Gaea

Gaea is woven with fiber spells and intentions for better support for all women and mothers. May we remember that mothers are not superhumans. We need real, practical support. May we not judge women for their shortcomings in a society that is intentionally designed to disenfranchise them.

I was inspired to make this piece based on the ‘17 Diapers’ story that was going around on TikTok recently. Essentially, a woman named Hannah Hiatt made a TikTok video about a weekend of solo parenting that had resulted in 17 dirty diapers found around her house. She was vilified for it, with some people calling her disgusting and judging her parenting capabilities. There was a huge response to the backlash she received; with many women telling their own ‘17 Diapers’ story about their struggles postpartum.

I have two children myself…they are pre-teens now. But I was not exempt from my own battle with postpartum mental health issues, or my struggles with motherhood in general. I think it’s absolutely wild to judge women who are struggling in a country that does not have universal healthcare, let alone other basic structures of support like paid maternal leave.

For those of you who live outside of the U.S., accessing mental healthcare here is a challenge. It’s usually not covered by health insurance, and the cost is really high. A new mother who is struggling with postpartum depression can’t just walk into a therapist’s office and get treatment unless she is in a financially privileged position. This was my situation when my second child was born. My postpartum anxiety and OCD were so severe I had a difficult time with daily tasks. But I couldn’t get the help I needed due to being broke new parents, so I just had to suffer through it.

In a patriarchal society that doesn’t value women, we lack the basic structures to support mothers because they are simply not valued. This is evident with the recent reversal of Roe v. Wade. Reproductive healthcare is made inaccessible, but support like affordable childcare, more public school funding, etc. isn’t taken into consideration at all. Conservatives want women to give birth without giving them any kind of support when it comes to raising that child.

Women are expected to do it all. We are expected to work and make money, raise our children without outside help, maintain a certain appearance, and do it all with a smile on our face. I want people to understand that this is not normal, nor is it the way things have always been. In early matriarchal societies, women and children were revered and supported by the greater community. Motherhood was supported by the village. Women in general were supported and honored rather than seen as second-class citizens.

Gaea is woven with fiber spells and intentions for better support for all women and mothers. May we remember that mothers are not superhumans. We need real, practical support. May we not judge women for their shortcomings in a society that is intentionally designed to disenfranchise them. If you are interested in bringing this piece of textile magick into your home, you can purchase it here. Thanks for reading!