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— ages 15-19/20
— a very small portion of the Maidens have felt "called" to being a Herb Bride for as long as they can remember, most others have started to show a pull towards Herb Brides during childhood. Around 15 of age, the to-be-Herb Brides (nicknamed Herb Maids/Maidens, or Fledglings) will go through an Initiation ceremony in the presence of older Herb Brides.
— their outfits are heavy, layered, cloth and leather with minimal sigils as face and body paint since they still have to learn their meanings : they will rather have simple lines and shapes. they wear heavy bone and clay jewelry, and their hairdos stay pretty simple.
— they are very active, following older Herb Brides in dances. year after year, they develop their own dance, going through phases of very intense, frantic and kind of disorganized choreographies as they try to find their footings in the dance that will feel the truest and most meaningful to them.
— the heavy outfits are here to allow them to prove they can dance even with all of the weight on them. the to-be-Herb Brides often fall from exhaustion, more often than their older counterparts, and these instances are seen as important proof that they are giving it their all, losing themselves into Boddho and allowing her to take their energy and give it back.

— ages 19/20-45
— functioning as a coming-of-age rite, a Confirmation ceremony takes place around the 19th to 25th birthday of a Maiden having proven her determination and stood by her choice of becoming a Herb Bride. she is able, anytime before the ceremony is set to take place, to walk away from a future as a Herb Bride and reintegrate the rest of the Kin: it is understood that the life of a Herb Bride is tough, hard, exhausting, even if ultimately exhilarating and incredibly fulfilling to those who are able to follow through, and that not everyone is fit for it. Maidens reintegrating the rest of the Kin will still typically have an interest in herbs, and will tend to gravitate towards being herbalists, gardeners, botanists... some might take up entirely different trades, even if they tend to be anchored in Kin culture, such as becoming leather tanners, leather cutters, weavers, tapesters...
— the fledglings become Herb Brides in the presence of other Herb Brides and a/multiple Warden(s). they typically bathe in the Gorkhon or one of her tributaries and are expected to dance through the night.
— from there, they wear lighter clothing which allows them to move freely. having learned the meaning of the sigils during their earlier years, and now in the company of more knowledgeable Herb Brides, sigils become part of their face and body paint. intricate hairdos become more common as Herb Brides help each other with them.
— at this point, a Herb Bride will have settled into a dance of her own, something that feels true and meaningful to her. she will continue to change, morph and adapt it as she grows and learns more, but she has, now, come into her own.
— the "Mother" title is not really accurate, as Herb Brides are celibate per their customs; they will be mother figures and mentors to to-be-Herb Brides, and some will learn midwifery.
— whether or not a Herb Bride does become an actual midwife, Herb Brides will tend to to-be mothers and be around for births even if they do not help with the birth itself.
— the Voice of Boddho grows stronger during this time, and many Herb Brides will pick up chants directly from the Earth.
— a Herb Bride might still walk away from being one years, sometimes decades after her Confirmation ceremony. while these cases are rare, a Bride reintegrating the Kin at this point will typically gravitate towards herbalism, herbal medicine, poetry or storytelling inspired by the chants of the Earth.
— even more rare than the previous cases, but having been seen nonetheless, adult women might want to become Herb Brides past the usual age of Confirmation ceremonies. they might or might not go through the Maids "trial" period, as they are typically more sure of themselves and more convinced of their desire to devote themselves to the dance.

— ages 45+
— as some herb brides age and do not have the vigor to dance they once had, their knowledge of sigils, plants, and for some, childbirth, allow them to focus on these aspects of the Kin rather than the frantic dances as the new generation of Herb Brides fill that role.
— with sometimes 30 years of being a fledgling/maidens then full-fledged Herb Bride, their knowledge of sigils, herbs and the myths is vast and crucial to be shared. some Herb Brides become more sedentary, settling in with family members, and are reached periodically like Elders.
— for some, having been trained in midwifery by other Brides; and for others, having been witnesses to these births, a number of Herb Brides of that age settle in a midwife role. their knowledge of herbs allows them to make births less painful for the mother, and they either shoulder the Menkhu during birth, or take care of it themselves, surrounded by younger Brides.
— with age, some Herb Brides start wearing warmer clothing again as they handle the cold less well than when they were vigorous young women. their outfits welcome layers again and often intricately braided grass and herbs into sleeves, vests or skirts.
— the Brides who keep dancing tend to settle into a slower, softer, less brutal dance. they grow closer and closer to blades of grass swaying in the wind with the knowledge that they, soon, will go back to the Earth and be reborn as these very same blades.
— mentorship of to-be and younger Herb Brides is a crucial part of their life.

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