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IN August I had the HUMBLING Honor of BEINg with a BELoved Sister while She brought Her first Son Earthside. It changed me, Eternally. I AM so Grateful and Honored to have BEen INvited INto thIS PRECIOUS experience.
Through thIS Rite of Passage (OF BEHOLDING BIRTH), a timeless Truth resonated through my Blood, Bones and Body.
Every Woman carries withIN Her the Spirit of a MidWife.
Note: I don’t mean a medical midwife. I mean a Pure & True MidWife. IN my personal Truth system, any Woman who considers HerSelf a Birth Witness and Companion IS a Pure & True MidWife.
What do I mean by Pure & True MidWife?
The etymology of the Word MidWife reveals the Pure & True meanINg. Derived from Middle English, the term comprises of “mid” signifyINg "with" and “wif” meanINg “Woman.” Literally translating to “Woman who IS 'with' (the MotHER at Birth),” the Word itSelf IS a BEaUtiful testament to the Nature of the role, function and Purpose.
The Word with HighLights a sentiment that modern language often misses: midwifery IS more about BEINg than doINg.
IN the cacophony of our modern times, with its emphasis on doINg, achievINg, and tickINg boxes, the essence of BEINg a MidWife offers a poignant remINder. At the core of this age-old vocation IS the simple yet profound act of Presence — of BEINg Present, of BEINg with, of witnessINg, and of holdINg space.
A clear distINction BEtween a Pure & True MidWife and medical midwife IS that a Pure & True MidWife Will practise Power-with you, rather than what a medical MidWife does which IS practise Power-over you.
POWER-OVER IS the paradigm of Power that WE (as a collective) have BEen operatINg IN for thousands of years … and IS an expression and emBodiment of unINtegrated or distorted forms of Power. A tell-tale sign of a Power-over structure IS HIERARCHY.
Power-over models are based on dominance and they are prominent IN many aspects of our culture, particularly IN politics, religious institutions, education systems, global corporations, or other hierarchical structures that seek to create uniformity, conformity, compliance and docility accomplished by and motivated through coercion, shame, fear and manipulation (medical midwifery INcluded). For thIS reason Power-over structures, systems and / or dynamics do not value Truly INformed, emBodied and emPowered Choice.
POWER-WITH on the other hand, IS a consensual, Harmonic and INtegrated expression and emBodiment of Power. Power-with IS founded upon a commitment and Devotion to conscious relatINg and CommUNITY care.
Power-with IS built on mutual respect, mutual support, shared Power, solidarity, commUNITY, INterdependence.
A tell-tale sign of Power-with IS SYNARCHY.
Synarchy means joint Sovereignty — collective leadership.
To practise Power-with means to respect and revere an INdividual’s Sovereignty.
Every contraction, every sigh, every BEad of sweat, every tear, every burst of laughter — Pure & True MidWives are tHere, expressINg and emBodyINg a penetrative Presence. Unlike medical midwives, they aren’t “keepers” of Birth; they are simply a groundINg force and an anchorINg energy, for the BirthINg MotHER.
The PURE & TRUE role, function and Purpose of a MidWife IS not clINical, and therefore INterventional, imposINg, exploitative and extractive. It transcends the tangible. It's about the ability to MotHER The MotHER, to hold Her HeART, to offer solace and strength and to BE a pillar of comfort and care.
IN our World, where the emphasis IS so often on what One can do, a MidWife stands as a testament to the Power of simply BEINg. She IS a remINder that sometimes / MOST times, our most potent offerINg ISn't IN the doINg … it IS IN our Presence — IN the silent moments, the gentle touches, the Faithful glances, and the shared Breaths.
Here’s an unpopular opINion that I Know sooooooo many of you Will recieve HOLY permission from hearINg —
You don’t need to pay thousands of dollars to BEcome and BE qualified to support Women through conception, pregnancy, Birth, postpartum, and MotHERhood. As a Woman, thIS Wisdom IS INborn, INnate and INHERent. ThIS tradition IS a part of y(our) PHYSIOLOGIC DESIGN.
Blood, Bones, and Body tell, of One of the sacred roles, IN which Women dWELL.
BEINg a MidWife ISn’t about acquirINg skills; it's about recognizINg and honINg what's already pulsatINg withIN One’s very Quintessence (as a Woman).
I AM not a certified MidWife, I have not undergone formal traININg and thIS was the first Birth I witnessed and supported and Served a Women IN and through. Nonetheless, tHere was never a moment where I doubted my medicINe, tHere was never a moment where I did not Know how to BE of support and Service, tHere was never a moment where I felt like an imposter and like I was not equipped and / or qualified to (BE)hold Birth. I felt IN my element. I felt like I BElonged. BEcause I did. Just like how you do, Woman.
When the WINd whispers, it carries tales of faded, but not forgotten traditions, traditions where Womanhood was synonymous with Creation, Care, and CommUNITY. IN these (Organic) times, the Wisdom of BirthINg and sustaining Life ran through our veins as a river does through a valley — unINterrupted, Wholesome, Pure.
The sanctity of Birth IS an age-old dance; its “steps” passed down through generations, not through written notes or formal certifications, but through the palpable rhythm of our HeARTbeat, the Wisdom tucked withIN our Bones and the memories stored IN our Blood. For IN a time predatINg our modern structures, our formal establishments, and our titles, every Woman was INHERently a Guardian of Life. EVERY WOMAN STILL IS.
Women didn’t need certificates or courses to learn the profound act of supportINg Life; they just Knew. They Knew by witnessINg their Sisters, MotHERs, and grandMotHERs. They Knew by touchINg, feelINg, experiencINg. They Knew through BEINg INvolved, immersed and participatINg IN the pilgrimage and process that IS Birth. The Village, then, a cohesive kINcentric network, was the Womb that held these emBodied experiences and cultivated Truths. Every Woman, a medicINe Woman; every Woman, a MidWife. ThIS wasn’t a profession, it was a Birthright.
WE always have BEen – and always Will BE – INHERently qualified.
It’s a function, role and Purpose embedded IN our very DNA.
These threads of ancient Wisdom have not BEen severed; they lie dormant, INvitINg and INspirINg the touch of remembrance.
My mission, as a stewardess of thIS ancient tradition, IS not to teach or INstruct but to remINd. To gently, yet diligently dissolve what disables connection to our INnate Wisdom — revealINg the vibrant mosaic of our shared legacy.
The ancient and Organic technologies and traditions of conception, pregnancy, Birth, and postpartum do not BElong to a select few, but to Humanity as a Whole. ThIS IS a part of our INHERitance as BELoved Children of The Creator.
Yet, as with many / most ancient and Organic technologies and traditions, the modern World has a tendency to commercialize and commodify that which used to BE freely passed down and through CommUNITY archives. The last few decades have seen a resurgence IN the demand for MidWives due to a restoration IN Organic (PHYSIOLOGICAL) Birth. With thIS demand INevitably came the Creation of certification programs and entire associations and organizations (REGULATING BODY’S) designed to 'qualify' Women to play a role they have BEen Organically expressINg and embodyINg (without any formal traININg) for eons.
While I respect the INtention BEhind formal traININg and certification (to ensure that MidWives possess the necessary Knowledge to provide High-quality care) — it has led to a paradigm where Wisdom and Service are priced, and where gatekeepINg emerges. When Wisdom and Service are priced, WE Create a DISTORTED culture where Wisdom and Service are privilege. Which IS not The Truth.
IN Organic society’s, where The Village was IN tact, Wisdom and Service (Service, as IN, BEINg both the Served and the Servant) was INterwoven INto the very fabric of society. EveryOne had access to CommUNITY archives and Wisdom. No One was “superior” and considered above BEINg of Service and no One was “INferior” and considered unworthy of BEINg Served.
INdeed, it's vital for INdividuals to BE compensated for their efforts, their emoceanal labor, and their INvestment of time and space. However, when WE see exorbitant price tags attached to accessINg Wisdom and BEINg supported and Served through Birth (which IS every Woman's Birthright) WE need to question: at what point IS exploitation and extraction BEINg guised as gratuity and reciprocity?
How can our focus BE not on the INdividual and fINancial ROI of BEHOLDING BIRTH, but rather, on the COLLECTIVE and Spiritual ROI of another BEINg brought Earthside IN Love?
As hundreds of thousands of Women rekINdle thIS Faithful and Fruitful flame each year, a restoration IS immINent. A restoration that does not clamor, rage or resist but flows gently, like a River reclaimINg its rightful course. WE stand at the cusp of thIS reBirth, a reBirth of INnerstandINg both our DivINe Design, Desire, and DestINy to to BEcome and BE MotHERs AND our DivINE Design, Desire and DestINy to MotHER The MotHER.
AMEN.
