AUDIO VERSION:
Dear friend,
The older I get, the more it makes a whole lotta sense to disappear into the woods, rely only on nature, and cast spells on anyone who tries to disturb me.
I kid, but not entirely.
It’s wild to think about the stories we have about wicked, old witches and how they’ve haunted us for centuries. But we don’t have similar horror stories about the people who tried to burn those women.
Interesting. And somehow, not surprising.
When I think about the women who most inspire me, it’s never the public eye type of people. It’s the edge dwellers. The ones hiding behind trees in the cracks of society, who have done it differently. The ones who buck the norms, and blaze their own trails.
The witches of society. The wild women. The artists, and the rebels. The ones our collective has always tried to tame, snuff out, and make villains.
With Halloween hitting tomorrow in the US, here are a few lessons from witches that make me feel all warm inside:
The Aging Woman Holds Power
If you’ve made it to middle age or beyond, you’ve realized the myriad ways in which the princess story doesn’t quite hold up.
Society brands every woman beyond midlife a witch of sorts. All you have to do is look at our stories and fairytales. The princesses are always young, beautiful, innocent, and available. And unless you’re a fairy-godmother or grandma, if you’re older, you’re the witch in the story.
I believe this narrative is changing in live-time. But still..
Here’s what’s true about aging women: the wisest ones speak their minds. Unabashedly. People may not like what they say, and it may make those trying to uphold the status quo uncomfortable. But there is always a seed of truth coming from the mouth of the “crazy lady.”
After years of trying so hard to be a “good girl” by societal standards, badass older women no longer give a flip about trying to fit in, or do “what they should.”
Not only this, but they have YEARS of stories, and advice based on their experience of being disenfranchised.
Aging women are some of the most profound, untapped sources of wisdom in society. Especially the quiet ones.
Go on, ask for their advice…
Nature is Sacred
My family and I always joke about the commercials that are allowed to play in the US, promoting the vast array of drugs for all your mental, emotional and physical needs! They usually display happy and smiling families doing something active. The WARNINGS are presented in a fast-paced voice at the END of the commercial.
You know the ones I’m talking about:
“Side effects may include but are not limited to…death, suicidal ideation, cancer…” and on and on and on. It’s wild.
Go ahead. Pop and Tylenol if you must. But witches remind us that there are endless natural options to consider first that healers, energy workers, doulas and medicine women/men have used for centuries that weren’t prepared in some lab, for profit, with crazy-ass side effects that would make any sane person steer clear.
When Outcasted, Consider it Your Witch Initiation
When was a moment in your life when you felt like this?:
I have had a few. I bet you have, too.
Maybe it was when you got divorced. Or perhaps you’ve been socially outcasted by a group you thought were friends. Or maybe your belief about medical mandates, a certain politician, how to raise your family, or a policy at work differs greatly from those around you.
Though it feels like hell the first time it happens, consider it your initiation to the Dark Side.
It won’t be the last time you’re outcasted. May as well learn how to navigate it now.
The dark story that we don’t hear about most witches is that they end up with their title because they were rejected in some way. And through their pain and the rejection, they found their own way.
Often what society/community/family views as strange, haggish, and wild is the very KEY to you finding your own, authentic way.
Welcome to the Dark Side, Witchy Pants. It’s nice over here, (and the people are a little more authentic).
Know Your Darkness
Though we pretend otherwise, we all have a dark side, or as Carl Jung calls it, our Shadow Side. We dive deep into shadow work at the DREAM Retreat (returning in 2026!).
We have a two choices: pretend we don’t have one and live, cluelessly and plastically in only the light.
Or honor the darkness inside of us. Get to know it. Feel its texture. Understand its origins. Align and integrate with it, allow it to give us even more depth, insight, creativity and power.
The very embodiment of the witch represents this darkness that is alive in all of us, if only we are brave enough to step towards it.
So charge on, My Witches.
Here’s to celebrating the witch that lives in you…
*photo up top found from @thetrailblasery
Gather with like-minded WITCHES:
AWAKEN Retreat (Nosara, Costa Rica) - February 8-15, 2025: Rejuvenate, and reconnect with your most authentic self at this women's retreat of self discovery in Costa Rica: one of the world's renowned Blue Zones for longevity.
AWAKEN Retreat (Provence, France) - September 20-27, 2025: Rekindle forgotten passions, awaken dormant ideas, and realign your life with your highest aspirations on this breath-taking, 130 acre, organic vineyard in the South of France.
IGNITE Retreat (Crestone, CO) - September 17-20, 2026: Reclaim your feminine fire as we explore principles of masculine and feminine energy and their influence on our relationships, while dipping into Colorado’s mountain, mineral hot-springs.
To find our more about my transformational Retreats, to buy my book: You Should Leave Now, to schedule your Soul Session, or learn more about The Self Retreat Kit, please see my website. xxo