Dear ones,

For those of you who carry lineage from Europe—especially those now living in what we might call the reformed European colonies such as the United States—I want to speak today to a tender truth: what happened in Europe to our ancestors that set in motion some of the harmful cultural patterns we now recognize as “dominant culture.”

Many of the unhelpful systems and mindsets that cause harm or disconnection in our modern lives did not begin here on this continent. They began long ago, across the waters. Before colonization spread outward, it began inward—on the European continent itself. Our ancestors were among the first to experience the separation from land, spirit, and community that would later be exported across the world.

There was a time when many European peoples lived in close relationship with the land—guided by seasonal rhythms, local wisdom, and communal interdependence. Over centuries, this relationship was fractured. The rise of church and state sought to control land-based peoples and sever them from their ancestral practices. The Witch Trials, the Inquisitions, the forced conversions—all of these were tools meant to erase older ways of knowing and being.

And so, many of our ancestors were made to forget. They were taught to fear their own traditions, to distrust their intuition, to abandon the earth-based ways that once sustained them. These were among the first acts of colonization—and their wounds live on, not only in history books but in our very bodies, our families, and our inherited psyche.

This is what we mean when we speak of epigenetic transgenerational inheritance—that the imprints of trauma and resilience both move through the bloodlines. We carry within us the memory of joy and of grief, of belonging and of loss. Our work as matriarchs is to begin remembering, gently and with great care.

This remembering is not about guilt. It is about context. It allows us to understand why so many of us carry a quiet ache—a sense of spiritual disconnection, or a drive to prove our worth through overwork or control. These are not personal flaws; they are inherited adaptations to centuries of dislocation.

Practices for Gentle Exploration

If this reflection resonates with you, I invite you to move slowly and tenderly. Here are a few practices that can support your exploration:

1. Journal with Compassion.

Write about what it means to you that colonization began in your own ancestral lands. How does this change the way you understand your family’s story, or your relationship to power, land, and belonging?

2. Speak with a Trusted Friend or Mentor.

Sometimes these insights awaken old grief. Find someone who can hold this conversation with you—someone who understands that healing ancestral wounds is sacred work.

3. Connect with the Land.

If you can, spend time in nature. Touch the earth, listen to birdsong, or sit beneath a tree. Whisper a simple question: What did my ancestors know about belonging that I have forgotten?

4. Participate in Community Spaces.

You are warmly invited to join one of the upcoming Lineage Recovery Course (click here to learn more), or other community offerings that support ancestral healing. These spaces are held with tenderness and care, designed to help us remember together.

Dear matriarchs, these stories are not here to reopen old wounds, but to remind us of our deep capacity to heal. When we trace the roots of disconnection, we also uncover the seeds of wisdom still alive in us.

May we remember not only the pain of what was lost, but also the beauty of what remains—and may that remembering guide us back toward wholeness.

With tenderness and solidarity,

Maija