How a 'Womb Witch' Uses Ancestral Magic to Heal Pelvic Trauma
Leigh McDaniel always knew she was destined to become a witch. Growing up in Hawaii, she came from a long line of 'kitchen witches,' she explains - women who intuited measurements, spices and when a cake was done from the next room. 'There was always a part of me that was like: Yeah, I'm a witch,' says McDaniel from her California sun-soaked studio.
Today, McDaniel - who calls herself a 'womb witch' - practices a different kind of magic: pelvic care bodywork. Based in a bright studio in Glendale, McDaniel serves clients of all genders. Before each session, McDaniel invites clients to share their personal histories, and then McDaniel performs bodywork through touch as sage smoke curls in the air.
'A person who left today had their first session and was like, 'I'm so much lighter in my body,' McDaniel says.
McDaniel's work is rooted in holistic pelvic health and touch therapy, which she discovered after giving birth to her second child at age 46. Before her daughter was born, McDaniel says she met her in a dream. The child introduced herself as 'Luna.' The name stuck. After her birth, McDaniel theorized that her daughter had 'reorganized her pelvic bowl.' When she sought out answers from her midwife and OB-GYN, they were dismissive; the experience prompted her to explore alternative care.
'It sent me down a few rabbit holes,' McDaniel says. 'Previously, I had studied naturopathy with the intention of going to a naturopathic school - herbalism, Reiki and light touch therapy.'
