Creative Health and Birthing Arts

The Spirit of the Fountain dies not.
It is called the Mysterious Feminine.
The Doorway of the Mysterious Feminine
Is called the Root of Heaven-and-Earth.

Lingering like gossamer, it has only a hint of existence;
And yet when you draw upon it, it is inexhaustible.
--Lao Tzu, Tao The Ching

Many of life's great mysteries are revealed to us through the mysterious, divine feminine. Throughout our lives as women-child, lover, mother, crone-the mysterious feminine matures through our intuition and inspirations. The development of divine feminine principles within a woman i.e. nurturing, fertility, gentleness, inwardness, and healer, leads that woman to living a full spiritual, authentic life.

When we give our lives over to the patriarchal culture as it is now we give away our freedom, and god/dess given right to being our authentic feminine selves. When masculine principles are foremost in culture, strength, protection, and fiery energy leading to anger, are valued. It is our responsibility for all people, for the earth, and for whatever else there is, to reclaim the divine, mysterious feminine, and to bring balance to the feminine and masculine.

By being born women it is our right and responsibility to carry on the divine feminine through our living. If we spiral into our deepest feminine selves it seems only natural that attachment mothering, breastfeeding, and gently nurturing our children become our lifestyle. It seems only natural that we would teach our children to walk upon the earth gently. And for those of us called to midwifery it seems only natural that we would serve the women and their families that we attend with the utmost respect, dignity, and trust in natural processes.

The natural processes of the growth of a new baby, from conception to birth, and the care of the motherbaby does not need to be considered a medical event, but rather, a holy, sacred time in the lives of a new family.
Pregnancy, birthing, and motherbaby moon time are certainly normal events in a woman's life just as falling in love, sexuality, and dying are. These are simply natural parts of living a full life. Why, oh why, are these considered medical events? And why should midwifery be considered a profession that needs to be legalized and licensed? Throughout time women have supported women. This support system is as natural as the sun rising every morning. Will it be required to have a license to be a mother or to have sex? I know that sounds ridiculous, but it seems equally ridiculous to me for midwives to be licensed and regulated.

Being a midwife is not being a medical provider. Midwife means "with woman". The essence of midwifery means attending to a woman with a keen eye, heart and soul. A midwife's observation skills and intuitive ways of knowing are heightened while being in the timeless space of watching and patiently waiting. She is a guardian for the motherbaby and looks toward a safe passage for both of them. A midwife's role is not to control the process, but rather, to support the story of the birth in this time and place.

Authentic means keeping with the place of origin. Authentic midwifery has been with us since time immortal. A midwife is a student of the divine, mysterious feminine and looks to spirit and intuition to be her guides. She works within the principles of natural healing which means supporting a person to spiritual wholeness. Being an authentic midwife means that you live outside of the medical system. Of course there are times when the process leaves the normal natural course and requires medical attention. At these times it is entirely appropriate to seek further assistance.

As a midwife I am deeply honored each time a woman asks me to be with her throughout her the seasons of her pregnancy, journey of birth, and motherbaby moon time. I am with her as a sister and a friend on her journey. I dance with her in the divine spirit and forces of nature. I pay attention with her to the whispers of her deepest voice as I witness the artistic expression of life unfolding from the vessel of her being.

As a midwife my deepest desire is to stay authentic i.e. to stay to the origins of midwifery. Authenticity is intuitive. It beckons a person to listen to the heart of the matter as creation unfolds.

Through the years I have watched many midwives agonize over whether or not to be certified, regulated or licensed. I have observed these amazing women put a lot of their precious energy towards the process of becoming legal and becoming a part of the medical health care system. They felt threatened by what they perceived as the cultural realities of being thrown in jail or sued. They were tired of not being paid well for a job requiring enormous energy and presence. Who creates these realities? Are they really true? Could it be that our fears are what we create? Do we create our own realities?

I understand my sister midwives' dilemma. It seemed that if we had one foot in the door and the other out that we could live in both worlds. It is a nice idea, but one that is too stressful for me. Being in that place is not being true to myself. Economically it may have benefited me but the cost of time and energy would have drained me. Why should I want insurance companies to pay me when I don't agree with their politics and way of doing business?

I know plenty of midwives who are disappointed with me for not joining in the bandwagon of becoming certified and wanting to be regulated. They feel as though it will keep them out of legal troubles. I think we are hoodwinked into believing this as a truth. Liability, of course, is a cultural problem and not one solely related to midwifery. In my reality it is a waste of precious personal energy to try and become an accepted part of the system. I have decided instead to keep my focus on connecting and reconnecting with the mysterious, divine feminine.

For me it was, and continues to be, imperative that I stay on the path of authentic midwifery. I am the best midwife when I am focused on being a student of natural process and natural law rather than being a slave to fear based laws. I keep in my heart and out of my head. This works for me and it works for the women I journey with.

The Doorway of the Mysterious Feminine
Is called the Root of Heaven-and-Earth.
Lingering like gossamer, it has only a hint of existence;
And yet when you draw upon it, it is inexhaustible.

I choose the inexhaustible root of Heaven-and-Earth. She has not let me down. May it be so by our living.

The Divine Feminine and Authentic Midwifery

The Spirit of the Fountain dies not. It is called the Mysterious Feminine. The Doorway of the Mysterious Feminine Is called the Root of Heaven-and-Earth. Lingering like gossamer, it has only a hint of existence; And yet when you draw upon it, it is inexhaustible. --Lao Tzu, Tao The Ching Many of life's great mysteries are revealed to us through the mysterious, divine feminine. Throughout our lives as women-child, lover, mother, crone-the mysterious feminine matures through our intuition and inspirations. The development of divine feminine principles within a woman i.e. nurturing, fertility, gentleness, inwardness, and healer, leads that woman to living a full spiritual, authentic life. When we give our lives over to the patriarchal culture as it is now we give away our freedom, and god/dess given right to being our authentic feminine selves. When masculine principles are foremost in culture, strength, protection, and fiery energy leading to anger, are valued. It is our responsibility for all people, for the earth, and for whatever else there is, to reclaim the divine, mysterious feminine, and to bring balance to the feminine and masculine. By being born women it is our right and responsibility to carry on the divine feminine through our living. If we spiral into our deepest feminine selves it seems only natural that attachment mothering, breastfeeding, and gently nurturing our children become our lifestyle. It seems only natural that we would teach our children to walk upon the earth gently. And for those of us called to midwifery it seems only natural that we would serve the women and their families that we attend with the utmost respect, dignity, and trust in natural processes. The natural processes of the growth of a new baby, from conception to birth, and the care of the motherbaby does not need to be considered a medical event, but rather, a holy, sacred time in the lives of a new family. Pregnancy, birthing, and motherbaby moon time are certainly normal events in a woman's life just as falling in love, sexuality, and dying are. These are simply natural parts of living a full life. Why, oh why, are these considered medical events? And why should midwifery be considered a profession that needs to be legalized and licensed? Throughout time women have supported women. This support system is as natural as the sun rising every morning. Will it be required to have a license to be a mother or to have sex? I know that sounds ridiculous, but it seems equally ridiculous to me for midwives to be licensed and regulated. Being a midwife is not being a medical provider. Midwife means "with woman". The essence of midwifery means attending to a woman with a keen eye, heart and soul. A midwife's observation skills and intuitive ways of knowing are heightened while being in the timeless space of watching and patiently waiting. She is a guardian for the motherbaby and looks toward a safe passage for both of them. A midwife's role is not to control the process, but rather, to support the story of the birth in this time and place. Authentic means keeping with the place of origin. Authentic midwifery has been with us since time immortal. A midwife is a student of the divine, mysterious feminine and looks to spirit and intuition to be her guides. She works within the principles of natural healing which means supporting a person to spiritual wholeness. Being an authentic midwife means that you live outside of the medical system. Of course there are times when the process leaves the normal natural course and requires medical attention. At these times it is entirely appropriate to seek further assistance. As a midwife I am deeply honored each time a woman asks me to be with her throughout her the seasons of her pregnancy, journey of birth, and motherbaby moon time. I am with her as a sister and a friend on her journey. I dance with her in the divine spirit and forces of nature. I pay attention with her to the whispers of her deepest voice as I witness the artistic expression of life unfolding from the vessel of her being. As a midwife my deepest desire is to stay authentic i.e. to stay to the origins of midwifery. Authenticity is intuitive. It beckons a person to listen to the heart of the matter as creation unfolds. Through the years I have watched many midwives agonize over whether or not to be certified, regulated or licensed. I have observed these amazing women put a lot of their precious energy towards the process of becoming legal and becoming a part of the medical health care system. They felt threatened by what they perceived as the cultural realities of being thrown in jail or sued. They were tired of not being paid well for a job requiring enormous energy and presence. Who creates these realities? Are they really true? Could it be that our fears are what we create? Do we create our own realities? I understand my sister midwives' dilemma. It seemed that if we had one foot in the door and the other out that we could live in both worlds. It is a nice idea, but one that is too stressful for me. Being in that place is not being true to myself. Economically it may have benefited me but the cost of time and energy would have drained me. Why should I want insurance companies to pay me when I don't agree with their politics and way of doing business? I know plenty of midwives who are disappointed with me for not joining in the bandwagon of becoming certified and wanting to be regulated. They feel as though it will keep them out of legal troubles. I think we are hoodwinked into believing this as a truth. Liability, of course, is a cultural problem and not one solely related to midwifery. In my reality it is a waste of precious personal energy to try and become an accepted part of the system. I have decided instead to keep my focus on connecting and reconnecting with the mysterious, divine feminine. For me it was, and continues to be, imperative that I stay on the path of authentic midwifery. I am the best midwife when I am focused on being a student of natural process and natural law rather than being a slave to fear based laws. I keep in my heart and out of my head. This works for me and it works for the women I journey with. The Doorway of the Mysterious Feminine Is called the Root of Heaven-and-Earth. Lingering like gossamer, it has only a hint of existence; And yet when you draw upon it, it is inexhaustible. I choose the inexhaustible root of Heaven-and-Earth. She has not let me down. May it be so by our living.