Mother Blessings - Baby Baptisms – Christenings - Smudge Blessings – Child Adoption – Weaning – Potty Training – Birthdays – Coming Of Age – Bar/Bat Mitzvah – Graduation from Kindergarten, Elementary, High School, or College – Marriage – Buying A Home or Car – Divorce – Starting a Business – Career

Native American Smudging Blessing Ceremony

Smudging is a ritual way the Native Americans used to cleanse a person, a place or an object of negative energies, spirits or influences. The smudging ceremony involves the burning of special, sacred plants and herbal resins, then, either passing an object through the resulting smoke, or fanning the smoke around a person or place. The spirit of the plant then purifies whatever is being smudged.  Dr. Martin is a native of Mississippi and her Grandfather was of the Choctaw Nation; she is well versed in herbal healing and Smudging Ceremonies.

(Please click here to see our Native American Ceremonial and Smudging supplies on our Ceremonial Supplies and Keepsakes page)

Mother Blessings “Blessing Way” Ceremony – Modern women have changed the traditional baby shower into a more powerful Mother Blessing or “Blessing Way Ceremony.  A mother blessing is both a celebration of the baby and acknowledgment of the mother vessel which is the awesome power of the creation of mankind in its entirety.  Mother Blessings originated in North America as a Navajo practice called Hozhooji which is loosely translated as "Blessingway". In the Navajo language, the name encompasses all that is good, words such as beauty, success, perfection, well-being, and ideal. The ceremony traditionally lasted two days and nights and the mother was "sung over" to ensure good luck, good health and blessings for mother and baby.

Baby Namings - Blessing Ceremony - A Baby Naming or Blessing Ceremony is an event at which an infant is given a name or names. They can occur anywhere from mere days after birth to several months afterwards, and may have religious or cultural significance.

Coming Of Age Ceremony – This Ceremony is a celebration of the passage of a child into a young adult.  For boys, the magical age is usually 13.  For girls, the magical age may come at their first menstruation which can be as early as 9 or 10 and as late as 14 or 15. The la fiesta Quinceañera is a rite of passage full of tradition for 15 y.o. Latina girls.  Almost as though passing through an invisible door, a Latina enters her Quinceañera as a child but emerges as a young woman with new responsibilities. 

Integrated Healing Ceremonies – Often we carry around the wounds and pains of past relationships such as disputes with members of our family, partners, colleagues and friends.  Integrated Healing Ceremonies are used by persons having issues or problems in their life that are causing them mental, emotional, physical, or spiritual discomfort. The essence of a healing ceremony is to transform the nature of the pain by acknowledging and finding beauty in what was experienced, and to bring closure to the issues which in turn can lead to personal healing, growth, strength, and learning.  These Ceremonies, depending on the issues and circumstances of individual situations, may require one or multiple consultations, and may take various forms to include the integrated use of spiritual meditation, relaxation, family and individual counseling techniques, prayers, candles, and chanting. 

(Please click here to see our essential oil list and candles supplies on our Ceremonial Supplies and Keepsakes page)

Animal - Beast - Pet Blessing Ceremonies - The blessing of pets, to include dogs, cats, hamsters and even horses, is an annual event conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures. St Francis, whose feast day is October 4^th, loved the larks flying about his hilltop town.  Francis wrote the following Canticle of the Creatures, an ode to God’s living things: “All praise to you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures.”

Boat Blessing & Christening Ceremonies –The Blessing of the Fleet is an annual event that is practiced world-wide in fishing communities and areas with a strong sea-faring heritage.  An officiant performs the actual blessing while fishermen gather in their newly outfitted boats to receive the blessing, and family members unite in making whatever preparations are dictated by local tradition. By extension, some families will ask a blessing of a new tractor, car, truck, or other large piece of equipment.

Land - Construction Blessing Blessings - Land is often given a blessing ceremony after a change in ownership or use.  Some people ask blessings at the beginning and end of construction while others conduct blessing ceremonies at various stages to include purchase of property or transfer of ownership, ground breaking, laying of the foundation, topping it off, housewarming of a private residence, and grand opening of a business.  Blessings ceremonies are also conducted when there is serious discord on the property, when someone is seriously injured or dies on a property, when there is a burglary, and when moving out.