Origins of the School’s Name

Summer 2016

The School, formerly known as the School of Shamanic Midwifery, founded by Jane Hardwicke Collings has been offering experiential educational programs to women since 2009, in Australia and International- ly.

In December 2015, the Australian Health Practitioner Registration Agency ordered, with the threat of sub- stantial fines for the criminal activity of using the word ‘midwife’ in conjunction with the word ‘shamanic’, that our former name – “The School of Shamanic Midwifery” be changed.

We were, apparently, in breach of the National Law for using the words for the ancient art and role of midwife and midwifery, to describe what we do/bring/offer the world. We have been using the words for their true meaning – “a person who helps to bring something into being” (OED), She who facilitates trans- formation from womb to tomb.

We are being judged by a culture who makes laws to protect people from each other, because they believe that people cannot be trusted to make the right decisions for themselves. They believed that we were mis- leading people that we are registered midwives and that the public will be tricked into a birth carer who isn’t within their regulation and control. And when I say They, that means Us, our culture, the way of being, thinking and doing that we have co-created, and that we reinforce over and over by the way we live, or challenge over and over by the way we live. The people who send the letters are just doing their jobs.

We of course were never pretending to be training or being registered midwives, everybody knew that. The School has been going for seven years and has just started her ninth Four Seasons Journey, with 53 women enrolled in that circle.

Creating the Culture of Responsibility

The thinking that sits behind these laws to protect us from each other, comes from the current Culture of Blame and the Cult of the Expert as Jeannine Parvati Baker (JPB) called it. And the School of Shamanic Midwifery is operating from a different place, participating in creating the Culture of Responsibility, for all our relations. We have a different world view and these cultures have collided. This is what will keep hap- pening until the point when it shifts. I feel the tiredness of this collision deep in my bones. As I sigh to the tediousness and the frustration, I give thanks for this opportunity to evolve.

I am excited to announce the next evolution of our work, we have changed the name to

“The School of Shamanic Womancraft”! – another of JPB’s terms, as was ‘’Shamanic Midwifery’’.

Our work in the world will continue, uninterrupted, and stronger for this chance to have galvanised. And my pledge stands that Jeannine Parvati Baker’s work and lineage will carry on.

I welcome you to the new website for the School of Shamanic Womancraft!

Blessed Be and Blessed Do! 

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