Invitations for a Mother Blessing
Because Mother Blessings are fairly unique, I would recommend an invitation that is descriptive of the event. In addition, guests at a Mother Blessing are expected to become intimately involved in the ceremony so the invitation should also prepare them for their role. You are welcome to use "snippets" of my Mother Blessing description on your invitation, but please, do not reprint the entire article without permission!
Mother Blessing invitations do not have to be formal or elaborate. You can hand write them or create them on a computer. They should be reflective of nature and the mother-centered focus of the celebration. Therefore, appropriate clip-art or flourishes would be flowers, animals or symbols from the mother's spiritual beliefs, but not baby carriages and diaper pins.
Sample Mother Blessing Invitation
I have created a sample invitation based on the one that was used for my Mother Blessing. This invitation was printed "landscape" on 8.5"x11" paper and folded the ends toward the center of the piece of paper (so that two flaps covered the body of the invitation). We then used a sticker to "seal" the flaps together. The fonts I used were Gaze (script) and Bangle (serif) but I have replaced them with a more common font (Times New Roman). You can replace it with fonts you like. You are welcome to use this sample invitation as a starting point for designing your own invitations. I have removed the artwork so that you can use your own imaginative flourishes and symbolism appropriate for your guest of honor. At some point I hope to have time to build an engine that will automatically generate a Mother Blessing invitation for you, but that's probably a bit off in the future! I am providing the Word document so that you can use it to make and print your own invitation.
Sample Mother Blessing Invitation - Microsoft Word (2003) version
Tip: depending on your firewall and browser security settings, you may not be able to view this Word file in your browser. Instead of clicking on the link, try RIGHT-CLICKING on it and using "Save As" or "Save Target As" to save it to your hard drive. Then start Microsoft Word and use it to file from your hard drive.
Sample Invitation Text
If your security settings will not allow you to view or save the above Word document, the text used is below:
A Mother Blessing Invitation
For [Mother's Name] [& Father's Name]
[Date]
[Time]
Given by:
[Host Name]
[Location]
Please RSVP:
[phone/email]
Directions:
[Insert driving directions, if needed]
Parking/Public Transport:
[insert parking or public transport info, if needed]
What is a Mother Blessing?
The practice of celebrating pregnancy and the birth of a new mother transcends almost all human cultures. Unlike the traditional American baby shower which is usually focused on the baby, the Mother Blessing's focus is positive energy to prepare the mother [and her birth partner] for labor and childbirth.
There are many ways to celebrate a Mother Blessing and we will include the following "rituals" in our Mother Blessing: the creation of a birthing necklace (to be worn during labor), the creation of a set of meditation stones for use during labor as well as sharing thoughts, poetry, songs, personal stories, prayers, best wishes and gifts with the expecting parents.
[please include or replace with descriptions of the rituals you plan to use]
What do I bring to a Mother Blessing?
- Yourself - most importantly!
- A bead, trinket or charm to include on the birthing necklace. Your bead should symbolize your wish for the mother and baby in labor and birth as it will be worn by [Mother's name] while she is in labor.
- A gift. It is traditional to give handmade gifts at a Mother Blessing. However, if you are not crafty, a "handmade" gift can come in many forms including:
- A poem to read or song to sing at the Mother Blessing
- A dish to be frozen and eaten after the baby arrives but before anyone feels like cooking
- "Coupons" for babysitting, house cleaning or dog walking to be "redeemed" after the baby is born
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