Hopeful and Wholesome: Wellness, Nutrition, Inner Healing and Self-Improvement for High Achieving Women and Entrepreneurs · Hope Pedraza

Reclaiming the Wise Woman: Healing the Witch Wound, Cyclical Living & Rest as Resistance with Eileen March

·34 min

This episode features host Hope Pedraza in conversation with Eileen March, creator of the Unleash Your Inner Witch program. They explore the reclamation of the word "witch" and its connection to cyclical living and rest. Eileen explains that the root of "witch" simply means "wise woman," a term historically applied to healers, midwives, and community knowledge-keepers. The discussion traces the "witch wound" to 17th and 18th-century Europe, where church and state powers demonized wise women to seize communally held land. Eileen cites epigenetics, noting this persecution passed generational trauma that manifests today as fear of visibility, competition over collaboration among women, and undercharging for healing work. She identifies people-pleasing, poor boundaries, and the "sister wound" of gossip as modern symptoms. Cyclical living involves tracking one’s 28-day hormonal cycle or the moon’s phases, aligning energy with seasons rather than a constant productivity model. Eileen references the Celtic Wheel of the Year, where the new day begins at dusk and the new year starts in winter, framing rest as a beginning. A surprising insight is that the Celtic tradition starts the new day at sunset, fundamentally reframing rest as a launch point. Eileen shares that doctors in some countries now write prescriptions for naps or walks, validating rest as healthcare. She notes that simple rituals, like stirring intentions into morning coffee or being mindful while brushing teeth, can weave magic into the mundane. The conversation reveals that many high-achieving women struggle to sit idle while a partner cleans the kitchen, highlighting how deeply productivity is wired. The tone is conversational, educational, and gently provocative, aiming to destigmatize spiritual topics. It blends historical analysis with practical self-help advice and personal anecdotes. Listeners interested in feminine spirituality, dismantling hustle culture, and incorporating restful rituals will find this episode enriching. Those uncomfortable with the term "witch" or seeking purely scientific wellness content might prefer to skip it.

As heard by us

A calm reclamation of witch as wise woman, paired with body trust, cyclical living, and collective care.

The episode frames witch as wise woman and uses that reclamation to move through body awareness, cyclical living, connection to nature, and collective care.

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Why you'd press play

For the woman who wants healing to feel rooted, cyclical, and body-led.

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