Nereth’s The Crown Unclaimed

May 28

Counters Scathis, Avatar of Shame Identity

This ritual is for the moments when shame has spoken louder than truth — when the old story of not-enough, too-much, or never-worthy clings to your skin like a second name. It offers symbolic disrobing: not as exposure, but as return.

This ritual is most potent when you feel the sting of unworthiness or collapse into self-rejection. It is not about self-esteem. It is about sacred seeing.

Symbol

A physical object that symbolizes shame (e.g., a note with a phrase, an item linked to a false identity, or even a piece of clothing)
A mirror or reflective surface
A simple crown, head covering, or hand placed gently atop the head

Steps

Name the Shame
Hold or face the object you’ve chosen. Speak aloud (or silently):
“This is the name shame gave me.”
Say the false identity aloud — or write it clearly in front of you. Witness it.
Disrobe the Lie
If you’re holding or wearing the object, set it down or take it off. If written, fold or cover it.
Whisper:
“This is not mine to carry.”
Let it rest. Do not destroy it. You are not at war — only returning.
Claim the Crown
Place the crown, cloth, or your hand atop your head.
Speak:
“My authority is not earned. It is remembered.”
Meet Your Eyes
Gaze into the mirror or reflective surface. See not what you’ve been called — but who sees you now.
Affirm softly:
“I am the flame beneath the name.”
Close Gently
Blow a breath over the symbol of shame. Let it remain, but let it lose power. Step into your day as Nereth would — calm, rooted, and no longer shrinking.

Mythic Lens

Scathis whispers: “They were right about you.”

But Nereth does not argue. She places the crown back on your head and says: “You were never meant to shrink to fit their story.”

This ritual is not a rebellion — it is a quiet coronation. You do not become worthy. You remember that you were.

Psychology Lens

This ritual draws on elements of exposure, reappraisal, and embodiment. Naming shame interrupts internalized distortions; disrobing the symbolic object externalizes the false identity. Gaze work and crowning engage neural self-recognition pathways, grounding the practitioner in a reclaimed self-image. Gentle ritual action replaces negative self-concept with embodied self-compassion.

Practiced regularly, this ritual can reduce shame-based freeze responses and help rebuild a resilient inner voice.

Justin Batson