Between 1500 and 1660, across Europe, men whose mission was to hunt “witches” rode from village to village. More than 80% of those accused, tortured, and executed were women, most of them over forty. Women in their wisdom years. Women with knowledge, influence, and independence that threatened the patriarchal order.

Autumn reminds us that release is not loss, it is an opening. When the trees drop their leaves they trust the cycle, knowing that what is let go will return as nourishment for the soil. So too can we bless and release the stories of internalized patriarchy. We can offer them back to the Earth, trusting that in their place, new life will one day rise.

There is power in standing in that balance. When we witness our own harvest; the projects we completed, the love we tended, the small daily acts of courage, we can bow to ourselves in gratitude.