This post was first published on 2/12/24 for Sole to Soul Circle members. SUBSCRIBE HERE It also contains spoilers for Wicked! Part 1 (If you haven’t already seen it, Cynthia Erivo is PHENOMENAL)

Dear, dear, DEAR Elphaba,

In an ideal world, you’d have been:

Adored as a baby – held, loved, accepted for as well as in spite of your green skin
Cared for as a child by people (as well as animals – thank goodness for the animals) who’d have helped you make sense of the world
Encouraged to harness your emotions and power by people who had your best interests at heart
Reassured that your power, that YOU, are nothing to be afraid of
Protected from bullies
Cherished for your gorgeous, talented, powerful, emotional, caring, resilient and wondrous self and Self

You certainly wouldn’t have been blamed for things that had nothing to do with you.

You are NOT responsible for your parents’ prejudice leading to poor Nessa’s condition.

You are NOT responsible for your TEACHER so manipulating you. You were trying to help the monkeys. Don’t let their propaganda gaslight you. You have no control over what others believe but you know yourself better than anyone.

You know you have an amazing heart.

You’ve already done so much work with your inner child

She can help you moving forward in an integrated way. Keep asking your powerful adult self, what do you wish you’d had when you were younger? What do you need today? What did you grow up KNOWING to provide for Nessa while denying yourself? How can you be as attuned to yourself as you’ve been to hers and others?

I hope you are able to connect with your animal friends and that you can all co-regulate and heal and, in time, REVOLT. Help create a fairer Oz for ALL.

But for now you need safety.

Space to heal and recover from your entire world being upended.

I really hope you can find a good therapist who will help you unpack and heal a lifetime of wounding that would have killed or at least corrupted anyone else.

You are so so strong.

AND it’s OK to be vulnerable and to feel weak.

It’s OK to be angry. FURIOUS. Enraged.

The more you learn to (safely) welcome and hold ALL of your feelings, the more focused your power will be. Do the shadow work.

What else can you do for yourself when you feel so misunderstood and loathed when you keep trying to do the right things?

How can you keep your spirits up while you fly free and figure out your next steps?

Is that man who helped you free the leopard cub a safe person to trust?

How might you begin to at least partially connect with other humans and be open to the possibility of TRUE goodness in others? You’ve been betrayed by so many and you’ve also had love and appreciation (though nowhere NEAR enough) and the more you trust your nervous system to move towards what feels GOOD (v what feels familiar), the more you’ll continue to heal and, with time, thrive.

How can you remember to keep trusting yourself?

Sending enormous love from the west of Ireland. I wish there was more I could do for you now but can’t wait to see how you triumph and help create a better Oz for EVERYONE (and thing).

le grá,

PS – Censorship may mean eyes other than Elphaba’s reading this. If you ARE reading this, you can help. Whether you’re in Oz or on Earth: Pay attention to the scapegoats you’re being taught and told to hate. How can you show them more kindness? How can you do the right thing, more often, even in the face of enormous resistance?