Books
Conscious Conception: Elemental Journey Through the Labyrinth of Sexuality
By Jeannine Parvati & Frederick Baker
Purchase information coming soon!
Conscious Conception is the comprehensive reference for fertility awareness. All natural methods of family planning, both ancient and current, are presented within the larger context of sexuality and an evolving spirituality, which embraces the religious wisdom traditions and goes beyond.
The book is for anyone who wants to prepare before conception for the great journey as partners in creation: commonly known as becoming PARENTS. Couples who are labeled “infertile” will discover new possibilities and ways to conceive naturally. This book is also for anyone exploring fertile sexuality and desiring a way to avoid contraception and pregnancy.
HYGIEIA: A Woman’s Herbal
By Jeannine Parvati Baker
Purchase information coming soon!
HYGIEIA is the Greek Goddess of Healing and the root of our English word, “hygiene”. This book is for the soul hygiene of women so that we might be our own gyn/ecologists and midwives. In the years following the original publication of the book in 1978, the author met young women all over the world who grew up with HYGIEIA in their mothers’ libraries, and who were grateful for not ever having to go to a gynecologist or obstetrician. Instead, HYGIEIA has guided them to stay healthy.
HYGIEIA presents a radical approach to utilizing plants for healing. The author engages the soul of plants through their myths, anecdotal evidence, and current uses. Plants are introduced as friends and potent allies in a relationship with our own souls for the purpose of wholeness and living in balance on a day to day basis.
Additional Comments About Conscious Conception: Elemental Journey Through the Labyrinth of Sexuality
The information in the book is shared in the hope that every baby can be a welcomed baby and that pregnancy and childbirth can strengthen sexual relationships. Rather then rely upon medical devices, chemicals or surgeries, the invitation of Conscious Conception is to realize that fertility as not in the way of spirituality, but rather, that fertile sexuality is THE way of spirituality.
The authors boldly guide us through such key issues as abortion, adoption and choosing the gender and birth time of our babies, yet always within the larger story of SOUL ~ myth, metaphor and our evolution of ideas about sexuality and, by extension, creation. One prevailing concept in Conscious Conception is that we can put to rest the “victim of fertility” archetype which has, at best, been the inspiration of great literature/tragedy for millennia, and, at worst, has created much pain and suffering upon our Earth. We can become conscious of our capacity to co-create ~ as simple as knowing when one is hungry or thirsty, we can know when we are fertile and act in ways which are best-for-life. This “natural knowing” is aided by attention not only to our physical bodies and fertility cycles, but also to our dreams and desires. What is emerging at this time is the realization that fertility awareness is a SOURCE experience, one which puts us in direct relationship with creative energy. By becoming conscious of our fertility, we become more creative. It is our choice in what form we show the world our love ~ a baby is but one option. Conscious Conception transcends the pro-choice and pro-life polemic. Conscious Conception is both at once ~ simply stated, its instruction is to “Choose Life”.
Included in the book are detailed ceremonies for healing previous abortions, and public and private rituals to resolve the past and be more present in the unfolding fertility story now. Abortion is not moralized as being “wrong” ~ rather, it just hurts and is increasingly unnecessary as the practice of conscious conception/ fertility awareness spreads throughout the world. Again, contraception is deconstructed to show its inevitable failure while, in contrast, when cyclical abstinence is employed, there are no conceptions.
Plus, the world’s best kept secret ~ fertility awareness inclusive of abstinence, enhances a long-term monogamous relationship in many ways that usage of contraception cannot. It also is optimal in short-term relationships as the practitioners need fear no untimely pregnancy.
What would the world look like if every baby were a wanted, welcomed baby and if women knew ourselves and honestly communicated our truth regarding fertility to our lovers? What if teens learned fertility awareness, which embraces the best of all ideas about sex education, and developed a real self to esteem? Conscious Conception describes such a world ~ a world of the POSSIBLE FAMILY. Freebirth, waterbirth, total breastfeeding, the family bed, and attachment mothering are shared, along with many other topics as extensions of the optimal beginning in life ~ conscious conception between passionate partners with life.
It sounds simple ~ by knowing when we are fertile, we can still express sexual love yet not conceive babies merely by not having seminal intercourse. Women are usually fertile for 1/3, 1/4 or 1/5th of the monthly cycle. During this phase of fertility, sexuality can be deepened by exploring many ways to ecstasy exclusive of intercourse. There is a courtship/ honeymoon rhythm each month which cultivates desire and passion. Plus, the dilemma of an unwanted pregnancy need not interfere with the on-going deepening of trust between lovers. Conscious Conception, in almost 500 pages, explores why, when and how to practice effective fertility awareness, whether you want a baby or not ~ and to its credit, expands the mysteries of life. This is an exploration of the labryinth of sexuality, where conception is a fractal of birth, and the doorway to many dimensions of existence, pre-existence and post-existence in the great round of being.
Richly adorned with art, notes, research and book reviews/ bibliographies, glossary and index, CONSCIOUS CONCEPTION is a book you will have by your bedside for many years, dipping into the wealth of information, ideas and stories of other lovers. Be forewarned however, ~ leaving this book out on the coffee table results in its lending, and delayed return. (Also, though rare, just having it in ones home can result in a desired pregnancy!)
Additional Comments About Conscious HYGIEIA: A Woman’s Herbal
Herbs form the body of this comprehensive textbook in self-healing. Plants, like women, know the secret of how to transform light into matter. When plants do it, it is called photosynthesis, when women become mothers, we do the same as embryogenesis. Herbs are organized according to the cycles of women: Herbs for Menarche through Menopause with chapters on Pregnancy, Birth and Lactation; Herbs for the Mind, If You Are Getting Off of the Pill, Aphrodisiacs and Anaphrodisiacs. All the chapters are interwoven with poetry and inspirations~ recipes for women’s health. Also, herbs are shared as allies for the common gynecological diseases and are listed in three indices by common name, botanical (Latin) name and by condition to which the herb is related. This herbal is no less than a (r)evolutionary invitation to all goddesses-in-embryo to realize our WHOLENESS as women. Not surprisingly, many men buy Hygieia: A Woman’s Herbal as a gift for their special woman, a gift that is treasured through the generations.
Plus Glossary, Bibliography, and many Appendices on Total Mothering, Dreams, Abortions, Circumcision, Bump Stories, etc.
