In traditional cultures around the world, women separated ourselves from men during our monthly bleeding. We went off into a red tent or something similar. Originally women's bodies were seen as sacred and mysterious, able to bleed with the moon and to stop bleeding and grow new life. Over time, though, women were marginalized and taboos were built against our bodies. We were told to separate ourselves when bleeding because our blood would contaminate the community. In modern times, we are encouraged to ignore our bleeding time and go about our daily lives as normally as possible; we are taught to ignore the rhythms of our bodies and not be cyclical.

The Red Tent Movement is about going apart in order to reclaim our bodies and our lives as sacred. Women are the largest minority without a community; now we are beginning to form one. Any woman is welcome to join us. We gather to support one another, to hold space, to dance, to eat, to make new friends, to be with sisters, perhaps to make art... anything that seems right for the moment. We gather to celebrate being women and to discuss whatever is important in our lives. We meet on the New Moon every month to honor our sacred cycles.

We also plan to provide initiation rituals to welcome young women who have just begun to bleed.

This group is one of many starting in cities throughout the country. We hope that eventually every woman, no matter her location or background, will have a group of sisters to nurture, support and laugh with her.

http://tribes.tribe.net/redtentboston