An Intro to the Wise Woman Tradition
We live in a time period dominated by a hypermasculine perspective that is enamored by degrees, evidence, certificates, awards, personal achievements, expertise, specialization, academic success, power, and legitimacy granted by powerful institutions.
We see our bodies as made of mechanical parts. Pills as medicine. Illness as evil. Germs as demons. Plants as witchcraft. The everyday human as not credentialed or “smart” enough.
We pander to associations, boards, thought leaders, executives, presidents, professors, doctors, and anyone who has claimed the top spot of a powerful hierarchy.
And yet, this isn’t reality. This is a cultural lens we happen to be currently steeped in and believe wholeheartedly as “reality.”
The human brain has evolved to see the things around it as “normal” and “the way things should be.” It’s not wrong, it’s an adaptation so we can spend our brain energy on what we will most come into contact during our lifetimes.
But in our modern world, we can be and do so much more. This is why we study other cultures. This is why we learn about cognitive biases. This is why we study history, anthropology, archaeology, religions/spirituality.
Because there is no one way to be human. There is no one right way to see the world around us.
Simply because we’ve been socialized to the world a particular way doesn’t mean we are doomed to stay in that worldview.
We can learn, tap into our ancestral memory, heal old witch wounds, go deeper, stop being intimidated by “credentials.”
We can start to re-believe in our innate ability to be a whole human. Without permission. Without external validation. Without passiveness and being a “good patient.”
We are innately whole. The illusion of brokenness is a story told by a society that profits from us believing that story.
Illness isn’t failure. It’s being alive. Injury isn’t a path into victimhood. It’s an invitation into being more of who we truly are, deep deep inside.
We are powerful. We matter. We don’t have to play small, hide our voices, or chase after “just one more certification” in order to be enough.
Listen to your grandmothers whispering in your heart. Reclaim your roots. Remember your wholeness.
There are 3 healing traditions:
The Scientific Tradition
The Heroic Tradition
The Wise Woman Tradition
The Scientific Tradition…
Believes that the body is a machine
Is always at war with nature
One-size-fits-all mentality
Everything is based in reason, logic, and is measurable
Based in the Cult of the Expert — credentials are everything
Pathology is the lens used for most everything
Only “active” parts of medicines matter
Pills and surgery fix everything
The Heroic Tradition…
Recognizes body, mind, and spirit
Utilizes more “holistic” practices
The body is inherently dirty, and must be cleansed and controlled
Focuses on control of the body and mind
Humans are sinners and must experience pain and restriction to heal
Food is addictive, humans are weak, and extreme protocols are the solution
We are the sole cause of our problems — we didn’t eat right or think positive enough
Still in the realm of the Cult of the Expert
The Wise Woman Tradition…
Is the oldest healing perspective, originating from connection to Source and Mother Earth
Believes we are inherently whole and that experiences are doorways to transformation
Sees life as a spiral, leading us to greater self-knowledge and connection to All That Is
Gentleness, nourishment, and self-grace are cornerstones of healing
Includes wise space holders who reflect our inner knowing, and consider us as our own best experts
Views all as interconnected, interwoven, interrelated, and that healing comes from this web of right relationship
The Wise Woman Tradition’s 6 Steps of Healing…
Step Zero: Do Nothing
Breathe, pray, connect to your core, get grounded
Step One: Collect Information
Gentle curiosity about your situation, engage possibilities, stay open
Step Two: Engage the Energy
From a grounded place, tap into what needs healing; what is it asking for?
Step Three: Nourish and Tonify
ADD in deep nourishment practices and real nutrition/nutritive herbs
Step Four: Stimulate and Sedate
Use herbal tinctures and medicines, as well as more invasive “holistic” practices
Step Five: Use Drugs
This includes pharmaceuticals, supplements, and non-foods/non-nourishing remedies
Step Six: Break and Enter
This includes surgery, invasive medical procedures, psychedelic medicine, and drastic protocols rooted in the scientific and heroic traditions
“The Wise Woman tradition honors the ordinary and avoids the exotic, works simply and steers clear of the complication, accepts failure, chaos, and the eternal void with humor instead of fear and dread. The Wise Woman tradition is compassionate and heart-centered. It honors the Earth. It is local and ecological and urges us to use our dooryard weeds instead of the latest miracle herb from far away…
The Wise Woman tradition is invisible. Without healers, without diseases, without cures, without certificates, without guarantees, it exists. It has no rules, no right answers, no promise of life eternal…
The Wise Woman Tradition reminds us that wellness and illness are not polarities. They are part of the continuum of life. We are constantly renewing ourselves, cell by cell, second by second, every minute of our lives. Problems, by their very nature, can facilitate deep spiritual and symbolic renewal, leading us naturally into expanded, more complete ways of thinking about and experiencing ourselves.”
—SUSUN WEED
