As the late winter sun floods the room, I find myself wondering if winter is on the back foot. Are we allowed to cast our thoughts towards new beginnings and the return of Spring? Of course we are…it’s Imbolc and the Chinese Spring Festival. With this in mind our theme for the month is creativity and unleashing all those juicy ideas.
In order to allow space for creation at this time of year it has become a ritual of mine to release both good and bad from the previous year using reflective journaling, which allows the new years seeds of creation in. Whether it’s Leonie Dawson, Juliet Cameron, or Judithe Registre who you look to for inspiration and tools of reflection, it is important to spend time creating, reflecting and forging forth.
Making time to be creative either alone or in a group compliments the way we show up at red tent gatherings. It helps to express what is hidden and release what is getting in the way of all the good stuff. With this in mind let’s use some communal energy to grow new seeds to replace the old. As creation, by its very nature, is organic and finds its direction minute by minute, as does a red tent gathering. Get inspired and find out where 2019 will take you……
We invite Rebecca Martin (author of ‘Menstrual Doodles’) to talk about what red tents mean to her in our sitting in circle piece. In
Sitting In Circle with by Rebecca Martin author of ‘Menstrual Doodles’
The story behind my book ‘Menstrual Doodles’ began in a red tent. I was having a miserable second pregnancy fraught with sickness, depression and pelvic gridle pain. Whilst searching for emotional support I discovered Bournemouth Red Tent. Having a space where I could unleash all the feelings and pain I was experiencing without anyone judging me for my ingratitude was exactly what I needed. Unfortunately, it was an hour drive away, so I only made it once, but left vowing to start my own tent in the future. Research for that project led me to ‘Her Blood is Gold’ by Lara Owen, and I was initiated into the world of menstruality. I was thrilled when my blood returned after breastfeeding and celebrated with my red tent sisters by eating chocolate cake whilst dancing (a rite of passage tradition that has continued in our tent).
I dived into daily tracking of my thoughts, feelings, energy levels, mood etc. and over several months saw magical patterns appearing. I am more of a scientist than an artist, but I was moved to make little doodles expressing my joy at the incredible things my cycle was teaching me about myself. After a few months I had a large body of work that I had posted on Instagram, which supportive sisters encouraged me to make a book from. My doodles are really simple; they come straight from my heart. I think people like them because they give something most women have been craving- permission to be proud of their wombs. I hope my book helps more people feel as good about their cycles as I do, and that every woman finds her way to a red tent.
If you need any more information please let me know. My website is