Introducing the Madonna Cloak Project:
Donna Simmons

Over the past year or so I have become increasingly aware of the need that many Stay At Home Mothers (SAHMs) have for support and encouragement. Women on my discussion forum, women who consult with me, friends and neighbors..... I have been hearing over and over again how important it is not just that they themselves find support but that the whole concept of valuing being at home with one's children be validated. And this is not just about mothers with small children - those of us with older children and teens also know how incredibly important it is for someone (preferably mom or dad) to be there at home for them. Obviously, for those who choose to homeschool, this is part of the deal - but being there when the children are there is also invaluable for children who attend school. Being there when they get home. Being there in the evening. Being there on the weekends. Being there so they can get sick and be taken care of properly at home.

Those of you who read my blog regularly know that I have written a series called Early Years Rants which have attracted a lot of feedback. I have been warmed by the stories shared, heartened and encouraged by the urgings to speak out. And, of course, equally, I have been moved by those who find staying at home challenging (haven't we all at times?), who wonder what is best for their children or who have no choice but to work outside the home whilst acknowledging the vital role an at-home parent plays.

One of the most precious things for me about our online discussion forum is how I can bring my ideas to the women there and get their feedback. What I love most is that we have managed to create a space that is safe enough that members will voice concerns, criticisms and probing questions as well as express their approval and encouragement. Thus the feedback I get is incredibly useful! One thing a number of women shared was concern over the name I have chosen for this work – would it put people off?

Well, it might. But the name, Madonna Cloak, is incredibly powerful to me and it is definitely the right name for the very specific and special focus that this organization will have.

In Waldorf early years education, there is talk of an etheric link that binds mother and child together for the first three years of the child's life. The mother gives of her life forces to her child. From an anthroposophical point of view, we know that the etheric sheath (sort of like the vital force spoken of in homeopathy and acupuncture) has to do with the growth forces as well as with the memory - this is part of the explanation of why mothers with young  children often seem to have no ability to remember anything. The child, in his/her first seven years of life, needs to use his etheric forces to build up his physical body - if these life forces are turned toward intellectualism (ie early learning) they are no longer available for physical growth and problems can result (some more obvious than others). It seems that there is a special quality in this link in these first three precious years - there is a link that is filled with the mother's warmth, love, compassion, care and guidance. This link is also similar to Joseph Chilton Pearce's "matrix".

Working with the image and reality of the Madonna's Cloak, we can focus for a minute on the Madonna, or Mary, Herself. Although there are other sacred female figures from many cultures (Isis and Kwan Yin come to mind), none has quite the same quality of Mary. Her Being and Her role as carrying the Christ impulse is of central importance for all of us, in the continuing development of humankind.

Her central role in Christianity is of great importance, obviously. But she also has an important role in Islam as the Mother of the Prophet Jesus. And in Judaism, we find a similar figure in Miriam (or Miryam), sister to Moses. Here we can find another expression of the Madonna's Cloak: Pharaoh's daughter takes the baby Moses out of the Nile and Miriam steps forward, offering to find a nurse for the baby. Miriam brings Moses' birth mother forward and he is raised by her - but under the guidance of Pharaoh's daughter. Thus Moses retains his link to the Hebrew people but also is brought into the Egyptian culture by these two mothers.

(I should add here that I heard Eugene Schwartz give a wonderful talk in Boulder, Colorado a couple of years ago where he talked about the phenomena of adopted babies having two etheric links - that from their birth mother and that from their adopted mother. I thought this was fascinating - a research question for the Madonna Cloak Project!)

Something else I feel is of central importance for this new organization is my sense that the Cloak metamorphoses into the ensouled home, thus continuing to support and nurture the children, but in a way congruent with their later stages of development. The Madonna Cloak Project is not just focused on the early years - it is about the vital role a mother plays in ensouling her home throughout the years of her children's lives. Whether she is at home full time or working outside the home full time or something in between, a mother's conscious role in the home and as the central foundation of her children's lives throughout their entire childhood is a key focus of the work of the Madonna Cloak Project.

The Madonna Cloak Mission Statement (in progress):

The Madonna Cloak‘s purpose is to:

• Support and encourage Stay at Home Mothers
   
• Work to change the belief that childcare is in any way as good - or worse, better - than the care of a loving parent, especially a mother
  
  
• Work to challenge the belief and practice that promotes the idea that young children are better off in the care of other adults, including those who run Waldorf pre-k and kindergartens
  
  
• Work to encourage change within Waldorf Early Years education away from including ever-younger children in their care and toward emphasis on mother/child classes
   
• Support the role of Motherhood as a full time vocation
   
• Support mothers who wish to be SAHMs but cannot do so
   
• Acknowledge that good in-home childcare will always be necessary and encourage its select growth with the strict proviso that it can never replace parental (or similar) care

The Madonna Cloak Project arises out of:

• Rudolf Steiner's indications on the development of children
   
• Further anthroposophical work based on the picture of the fourfold and threefold human being
   
• The wisdom and experience of Waldorf education as appropriate
   
• Inspiration from the Attachment Parenting Movement where appropriate

Right now the Madonna Cloak Project has its home here on the Christopherus website. Eventually, it will become a non–profit needing its own website. I foresee its work expanding in a number of ways. Research, support and sharing of information are vital parts of the Madonna Cloak Project’s mission. However, we would like to prioritize work toward building that most precious and valuable kind of support – the real-life flesh and blood support of one mother for another. Although we are beginning as a web-based resource, our intention is, as we grow, to foster a network of groups and individuals who can meet and support other mothers in their location. We are inspired by the work of the La Leche League and our goal is to emulate some of their organizational forms.

At present, I imagine the stages of growth of the Madonna Cloak Project looking something like this:

Stage One: It being under the auspices of Christopherus and starting to compile research and providing a place for information sharing and computer-based support.

Stage Two: Having its own website and expanding research and information. I would hope at this point, the Madonna Cloak Project would start to be "part of the conversation" within the Waldorf Early Years movement. Steps will be taken to start local "Madonna Cloak Leaders", providing in-person support to local women. During this stage some sort of membership program will be created.

Stage Three: The Madonna Cloak Project will become a charity and have both staff and a membership. We will publish materials and provide workshops, trainings and support. A critical part of the Madonna Cloak Project will be to challenge societal norms about family, work, the role of women and mothers and the basic needs of children. How this work unfolds depends on how powerful we are and how dedicated and clear our membership is about the task at hand.

Want to help? Get involved. We don't need money right now, but we do need people. We need people to become involved in the life of this project, which initially means being involved in the conversations which take place on this website. The clearer it is that this work is embraced by numerous women and that there is a call for this work, the quicker we can move on to Stage Two. Add your feedback here or contact me, Donna, at Donna (at) christopherushomeschoolorg and let me know how you can help.