The Red Tent

This full moon with a lunar eclipse tossed in gives us the perfect opportunity to welcome a new Flower Essence combination remedy: The Red Tent.

This remedy is the creation of staff goddess, Emily Dewey or EJ as she likes to be called. Not only did she create this gem of a combination Flower Essence, but she has written the following blog to share it with us all! Welcome to the Red Tent and thank you dear EJ for your beautiful creation that has already begun its work in the world.

Without further ado, here is EJ’s blog!

The conversation began at the farm, when one day in the office I found myself doubled over in pain on the first day of my period. Being stubborn to a fault, I hate using traditional painkillers. Instead I was trying slowly but surely to energetically ease the pain pulsing through my second chakra.

One of my favorite parts of working at Green Hope Farm is that no conversation is off limits. All curiosities, musings or Divinely channeled thoughts are always welcome. Including, of course, talking about our periods.

“We need a Period Mix!” one of the other staffers exclaimed. From my hunched position I mumbled back, “What we need is the Red Tent!”

The Power of Moon Time

In astrology the moon represents our emotions, our deeper instincts. Connected to our Bodies, the 28 (or so) day cycle for a woman flows along in conjunction to the Moon’s. As we energetically connect to this waxing and waning within our own physical being, we may come to embody the same powerful energies the moon represents. The power of intuition and empathic or psychic abilities are all more deeply accessible during the time of bleeding.

Historically a woman’s ability to shed and release so naturally was seen as mystical and incredibly powerful. While some cultures may have taken a slightly less enlightened approach through shaming women and calling them unclean (**cough**Book of Leviticus…), those cultures who recognized a Divine Feminine saw this process as deeply sacred and basically mind-blowing.

How could a woman bleed that much and not die?!

Yea, it’s pretty nifty.

In Native American tribal traditions, the practice of Sweat Lodges, or Temezcal, was created by the elders to provide the men their own opportunity to have an experience similar to the cleansing and purification a woman was naturally able to do in her monthly cycle. Through a ceremonial sweat, the men were able to reemerge having intentionally let go and released any negative energies that had accumulated.

In today’s world we have greatly lost touch with the power of the physical Body – on many levels. Especially for women, the task becomes recognizing the gifts our Bodies provide to us. Yes, INCLUDING periods! The reality is that we are always experiencing fluctuating energy as our Bodies move through the monthly cycle. The expectation to always “GO! GO! GO!” is completely illogical and fights against what nature is asking. Not to mention an obvious contributing factor to why women face their monthly cycle like a single person dreads the “So are you seeing anyone?” conversations at holiday family gatherings.

As women, our monthly bleed is a time of deep cleansing – both physically and energetically. Research suggests that one of the reasons women may live longer is BECAUSE of our ability to cleanse the Body through our periods. When we are given the time and space to fully recognize the importance of this process, we are able to reemerge into our daily life post period more in tune, energized and better able to serve from our highest selves.

Cue, The Red Tent.

What IS the Red Tent?

It is known by many names in many cultures and spans back in time to societies in which women were revered for their innate power and wisdom. Moon Lodges, Menstrual Huts or Red Tents; the idea remains the same. It is in these sacred spaces where a woman is given the opportunity to slow down and rest during her cycle, to connect with her Body and the wisdom of her connection to the Divine, all with the intention of releasing through the natural and sometimes mystical, monthly physical process the Body undergoes.

Awareness of the Red Tent was brought back into the mainstream by Anita Diamant’s book, The Red Tent, and a new movement has sprung up in response. Today’s Red Tents are a modern expression of such sacred spaces. These spaces are centered around reminding women to “put on your own oxygen mask first;” as self-care is the basic building block towards being able to energetically and physically show up as the caregivers we may naturally be inclined to embody in our day-to-day lives.

Introducing our newest combination Essence! The Red Tent

In truth, when I step back and look at the receptive, nurturing space of working at the farm, I realize that we have created something close to our very own Red Tent to serve us throughout the cyclical experience of each of our lives. But we know that not all women are fortunate enough to have the experience of being able to surround themselves with community that easily holds space for the slowing down of energy, for the need to commune, reflect and process that which is being let go of each month.

So that’s where our newest combination Essence comes into play!

We are so excited to be able to offer The Red Tent Essence as a means of creating the energetic experience of your own sacred Moon Time space. Below is a brief explanation of each Essence that contributes to the unified energy of The Red Tent Essence. We hope that this new powerhouse provides you immeasurable support and love, encouragement to embrace the cyclical flow of your life, and reminds you of the sacred beauty of the female body and all her mysteries.

With much Love and Moon Time Blessings,

e.j.

Artichoke – Creating boundaries and sanctuary to allow ourselves to tune in

Bee Balm – Cleansing of all that is no longer needed

Black Cohosh – Tapping into the inner wisdom and then manifesting from the knowledge gained

Calabash – Understanding where our feminine energy is best served

Calliandra – Strength in the blood as an ever flowing river

Clitoria – Move the wisdom of the womb upwards through the higher chakras

Claret Cup Cactus – Leaving behind the shame of the feminine Body

Corn – To assist grounding the wisdom gained during Moon Time

Crab Apple – Easing of self-judgement & negativity

Dandelion – Welcoming change, easing muscle aches/pains, detoxing

Day Lily – Releasing to start anew

Dicliptura Sexangularis – To know what your crave, what you truly have a need or appetite for

Dombeya Wallachii – Creating safe space in order to take time for self

Fumitory Bella – For self care & self love

Ixora – Standing in the power of being female and the sacred power of feminine sexuality

Lady’s Mantle – Giving shelter so that new ideas and truths may come forward

Lemon – Clear/focused thoughts, cleansing

Moonlight Datura – Connection to Goddess, the Divine Feminine

Painkiller Plant – Because sometimes shedding layers hurts. A lot.

Ramping Fumitory – Creating boundaries to protect the work that needs to be done in releasing

Scarlet Cordia – Releasing blockages, especially in the second chakra

Sea Mayweed – Determining our boundaries and owning our power

White Flower from Druid Rock – Rebirth of a new cycle, feeling at home in the Body

Wild Pink Morning Glory – For when the Red Tent isn’t available but we seek time to receive and