The Scapegoat and the Higher Way

A Path to Spiritual Clarity and Freedom

 By Kathryn Avramakis OMD

Throughout history, human beings have developed subtle, sometimes painful ways of managing discomfort, guilt, and unhealed emotional wounds. One of the oldest patterns, both socially and spiritually, is the act of scapegoating.

While the term may conjure images of betrayal or exclusion, its origins are deeply symbolic and profoundly relevant today.

In this article, we’ll explore:

• The ancient roots of scapegoating.

• How the pattern shows up in modern life.

• The spiritual significance of being the scapegoat.

• How to walk the “Higher Way” toward healing and liberation.

The Ancient Ritual of the Scapegoat

The term scapegoat originates from a ritual described in Leviticus 16. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest would symbolically place the sins of the community onto a goat and send it into the wilderness, exiled, burdened, and alone.

This act wasn’t just ceremonial. It was a powerful representation of what many people and systems still do today:

When we feel discomfort we can’t process, we look for someone to carry it for us.

Modern-Day Scapegoating: How the Pattern Persists

In families, workplaces, religious communities, and even cultural systems, scapegoating often plays out in subtle ways.

The scapegoat is typically the one who:

• Speaks the unspoken truth.

• Feels deeply and senses hidden dynamics.

• Challenges toxic patterns or brings light to dysfunction.

• Is misunderstood, dismissed, or labelled as “the problem.”

The truth is…scapegoats are rarely the cause of harm.

Instead, they are the ones who unintentionally reveal what others cannot, or will not, face.

This projection creates temporary relief for the group, but it comes at a deep cost:

The individual is exiled emotionally, energetically, or relationally, often without closure or understanding.

Why Does Scapegoating Happen?

Scapegoating is a defence mechanism.

It’s a way the human ego avoids confronting inner pain or accountability.

Rather than facing what’s uncomfortable, we externalise it.

This may sound like:

“She’s always been the problem.”

“If it weren’t for her, everything would be fine.”

“They’re too sensitive, dramatic, selfish, etc.”

These judgments often mask unprocessed shame, fear, or grief within the group or family unit.

In psychological terms, this is projection.

In spiritual terms, it’s a form of shadow displacement.

The Spiritual Meaning of the Scapegoat

Through a spiritual lens, the scapegoat is not the flawed one, but the mirror.

Their presence often reflects what the group refuses to examine:

• Unhealed generational trauma

• Family secrets/dysfunctions

• Unspoken power dynamics

• Emotional immaturity or rigidity

In rejecting the scapegoated one, the family/group attempts to remove the discomfort, but the deeper issue remains unresolved.

As Jesus said, “They do not know what they are doing.”

This wasn’t just about cruelty; it was about unconsciousness.

If You’ve Been the Scapegoat: A Higher Perspective

Being scapegoated is deeply painful.

It can feel confusing, isolating, and unjust.

But it can also mark the beginning of a profound spiritual awakening.

You were not cast out because you were wrong.

You were cast out because your truth-your sensitivity, your clarity, and your love-challenged what others were unwilling to feel.

This is not a reflection of your unworthiness.

It is often a sign of emotional depth and soul maturity.

Walking the Higher Way: How to Heal and Transform

If you’ve been scapegoated, you’re not alone.

Many healers, visionaries, mystics, and change-makers have walked this path.

Here are practical steps to reclaim your clarity and peace:

1. Name the Pattern

Understanding that this was a pattern, not a personal failure, is crucial.

You were part of a dynamic shaped by fear, shame, and avoidance, not truth.

2. Lay Down What Was Never Yours

The shame you’ve carried, the guilt you internalised, it was not yours to begin with.

Through somatic work, spiritual practice, or therapeutic support, begin to release what never belonged to you.

3. Reclaim Your Voice

Write your story.

Speak your truth.

Not to retaliate, but to reclaim the narrative from silence and distortion.

4. Grieve the Loss

Often, we don’t just grieve rejection, we grieve the illusion that the family was emotionally safe in the first place.

Letting go of that illusion is part of your freedom.

5. Transform Pain into Wisdom

The wilderness you were sent into can become holy ground.

Many who were scapegoated go on to become deeply wise, compassionate, and grounded, because they were forced to meet themselves at a depth others avoided.

Final Thoughts: The Role of the Scapegoated Soul

In the Christian story, Jesus was the ultimate scapegoat.

He was rejected, mocked, and condemned, not for wrongdoing, but for embodying truth.

And yet, what was meant to destroy him became the very path of resurrection.

If you’ve been scapegoated, your pain is real, but so is your power.

You were never the wound. You were the mirror.

And now, you have a choice:

To carry the label…or to walk the Higher Way.

To stop inheriting what others refused to face.

To end the cycle.

To become the one who sees, feels deeply, and lives freely.

You are not alone.

And you were never too much.

You were simply the one who could see.

-        Dr. Kathryn Avramakis

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