The History of the Persecution/Priestess Wound

When we are on a spiritual or healing path, many folks often turn to the Witch Trials to understand why they feel silenced, afraid of being seen for who they truly are, and afraid as being seen as “other”

This is often an important part of our healing process because it helps us realize that our fear of being in our power and allowing others to see our gifts is a deep seated ancestral memory… but it goes even deeper than that…
Those who do some research might find info on the Spanish Inquisiton and then deeper they find info on the “Burning Times” that actually led into the Witch Trials, which was a time of extreme femicide and attacks on those holding land-based traditions and knowledge, and anyone deemed out of control of the dominant political and religious institutions. This meant herbalists, midwives and healers but also queer folks and even political radicals fighting things like the emerging land owner class or shifting religious monopolies

This is important but it actually still goes even deeper and deeper

If we continue researching we find how back in the emergence of monotheistic religions like Zoroastrianism then later Judaism there were eras of deep fear mongering and violence against anyone who challenged their new systems

But keep going and you find it goes even deeper still into the violent rupture of cultural traditions and political powers in the Neolithic Era when the northern Indo-European monotheistic patriarchal tribes came down into the Sumerian region and took over the lands of the Matrifocal & Matriarchal Goddess-worshiping or Earth-centered nations… this was the era of the great persecution and the source of the true Priestess Wound… and it is crucial we know this history if we are on a path of healing… 

This happened for so many reasons and in so many ways. They burned libraries and took over temples. They subjugated and enslaved nations. And they turned the mythological and spiritual customs on their head. But a key element in the brutal and savage take over was by destroying the temples and raping, pillaging & murdering priestesses 

The priestesses were often the economic and political leaders in matrifocal cultures, holding openly powerful positions of spiritually, economic & political responsibility for their communities. There are so many accounts from varied sources that mention these ancient societies and the remnants that resisted the shift to patriarchal power or who held on to their traditions in pockets across Mesopotamia and the Middle East. The northern Indo European tribes knew that to be able to take over this rich basin of resources they had to attack the priestess and their hold on power. They knew if the temples and libraries fell, the rest would follow After years of truly vicious attacks they co-opted their laws (Hammurabi’s code is not the first as we are often taught) and started implementing their laws from the north. 

These new takes on laws forced women out of politics, took their ability to hold wealth out of their hands and attacked any non binary and gender nonconforming folks as they were a direct challenge to their binary system. Whereas queerness was viewed as a fact of life in these earth centered societies with benign worldviews, now anything was a threat and they ruled with violence…

There is so much more to share, so many interesting facts and realizations that emerge as we put together the pieces that we will be discussing in my coming Healing the Priestess Wound workshop

Howerver I feel stronlgy that this is a crucial part of history that needs to be known by more foks, that is intentionally not taught and needs to be the baseline from which we go into this workshop on June 28th. Because when we realize there have always been other ways, abolishment becomes a more viable option. When we are shown examples of how it can work, we are able to radically imagine other possibilities. And we’re not even talking about all the possibilities the Americas’ indigenous nations have to offer us yet!

The potential for systemic change blows open but even more so the potential for healing is what is most amazing 
We’re talking an ancestral wound that goes deep into 9000-3000 BCE in the Neolithic Era.

Into our intergenerational cycles of violence and harm.

It goes deep into our psychology and has impacted how we view power + wealth, the gender binary, race, class, ageism, neurodivergence, reproductive soveriegnty, otherness or those that are “weird”. It has impacted how we view money and how we share it. It has harmed men’s psyches keeping them clueless on why they feel this never-ending defensiveness as much as it has harmed women’s & nonbinary folks’ psyches… 

And this is just where my workshop Healing the Priestess Wound BEGINS.  There is so much more meat to this history that we will dive into, not to mention the beautiful examples of the Toltekatl Tlamakazkes (priestesses/priests) that offer us so many lessons on alternative methods of political organization & how it can be integrated into today's society 

This is a piece of history that is NOT taught in mainstream education but is such a crucial piece of knowledge we all need to know …

This goes so deep and has the potential to shake up our world view, our political & religious beliefs, our understanding of our holistic health, our interpersonal relationships and our approach towards our purpose & gifts... Please be gentle with yourself and check in with yourself. Even if you dont plan on joining us in this workshop this historical perspective is crucial: 

After reading this, what is it making you think about? What emotions or thoughts arose? Where in your body does it live? How does your body feel? What is your body and spirit craving at this moment? 

Honor this. Listen to your body & spirit. And allow your light to shine!

If this calls to you or you would like somatic & spiritual support and a group of other burgeoning priestesses to witness you. join us on Wed the 28th for the Healing the Priestess Wound workshop as we kick off a new portal for equitable & nonhierarchical co-witnessing of our gifts! ​