. Crossing my fingers. ~love
ReplyDeleteI find the timing of this give-away perfect! I am on my moon right now, but lately it has become hard to predict as I am menopausal. I wish I had more periods left to celebrate, but appreciate this time in my life too.
ReplyDeleteMy own moon time is literally around the Full Moon! So interesting. Every month, the first day or so is hard. I can get grumpy, yes, but I also have quite a bit of pain! Despite Jen not having periods, she is such a feminine soul and truly does take such amazing care of me. For a long time, I shunned periods because everyone I was around - especially New Age people - saw periods = women. Which I don't believe in, as you know! However, I realized after a while that during my moon time, I am highly energetic whenever I am not feeling ill. It's amazing. I definitely have a strange, but lovely connection, with my moon time and I would use this to honor that and my beliefs. To heal, to comfort, to grow, to be. I also absolutely ADORE Lindsay!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited about this! Can't wait for tomorrow :)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness - I love this! I too have had a harder time with that time, ever since many rounds of fertility treatments several years ago. I suffer through it now, feeling like my body failed me and more than a little annoyed to have to deal with it all still. This is such a lovely idea, and I'm so glad to have been introduced to Lindsay's site. Thank you for that. xo
ReplyDeleteWhat a sacred giveaway. My moon times are so rough for me and it has taken me a long time to realize that it is ok to slow way down, nurture myself and do my best to honor and tend to the gamut of discomfort, mood fluctuations and fatigue. I've gotten so much better at tracking my cycle and it helps me to carve out some much needed space and quiet. I would love to add this to my self-care tool box and would use it to more deeply sink into and create a super cozy, nurturing and fulfilling space to experience my moon time. Thanks so very much to you both for this offering. xo
ReplyDeleteThank you for this amazing giveaway!!! I have had VERY difficult moon cycles & have been on prescription pain medication for cysts as well as other issues. I have used the holistic remidies & love them but at 17 I had to have surgery. This kit would really help me get back to what I prefer to treat my cycle & all that goes with it. This amazing kit will also help me teach my daughter the meaning of becoming a woman. Thank you for the chance to win &good luck everyone
ReplyDeleteI have always had a very difficult relationship with my cycle. When i started (at 8 years old), I had no idea what it was and I thought I was dying. I always felt ashamed and disgusting when that time of the month arrived. I have never been regular so it was always showing up out of the blue like an unwanted guest. Lately I have wanted to learn more and get more in tune with myself and my cycles. I don't yet know much about how to do that, but I don't want to feel at war with myself nor do I want to continue to feel shame. Reading the description of this kit...my soul felt like this would be an important step toward making peace with my cycle and help me to kindly care for myself. Thank you so much for offering and for even letting people know that such a thing exists. What a wonderful gift for a woman to give herself!!
ReplyDeleteBeing surrounded by all you incredible earth mamas during the course of the AC has opened my eyes up to our beautiful alignment with nature. This kit would help me deepen that relationship. xo
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful way to honor ourselves and our cycles. <3
ReplyDeleteI hope I am not to late. I would love to have this tea to honour my cycle. x
ReplyDeleteWow wow wow... This is lovely! Tea is truly a way I connect with my element, water, and through water, I dance with the moon! This kit would be used to truly connect with the woman in me on this side of the mirror, the woman with a cycle and a divinity that I have not been honoring - Myself. I don't know if I am too late to enter this fun, but I wanted to comment all the same. I will be a customer of Lindsay's soon... Soon...
ReplyDeletei hope i'm not too late hollie. i would use the kit to honor the cycle that is supposed to start today on the new moon. i'm trying to embrace it rather than run from it. :)
ReplyDeleteOh man I'm so sad I missed this giveaway! I'm going to go check out the shop as I'm very interested in this. The idea of crystals, offerings, etc is all foreign to me but I'm really interested.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Lesley / bytheporchlight.com
Thank you for stopping by here Lesley! Lindsay's shop is full of magic, definitely give it a visit.
DeleteThanks for your great information, the contents are quite interesting. Red Tent Rituals
ReplyDelete