Energetic Scapegoats

Recent performances have led me to study the energetic scapegoat within myself.  The energetic scapegoat unconsciously takes on the shadow of others.

We are all familiar with the concept of the scapegoat, whether it is in a family, a community or a group of people in society. They take on the shadow aspects of the group whether they have agreed to this or not. They are blamed for the things that don’t run smoothly. They are criticized. They also learn to take on this shadow for others because of deep identification with internalized societal or parental definitions of themselves even when they no longer wish to do it.

No scapegoat ever made a conscious choice to be one.

However, when a partnership or a small group interact, the lack of freedom in each person creates this phenomenon. The ones who blame and create strife through passive aggression, micro-aggression or even outright aggression play one role resulting from their own insecurity and need for control.

This person/group gain control by establishing an “energetic” superiority basically due to their intense inner insecurity. They have learned to do this as a means of skirting their crippling sense of self. With the ability to point out someone else’s faults, to undermine someone’s confidence with a little dig here or a little dig there, by demanding something that is nearly impossible, by gaslighting, or by simply “calling a spade a spade”, they take the energetic upper hand.

This person is most likely completely oblivious to how much passive aggression they utilize. They may constantly interrupt. They may ignore your questions. They may point out how to improve something right before a presentation, a performance, or before you step up to the plate. It is a subtle way of undermining someone’s confidence if they are predisposed to low self-esteem.

It is a way to put doubt around someone’s abilities at a time when it is more important to say, “You can do this” or “break a leg” or “do your best” or “let’s have fun.”

If someone’s reputation is involved, they will not hesitate to tear you down in front of the bosses, change plans right before a presentation, or discuss how to do something that has been worked out beforehand as if it is now in question.

We all know these scenarios whether it is with parents, spouses, or work colleagues.

The energetic scapegoat takes it on because of their own insecurities. It gets interpreted as an affront even when it isn’t. They take these actions personally to a fault, and thus unknowingly take on the role of carrying the nerves, blundering for the group, doing something illegal, or losing it. They become a self-fulfilling prophecy even if they don’t want to be.

Until the energetic scapegoat develops integral wholeness, others are able to hang their coats on the coat rack of low self-esteem. In other words, the scapegoat’s inadequacy feeds the situation.

They may be able to say that what the “blamer” is saying is not true, but they are paralyzed energetically to do anything about the situation.

The scapegoat is severely internally triggered by people’s actions, taking things personally with no realization that the perpetrator is acting out of their own insecurity.

The scapegoat takes it on like a trained masochist. They most assuredly learned to take on the shadow from an early age. They are also energetically vulnerable to assault and abuse. Like a homing device, the scapegoat sends an energetic beacon out to the wolves who are happy to project everything onto them.

This is why empaths often pair with narcissists.

The scapegoat has to energetically understand how to not take on the insecurities of others.

The work of the scapegoat is to learn to see their own identification with the role in order to escape. To step into their own power through inner work is to wall off the projections of others. They must first start by seeing the non-truth of others’ statements regarding their abilities even if they still take on the shadow aspect. They must live in the inner conflict of knowing both sides of themselves.

Digging deep into the wells of self-confidence and self-knowledge, they must remember how they have succeeded, how they have overcome, when they were in their power and held onto that energy.

At the same time, they must deeply see their own poor assessment of themselves in the moment.

When they can finally “disidentify” with the role, the beautiful result is that other people can no longer hang their coats on the proverbial scapegoat’s coat rack.

The inner work of self-acceptance is what provides the energetic protection, and not the surface imagery of imagining walls or boundaries.

The scapegoat is then able to consciously refuse to be a scapegoat. They energetically hold themselves in wholeness and confidence. They understand their identification with the role of taking on others' “energy,” “nerves, “insecurities,” “self-loathing” by seeing their own inner struggle. This leaves the other person to deal with their stuff.

Unfortunately, this scapegoat is often an empath that has taken on this role, and it may simply be a traumatic response from being invaded as a child. Victims of sexual abuse often energetically carry forth this pattern of “scapegoatism” as long as they cannot experience their wholeness and reconnect to their own divinity.

Recent events have led me to understand how I have been standing in as an energetic scapegoat. Suddenly, I was screwing up simple things that take minimal skill in a performance, but I was plagued by an inner struggle that was re-emerging regarding my own worth.  It was as if something deep inside of me was being unearthed and played out so I could see it anew. It is another thread I have now woven into my tapestry of consciousness. It was something I thought I had taken care of, but life threw me what I needed to learn again in a new way.

I have struggled with this “pattern” for lack of a better word all of my life. I have undermined my own success countless times onstage and off. I have taken on the insecurities of another because of my own lack of integration. I realize we are all insecure, and we either take it on or put it on others or a horrifying combination of the two.

We can make excuses about being empaths or victims, but no matter who we are, we must do our part to recognize the part that is ours, and do something about it.

I can only work to deeply and consciously understand myself as a divine whole person capable of shining in my power.

When I am actually able to stand in that glory, people around me are no longer able to energetically touch me, and they are left with their own shit to deal with.

I look forward to hearing your stories regarding this subject.

Love,

Molly