Not a Monster, but a Symbol of Transformation

In the energy of loving my new Medusa shirt and some fun, can I paint a different picture of this powerful woman that we call Medusa?

A priestess, a powerful woman that is a symbol of survival after trauma, female rage, boundaries, protection, reclaiming power after betrayal, and most of all transforming pain into strength. 

She was not the monster that they made her out to be, she became a protective symbol to ward off evil. Her snakes are not literal reptiles, they represent the protective mechanisms that emerge after betrayal, trauma and harm. 

A lot of us after being being hurt, or betrayed often feel as though we have been the problem, we become isolated, misunderstood, others fear our anger or our truths, and we are expected to carry the consequences of what was done. 

Medusa reminds us that we can be wounded and be transformed by that wound, and step into our sovereignty.

This story is not about a woman who became a monster, but a woman who was forced to become powerful enough that no one could ever violate her in the same way again. 

Although the question that comes up for me is can the protection remain without isolation? Can a woman learn that she can be safe without turning herself completely to stone?  Not become harder, not become bitter, but learning the difference between protection and punishment. 

It is about shedding the snakes, not the protective instincts of them, but the belief that you must stay on guard all the time to be safe. 

Safety can come from trusting yourself, your discernment, and your ability to walk away when something is not aligned. That is a different kind of power. 

Instead of seeing Medusa as a monster that she has been portrayed to be, let's see her as the representation of the things you have survived that changed you. To understand that you are allowed to have boundaries, you don't have to make yourself smaller to make others comfortable, your anger, intuition, and discernment all have a purpose. And protection and self-respect are not flaws.

Medusa doesn't have to be a symbol of wounds, she is the wisdom that came from them, real transformation, not vengeance, not victimhood, power with awareness. 

And the most beautiful part that shows up is becoming soft while being firmer with your boundaries and no longer turning yourself to "stone". This is a different kind of strength. This is a woman in her power, she knows who she is becoming and she doesn't need to be hard to have boundaries. This is a woman who survived so many things but is no longer defined by any of it. That, beautiful, is a different type of energy. 

So be proud of yourself for protecting your peace without losing your heart, or your softness, a lot of people become hard after life's lessons, you, my love, have become wiser, and that is a different type of power! 

I'd love to hear your thoughts...

What does Medusa represent to you?

Do you see a monster, a survivor, a protector, or something else entirely?

And have there been moments in your own life where your boundaries were misunderstood by others, even though they were necessary for your healing?

Let me know in the comments!

Love,

Ms. B