Birth and the Cosmos: Science, Myth, and the Art of Surrender
When astronomers describe the beginning of our universe, they speak of a sudden eruption of energy and light - the Big Bang. From a single, dense seed, space itself expanded, giving rise to galaxies, stars, and the very elements that make up our bones, blood, and breath. In a sense, the cosmos was born.
Human birth follows a similar pattern. Life begins in darkness: a universe held in a compact point, a baby curled safely within the womb. Then comes the surge of energy, the rhythm of contractions, the great movement from mystery into form. Ancient cosmologies spoke of this connection long before science confirmed it:
In Hindu philosophy, the Hiranyagarbha, the golden egg, cracked open to release creation.
The Egyptian goddess Nut gave birth to the sun each morning.
And modern physics tells us that the iron in our blood and the calcium in our bones were forged in the hearts of stars.
“The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood… were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.” - Carl Sagan
“The way we come into this world is a rehearsal for the way we live in it.” - Stanislav Grof
Labor mirrors these cosmic rhythms. Each contraction is a wave, an expansion and contraction, echoing the pulsations of the universe itself. The womb becomes a cosmic portal, where matter and spirit reorganise into something entirely new. Science reminds us that over 95% of the universe is invisible; dark matter and dark energy, unseen but essential.
Birth is the same: we can measure dilation, track hormones, and time contractions, but the essence of birth - the intelligence that knows how to open, release, and bring forth life - is still largely beyond our grasp. This is where cosmology and birth meet: in the recognition that we are held by something greater than ourselves. The same laws that spin galaxies guide a mother’s body as it opens.
To conclude, dear mothers, as you prepare for this threshold, remember: you are not separate from the cosmos. The same intelligence that birthed the stars is working within you. You do not need to carry everything on your own. You do not need to control the timing or the unfolding. Your work is simply to allow - to move with the ancient rhythm that shaped galaxies, tides, and the breath of life itself. Trusting this rhythm is not weakness; it is a profound alignment with the very power that created the universe.
