This ritual can be done alone or with any or all members of the family or community affected by your abortion–the people that the baby might have known. I developed it for myself and my family when I felt depressed after an abortion. For me the healing effects were immediate, complete, and lasting: in the twenty years since the ritual, I have felt only peaceful, calm, and grateful about my abortion. The ritual can be done any time after your abortion, even years later.
Unfortunately for those of us who have experienced sexual abuse, it seems pretty clear that ignoring such an experience, no matter how long you ignore it, cannot make it go away. Healing from sexual abuse is essential work if we aim to live our lives fully, to share our gifts completely. The good news is that, as those of us who are in the midst of the healing process already know, healing is possible and can be quite a simple process, once you make space for it to happen.
I designed this ritual for my own healing from sexual abuse. I hope it will also be helpful to others, of any gender, who are trying to regain your power after incidents of sexual abuse or violation.