Heal the Witch Wound by Celeste Larsen
A practical guide for modern witches and healers with rituals, journal prompts, visualization exercises, and other tools.
The “witch wound” is a collective, intergenerational, psychic wound that has scarred people, mostly women, for centuries. The roots of this wound run deep, going back to the historical witch hunts, the “Burning Times,” when tens of thousands of innocent individuals were accused of practicing malicious magic and executed in the most inhumane ways. And extending perniciously beyond the accusations and murders was a general persecution and marginalization of people who were suspected of having certain “powers.” The fear created by this oppression was passed down from generation to generation, becoming embedded not just in individual bodies and psyches, but in the collective unconscious.
Today, though not true everywhere, witchcraft is often now embraced as a tool for self empowerment and healing; yet the scars of the Burning Times remain. Many would-be witches turn away from the craft out of fear that they will be judged, shamed, mocked, vilified, or rejected by the people around them. This same sense of fear and shame causes many practicing witches and earth-based spiritualists to keep their beliefs hidden safely “in the broom closet.” This is the witch wound at work.
In Heal the Witch Wound, author Celeste Larsen, a pagan, witch, and ritualist, guides modern witches (as well as pagans, energy workers, occultists, and other spiritual individuals) on the path of healing the witch wound. It unfolds in three parts:
- Part I journeys back into the Burning Times. This section demystifies this dark era in history by providing a well-researched overview of the European witch trials. It also includes a compelling analysis of the key factors that contributed to the witch craze, namely patriarchy, capitalism, imperialism, and religious tyranny.
- Part II is rooted in the present moment and explores the most common signs and symptoms of the witch wound: fear of speaking up and being seen, hiding spiritual gifts, feeling disconnected from the divine, past-life memories, and more. The author shares personal stories of her own experiences with these symptoms and teaches readers how to identify the witch wound in themselves.
- Part III branches into the bright and brilliant future, offering an abundance of practices (both magical and mundane) to help readers heal the witch wound: step-by-step rituals, exercises, journal prompts, affirmations, visualizations, and other tools.
