Embracing the Childless Journey: A Celebration of Life Beyond Motherhood

The Life I Didn't Plan For

The child-free life wasn't my first choice. It wasn’t a bold rejection of tradition or rooted in rebellion. It simply happened.

I always believed I would become a mom. This belief was unwavering. In fact, I never considered an alternative.

When life didn’t align with that vision, I had to grieve the life I had dreamed of. This involved not just mourning the idea of motherhood but also the meaning I thought it would give my life. I then had to learn to live in the space that this dream left behind.

At first, it felt like wandering without a map. But over time, it became a homecoming. A new kind of life began to take shape, rooted in ritual, soul-care, and quiet mornings.

It taught me that we are not as in control of our lives as we’d like to believe. Yet, we can still choose to do our best with where we land.

The Glorification of Motherhood

Let’s be honest; society glorifies motherhood.

In mainstream culture and even in spiritual spaces, it is seen as the ultimate initiation, the holy rite of womanhood. The sacred role.

But what about those of us whose initiations didn’t come through birth? What about those who have experienced heartbreak and have perpetually rebirthed themselves?

Many assumptions are made about women without children.

• We’re selfish.

• We’re unfulfilled.

• We don’t understand true love or sacrifice.

• Our lives are somehow lacking.

  
  

But who decides what defines a woman's worth?

The Untethered Women

There is a rich history of women living outside the expected narrative. Women who didn’t marry, didn’t bear children, didn’t settle quietly into domestic life, and were often labeled as witches for it.

In numerous cases, childless women were seen as dangerous. Because they weren’t tied to husbands or children, they had time. They possessed knowledge of the undomesticated. They were healers, midwives, and mystics. Their power came from within rather than from family or title, which made them suspect.

The concept of the witch was sold to us as something to fear. But what she truly represented was a woman living a less conventional life.

This path deserves more respect than it was historically given, and even though that history lingers in our social narrative, I see it starting to crumble.

Witch: Mother of the Unseen

The Witch is not barren.

She is fertile with mystery, intuition, and wisdom.

She births magic, art, healing, and remembrance.

She nurtures the formless: grief, spirit, wildness,

And the unbecoming before the becoming.

She is the Mother of the Unseen.

She isn't the soft-spoken, self-sacrificing mother figure we’re taught to embody. She tends to shadows as well as light. She reminds us that womanhood isn’t solely about raising children. It’s also about nurturing yourself.

The Witch hands us a mirror and teaches us to mother the parts we’ve abandoned.

Ways to Mother Yourself

Mothering yourself might look like:

• Talking kindly to yourself, as you would encourage a friend or a younger version of yourself.

• Declining or canceling plans when you feel overwhelmed, without guilt.

• Starting your morning with movement, breath, and intention instead of rushing to be productive.

• Cooking yourself a nourishing meal, even when no one else is around to share it.

• Standing up for yourself and setting boundaries with those who trigger you.

• Drawing a bath and going to bed early when you feel unwell or out of sorts.

• Choosing rest over hustle and solitude over social pressures.

• Investing in your healing through therapy, bodywork, rituals, or whatever reconnects you to yourself.

• Journaling to express your feelings and better understand your thoughts.

• Laying outside in nature, letting the earth hold you, and remembering that you belong.

  
  

Tending the Life That's Here

There are still birthdays, Mother’s Days, Christmas mornings, and random Thursdays when the ache of the life I anticipated makes itself known. But now, I can’t imagine a different version of my life. This path fits, even if it sometimes pinches. I’m grateful for the parts of my life that I wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.

My quiet mornings are sacred. I brew tea, light a candle at my altar, breathe deeply, read, journal, and engage in movement that feels like a prayer. I greet each day like an old friend. That kind of slow unfolding wouldn’t be possible if I was busy packing lunches and getting little ones ready for school.

I mother myself every time I honor my sensitivity and give space for my own growth. And I believe that might be the whole point.

A Love Note to the Childless Woman

Being childless doesn't make you less nurturing, less feminine, or less powerful. Your presence in the lives you touch matters. The life you’re creating is meaningful, even if it doesn't look the way you once imagined.

To those pouring your nurturing into plants, animals, art, healing, ritual, and community,

To the witches, the aunties, the teachers, the soul-tenders,

To those grieving silently,

To those still uncertain, 

You are not forgotten.

Mother is not just a role; it’s a frequency. 

And you, love, are tuned in just by being here.

Creating my course The Art of Daily Ritual has been its own kind of mental and emotional labor. If you long for soul-care that honors your sensitivity and the everyday magic of showing up for yourself, this course is made for you. It’s for those mothering themselves in quiet, unseen ways. You can learn more by clicking the banner below.