The Lure of the Juju

ju·ju (n.) a charm superstitiously believed to embody magical powers

Recently, I posted A Little Bit of Juju about the power of smudging. Across the world, my good friend Heidi read my words and felt the pull. The magic of the community she created, a tribe centered around mothering and birth, called to her. So, at 34 weeks pregnant, she followed the voices home...
Yesterday, she sat in my living room, encircled by her sisters as we honored her with an enchanted blessingway. We had flowers; we had blessings; we had food; and, above all else, we had lots and lots of juju.
For our tribe, the juju is both the items and the actions that bring power to our ceremonies and rituals. This includes, but is not limited to: candles, smudge sticks of dried sage, songs, a ball of red yarn (more on this in a future post), visualizations, altar items and labor beads. For this ceremony, we added a new element, a mirrored altar - so magnificent adorned with candles lit to honor the spirits of the four directions and the maternal ancestors of each woman present. A midwife, Heidi attended the home births of both of my children, as well as those of most of the mamas in our circle. As she nears the arrival of her second child, it is our deepest desire to reflect back to her all of the love, support and positive birthing energy she has provided our community over the years. The mirror represented this wish.And just to be sure we went over the top with the juju - she did travel from Sweden for this - we also presented the mama-to-be with a handmade quilt showcasing the hand prints of each of the New Moon sisters. Read the full story about this amazing work of art here.The lure of our juju is strong. Rooted in the ancient traditions of the wise woman, it flows across space and time, connecting our tribe of women with those of our grandmothers and generations past. It knows no borders. It knows no limits. And in the most natural of supernatural ways, it holds the enchantment and the power to lead us to unity.


kagnaroo said...

the energy in your house was palpably magical. thank you, mistress o' ju-ju!

SwedeLife said...

Thanks soooo much.

It is not only amazing we have it, but that is is an "of course" that it was pulled of so beautifully, so fully, so completely in no time flat, quilt and all.

So much love.