Birthrites

Birthrites offers practical advice for potential parents. However, rather than concentrating solely on pregnancy, birth, and motherhood, this book also explores “Becoming a Father,” “Adoption,” and “Miscarriage” (to name but a few). Jackie Singer emphasizes the importance of ritual and ceremony in marking life-changing events, and sharing this experience with others. The suggested ceremonies are varied in nature, ensuring wide-ranging appeal. Some simply involve quiet contemplation, whereas others incorporate a specific activity. Throughout the book, Singer emphasizes the individuality and adaptability of ceremony; nothing is set in stone. The author’s personal experiences are interspersed with quotes and real-life accounts. Singer provides reassurance and support in this relaxed, friendly guide and achieves a considered balance between practicality and sensitivity. Birthrites identifies an ancient facet of human activity forgotten by some of us and overlooked by many. Far too often in modern life, the importance of pausing for thought is disregarded. “[Though] as the human experience of fertility and reproduction is medicalized in our current times, it still remains an area of profundity . . . Whether we have a need to express joy, seek guidance, or grieve our losses, working with ritual can give us the means to engage more fully with the mysteries of birth, death, and transformation.” —Maddy Harland, editor of Permaculture Magazine

About the Author

Jackie Singer

Jackie Singer studied at Oxford University and at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Over the next fifteen years she led creative and therapeutic projects with a wide variety of community groups. Jackie has always found ritual important for marking changes in her own life, and helpful for moving through difficult times. In 2001 she began offering her services as a celebrant to facilitate other people to experience the benefits of nondenominational ceremony. She lives in Oxford, England.

...

View Jackie's full profile page >