INTENT
Pregnancy is a very important phase in a woman's life. It is a miracle and it connects you even more with the circle of life. We honor our Goddess as the bearer of life, and we honor her in each of her aspects: Maiden, Mother, Crone. When the Goddess is a Mother, she is nurturing, caring, protective.

To me, it is very important to connect my body and my soul during my pregnancy. I believe I should not only concentrate on the physical changes my body experiments, but also align my psyche, intentions, and spirituality. This connection will help to establish a relationship with my baby, even before he/she is born. Most important of all, I am grateful that I am chosen to be part of this circle of life, like so many generations of women before me.

TIMING
This ritual is to be performed during Full Moon – time of the Mother Goddess-. I recommend doing it during the last few months of pregnancy in preparation for delivery, however, it can be modified to be performed at any time during pregnancy, specially if you feel the need to ground and align with the Goddess.

This ritual can be performed alone, just the mother and the baby, but the father of the baby can be a participant also.

RELEVANT SYMBOLS
I decided to honor and call the following Mother Goddesses: Demeter, Kali, Gaia, and Isis. They represent different pantheons and different aspects of women, but they all represent fertility, love, protection.

• Demeter: Pomegranate juice
• Kali: Black candle
• Gaia: Flowers
• Isis: Grains or Bread

The altar can be adorned with all these elements and any other item you feel is relevant, for example, your baby's ultrasound picture.

A pregnancy charm (instructions within ritual)

TOOLS

• Chalice: 2, one for water, one for the pomegranate juice (this can also be substituted by the pomegranate fruit if available)
• 4 color candles for the quarters: blue, green, yellow, red
• Athame
• Broom
• Sage
• Pomegranate juice for Demeter
• Black candle for Kali
• Flowers for Gaia
• A bowl of grain of a loaf of bread for Isis
• Willow Tree leaves (ease of birth)
• Lavender (peace, tranquility)
• Cloves (protection)
• Jasmine (love)
• Red, Silver, or Purple pouch for the charm
• Incense

PREPARATION

• The altar is set towards East, as representative of new beginnings, new life
• The altar is set with all the tools
• The color candles are place on each watchtower point
• The symbols you choose to represent your baby and your pregnancy are place in the center of the altar. The black candle, flowers, grains, and pomegranate are place around those symbols (as of creating another protected circle symbolizing the womb)

RITUAL: INITIAL ACTS

Sweep the circle, think about releasing all the negative energy around.

Smudge with sage to purify.

Ground and center, connect with your body and your baby.

Consecration of the chalice, athame, salt, incense. Use the basic Sibylline consecration of water:

Light the incense and say:

Blessed be thou creature of Air.

Fill chalice with water or grape juice, hold up to sky and say:

Blessed Be thou creature of Water.

Pick up dish of salt and hold up to sky and say:

Blessed Be thou creature of Earth.

Pick up athame with right hand (two fingers extended) and say:

Blessed Be thou creature of Fire.

With athame mix three blades/pinches of salt into the chalice. With left hand pick up chalice (feminine principle). Stir with athame(masculine principle) and say:

Salt and Water, Inner and Outer, Body and Soul, Be cleansed!
Cast out all that is harmful! Take in all that is good and healing!
By the Powers of the Triple Goddess! By the Powers of the Dual God!
So Mote it be.

Using the athame sprinkle the altar and the tools with the blessed water saying:

May this athame be purified.
May these tools and this altar be purified and consecrated.

Take up the chalice. Visualize energy and thoughts as a stream pouring from your third eye into the water. When there are no more, picture the blessed water transforming the water into an intense blue. The blue glows. When the blue radiance is bright, sip of the water and feel the radiance within you. This is now the pure Waters of Life.

You are creating the womb of life and this is very important for this ritual. When each tool is consecrated, visualize as each and every of them as a vital part of the circle of life.

CALLING OF THE ELEMENTS

East:

Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East
Powers of Air, I invoke you and call you
House of the Rising Sun, light of life
Air that fills my lungs and frees my minds
Be with me now… Hail and Welcome

South:

Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South
Powers of Fire, I invoke you and call you
Fire of life, comfortable warmth
Energy, catalyst, protector
Be with me now… Hail and Welcome

West:

Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West
Powers of Water, I invoke you and call you
You formed my body, you surround my womb
You protect my baby, you cleanse, purify, revive
Be with me now… Hail and Welcome

North

Hail, Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North
Powers of Earth, I invoke you and call you
Manifestation of Life, product of love
Flowers, rocks, animals, humans
You give me my body, I am part of you
Be with me now… Hail and Welcome

INVOCATION OF THE GODDESSES:

Demeter (raise the chalice with the pomegranate juice)

Demeter, Mother Demeter, Queen of the Harvest
You taught us how to cultivate the fruits of the earth
You are unconditional mother, protective, never giving up
You search for your child to the underworld
You give life and protect what is yours
I ask you to protect my child from any harm

Gaia (raise the flowers)

Gaia, Mother of all
Creator of all that swims, flies, or walks
Universe herself, personification of Earth
Help me be a provider for my baby
Provider of love, nourishment and protection

Isis (raise the bread or the bowl of grains)

Isis, Goddess and Queen
Protect me with your wings
Enlighten me with your feathers
Devoted mother, Goddess of Love

Kali (burn the black candle)

Kali, Goddess of cosmic transformative powers
Mother of ceaseless creation and renewal
You give knowledge and wisdom
Help me be a good mother
Allow me to release and accept new beginnings

CORE

After invoking the goddess, take a few minutes to relax, meditate, and communicate with them. They have a lot of wisdom and they can guide you through your fears, insecurities and can provide peace, love and endurance.

Once you feel connected with them, you can make the "motherhood charm". Fill the pouch with the herbs, visualizing the qualities of each of them and how they can assist you through the rest of your pregnancy and delivery. Focus your energy and infuse it in the charm. After the ritual, this charm will remind you of your connection with the Mother Goddess and your baby. (You can also consecrate a home blend of oils or incense you want to prepare. )

Take your time, touch your belly, talk to your baby, become one.

Once you are ready you can say farewell to the Goddesses:

Ladies, source of life
I thank you for coming here
For giving me strength, peace and companionship
You understand what it is to be a mother and how to protect ourselves
Thank you for your presence, your light, your love
I ask your blessing for myself and my baby
You will be in my heart
Blessed be!

You can extinguish the black candle, the rest of the symbols for the Goddess can remain in you altar or another place in your house, as the nursery, to remind you of Their company.

DISMISS THE WATCHTOWERS:

Hail and farewell Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East ,South, West, North
Powers of Air, Fire, Water, Earth, I thank you for joining this Circle
I ask Your blessings as you depart
May there be peace between us, now and forever. Blessed Be!

OPENING CIRCLE:

The circle is open, but unbroken. May the peace of the Goddess be in my heart and may the Goddess follow me all the days of my life and the life of my child. Blessed Be.

Notes:
Goddess Kali in this ritual is called upon for the aspect of motherhood that allows you to let go. Letting go is an important part of motherhood for throughout your child’s life you will not only be experiencing creation and growth but you will be letting go of the child that was for the child that is. at 14 the child of 7 is gone, at 7 the baby of 2 is gone, thus allowing transformation and even breaking the old bonds to the old version of the child is transformative and growth oriented.

"She stands as a symbol of the worst we can imagine, as the most extreme picture of our fears, she offers us a chance to face down our own terror of annihilation. Ramakrishna and other great Indian poets sang rapturously of Kali, for they understood that she is a blissful goddess. Once faced and understood, these mystics say, Kali frees her worshipers of all fear and becomes the greatest of mothers, the most comforting of all goddesses."

If this is not the intent you plan with your ritual you might want to look towards Bear Woman as a mother role instead of Kali. Bear woman is a fiercely protective mother who provides all that the child needs even through giving her own body for nourishment. She is connection to ancestors and growth for nurturing the future. In addition Artemis who called upon in childbirth is associated with the bear and for these two reasons might also be called upon for her aspects.

Some people will not mix pantheons as is done in this ritual. For example for some calling on Isis requires great research to truly access the mother aspect of her nature and feel that invoking her with other pantheons is not conducive to a strong ritual. If this is your decision contemplate and research the culture of your ancestry or tradition to find Mother or Creation goddesses that match the intent of this ritual.

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