The Flower of Maryam
Labor begins, and the midwife places a small dry twiggy rosette in a bowl of warm water near the mother. Labor continues, the mother gently perspires, her cervix is softening and opening, and as it does, the ball of twigs begins to soften and expand into a woody flower.
When we set aside time to work on our bodies, health, relationships, physical space, and our selves to prepare for a pregnancy, we're engaged in a process of conscious conception.