The Witch Wound: Healing the Trauma of Past Persecutions

There’s a tension that arises when you commit to a spiritual path—a quiet but persistent dissonance between what you know to be true and the way the world operates.

The deeper you go into self-awareness, healing, and expansion, the more you feel it. On one side, the world is constantly feeding narratives of division—politically, socially, even within spiritual communities. On the other, your inner knowing whispers a different truth: separation is an illusion.

And yet, rejecting divisiveness isn’t always simple. We don’t want to be passive. We don’t want to be naive. We don’t want to let harmful narratives continue unchecked. So how do we live in alignment with unity—without bypassing reality or becoming complicit in the very systems we oppose?

Across the country, we’re witnessing a pullback from diversity and inclusion programs, rollbacks of environmental protections, and new limitations on LGBTQ rights. For mission-driven entrepreneurs and CEOs who have dedicated themselves to positive change, these trends are deeply disheartening. It can feel like the very values they champion are under attack. I see the frustration and fatigue in the leaders I work with – and yet, I also see their unwavering passion. As someone who supports these changemakers, my focus is on helping them stay strong, resilient, and hopeful despite the headwinds.

I’ve found that strengthening a leader’s resolve in times like these comes down to a few key practices. It’s about expanding the capacity of their heart to hold everything that’s happening, anchoring in their purpose, nourishing their body and mind, regulating their nervous system, grounding in core values, leaning into community, remembering joy, and continuing to take action. Here’s how I’m supporting mission-driven leaders to lead with courage and hope.

Transformation begins with safety—an inner trust that must be built, nurtured, and practiced over time. Without it, we remain guarded, unable to access the deeper layers of ourselves where true shifts occur. Often, it's not the transformation itself that feels impossible, but the fears that stand in the way of confronting the experiences that shaped our subconscious programming in the first place.

We’ve all heard it before—“Oh, I don’t really celebrate my birthday,” or “It’s just another day.” Maybe you’ve even said it yourself. And look, I get it. Life is busy. Responsibilities pile up. Maybe past birthdays have been disappointing, or you’ve internalized the idea that celebrating yourself feels self-indulgent.

Here’s why a holistic approach is the only answer.