PLANCENTA, SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE
Placenta Spiritually Revered, But Not in the West This afterbirth has spiritual and religious significance in different parts of the world, says Y.W. Loke in this excerpt from “Life’s Vital Link.” But perhaps it’s overlooked in Western culture since birth has “become so cold and clinical.” Y.W. Loke July 28, 2013 Share: Credit: philohme on Flickr, under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0). (WOMENSENEWS)– The cycle of life and death is inevitable. Birth is when the placenta dies and the baby’s life begins. With the baby’s first independent breath, the placenta is no longer needed. It has nursed the baby through a potentially perilous intrauterine odyssey. Now the job is done. The clamping of the cord heralds the final parting of the ways. No wonder many cultures today treat the placenta with great respect and even look upon it with genuine affection. It is not just superstition or religious belief. There is a deep sense of loss that, when one life comes into being, another has ended. A