Blessed Be the Blood

Bendis

Blessed Be the blood on your skirt

Blessed Be the blood on your thighs

Blessed Be the blood ....

Blessed Be the blood ....

  .... Carolyn Hillyer, Old Silverhead

In our feminist tradition, Beltane is the time to honor our rites of first blood.  Bringing forth the maidens of the clan, who for the first time have experienced their first moon cycle as fertile young women and blossomed into womanhood.  It is also time for all of us who share a common bond of red blood, shed each lunar cycle as reminder our our own life giving potential, remembering - re-remembering in positive life affirming ways, our relationship to ourselves, our bodies, our mothers, and sisters everywhere.

Women gather in sacred space chanting ....

Blessed Be the blood on your skirt

Blessed Be the blood on your thighs

Blessed Be the blood ....

Blessed Be the blood ....

Whispering all of the words we hoped to hear as young daughters coming of age......

"you are beautiful, my daughter"   "you are my blessed daughter"  

"you are strong, my dear one"

"I love you just as you are"   "you are woman, darling daughter"  

"you are goddess, giving forth life"

"welcome to the world of women, my lovely daughter"   "your blood, my blood"

Create sacred space, Sisters of mine. 

Be you Maiden, Mother or Crone. 

Gather and celebrate your life giving potential. 

Celebrate each other and the gift of life.

Honor your young women coming of age at this time. 

Honor yourselves, bleeding woman or wise crone.

Thou art Goddess.