DiscoverLemons and PineapplesS4-Episode 12: The Witch Wound - How Collective Trauma Keeps Women Playing Small
S4-Episode 12: The Witch Wound - How Collective Trauma Keeps Women Playing Small

S4-Episode 12: The Witch Wound - How Collective Trauma Keeps Women Playing Small

Update: 2025-11-10
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In this episode I dive into the Witch Wound: the ancestral, collective trauma rooted in the Burning Times that still shapes how women show up today. If you’ve ever felt afraid to be visible, worried about being “too much”, or guilty for wanting more than the bare minimum… this one is for you.

Drawing on Celeste Larsen’s powerful book Heal the Witch Wound I explore how historic persecution of women—healers, midwives, herbalists, independent women—still echoes in our nervous systems, beliefs & behaviours.

In this episode, I talk about:

  • What the Witch Wound actually is
    How the “Burning Times” weren’t just a gruesome chapter in history, but a systemic campaign to control women’s power, wisdom, bodies & resources.
  • How ancestral trauma shows up in modern life
    Why you might feel unsafe being visible online, charging well for your work, having strong opinions, or leaving relationships that deplete you.
  • Powerful women as a “threat”
    The social conditioning that still rewards the quiet “good girl” & punishes outspoken, sovereign women.
  • Nervous system & Witch Wound links
    How your fear of criticism, trolling, rejection, conflict, or taking up space isn’t weakness—it’s your nervous system remembering old danger patterns.
  • Money, safety & fear of success
    Why so many women are subconsciously afraid of wealth & how this links back to women once being punished & stripped of everything for having power.
  • Where to begin your healing
    Simple starting points: noticing your triggers, journaling your beliefs & learning to regulate your nervous system instead of abandoning yourself.

If this episode hit a nerve (in a good way) & you’re done playing small, diluting yourself, outsourcing your safety & power & you’re ready to step into your sovereignty:

  • Send me a DM on Instagram @EmmaOBrienCoach and tell me what landed.
  • Book a free connection call HERE and let’s talk.


If you’re done playing small and ready to lead yourself — you’re in the right place.

I’m Emma O’Brien — Martha Beck trained and certified life coach, HeartMath practitioner, and shamanic healer helping high-achieving women stop second-guessing themselves and finally trust their own voice.

Through nervous system re-calibration, strategic coaching, and deep energetic work, I help you move from self-doubt to self-trust so you can create a life you actually want to be in — no external approval required.

🌀 Want to work together?

Explore the 6-week Nervous System Reset, 1:1 coaching, or Shamanic Soul Retrieval sessions here: emmaobriencoach.com

Questions or ready to chat?

DM me on Instagram @emmaobriencoach
or book a free connection call HERE.

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S4-Episode 12: The Witch Wound - How Collective Trauma Keeps Women Playing Small

S4-Episode 12: The Witch Wound - How Collective Trauma Keeps Women Playing Small

Emma O'Brien