Debra Pascali-Bonaro / Austria
As I settled in to my little birth cottage at Angelika Rodler’s home in Austria, I am surrounded by the many memories we have created together. A photo hangs of our first meeting in Vienna 2002, along with Piera a doula from Italy. The 3 of us met at the Int’l. Confederation of Midwives’, ICM meeting in Vienna. There were 3,000 midwives and 3 doulas. We found each other and in an instant have become life long friends. This is my eighth trip to teach the Doulas of Austria with Angelika.
Above my bed hangs a beautiful painting her daughter created of her “Orgasmic Birth”. On the wall, in the kitchen is a photo of Ina May Gaskin, Elizabeth Davis and I together at a Midwifery Today Conference in Bad Wildbad, Germany. All around are images of birth, feminine energy and woman’s wisdom. This is only the beginning, as this cottage was the first area of her large farm that she renovated to a red tent. We are holding our workshop in an amazing cave, womb of the mother earth that Angelika and her husband built in the barn that was once for animals.
Everything is draped in red, giving us all a nurtured and safe feeling. Art, candles, Angelika’s creative energy has designed a space for women that is amazing!! There is a magical feeling in all that Angelika has created here. 24 new doulas, most from Austria, one from Slovenia, another from Italy, a physician, a midwife and our amazing translator Jaqueline Eddaoudi are touched by the energy. It is inspiring to see what Angelika has created. We need more spaces that are created around feminine energy.
I begin each day with a long walk to town for my morning coffee. I have been trying to walk and exercise more. A combination of getting older and spending more time on the computer has shown me how important walking each morning is. This morning as I walked a song stayed in my mind as I began to sing along the way. I have always loved the song Who are the Witches and noticing a witch on top of the roof, I could not wait to gather the doulas to sing along too.
Who are The Witches
Midwives reclaiming their heritage: A social movement song (click on for Gaia Choir version to sing along)
Who are the witches?
Where do they come from?
Maybe your great-great grandmother was one
Witches were wise, wise women they say
And there’s a little witch in every woman today
Women had babies and witches were there
To help and to hold them, and give them sweet care
And witches knew stories of how life began
Don’t you wish you could be one?
Well, maybe you can…….
Who are the witches?
Where do they come from?
Maybe your great-great grandmother was one
Some people thought that the witches were bad
Some people were scared of the power they had
The power to heal and to give and to care
It’s not something to fear, it’s a treasure to share!
Witches are wise, wise women, they say
And there’s a little witch in every woman today.
Who are the witches?
Where do they come from?
Maybe your great-great grandmother was one
Witches were wise, wise women they say
And there’s a little witch in every woman today
Do you know the history of the witches? As you celebrate Halloween I hope you will honor our midwives and talk about the history of midwifery and the many witch hunts that continue today to prosecute our midwives. I hope you might sing too and remember the witch within you!
Submitted by: Debra October 26th, 2012
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