From Woo to Witch: My Biggest Lesson of the Year

It only took one unexpected question to crack open the truth I’d been hiding. And that moment became my biggest lesson of the year.

The Moment I Was Outed

Earlier this year, in the middle of a leadership meeting, I was unexpectedly outed as a witch.

I’m not even mad about it as it was a necessary catalyst for my growth.

“What are you, Wicca?” she asked.

In that moment, panic surged through me.  Everyone always seems to know there is something just a little bit different about me, but they can’t quite put their finger on it.

And being a witch has a history with deep roots.

A Lineage of Hidden Magic

I am, indeed, a practising witch and have been for decades.  I live by the wheel of the year and follow the seasons.  I do my best magic in the kitchen and have multiple working altars in my home.  And I attend regular women’s circles which I guess could be considered a coven.

I was hiding this in my professional life; afraid it wouldn’t be taken seriously or that I would be judged or shunned for it.   There is some witch wounding in my lineage that I am continually working on.  The historical persecution of women for expressing their power and inner magic runs deep.

I come from a lineage of Celtic women — midwives, teachers, healers — who cloaked their magic in Catholicism because that was the safest way to survive.

This wounding shows up as self-doubt, perfectionism and fear of visibility.

And like all wounds, it doesn’t stay confined to the past — it shows up in the present, especially when we feel vulnerable.

Entrepreneurship is by its very essence, vulnerable. And wounds will show up in how we lead, how we build, and how we allow ourselves to be seen.

What This Has to Do with Business

Well, being outed as a witch led me to a full rebrand in my business and this rebrand changed everything.

I had a conversation with another coach about it and her perspective was that in a sea of coaches, being a witch is the most interesting thing about me.  And here I am hiding this.  I approached this rebrand with care, because I didn’t want my witchiness to feel like a sales tactic.

This was deeper than that.  This was a practice in authenticity.

Resonance Over Polish

People know when you’re hiding something.  I’m not saying you go out there and share all your deepest secrets, but by dancing around the word witch and choosing to go with the more unserious word “woo”, people didn’t really know what they were getting when they worked with me.

It sounded unserious and inauthentic and I am neither of those things.

By hiding, I risked potential clients assuming I was incompatible, ineffective, or insincere.

Again – I am none of these things.

Clients crave resonance over polish.

And authenticity magnetizes aligned connections.

So, when I sat down to make a few small tweaks to my website, and this full rebrand came out of me…I was shocked.  New offers have been launched that blend my experience as a Fractional Executive Assistant, my coaching experience, Human Design and wheel of the year wisdom.

All pieces of me are claiming their space at the table.

This reminded me of the lyrics from “Take Me or Leave Me” from the musical Rent.

🎶 Take me for what I am.  Who I was meant to be.  And if you give a damn, take me baby, or leave me. 🎶

The Fall Equinox Rebrand

Fittingly, it all unfolded at the Fall Equinox — a season that reminds us how beautiful it can be to let old identities fall away and compost into something more fertile.

I had to say farewell to the version of the business I thought I was building to alchemize the one I have now.

Here’s the thing – since claiming my power as part of that rebrand, this last quarter of the year is going to be better than all the three previous quarters combined.  And that’s if I’m just looking at money as a metric.

But – I prefer to look at metrics like changes made by my clients.  Or how lit up I feel about the work I’m doing.  Or how much better my creativity is flowing.  Or how happy I am.

As entrepreneurs and business owners, if all we are looking at is our bottom-line financials we might be missing out on what calls our soul to this work.  In addition to the metrics of joy, creativity and resonance, part of why I choose to run my own business is that I have the freedom to work from wherever I want, whenever I want.  So, for most of November, I worked remotely from Portugal and Spain – and I launched a new offer and onboarded new clients while I was away.

When I flow, my business flows.

The Universe Responds

Back to that leadership meeting…within moments of leaving the zoom room, one of the participants booked a consultation call with me.  We’ve been working together ever since, and she is creating beautiful changes in her life, work and business.

The universe whispered, ‘I’m not messing around,’ and when I answered, it delivered.

And now when I bring my whole self to the table, I get to weave beautiful magic for my clients and beyond.  Then I get to see them do the same.

As part of the rebrand I met with a former client to learn more about her life since our work together.  When I asked if I could use her as a case study for my website, she said a whole-hearted yes.  Her transformation is remarkable!  You can read about that here.

Hiding your truth is like cooking with half the ingredients – the flavour never lands.

So, I ask you these questions:

• Where are you hiding in your business?
• Are you playing it safe at the risk of being judged?
• Is there some kind of wounding or fear that is impacting your metrics?

And what’s it going to take for you to stand in your power?

Because – I’m telling you right now, the world doesn’t need more women shrinking. It needs women who claim their magic, whether that’s witchcraft, artistry, or visionary leadership. Your power is not a liability — it’s your leverage AND it’s your liberation.

Your liberation? It makes way for the liberation of others who are being dismissed, attacked and confined.

My Biggest Lesson of the Year

This year taught me that hiding my truth was costing me more than I realized.

When I finally claimed the word witch — instead of softening it into “woo” — everything shifted. My business rebranded itself, my creativity flowed, and clients began resonating with me on a deeper level.

The lesson? Authenticity isn’t a risk, it’s a strategy.
Clients don’t want polish, they want resonance.
And the world doesn’t need more women shrinking — it needs women standing fully in their power.

So here’s my declaration:

• Your power is not a liability.
• Your magic is not frivolous.
• Your truth is not too much.

This year reminded me that when we stop hiding, the universe stops holding back.

Life is tricky, love.  Stay in your magic.

Kristell Court offers Empowerment Coaching + Alignment Strategy.  She writes a weekly newsletter called Morning Brew, filled with her Witchy Wisdom so you can connect with your grounded and joyful self, no matter what life throws at you.

Content provided by Women Belong member  Kristell Court