As I prepare for my talk this coming Thursday, Peace on Earth Begins at Birth — Honouring the Work and Legacy of Michel Odent with Ruth Ehrhardt and Clara Scropetta, I am filled with tender emotion.

Tenderness – a reminder that this loss, this grief, is still very new and fresh and that grief comes in cycles, waves and stages.

There is a feeling of loss, of things slipping away, of wanting to grab on to the tendrils before they slip away. Of truly wanting to stay true and to honour Michel’s work and his legacy.

As I make my way through his books, underlining what stands out to me (so much!), I am amazed, blown away, in awe of the depths to which he explored these topics – these rabbit holes he went down to uncover such precious truths on behalf of humanity and which he offered up to us again and again and again, always saying the same thing, but through a different lens.

We loved to hear what he had to say, but very few of us have been able to put into practice the truth he was speaking. Not for want of trying but because these deep truths make us stop and face our humanity, our cultural conditioning around birth, our blind spots – and this is uncomfortable.

And yet, he showed up again and again, until the sweet old age of 95, patiently, to share with us.

We hope to honour you this coming Thursday, Michel, to at least scratch the surface of what you uncovered for us all – and to remind ourselves of the impossible simplicity of birth.

We love you and thank you, Michel.

Hamba Kahle//Go Well

PS:Hamba Kahle is an isiXhosa and isiZulu expression meaning “go well.” It is a tender farewell — a blessing for the onward journey of a beloved one, offered with respect, love, and remembrance.

If you feel called to join this November’s Study Spiral, Peace on Earth Begins at Birth — Honouring the Work and Legacy of Michel Odent, we will gather to reflect on Michel’s profound teachings and the simple, world-shaping truths he dedicated his life to sharing.

Together with Clara Scropetta — Michel’s long-time Italian interpreter, translator, and collaborator — we will explore how the conditions of birth imprint mother, baby, and humanity, and how protecting the basic needs of women in labour is an act of protecting our collective future. Facilitated by myself and Clara, this session offers a space of honouring, inquiry, and deep integration.

Thursday, November 27, 2025 • 11am – 2pm SAST
true-midwifery1.teachable.com/p/true-midwifery-study-spirals

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