scapegoat | noun
a person made to bear the blame for others or suffer in their place.
(biblical) a goat let loose in the wilderness after the high priest symbolically laid the sins of the people on it’s head.
Have you ever been scapegoated?
If you’re an empath, old soul or consider yourself the ‘black sheep’ of the family then … NEWS FLASH … there’s a fair chance you’ve been used as a scape goat at some point.
It’s a painful feeling of injustice to be used as a scape goat and it can sometimes lead to depression or other ‘mental health ailments.’ Being a scapegoat often comes with a deep feeling of being “unsafe” to speak up or establish a boundary. Kinda’ like “damned if I do, damed if I don’t.”
Let’s face it … as empaths & old souls we know only too well that feelings like guilt and shame are super uncomfortable … I mean is it any wonder some people choose to use a scapegoat to avoid having to process these tough feelings for themselves?
Most scapegoats take on the role at a young age when a caregiver is trying to avoid their own feelings of guilt or shame. The “sensitive” child in the family often absorbs the ‘projected/ disowned’ feelings as their own and grows to believe it’s what they have to do in order to make the caregiver (& later on … everyone around them) feel better.
Scapegoating can be deliberate and malicious - as in the case of a sociopath, narcissist or ego-tripper who avoids personal responsibility and chooses to inflict their pain upon others. Or it can be unconscious - eg. a parent who feels guilty or ashamed etc and without awareness, projects it onto their child to feel/ act out for them.
Either way … as empaths it’s important to remember - just because we can feel the energy & feelings of others, doesn’t mean it’s our job to feel for others. We’ve gotta’ practise using our gift of sensitivity in more productive ways!
Speaking of gifts … Being used as a scapegoat ain’t all bad - there’s grace in the fact that we often get to integrate a shit tonne of energy & issues that aren’t ours, and because of this - we are gifted additional wisdom that benefits ourselves and others.
REAL-EYES-ing the grace of the scapegoat role creates a shift from scapegoat to alchemist!
… Look at you -turning life’s shit into gold!
I like to imagine a world where humans make mistakes, own them & grow through them. No shame, no blame … (& no scapegoat required) just personal responsibility, compassion & growth. Imagine the wisdom! …Alas we’re not quite there yet…
The term “scapegoat” came about when village chiefs would tie ribbons (symbolising the ‘sins’ of the villagers onto a goat & then hunt it off into the wilderness.” … If you’ve had someone else’s ‘sins’ tied to you it might be time to cut some energetic chords & hand back responsibility.
If you resonate with the scapegoat label there’s some steps you can take to protect your energy:
Hand on heart … “Universe, If this feeling/ energy isn’t mine, return to sender for the greatest good of all.”
REAL-EYES you are being ‘used’ as a scapegoat because deep down the other person recognises you as an empath and ‘knows’ you are much stronger than them in the ‘feelings’ department. (…They’re just trying to trick you & themselves to believe otherwise.)
If adopting a viewpoint of “Not my circus, not my monkeys” feels too harsh for you, then REAL-EYES that by having an energetic boundary you’re lovingly handing responsibility back to the person to feel & heal their own stuff so they have an opportunity to gain wisdom too!
Remember you can be a loving soul AND not put up with bullshit!
Additional Support:
If you need some support SOUL COACHING &/or INNER CHILD HEALING is a helpful way to discover when you first took on the role of scapegoat, so you can let it go and be an alchemist instead!
If you have a sensitive child who may have taken on the role of scapegoat SUPPORT FOR SENSITIVE KIDS can help with integrating feelings and clearing energy.