The Sacred Gift of Tears: A Wild Woman’s Reflection

Inspired by the timeless wisdom in Women Who Run with the Wolves, I feel called to write this—hoping it reaches many souls, especially the wild women among us.

In one of the many powerful passages, Clarissa Pinkola Estés writes that crying draws us closer to the soul. She describes tears not as weakness, but as a form of protection—a natural response that shields and softens us as we move through life’s difficulties. Reading those words, I was instantly transported back to moments in my life when I’ve cried—and how, looking back now, those tears were sacred.

One of the clearest examples came recently, during a retreat where I was part of the assisting team. I was having a difficult day—feeling disempowered, fragile, and disconnected. In that moment of vulnerability, a woman witnessed me and gently offered a guided practice. Through her presence and support, something within me opened. I cried and cried and cried—tears that seemed to come from deep within my bones. And in that release, something truly shifted. I felt healed. I felt powerful again. My tears had carried me back to myself.

I’ve cried in heartbreak, in solitude, in ceremony, and in joy. Each time, the tears served as sacred water—cleansing, grounding, and reconnecting me to what is essential. They weren’t signs of breaking down, but of breaking through.

Tears are a bridge. They soften what’s hardened, they move what’s stuck, and they remind us that we are alive and connected. As Estés so beautifully writes, tears are a way to call back the soul, to reconnect with our spirit—and in that, lies deep protection.

So if your eyes fill with tears, let them fall. Your wild soul is near. And your tears, dear one, are not a weakness—they are your power returning.