Women are paying thousands of dollars to scream and break objects all in a bid to release suppressed anger in what has been named “rage rituals”. The practice has become a growing trend circulating on social media.
Two-and-a-half years ago, after her divorce, Kimberly Helmus, a cybersecurity engineer, embarked on a retreat to Scotland with Mia Banducci − an author and self-described “Spiritual Fairy Godmother”, better known online as Mia Magik.
As part of the retreat, Mia held a rage ritual: a ceremony in which participants scream and beat large sticks on the ground in the woods, USA Today reported on May 8.
In Mia’s ceremonies, participants are typically encouraged to think of people and experiences that have wronged them and to scream and swing the sticks for at least 20 minutes.
Women are paying thousands of dollars to participate in “rage rituals”
Participants can also reportedly swing the sticks until they can no longer move their arms.
“There’s no place where you can see women be able to be angry like that and it not be condemned,” Kimberly told USA Today.
She continued: “’She’s just hormonal. She’s just unhinged. She’s just crazy. She’s just on her period. She’s just, whatever.’
“This was a place where you were, probably for the first time in a really, really long time, if ever, able to scream out loud things about how you felt.”
Mia has reportedly led rage rituals for several years and began doing them first for herself, then for friends, and, eventually, as part of her days-long retreats.
The private coach’s retreats include other activities and can reportedly range in price from around $2,000 to $4,000. Moreover, Mia’s one-day version costs $222 per ticket.
During the process of a rage ritual, participants gather large sticks while conjuring to mind “every person who’s ever crossed you, who’s ever hurt you, who’s ever ignored your boundaries or taken advantage of you or abused you in any way,” according to USA Today.
After some warm-up breaths, the screaming and swinging begin. The ritual is reportedly held in the woods so participants can make noise without fear of bothering people nearby.
Participants scream and break objects to release suppressed anger
Mia told the American news outlet: “When people do this and give themselves permission to release their anger, their capacity for joy actually expands.
“They’re able to feel more happiness and pleasure, and they go home to their families with more gratitude and ease and peace.”
Kimberly reportedly thought her first rage ritual would address the anger she felt toward her ex-husband.
Instead, she felt a grief that she had been holding onto since witnessing the death of a friend when she was 15.
She told USA Today: “I remember it was a very kind of clear, light-switch moment where I was like, ‘Oh, that’s what this is about.’
“So many times I think you can’t really feel a lot of stuff until you work through it.”
Rage rituals have trended on TikTok, where they’ve resonated, particularly with women.
In a video shared by Mia last year showcasing what a rage ritual looks like, many viewers were left inspired.
The practice has been gaining popularity on social media
@miamagikRage Rituals- my honor to facilitate. Staying silent in the face of injustice has become the norm because, at one time, the alternative was death. So many of us have never touched the fires of this emotion. Suppression of our truth is a major factor of the witch wound that lives in our very DNA. But we can rewrite our stories. Which is exactly my intention every time I lead this ritual at my retreats. Rage has been villainized to keep us from banding together, as its sacred spark has ignited much positive change to reclaiming our civil rights & liberties. Of course raging AT someone isn’t usually very helpful, but even the fiery feeling can be so unfamiliar we experience it as Sadness. Which is deemed a more acceptable emotion, so often, we might cry when what we really want to do is scream. There is a deeper intimacy with ourselves we experience when we feel permission to express ALL of who we are in a safe space. That’s what I’m here to hold and create, and what an honor it is. Though rage and ritual don’t often go together, when they do, the transformation witnessed and experienced is otherworldly. Come access the magikal healing of this energy for yourself held in conscious community and sacred sisterhood with me in Scotland October 9-14th 2023. Let’s get this revelatory revolution underway shall we?!♬ Trøllabundin – Eivør
“So, we all just simultaneously felt the urge to cry while watching this, right? I wish I could afford to go to this,” a TikTok user commented.
A woman wrote: “I got emotional just watching this,” to which Mia replied: “The energy when doing it with 30 other women is intense and so powerful!”
Someone penned: “I’m trying to not cry watching this… like it came outta nowhere and now I’m mad because I can’t go to Scotland.”
An observer noted: “Feels like the episode of Handmaid’s Tale when they all took their anger out on Fred, less violent of course.
“Probably just as therapeutic though.”
Anna and the show’s 3 interns decided to take their anger out through the trending rage ritual. Let’s just say Anna isn’t very happy with her celiac! Would you try this ritual? pic.twitter.com/jTIxmbopTt
— Anna & Raven Show (@AnnaAndRaven) May 23, 2024
A separate individual chimed in: “This is SO POWERFUL. I WISH I had the courage to release my ferocity but so am scared of myself.”
In response, Mia wrote: “So many people feel this way. Doing this ritual at my retreats, after days of healing and integration, & w/ sister is a safe container to express.”
Mia Banducci has led retreats featuring rage rituals
I can’t think of a single thing I’d rather do more than head into the forest for an all-female Rage Ritual. pic.twitter.com/fH3kmQuhJe
— Dr. Jebra Faushay (@JebraFaushay) April 11, 2024
The businesswoman told USA Today that, while men have been taught to suppress sadness, women have been taught to suppress rage.
She said: “It’s like, ‘Don’t be a bitch’ or ‘don’t be angry’ or ‘don’t be aggressive’ or ‘don’t stand up for yourself.’ ‘Don’t protect your integrity.’ ‘Don’t tell anyone that they don’t have consent to touch your body or speak to you in a certain way’.”
@socalledmess Let it out #release #rageritual #emotions #ritual #witchtok #spirituality #shadowwork #letgo #embrace #anger #letitbe #fyp ♬ Epic Emotional – AShamaluevMusic
Mia continued: “There are particular emotions that are accepted in the gender binary that we each need to feel.
“Men need to cry − and it’s so healthy for men to cry − and women need to be able to get angry.”
By the end of her first rage ritual, Kimberly said, participants were covered in dirt and mud with bruises and cuts on their hands. Sticks were reportedly broken everywhere.
The cybersecurity expert admitted that she got a lot from the experience and that she had done it twice.
“It’s really a place where you can be this feral, wild woman and not be looked at, other than with love and acceptance and care,” Kimberly said.
“Goosebumps all over,” a reader commented
