BABY
BLESSINGS
Every child changes the world
“All the leaves on a tree are shaped according to the same pattern, but each leaf is different. Every
autumn they turn yellow, red, or gold, and then fall.
Every spring, different leaves shaped with the same basic pattern emerge in vibrant , tender shades of green.
A Welcoming
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Whether it's a baby shower, blessing or Naming day, we can co-create something that feels meaningful and touching to you and your family.
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It may include an acknowledgement of the newborn, a formal introduction to your baby's family and community and present a way of giving the child a place in the world. It may grant well wishes for the child’s life and offerings of support and guidance on their journey ahead.
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It could also allow parents an embodied way to integrate this change and solidify this new member of their family in a more visceral, witnessed way.
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For some it may take place in a church as a baptism, but there are many beautiful non-denominational ways of creating a container in which to welcome a new soul into this world. ​
I DRAW ON ELEMENTS OF:
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Co-creation, community participation, ritual, meditation, visualization, symbols, creativity and art practices, opening the flow of love in the family (family constellations), storytelling, elements of theatre, play, humour, archetypes, myths, poetry, systems thinking, imagination, inclusiveness of everyone (dead, alive or otherwise), images, memories of the community, metaphor, heart-based engagement, nature, adorning/costume, elements of devotion.​
WHY ME:
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I have been a performer all my life, and studied acting at the University of Cape Town.
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In 2017 I joined Toastmasters and in 2018 won the Toastmasters Western Cape Finals for Prepared Speaking.
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In 2001 I was initiated as a traditional doctor in Botswana and was consequently trained as a ritualist.
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In 2019 I graduated as a Family Constellations facilitator. This therapeutic methodology focuses on healing family systems and has given me a range of skills that I can draw on to to enhance the depth of your celebratory experience.
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My focus is on being inclusive: of LGBTQ and any other couple that may fall outside of traditional expectations.
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​SUGGESTED OPTIONS:
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I join you for an hour on the day and offer a short, non-denominational celebration that I develop and design in consultation with you.
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You elect to add some ritual elements that feel appropriate.
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We create a longer, multi-layered ritual together that supports both parent/s and child while integrating into this new phase of life. Elements could include purification before and consolidation after the event, coming together in a more explicit and colorful ceremony. ​
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TENDER SHADES OF GREEN
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WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT:
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In Western culture transitional events have lost a lot of the texture and meaning that older cultures may have included. These include preparation, participation, ritual etc. that offer another level of depth and beauty to the impact of the occasion.
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After designing the blessing in consultation with you it could have a unique structure and shape that will set it apart from other similar celebrations. My goal is to weave something together that feels appropriate and poetic to you and your family specifically.
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I can fit into your non-denominational/religious/pagan/shamanic/other framework preference in a way that feels respectful and meaningful. I am inclusive.
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ARE WE A FIT?
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You are probably concerned with some or all of the following:
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you value human connection; you value the natural world and feel concerned about the ecological crisis we find ourselves in; you're interested in preserving the sacred and mystical dimension of life. You may be involved in the healing arts; animism; shifting towards traditional and indigenous lifeways; a hippie; an artist of some kind. You are open- and liberally-minded. You prefer community over corporations. You want to embrace being a human in an increasingly inhuman world.
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I am based in the southern suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa.​