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Tributes to Althea Hayton

Althea Hayton, founder of Womb Twin, passed away peacefully on August 13 (sorry for the delay in posting this news on the blog). We are all ...

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Born with a caul - is this significant?

A strange coincidence has been documented, that babies born with a caul ( the amniotic sac does not break but is delivered with the baby still contained within it)  are lucky, specially-gifted individuals.
Many belief systems hold that being born with a veil is a sign of special destiny and psychic abilities, or good luck. Through the years I have read people born with a veil. Most are female and believe themselves to be psychically gifted, while others show no advanced abilities nor interest. 

A caul or veil (Latin: Caput galeatum) is a thin, filmy membrane, the remnants of the amniotic sac, that covers or partly covers the newborn mammal immediately after birth. In childbirth it is seen as a shimmery coating of the head and face. The caul is harmless and it is easily removed by the doctor, midwife, or person(s) performing the childbirth. The appearance of a caul over a newborn baby's head is occasional; not all children have one, though they are not especially rare. A child born in this way is known as a caulbearer.

Alexander the Great was allegedly born with a caul and he certainly had an interesting and powerful life, though short lived.
Sigmund Freud, as we have seen here in the last week, was born with a caul, which convinced his mother that he would be her Golden Child.
Napolean also was born in a caul. Liberace was a womb twun survivor and was born in a caul.
 
And here another quote, from "The Social History of the Caul" by Thomas R. Forbes
 "Of the Helmets of Children newly born, or of the thin and soft caul, wherewith the face is covered as with a vizard, or covering, when they come first into the world." He quotes "old Wives . . . who do but dote, and know not what they say" to the effect that a black caul presages accidents, misfortunes, and haunting by evil spirits unless the caul "be broken and given in drink, which against my will many have done to the great hurt of the child." But if the caul is red or clings to the crown of the head, the child is expected later to achieve great success. 
Such interpretations were examples of amniomancy, the practice of foretelling the future by inspection of the caul.  If the caul were "white" (i.e., colorless) or red, it would bring good fortune; if black or lead-colored, the child would be unlucky.(57, 80, 88,) In Herzegovinia, a part of Jugoslavia, it was thought that a baby born with a black caul would grow up to become a witch or sorcerer unless, on the first night after the birth, a
woman carried the caul to the roof top and announced that "A child was born
at our house in a bloody shirt" Whether these procedures were regarded as charms or simply as attempts to prevent superstitious rumors among the neighbors is not reported.
It is suggested on this site that babies are not likely to be born  in a caul these days because of the habit of "breaking the waters" to assist labour, which means that the amniotic sac if then broken before birth.  In practices run by midwives there are more likely to be caul births and they are now advocated. Babies born in a caul  (with intact membranes) have a better time during delivery and start life with an advantage.  But is this a self fulfilling prophesy? Does Mum get excited by the sight of the caul and treat this kid differently or is there something more to this?

Many womb twin survivors ( mainly the multiples) show signs of being psychic, and they also have a great desire to reach out to others in need, to help them.  So do the caul bearers: they feel different and show signs of feeling a great sense of responsibility to help others - a sense of mission.

This was written in 2007 by a woman born in a caul. She has all the typical psychological characteristics of a womb twin survivor.
I would do anything for another not be in pain. At one point I realized that I was so familiar with pain that if it helped someone for me to take it on, then I could. Then I accepted the suggestion that pain helps someone know they are alive. It was shown to me that a woman who had a high pain threshold was unaware that she had a fracture until she could not walk some months later. Even with this information I continued to become anxious when I see suffering around me. The distress intensifies when I feel helpless to do anything about it.
Nearly 50% of the respondents to the womb twin research questionnaire gave the most positive  response to the statement:

"I have a deep desire to heal the world and everyone in it"

This sounds familiar: is it possible that babies born in a caul are womb twin survivors? I wonder....

Were YOU born in a caul? Do YOU want to heal the world and everyone in it?  Feel free to comment here or privately to me.



1 comment:

  1. I was born with a caul and have always felt so acutely the suffering of others. I will do almost anything to ease their pain even if it means causing harm to myself. I have also had detailed dreams that have come true. I have struggled with the truth of whether I am a wombtwin because of my relationship with my mother and doubt in her truthfulness.

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