Over the years we have received various good luck charms from family and friends. Today I decided to put them all together and create a shrine to fertility. Hopefully putting all of that love and energy in a spot where I can see it, will really help me feel the support that I desperately need. At this point in our journey, it is so very important to stay positive which is something I really have a hard time with. Thanks to all that have added to our shrine.
My brother gave me this wooden stretch Saint bracelet as a good luck charm. He isn't Catholic, but he is religious. He has one too that he wears. I was wearing it the day we found out that we had two normal embryos which is the first time I have ever gotten good news from the doctor. I had a friend that was also going to get a phone call from her doctor and I kept it on until the phone rang for her. She received good news too! The power of the bracelet.
My friend who is Catholic, gave me this St. Gerard laminated prayer card. St. Gerard is the patron saint of expectant mothers. I used to keep it in my car so that I looked at it every day, but now it is on the mantle. The St. Gerard prayer is written on the back and reads :
O good Saint Gerard, powerful intercessor before God and
Wonderworker of our day, I call upon thee and seek thy aid. Thou who on earth
didst always fulfill God’s designs, help me to do the holy Will of God. Beseech
the Master of Life, from Whom all paternity proceedeth, to render me fruitful
in offspring, that I may raise up children to God in this life and heirs to the
Kingdom of His Glory in the world to come. Amen.
My Aunt gave me an amazing gift. She gave me a special pouch with some very special items inside. My Aunt is very spiritual and spends a lot of time with Native American friends and loves the spirituality the culture provides. She was very close to a woman named Phyllis Big Left Hand. Phyllis was Southern Cheyenne. I met her a few times. Once Phyllis blessed me at a Pow Wow in Los Angeles years ago. She was raised by a medicine man in the traditional ways of their culture so she was the real deal. The leather that the pouch is made of is buckskin. It was gifted to my Aunt during a healing ceremony on the Pima Reservation in Arizona. Inside the pouch is all spirit sage, tobacco, cedar and lavender. The all spirit sage, tobacco, cedar were also gifts from Phyllis. They were meant for my Aunt to inspire her to learn the old ways and songs. The stone my Aunt found at a crystal shop when she was looking for something for me. She said the stone placed itself in her hand. The stone is the shape of an embryo which is what drew her to it. My Grandmother contributed by added some lavender to the pouch. Not only does lavender smell great but it is also my favorite color. In the Native American culture the turtle is the oldest
symbol for Mother Earth and often a sign of fertility for many tribes. Other Native American tribes see Turtle as a symbol of
persistence and endurance. The beadwork along the edge of the pouch is symbol of a Cherokee medicine wheel. Then my Aunt said she blessed it off before she gave it to me.
Lastly, my Grandmother gave me a candle for Christmas. She saw that this candle had a picture of a baby on it and thought it would help to bring me good luck. Technically it's a picture of a statue known as Divine Child Jesus. But hey, if she thought of us when she saw it and thinks that it will bring us good luck, I'll take it! At this point I will take all the luck and good thoughts anyone wants to send our way. Ryan and I lit this candle the night before our transfer and said a baby dust prayer.(shown in a previous post called
Egg Retrieval).
Thanks for all the love and support! The mantel looks lovely. Here's hoping some baby dust is coming our way! Please still keep us in your thoughts and prayers. It means so much to us and we really appreciate.
Thanks for reading,
HEATHER
