Welcoming Alice to the World

The arrival of a baby is celebrated in lots of ways. Christenings and baptisms, naming ceremonies, celebrations to welcome a baby to the family… they are all beautiful moments in a child’s life. For me, this celebration is the acknowledgement that baby belongs to something bigger than itself – be it family or faith or both – and I wanted this for Alice. But how to make it meaningful? Though spiritual we aren’t overly religious and being nine-months-old, Alice already has a prominent place in her large, loving family. And so, for the first time Alice’s toes touched earth and I quietly celebrated Alice’s connection to our home.
I thought the best way to explain it would be to share with you the email I sent Alice, explaining this small but spiritually rich ceremony.

Hi Little One,

On the weekend, we buried your whenua, your placenta, underneath a gold maple tree in front of the house. You were exactly nine months old. This might not seem like much, but to me, it's kind of a big deal.
In Te Reo Maori, the word "whenua" means "life giving". The same word is used for earth or land as well as placenta. Your placenta gave you life for the first nine months while I carried you safe in my belly, and your home at PepperTree is where you will continue to live - to grow into a beautiful, intelligent human being. Even better, you will be forever connected to this place because your whenua is here. It doesn't matter where you travel to, what direction your life takes you. You will always belong to this place because life was given, developed, and protected here.

PepperTree, your home, is your turangawaewae - your place to stand. It doesn't matter where you go, your place at PepperTree is strong and longlasting. Your place will protect you, provide for you, give you places to eat and sleep and explore and relax and discover, not only who you are but what your world can give you. But with this great gift comes responsibility. You belong here, you are Tangata Whenua, and your place is relying on you to care for it.


Grow vegetables, baby girl. We'll use herbs from our garden in cooking often. Play in the fruit trees that Dad and I have already planted, and when you eat those delicious hua rakau that your whenua has given you, bury the stones and pips back in the earth.

Walk barefoot on the ground. Papatuanuku, our earth mother, carries the earth on her back - the strength of women never ceases to amaze me! Your bare toes massage her back and help to ease her burden. Don't worry about messy feet and let your hands work their magic on Papatuanuku's back, too. Admire the creatures you find but be mindful - worms, snails, bumblebees and spiders are kind of like Papatuanuku's grandchildren and are so important for the health of the earth. And remember, from their point of view, you are a visitor in their home. Please, be gentle.

Don't be afraid to talk to Papatuanuku either, or the living things she gives birth to. Create a relationship with her - a relationship based on trust and empathy and love. Create memories with her that are soft and slow, or windy and exciting. Tell your secrets to butterflies, especially the white ones - they hang around long enough to listen. Read books to trees and flowers - I'm pretty convinced it helps them grow better, it certainly works for humans. Believe in your ability to sing birdsong to the Kereru that live here with us. Nature returns your love in interesting and beautiful ways, you'll just have to watch for it carefully.

These are ways that you can care for your place, ways that you can fulfill your role as Tangata Whenua of PepperTree, your forever home.

Time for me to go, Baby Girl, I've got to get your dinner ready. Love you so much! Have a brilliant day!

Mumma xxx


My hope is that Alice grows up in a world where she appreciates language and legend, where she finds balance and peace in organic, simple ways, and where her spiritual connection to nature and to her home is so strong it’s almost tangible. I hope this celebration is the beginning of a long, lovely lifetime for her in our little corner of the world.