The Wild Woman Speaks
- Jamie Lynn
- Jul 25
- 8 min read
Don’t do it.
The voice in my mind grows louder.
Don’t! You don’t know what could happen.
I breathe steadily as the thoughts spin louder and louder.
You could get stuck! What if you can’t climb back on?
Gingerly, I start to climb off my paddleboard and begin sliding into the water.
Go back to shore—you can’t see the bottom. It’s too deep. You’re not safe.
Breathing steadily, I continue into the water.
You’re too far out. You could lose your paddle or your glasses! It’s not safe!
I’m fully in the water, my hands still gripping my board.
It’s NOT SAFE.
I breathe deeply.
IT’S NOT SAFE.
I prepare myself.
ITTT’SSS NOOOOTTT SAAAAAFFFFEEE!!!
And then—I let go.
Fear Is a Liar (But Damn, Is She Loud)
Fear is a hell of a killer. It creeps in under the pretense of keeping us safe, then overwhelms us and ultimately keeps us trapped. Of course, fear shouldn’t behave this way—it should be an alarm system to prevent us from harm—but we haven’t been taught to truly trust ourselves, so fear sneaks in and says, “Trust me instead.”
I have fallen for fear’s trap MANY times in my life—I still do. It’s an easy trap to fall into. It convinces us that the world is too dangerous and we’re safer if we remain stagnant. Once we buy that line, fear does its ultimate trick—it convinces us that we are missing out on living and have to hustle to catch up.
So while we are bundled and safe on the couch, we scroll through everyone else living and having fun. We compare our couch cocoon to beach days and ski trips. We allow the fear of missing out to create dread. Some folks chase dread away by ignoring it and pushing themselves beyond a comfortable limit to "make the most of life,” while others allow the dread to consume them and fall into a depressive state.
Not everyone has such intense relationships with fear, but in this day and age it has become all too common. There are so many things so far beyond our control that could cause—and are causing—massive destruction, and we are CONSTANTLY reminded of that fact. It’s easy to let the trap of fear take us when times are turbulent, but that is exactly what the creators of global chaos want. We are easier to control and manipulate when we are afraid, and it pays to keep us caught in the trap. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
A Beach Day Baptism; A Really Fuckin’ Great Day
It’s a beautiful beach day and the lake is perfect for paddleboarding. It’s hot, the water is cold, and I’m relaxing on the beach smoking joints and reading tarot cards with my wonderful friends. We spend the day paddling and playing with plenty of relaxing and chatting. Honestly, a really fuckin’ great day.
We’re on our boards now chatting about all sorts of topics when the subject changes to our desire to get in the water. And then come the excuses: It’s too cold, I don’t wanna get my hair wet, getting back on the board would be too hard... The list went on, and I allowed all my logical reasoning to convince me to stay on the board, dry and boring.
The day began to wind down, and I went out for my last paddle alone, intent on communing with nature. I pushed out toward the center of the lake, beyond where the bottom was visible through its crystal-clear waters, where the depth created a dark inkiness below me. Facing a snow-capped mountain, the sun and moon even in the sky, I dipped my legs in the water and allowed myself to get lost in the moment. Peace washed over me, and I was one with that moment. Then, like a booming voice from deep within, the urge to get in the water began to rise.
Gut Instinct and the Trickster
Our gut can tell us exactly what we need and when we need it. HOWEVER, listening to our gut can be tricky. Following our gut instinct can be even trickier. What happens when you’re waiting at a doctor’s office and suddenly your gut starts going off with “Go outside, it’s so nice out.” OK, well if we go outside, we may miss when our name is called and then miss our appointment, so it’s best to stay here and wait. Logic at its best. So we’ll sit and wait our turn.
But what if we DID listen to our gut and step outside for a moment? We step outside for some fresh air, and once we have service, the phone goes off and we’re greeted with “Good thing we got you—you’ve won a trip to Hawaii!” OK, now sure, maybe that DOESN’T happen—but maybe that fresh air was just what we needed to calm down before the appointment. All hypothetical, of course.
But what if you don’t even know how to listen to your gut? My advice is: spend time tuned
into your heart—usually the two are one and the same. Taking time in meditation can be so beneficial for hearing the unheard and seeing the unseen. To do this, find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Place your hands on the center of your chest (the heart space), OR place one hand at the heart and one right below your belly button (your sacral chakra). Breathe in nice and deep through your nose, into the belly and upwards, expanding your ribs.
There is a phenomenon that occurs when we continue to ignore our gut, and it takes the form of a trickster. Ever have a strong gut feeling you ignored and then—WHAM!—you’re hit with something unbelievably inconvenient or even bad? Or maybe you keep seeing constant reminders of what your gut has been screaming, thrown in your face to the point you can’t turn away from it anymore—especially in ironic ways?
That’s the trickster, baby.
That pesky archetype may seem like a harmful monster at times, but all it wants is for us to stop ignoring our own calling. The trickster is a restless force that isn’t satisfied until you’re back on the path you were meant for. It can also hit you with things that seem to knock you off your path—but it’s all in the name of growth and necessary change.
We could talk trickster all day, but the point is: if you don’t listen to your inner calling, the trickster will make it next to impossible not to.
A Beach Day Baptism; The Echoes of Fear
I hesitated. The same excuses began to rattle off within my mind—all the fears and anxieties echoing the words my friends and I had spoken about the perceived threats of getting into the water.
That’s when it hit me.
My friends had their real reasons for not wanting to get in the water—it wasn’t for them in those moments—but the tricky nature of the universe seemingly put me there in that conversation to hear my own inner thoughts, fears, and apprehensions echoed back to me.
I had no good reason not to get in the water, and the urge to submerge myself fully had been strong all day.I was meant to get in that water.I was meant to overcome my own needless fears and useless anxieties.I was meant to fully embody HER.
The Wild Woman.
Meet The Wild Woman
There are times in life when we feel like all the shine and sparkle is gone. The world is dull—even colors aren’t as bright as they used to be. The world has been too heavy, and it’s just easier to disengage.
We all get lost like this from time to time, for various reasons. But there’s an archetype out there that wants you to engage again—to be free from the cages your mind creates. She wants you outta your head, into your body, and into the wild world around you.
She is the Wild Woman.
The Wild Woman archetype represents the instinctual, untamed essence that lives within all people, regardless of gender. She embodies raw creativity, fierce intuition, deep connection to nature, and the courage to live authentically. She calls us back to our inner wisdom and power. She awakens emotional depth, intuition, and a deeper respect for the feminine within and around us. The Wild Woman shows up when we choose truth over conformity, freedom over fear, and spirit over ego.
When we meet her, the Wild Woman asks us to be reborn—wild and free as we were meant to be. She demands we strip away all the expectations, all the pressures, and all the bullshit we pile on ourselves in the name of preservation and protection. When you meet her—and you will—allow her in. It’ll be a trial, that’s for sure, but I promise you: you won’t regret it.
A Beach Day Baptism; My Baptism
I FUCKING DID IT
Hat still on my head, glasses still over my eyes, I let go of my paddleboard and begin to tread water. It’s COLD. It feels good. But I’m still not fully submerged.
I need to go UNDER.I need a baptism in the name of the Wild Woman.
I climb back on my board—sloppily as can be—and I take off my hat and glasses, securing them before I slide back into the water.
Treading water with one hand on the board, I close my eyes and feel into the moment. I call her in—the Wild Woman—and I ask her essence to fill my energy and free me from my own mental confines. To release the traps and spiraling thoughts I find myself in so that I can truly feel the freedom my soul longs to experience.
My Wild Woman emerges as I allow the water to take away all that has blocked her from my being.I take a deep breath.
I submerge myself.I baptize myself.I renew my wild spirit.
I return to the surface, greeting the air entering my lungs as if it’s my first breath. It kind of is—it’s my first breath of the rest of my days with the Wild Woman fully awakened within me. I laugh loudly with a joy that only comes from letting go as I climb sloppily back onto my board.
The sun and moon still high in the sky, I decide to go for another dip—only this time just because it’s fun as hell and I want to have fun.
She’s alive in me.
I feel the wild return as I hop off my board playfully, swimming around for as long as I can stand the brisk cold of the aqua-blue waters within the inky depths. My last sloppy climb—I feel triumphant. I breathe deeply, throwing my arms into the air in gratitude and letting out a sigh.
I begin to paddle back to shore with a deep smile embedded into my face. I woo’ed a few times too—probably disturbing some of the folks resting on their boards.
But that’s the thing about the Wild Woman—she doesn’t make herself small to appease others.The Wild Woman woo’s and hollers when she needs to. She expresses and isn’t afraid of how that may be perceived by anyone or anything.
And sure, swimming in a lake might not seem like the most wild thing in the world—but that’s not the point.The point is that I have the power to overcome fear, and the same power I have to overcome small fears is available to me to overcome larger fears and blockages.
We all have the power to overcome any fear—big or small—when we remember our wild and free spirit.
And Now, I Lead (and an Invitation)
This August, I will be leading a workshop all about embodying the Wild Woman at my friend’s annual retreat. I had all the imposter syndrome thoughts and feelings flow in as I sat to write the outline. Spending a month in the Temple of the Wild Woman was great and all—but how could that qualify me to lead a workshop all about her?
After the experience at the lake, the insecure thoughts and feelings began to grow quiet.
What qualifies me?
I AM WILD.
So are we all.
Sometimes, we just need a small reminder.
If you'd like to participate in the workshop or for more information, check out Love and Inspiration for Women's annual campout, link below.
So inspiring! 💖