In Episode 26 of the Depths of Motherhood podcast, former co-host Angelia and I explore childbirth as a transformative rite of passage with Dr. Rachel Reed. This episode invites us to deepen our connection with childbirth, not as a medical event, but as a sacred journey, one that has the power to reshape identities and families. Listen Here
Before we go on, here's an invite to our FIRST ever donation based mother's circle!
Every Birth as a Rite of Passage
Every birth is a rite of passage, yet the experience depends on a number of factors. In Dr. Rachel Reed’s book, 'Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage -Weaving ancient wisdom with modern knowledge' she explains how unnecessary interventions and disturbances can interrupt the physiological journey of birth, thus impacting a mother’s experience of birth.
While the external elements—candles, music, and an altar—can create a comforting atmosphere and help soothe the nervous system, they can only carry us so far.
In the transitional phase, just before the baby arrives earthside, we are drawn into a profound, complete surrender. This is the final moment where we let go entirely. It’s a liminal space, where all control is released, and we lean into the depth of our inner strength.
This surrender goes beyond the physical; it’s an invitation to merge with the ancient wisdom of birth and to welcome transformation in its rawest, most powerful form.
In this transitional stage, both a mother’s physiology and consciousness shift to welcome the baby, Dr Reed takes more deeply about this with the episode.
Some mothers describe this moment as one of ecstasy, while others reach a point of feeling they can no longer continue.
This moment, known as "transition," is when the mother may look up to scan the room to be seen with soft eyes and an open heart, receiving the message “You can do this.”
There are so many layers to this rite of passage, and I hope our conversation can untangle a few knots. Deepening into the term 'Rite of Passage'.
Where did the term Rite of Passage come from?
The term "rite of passage," first coined by Arnold Van Gennep in the early 20th century, describes a ceremony or event that marks a significant transition in a person's life—such as birth, initiation, marriage, or death. In his seminal work The Rites of Passage (1960), Van Gennep outlines three essential stages in these transitions:
Separation – The individual detaches from their previous, known state.
Transition (Liminal Phase) – They enter a state of limbo, suspended between old and new roles, belonging to neither.
Reintegration – They return to society, transformed, and embodying their new identity.
In Incan tradition, childbirth crosses a mother into Uku Pacha, or the "inder or inner world." Mothers descend into this inner world, where hidden wisdom and rebirth await, mirroring the delicate crossing between life and death.
Here, the mother emerges with their newborns—a symbolic retrieval from the depths of their own psyche and spirit. This journey serves not only the family but the collective.
Can we come to reclaim childbirth not only as a rite of passage for mothers but as a shared experience that renews and strengthens communal bonds?
When we come together as a community to support mothers, we acknowledge the collective responsibility of nurturing new life and how this nourishes the soil for generations to come.
This is why I feel this conversation will be so nourishing for the whole family to listen in to.
Reintegration: Birth’s Long-Term Lessons
I have seen in my own practice and with the women I sit with that when any rite of passage is disturbed, it can be revisited to reconnect to its teachings and gifts, even years later, all is not lost, it’s simply waiting to be received.
While our souls remain unwavering in love, our identities inevitably evolve in these life-changing events. My work centers on the conscious arrival at significant rites of passage—moments when we transition from one known aspect of ourselves to another.
When we show up as loving awareness, we can access the wisdom that lies within us as we journey into the depths of our experiences.
Our world often encourages interventions or practices that may numb us, preventing us from fully experiencing pivotal moments, whether in childbirth, periods of depression, loss or even at the time of death. Hence why so many of us feel like we're missing something, a part of us hasn't been fully integrated.
If this resonates with you, know that your story is valid just as it is.
You can take the journey again, reclaiming what is rightfully yours and integrating it into your life, your community, and ultimately the collective. These moments are about this very return—a return where you emerge as a fuller expression of yourself, having met and integrated the various parts of your being, ready to share with your community.
I understand why these moments of integration may be avoided. The fear of change lives within us all, it is what some may call 'Ego Death'.
My work is to prepare for these moments and facilitate the reclamation process.
How do I do this? By truly seeing you—arriving with love, witnessing your journey, listening to your story, and guiding you back to these transformative moments or helping you prepare for future ones.
I aim to remind you of your light and the vital importance of your existence in our collective human evolution.
I support women arriving to experience fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and rites of passage by providing a compassionate space for reflection and integration.
If this is lighting you up, let's take a FREE 15-minute call.
Ohh, final thing our next online Mother's Circle is 18th November RSVP below >>
Love,
Danielle xxx
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