My
son was born into a blended family. I became both a mother and a stepmother at
the same time – grey hairs included. His twin sister left us during pregnancy.
That wasn’t easy.
Today I know how precious it was to be able to feel her inside me. A few years
later, the birth of another star child showed me once again how profound these
processes can be and how important it is to have support.
For me, birth and death are similar, profound processes of
transformation. Inconceivable. Vast. Occasionally, I also accompany people
through the dying process. This fascination led me early on to study
midwifery, which I was unable to complete, and to an indigenous midwife
in Guatemala, from whom I learnt a great deal. I am convinced that women
possess the natural potential to give birth on their own. Even we in our
Western-influenced world.
Ancient
knowledge, herbalism and alternative healing methods have always held a
fascination for me, as has the healing power of the voice, of sound and
of singing together.
I
feel a connection to the knowledgeable women who existed right up until
the early modern era. Women who worked for the benefit of people and expectant
mothers – drawing on their wealth of experience, their deep connection
to nature and to the greater whole – be it God, Goddess or All-That-Is.
From a young age, I have followed my inner voice, even when it made some
aspects of my life uncomfortable.
Because that is who I am, Hanna Luisa. And
I encourage you, too, to find your very own path. Because you are exactly right the way you are!
Today I live near Zurich with a wonderful partner and my son.