Disgust and the Awakening of Our Intuition

It is a quiet Sunday morning as I sit down to write this, tea in hand, still recovering from a little medical hiccup that forced me to slow down earlier this week. And maybe that slowing down was exactly what needed to happen, because what emerged in the stillness was this deep curiosity I've been feeling around the emotion of disgust lately. 

Disgust isn't a feeling we often talk about. It's not cozy. It doesn’t land in the “spiritual and lovely” category most of us feel drawn to explore. And yet, I can’t shake the feeling that disgust is trying to tell us something. Maybe even something urgent.

Lately, I’ve been noticing it all around me. The feeling of being repulsed by the behaviour of certain public figures and political movements, some close to home, others in neighbouring countries. The old, power-hungry, divisive energy of the patriarchy has a certain stink to it, doesn't it? It triggers that deep-down full-body ugh that comes from somewhere ancient in us. Disgust. 

Disgust evolved to protect us. Just thinking about that long forgotten tupperware of leftover chicken at the back of the fridge, I bet your body reacts before you even think. The smell, the texture, the warning bells. It’s your body saying no. But somewhere along the way, the systems of control that make up the backbone of the patriarchy began to weaponize this natural response against us. They began to seed disgust and rage as a way to control us for their benefit.

We were taught to feel disgusted by things that were, in truth, sacred:
Our bodies. Our mess. Our softness. Our needs. Our rage.

We were taught that these things made us dirty, emotional, too much. And disgust became a tool for separation and shame. But I don’t believe that’s what this emotion was designed for. I believe it’s one of the many messengers of our intuition.

We’re standing at a threshold between what was and what’s coming. The dying gasp of the patriarchy and the slow, steady rising of something else, something heart-centred, collective, and wise. As my recent guest Gina Luker put it so beautifully, the matriarchy is not about women taking over, it's about the highest good for all.

And in this transition, I think disgust has a role. It’s like a flashlight. It shows us what no longer fits, what we cannot stomach anymore, what we were taught to tolerate that was never truly okay.

What’s been disgusting you lately?

The way women’s bodies are objectified in the media?
The relentless pressure to overwork and under-feel?
The moments when you silence your truth to keep others comfortable?

What if, instead of pushing that disgust down, we got curious? What if we welcomed it, sat beside it, listened to what it was trying to say?

This is how we begin to heal. This is how we come back to ourselves.

Disgust is not bad. It’s not wrong. It’s a sacred nudge, a fire from within whispering, Hey… something's not right here.

And when you feel it, especially about something in your own life, ask it: What are you trying to tell me?

We’re in a time of great unraveling. And while it’s messy and painful, it’s also beautiful. This is the soil where new things are taking root. We’re remembering who we are. And if we’re brave enough to feel even the uncomfortable feelings fully, we get to be part of what’s being born.

So if disgust is visiting you lately, grab your sketchbook. Draw it. Journal it. Paint it. Be curious. Because underneath it might not just be “that’s gross”, it might be your soul saying, this no longer belongs here.

And you—yes you—are the divine interpreter of that message.

Thanks for being in this with me. We’re waking up, and we’re doing it together.

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Disgust and Intuition: A Sacred Alarm Bell

In this special bonus episode recorded from a quiet Sunday morning, Kate explores the powerful, misunderstood emotion of disgust—and how it may be one of the most important tools in awakening our intuition during this massive cultural and spiritual transition.

She dives into:

• The biological and evolutionary roots of disgust

• How systems of power weaponize it to control and divide

• The difference between intuitive disgust vs. conditioned shame

• How to work with disgust as a sacred nudge guiding us back to truth

• Creative ways to explore what this emotion is trying to tell us

This is a potent and timely reflection on emotional intelligence, inner wisdom, and reclaiming our power during these times of change.

Listen to the full episode now inside Patreon → Patreon.com/creativegeniuspodcast