LIVING WELLNESS
T h e G o o d W i t c h
Beginner’s Guide
DEAR READER,
I come to you at the very beginning of this issue for an important sidebar on this month’s topic While on the face of it, we ’ re exploring the origin of the “witch,” the telling of her story is not the cheeky and flippant version we are accustomed to in our modern depiction of her When this topic first landed for this issue, I was amused and excited to learn the history of the central character of our Halloween lore I wanted to understand how we arrived at the ghoulish depiction of a woman capable of medicinal magic and feared to the point of being an outcast. I was surprised by how quickly my research went from novel curiosity to horrified revelation. The more I researched, the more grief set upon my heart for the atrocities leveraged against tens of thousands of nonconforming women and men over the course of three hundred years.
While the story here explains how witches came to be, the most surprising takeaway for me is how much this period in time colored our view of natural, wise, and independent women and those presented as “other” in the centuries that followed. While modern women have more access to freedom and choice than our predecessors, we are still very much suffering from the residue of this reformative time of religious persecution.
I write this letter as both an invitation and a gentle warning. While not fully recounting in gruesome detail, the retelling of this history still has the potential to stir up emotions and memories of our own oppression and that of our ancestors
I know it did for me, and I tapped a collective grief that I learned has been named the “witch wound.”
This wound still sits among us, open and alive, as a deeply engrained belief that many of us are not aware of. So, Dear Reader, tread lightly here. Take it slow. Only go as deep as you are ready to go. There are resources to go deeper if you like, but above all, go gently. You are loved and held Together we walk back to the light.
L
I
V I N G W E L L N E S S
Have you touched earth today?
Go smell the soil on your hands, sink your feet into its minerals
Listen for the scrub jay call to the hummingbird, And the hawk call to the sky
Feel sun warming your hair, your toes, your breasts.
Breathe deep You are alive in this space You are born from this soil,
this rib of life that lays bones at your feet to gnaw and suck the marrow.
You are as a tree, rooted here
You are not dirty This is not unholy ground This is the space of belonging
The bare and natural state of your heart, connected to earth
W E A R E M E A N T T O
G A T H E R I N S A C R E D C E R E M O N Y A C O V E N O F W I S E
W O M E N C O M M U N I N G
W I T H T H E E L E M E N T S O F
F I R E A N D W A T E R , P L A N T S A N D P O T I O N S
I T I S H E R E I N S I S T E R H O O D T H A T W E L I S T E N T O O U R C O L L E C T I V E H E A R T A N D T H E W I N D T H A T S T O K E S O U R I N T U I T I O N , T H E V E R Y S E A T O F O U R D I V I N E F E M I N I N E
A W O R D O
N . . .
FORGIVENESS
I REGRET SO MUCH.
I grieve what was not and could not have been. I hold on just to remember that it can’t happen like that again.
The grief begins with the sins committed against me, in my innocence, and the despair that comes from the lie that I asked for it and allowed it.
This is the injustice that I find almost unforgivable. My very own personal betrayal.
Yet the pattern is strong because selfsabotage was a longtime default. I held a low regard for myself in the eyes of others, a threshold so easy to breach and exploit, because I didn’t know there was another choice.
Regret is a poison, my wise friend told me while out on a walk
I could feel the weight of that truth under the wide open sky that holds regret about nothing The spacious sky, allowing all of the seasons to belong
Not once regretting the manner in which it welcomes the day, or draws to a close. Always game to hold the searing heat and the tempest wind, just the same as it holds the lighting and its silver rain.
It never regrets holding just exactly what is passing through, all the while, arching its back into the heavens.
I know, I said. I know. But it’s so hard to let go. That which leaves a pool of black energy feels unforgivable Punishment through shame feels easier. I hold on to know I’ve suffered enough not to forget.
But I also know what happens when I finally loosen the grip: how the blackness drains away, how the color returns, how the sky sees and says, "Yes, do it just like that."
Let It Go
Let yourself be a wild unpredictable force of nature. Turn your heart to heaven, the mystery that always reinvents.
You are allowed your own forgiveness, and forgiveness waits for your sacred yes.
Note to self.....
T A K E
U P S P A C E
There is room enough for all of you.
The Good Witch
Real Witches are rooted deep in the lore of the dark arts and have been misunderstood for centuries. History obscures the importance of these gifted women, once integral to the health of our communities, before they were driven into hiding or death The witch origin story is worth retelling, as is the story of her return Her gifts are needed now more than ever
THE END OF OCTOBER
highlights one of the oldest rituals in the worldhonoring the transition between the living and the dead. Numerous holidays and festivals between September and November focus on this harvest theme and the end of summer ’ s bounty Yet for those raised in modern Western culture, Halloween is the holiday that can’t be missed
Today, Halloween still carries the themes of harvest and the symbolism of death, the afterlife, and sorcery. One of Halloween’s main characters, the witch, is a feature of this symbolism. Labeled as mysterious and untrustworthy, she has a penchant for cats and black gowns; she wears a pointy hat and tends a cauldron of potion, presumed poison. She is dangerous, unpredictable, and irresistibly wicked.
The witch's persona is so baked into our symbolism of the dark and forbidden that we have dismissed her as a wart-nosed, greenish ghoul who is not quite human This version of a witch means we no longer remember where she came from and, more importantly, where she went
Before the Hunt
Real Witches are rooted deep in our mystical lore and are mostly forgotten for who they originally were gifted and wise women who were once integral to the health of their communities.
During Europe’s Middle Ages, between the 5th and 14th centuries, a class of women was considered the doctors of their time They were medicine women and midwives highly trained in natural remedies, holy rituals, folk magic, and the sacred art of healing They understood and wielded the power of nature to heal bodily injury and mental and spiritual ailments.
These “wise women ” could be found in fields and glens collecting herbs and plants for their medicinal potions They were often elderly, unmarried, poor, or without children by choice These women gathered in groups, often in the forest, to chant incantations to honor the bounty of nature herself
The Birth of Witches
Economic factors spurred the targeting of socalled witches in Germany in the late 1400s
The word witch comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “Witan,” which is related to the word “wit,” as in “Wise Woman ” This root origin was later connected to the old English word “Wicce,” originally pronounced “wit-cha” or “witch ”
The original words related to witches and witchcraft had no bad connotations until the book Malleus Maleficarum was widely published in 1486 by the German author Heinrich Kramer. This damning text became the authoritative source on identifying witchcraft and how to hunt and kill witches.
The new “witch fever” was only accelerated by the Protestant Reformation that began in the mid-1500s. The new doctrine declared that a woman ’ s place was in the home. Gender norms became more defined in the newly developing church, and a woman was considered most valuable when married and raising children.
The publication did irrevocable damage to the perception and value of the highly skilled medicine women who were suddenly declared “unnatural” sorcerers, assumed to be performing unforgivable acts of sacrifice, sexual indecency, and divination.
Once sought after for their healing, they were turned against and accused of causing sickness and ill health. The word 'witch' was then passed onto women who dealt with healing as a way to make sense of what was mysterious and thus threatening or feared as connected with evil.
This was the beginning of a new era where a woman ’ s natural gifts with plant medicine, midwifery, and intuitive counsel became her most untrustworthy and damned attributes, and she was reframed as a danger to a decent, god-fearing society.
One group also notably driven out of the public’s eye was the female brewmasters. They were seen in the marketplace in pointy black hats with their cauldron of “brew.” Since they worked with grains, they often had cats to keep the mice population at bay, and they used brooms to sweep up the hops. As word spread about the witch hunts, male brewers, who wanted a more significant stake in the beer industry, began to question whether these women were also witches in disguise. For this reason, these female brewmasters soon disappeared from the public, and the beer industry was quickly renovated by the larger commercial brewing companies headed by men.
The witch hunts swept across Protestant Europe, spanning a staggering three centuries. When found guilty through the ‘mark of a witch,’ the punishment was unspeakable and relentless torture of the most horrific nature, resulting in death or exile to the fringes of society.
The witch hunts continued into the late 1700s, resulting in the execution of an estimated 50,000 - 80,000 (or more) women and 10,000 men, considered agents of witchcraft.
The Wound
What was lost during the centuries now referred to as “the burning times” was more than just the lives of gifted women and men. What was lost in the process was the ecological mindset. Women had been trained and brought up for generations by their mothers and grandmothers to see nature not as separate from people but rather as an intimate, life-sustaining source, inviting active participation and cocreation.
As these women were silenced and killed, a fear of persecution drove most to stay in the safety of prescribed gender roles. This oppression became what we now call the “witch wound”. This wound is often related to the voice, speaking your truth, and tapping your ability to commune with the natural elements of earth and the spirit realm. It is also related to fear of judgment, being cast out or cut off. It can manifest as a fear of your shadow or darker side, or that of not fitting in or being seen as weird, unhinged, crazy, dirty, or unkempt.
We do not have to come from a direct lineage of persecution or be directly persecuted, to suffer the witch wound. It has moved beyond the experience of individuals during an historic period in time, and has integrated as a construct of our society.
In the majority of places, women are still seen as lesser than men, untrustworthy, and weaker-minded. Logic is valued over intuition. A woman is considered “weird” if she does not adhere to strict gender norms, feminine dress codes, or acceptable professions. She is seen as demanding, greedy, or even “ crazy ” when she knows her mind and speaks her truth boldly.
This wound has disconnected women and even men from their natural abilities to the point that we don’t even trust ourselves We apologize for our emotions and have a default instinct to distrust other women as competitors or betrayers We fear retribution if we ask for what we need, and we can become paralyzed at the idea of fulfilling our own desires without asking permission
Scholars believe that our society has been suffering from this wound for generations, and it’s further perpetuated by praise In most spaces, women are rewarded for conforming to defined feminine roles, putting others before themselves, and prioritizing decisions made with reason and logic
The Healing There is hope to heal the wound
There are powerful steps to begin unlearning the deeply held beliefs that have been passed down for generations due to fear and misinformation. Healing begins with understanding the wound, where it came from, and how it sits in our own systems of family, religion, and society. This wound is deeply rooted in patriarchy and can be viewed through this lens of oppression.
Healing continues with reclaiming our power and voice, learning to trust in our intuition, and speaking what is true for us even when no one agrees. This can include embracing our feminine rhythms and passions, remembering that nature includes us (we are not separate from the natural world!), and attuning our attention to the seasons and the moon cycle. In this way, we embrace our own magic in our divine connection to the world around us.
When shared in a supportive community, healing becomes an ongoing, sustainable reality Speaking openly, sharing stories, and identifying limiting beliefs can profoundly reconcile our wounds and provide a path to new ways of self-acceptance Seeing our fellow female sisters as trusted companions in these spaces does more to heal the wound than almost any other act of mending
We are worthy of this work and the gifts that await us Our willingness to come together in vulnerability provides generational healing and breaks a lineage of suffering We are not alone in this process and are not meant to do healing work independently Many are bravely gathering in the light of day, to return to feminine wisdom and power, as a collective
Stepping out of shame and fear is the direct path back to our original wisdom You are the source and power you seek The wise woman is inside, waiting for your validation and reconnection
Research Sources: https://www.wikipedia.org/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/ https://www.history.com/ https://advaya.life/ https://thecauldrongoddess.ca/
The Alchemist: YouTube Heal the Witch Wound, Celeste Larsen
book spotlight Go Deeper!
The topic of the Witch Wound has far reaching implications that extend beyond those who were directly and originally persecuted during the Dark Ages.
If you feel ready to step into a deeper understanding of the historic dismantling of feminine gifts and freedoms, then this book is a beautiful option to begin this exploration.
Author Celeste Larsen guides our journey to uncover how and why these defining times still have such a profound - and yet unrecognizedimpact on the women of today.
“A rare achievement that discusses the witch wound with historical depth and also offers practical invitations to heal the wound on a personal and collective level.”
Danielle Dulsky, author
of The Holy Wild
Order on Amazon | Kindle | Audible
RESOURCE KIT
3,000 years old
Balancing the body's doshas, the energy patterns vata, pitta, and kapha that flow around our bodies, governing our thinking and behavior. Focuses on herbal remedies, diet, and lifestyle changes to prevent illness and maintain wellness.
2,500 years old.
Based on the balance of yin and yang and the flow of "Qi" (life force) through meridians in the body. Uses practices like acupuncture, herbal medicine, tai chi, and qi gong to restore balance and health.
19th century, Europe
Emphasizes the body's innate healing power and uses natural therapies such as herbal medicine, hydrotherapy, nutrition, and lifestyle counseling to promote healing.
1500 years old
Adapted from Chinese Medicine, focused primarily on herbal remedies tailored to individual constitutions, often integrated with modern Japanese medical practices.
Originated in ancient Greece, based on the teachings of Hippocrates, and further developed in the Middle East Balances the four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile) and uses herbs, diet, and cupping to maintain health and treat diseases
Developed in the late 18th century by Samuel Hahnemann in Germany. "Like cures like" – using minute doses of natural substances that would cause symptoms of the illness in healthy individuals to stimulate the body's healing response.
Indigenous to various African cultures and passed down orally for thousands of years. Based on herbal remedies, spiritual healing, and the use of ancestral wisdom to address both physical and spiritual ailments.
Indigenous tribes across North America have practiced medicine based on centuries of tradition. Uses herbal medicine, spiritual rituals, and ceremonies like sweat lodges and vision quests to heal the body and reconnect with nature
Rooted in ancient Greek and Roman traditions, developed further in medieval Europe. Based on the use of local plants and herbs to treat ailments, with a focus on balancing the body's natural processes.
Shamanism is practiced by indigenous peoples around the world, including in Siberia, the Americas, and Southeast Asia. Shamans act as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual worlds, using rituals, plant medicine (such as ayahuasca in the Amazon), and spiritual journeys to heal and restore balance.
T h e M i d d l e
A vexing marker of midlife transition is the sleepless night, when the heat rises, the mind races, and the body feels like a betrayer to the deep rest you crave the most
Did you know these waking hours have a name and a purpose?
These are called the Ambrosial Hours, as in Ambrosia or the Time of Nectar They occur between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m., just before the golden light of dawn. Many cultures and traditions revere this pre-dawn liminal space as sacred, and it is thought to be the holiest time in the 24-hour cycle of the day
This is when you are closest to awareness of your divinity before your brain is fully online with logic and reason that squelches mystery In this sacred space, do not reach for your phone Do not throw your sleepless despair into the darkness. Instead, turn into the wisdom that awaits you there
Close your eyes and look inward Listen to your heart Breathe. Ask the wisdom within for guidance and confirmation. Ask the holiest and deepest questions about your life, and then listen Many times, you may only hear silence echoing back to you, or the nagging voices of fear and doubt. Persist with patient listening, because the questions that arise at this time are incredible guides to where you are and where you long to have permission to go
What is allowed to stay, today?
What needs to be left behind?
What is my purpose, today?
How can I best serve with my one, unique life?
There is no one on this earth without a holy and divinely granted purpose. There is a deeper and more meaningful truth that runs a thread through your life, and it is calling to you all of the time It is in the Ambrosial Hours that you craft and co-create the next version of yourself in the precious days you have left
Your spirit has met a body, not by chance, but by choice. The Ambrosial Hours is the time to listen for what is calling your name. Sometimes, it comes in the whisper of a falling feather. Other times, as a booming in the darkness as the earth quakes in desire for you to step out boldly
These hours can feel, at times, like something is dying Yes, my darling, let that thing die It is not you, it is what has grown too heavy now to be carried anymore. Let it down. Shake it off. Shutter to your bones until it loosens its grip on you. These hours before the light are made for this sacred death
Take note of the fallow garden, the falling leaves, the discarded skin of the lizard, and the shriveled chrysalis of the butterfly Change comes in the seasons This season of shedding is here for you, too.
The next time they come to visit, relax into the bosom of the Ambrosial Hours. Allow the earth to cradle you into her rhythm Allow the divine to open the top of your head and pour in the purpose of your existence
And at the crack of first light, the path will rise to meet you, and the day will dawn anew, just like you
Fall Elixir
Turmeric Golden Milk Latte
Deliciously Healthy
Warm up your fall morning with this earthy latte. Use fresh grated ginger for extra zing, and a dash of black papper to help with tumeric absorption, and you ’ ve got a delicously healthy start to your day!
Ingredients:
1 cup milk of your choice
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, for a spicy kick)
Instructions:
In a small saucepan, warm the milk over medium heat Avoid boiling it
Stir in the turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, vanilla and optional honey or cayenne Whisk well to combine until there are no clumps
Simmer for 3–5 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend; stir occasionally
Sweeten to taste, and serve in your favorite mug. Top with frothed milk and a dusting of cinnamon Enjoy!
o o m n
The moon has held sacred meanings throughout history and is linked to women's natural rhythms. Understanding this relationship can provide a meaningful framework for the rhythms of life, fertility, and the wisdom that follows Aligning with her phases helps us stay connected to our inner cycle and recognize how, like the ocean tides, we are influenced by the moon.
M O O N C Y C L E S
A B E G I N N E R ’ S G U I D E
New Moon Waxing Moon
The new moon is often associated with the menstrual phase (days 1 to 7), the beginning of a woman ’ s cycle. The new moon symbolizes new beginnings, rest, and reflection. During menstruation, energy levels are typically lower, and it's a time for inward focus, self-care, and emotional release
Just as the new moon represents a fresh start, menstruation is seen as the body's renewal and cleansing
Waning Moon
The waning moon corresponds to the luteal phase (days 15 to 28), which is the time after ovulation until the next menstruation Progesterone levels rise to support potential pregnancy, and if conception doesn’t occur, these levels drop as the body prepares for menstruation The waning moon signifies reflection, release, and slowing down During this phase, women may feel more introspective and begin to turn inward, much like the moon's light is decreasing This is a time to release emotional and physical tension as the body prepares for menstruation
As the new moon transitions into the waxing crescent and first quarter, this mirrors the follicular phase (days 7 to 14) This is the time when the body begins to prepare for ovulation, with rising estrogen levels and the maturation of eggs in the ovaries The waxing moon represents growth and renewal Similarly, this phase in a woman ’ s cycle brings increasing energy, creativity, and clarity as hormones rise and the body prepares for fertility. It's often seen as a time of action and planning.
Full Moon
The full moon is connected to ovulation, which occurs around day 14 of the menstrual cycle This is the time when an egg is released, and fertility is at its peak
The full moon is a symbol of abundance, fertility, and heightened energy Many women feel more confident, social, and energized during this phase The full moon is seen as the time to manifest intentions, creativity, and connection, much like ovulation is the peak of fertility in the cycle
New Moon Full Moon
REFLECTION + WISDOM
In post-menopausal life, the new moon can represent a time of inner reflection and wisdom. Women who have gone through menopause may find themselves feeling more grounded and introspective during the new moon, which is a time for setting new intentions or reflecting on life’s journey
CREATIVITY + INFLUENCE
For women post-menopause, the full moon often symbolizes the embodiment of wisdom and experience. Without the physical cycle of ovulation, many women feel the full moon enhances their creative energy and ability to mentor or influence others, as it represents emotional and spiritual abundance
Dear Sweet Soul,
I can no longer hear your broom handle rattling. I can sense you standing at the door.
You have cloaked yourself in the night, and let stars fall into your hair.
You are ready to teach me, and accompany me into dark places
You do not carry malice or evil, for you are the medicine woman, with prayers and gifts
Like a kettle of healing, simmering with herbs and reverent words that are mending us all.
We are returning to the wisdom in our lineage The tuning fork of our intuition.
The voice that whispers in our ear that what we feel and what we know, is the truest true and the rightest right. The only direction marker needed.
Dear sweet soul, I reclaim witch as wisdom-bearer We meet tonight with reverence for our beating hearts and redeemed connection.
Come again, come again
My heart invites your magic restored.
Living Wellness Magazine in its entirety is Intellectual Property of Leanne Elliott and Leanne Elliott Communications No portion shall be reproduced, shared or duplicated without express, written permission and author credit Editor Christie A Tarman | Proofreader Cooper Elliott Copyright October Issue 2024