Origins of the Sister Wound

A collective trauma of separation and fear

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Long before we (or even our great grandmothers!) were born, women gathered in community, helping one another, raising children, and sharing wisdom. Sisterhood was the norm. But over centuries, external forces began to unravel this sacred bond.

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The sister wound is not simply the result of individual pain, it's a legacy of collective trauma passed through generations.

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In ancient civilisations across the world, the feminine was revered. Women were seen as vessels of creation, intuition, and wisdom. Goddesses were worshipped as embodiments of love, fertility, justice, and power. Sacred sites were devoted to feminine deities. Women held respected roles as priestesses, midwives, oracles, and keepers of the mysteries.

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In these cultures, sisterhood was not just valued, it was essential. Women are said to have gathered in red tents, temples, and healing circles to support one another, share knowledge, and attune to the rhythms of nature and the moon.

Connection, not competition, was the foundation.

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As patriarchal systems rose, goddess worship was systematically dismantled. The feminine was devalued, suppressed, and with it, the sacred role of women in society. Colonisation spread these systems across the globe, replacing community with control, harmony with hierarchy, and the sacred with the secular.

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The witch hunts were among the darkest expressions of this suppression. Across Europe and beyond, thousands of women were tortured and executed, often for nothing more than living close to nature or holding feminine wisdom. In this time of fear, trust between women shattered. Survival sometimes meant betrayal.

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Women learned to stay silent. To not make waves.

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To stay safe, they distanced themselves from their own power and from one another. Trust became dangerous. Sisterhood became a liability.

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Generations later, that fear still echoes in our nervous systems and relationships.