What Coronavirus is Asking of Us; A Survival Guide for this Time
Never before, in the history of mankind, have we been impacted on such a global level. No war, no virus, no depression – nothing has touched every single person globally in the way that we are now being challenged.
And while not every single person feels challenged or threatened by the virus itself, the response to the perceived threat of the virus does touch on everyone in one way or another. The lockdowns have impacted our economy, food systems, and transport supply chains. Hospitals that were operating at near capacity during “normal” times are now stretched thin in critical care areas, but near empty and furloughing staff in other areas. Our tranditional educational system is shut down entirely; parents, teachers, and most importantly children, are being forced to develop some adaptive strategies in the midst of chaos.
And that’s just on the surface. While some of us are “just staying home,” there’s a whole world underneath that, where families are struggling to survive and the Government systems in place to help, such as unemployment and healthcare, are failing. Mental support systems have shut down, so people that struggled to exist in a “normal” world (used here to denote “typical/expected” versus “ideal”) are floundering in a sea of chaos and stress. No money, food to be bought, bills stacking up to be paid, fear about a virus, and so on, do nothing to alleviate the struggles of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and more, that already existed.
And the media – oh the media! And our government as well! That they have done the opposite of their responsibilities and what we have entrusted to them. Calm, structured, rational responses in the face of chaos, ensuring the people are getting adequate, appropriate, factual information. This we have not seen. And while some will claim that this was the nature of the deadly virus that came whipping in so fast and furious, I will argue and say that very argument is itself a product of the very narrative being delivered. When we dig underneath the surface, and indeed not very far, we start to see how conflicting the narrative is, how much it doesn’t make rational sense. How much they’re really promoting fear rather than calm rationality, delivered with a moment of pause beforehand. These people we have entrusted with our physical, emotional, and mental welfare are whipping the populace up into a frenzy to the point people are turning on one another in ever greater numbers and with increasing severity.
So I will stop there, as which narrative you believe regarding the Coronavirus is at this point moot, if you can simply see that something profound is happening in our midst. Whether you attribute that to the fact that you believe this virus is deadly, or our government and media are mounting perhaps the largest mind-manipulation operation in the history of mankind, or anything in between, does not matter. Because what does matter, what is clear is that the sheer size and magnitude of what is happening right now indicates this is divine intervention.
Divine intervention happens in exactly this way – it touches everyone. It touches everyone right where it needs to, in the way it needs to. That’s why some are profoundly fearful of the virus itself. Some believe the virus is manmade or genetically manipulated. Others are angry at what they perceive is government ineptitude, overreach, or manipulation. Other see this as a mechanism to surreptitiously insert various agendas into our society. Choose your story; they all have validity in the eyes of the beholder and that is what matters. What is clear is that we are being upended and profoundly challenged. Our deepest fears are being forced to the surface. Other issues that we have with power and authority are being illuminated. What’s more is that all the systems that we’ve placed so much value on and trust in are being exposed in every single way that they are faulty, frail, and inept. All the way from our government to the media, to our healthcare system, our educational system, and the way we care for one another and our planet. The extent and magnitude of this exposure can only be divine in nature.
From now on, none of us will escape doing our work. The illusions have been shredded. Our little (or big) shadows and monsters that we kept locked in the basement, those that we believed to be locked up out of sight, and certainly out of mind, those that have really been running the show the whole time while we dallied in the comfortable daydreams; they have been released. We can see them now. I see some still ducking and covering their eyes desperately, but that can only last so long. We are being shown. And while it is still up to each of us to choose to see, as that is the nature of free will, it is going to become increasingly difficult and painful to choose to remain blind.
So let’s hit a pause button now as I’ve really only been stating the obvious.
What does it mean to move forward? How do we move through this transition?
Every transition has a period of intense chaos, and that is what we’re in the midst of. We’ve had these periods before, on a much smaller scale. Some have experienced few of these, others many. On my own journey and through these periods of turmoil, when I ask, “What can I do?” the answer is ALWAYS – heal yourself.
Below are the messages I’ve gotten through my own divine guides, and which have since been confirmed numerous times in very diverse ways. Many people are getting this same survival guide.
1. The message is clear and unwavering. We need to embrace our own Free Will, which has been a profound gift to us. That means this:
It means each of us taking responsibility for ourselves. Many, many of us, often through no real fault of our own, are children walking around in adult bodies. We’ve suffered trauma, we lacked the appropriate nurturing we needed as children, or we were simply deprived of the process by which a person develops from child to adult, whether through initiation or just simple support of us as a human being first, child second. And while those things are legitimate and real, it is time to line up our survival archetypes – our children, our victims, our saboteurs, and our prostitutes – and say, “Hey. You did a great job of protecting me when I needed it. But I have this now. I need you to take a seat at the back of the bus. You can speak up when you have something important to say, but I’m in charge of all thoughts, decisions, actions, and behaviors from this point forward.”
2. Make a commitment to love yourself (every single aspect of yourself no matter how harshly you judge it), nurture yourself, heal yourself
– AND! –
YOU are now responsible for every single thing you do from here on out.
Whatever you believe, whatever you think, whatever you say, whatever you do. No one can make you do anything, believe anything. No one can heal you. No one can love you in a way that will fix all your broken or fractured pieces, even the people that did the breaking to begin with. EXCEPT YOU. YOU CAN do these things! This means we need to examine and break-down (re-design or re-work) every co-dependent relationship we have. This applies to every single relationship where we’ve given over “authority” (power). Who are the people you trust over yourself? Listen to how you speak. Often we give that power away to our spouses, healthcare practitioners, or our government. Any human that we “worship.” Also examine those you take power FROM; those that you interact with but whom you don’t listen to, give to, those that you are dismissive of or condescending to. Every single one of us have these relationships in our lives. You may have a preponderance of one over the other type, but I guarantee you will find both if you look through a very honest and humble lens. ALSO NOTE that when I say “break down,” that doesn’t mean get rid of the person! The relationship itself, however, must be reworked. Boundaries need to be put into place, energies cleared. Often this involves forgiveness and some sort of gratitude. Expectations need to be examined; what do you expect them to do for you, or how do you expect them to be, act, etc.? What is coming to light right now is how many people are really seeking out father and mother authority figures to help them heal and fill up that which was denied to them as children; this seeking manifests in co-dependent relationships. A sense of safety, a sense of being relevant and worthy. We’ve mistakenly placed this role onto other humans, often humans who are struggling with their own issues.
So you are now taking back your own power, your own authority, your own sovereignty. This involves a measure of trust and a lot of love and compassion for yourself. Trust is a tricky one, and that’s where item 3. below comes in – Prayer.
3. Pray. And while I do not presume to tell anyone how to pray or what to say, I do know this prayer needs to be different, perhaps, than prayers you’ve uttered before. This prayer doesn’t simply say, “Please help me.” This prayer also contains a declaration that says to the God/dess and others that are in positions that they can help us, “I get it now. I understand.” This is a prayer of CO-CREATION with the divine. It says, “I’m no longer a child. I’m a divine being in my own right, one that can and is willing to take responsibility for myself.” I know that this term – CO-CREATION – needs to become an integral part of every aspect of our hearts, our minds, our behaviors and actions.
(See below for an example of my own prayer; you can use it, in its entirety or modified, if you wish until your own prayer emerges from your heart.)
Dear Creator, and all the beings that watch over me, guide me, and protect me day in and day out. I get it. I hear you. Free will – which I have struggled with so profoundly over the entirety of my life – on the one handed wanting complete control, on the other expecting you to cover all the bases for me, making things easy, expecting a safety net – I understand now. I can see where my ego thirsted for importance and control while I allowed my spirit to wither because I resisted that which is my essence. I can see my power – and my responsibilities – and I fully acknowledge each of these. I can see now where I allowed my righteousness to reign and take over connection with other human beings. I can see how I took in from the external world and made it my own, rather than listening to my internal guidance and projecting that out in the world. I gave that external authority power over my thoughts, my actions, my beliefs; I was too lazy to seek out my own knowing, to face what I knew didn’t feel right in my gut, to make amends where possible. I’ve allowed myself to be distracted for a long, long time, with things that do not matter now and certainly will not matter once I leave this world; I’ve been bitter, resentful, angry, jealous and fearful, and I’ve resisted paths I knew I needed to be on. I acknowledge these things and ask for your gift of Grace and guidance as I move forward. Help me to help myself. I will not expect you to hold me any longer; I ask that you teach me how to stand, how to walk, how to speak to others in a way that is kind and loving. I claim my own sovereignty, my own authority, and ask that you be my ever-present advisor and mentor. Please continue to whisper in my ear, keep my eyes clear, and my heart ever open, honest, and humble. With profound love and gratitude to you, and to myself. Amen.
4. On a daily basis, there are a variety of things you need to do. Just as if you’re trying to rebuild your health after a prolonged or intense illness, you need to rebuild your spirit. This becomes a practice that includes compassion and patience (with yourself and others), breathing, taking time to nourish yourself (healthy foods, exercise, sleep), doing things you enjoy, finding quiet time to sit in meditation, prayer, or just to ponder. This also involves baby steps into questioning your responses and reactions to things, your beliefs, and your expectations. Ask honest, challenging questions of yourself. Research and dig to find answers. Be CURIOUS and OPEN. Again, this is a process that takes time, perhaps a lifetime. But every step we take leads to a different world, a world that the divine has given us a glimpse of in the midst of all the chaos. A world that is cleaner, slower and less rushed, a populace that can come together for a common cause. We need this world and we need to keep taking the steps that get us there, even if it feels painfully slow, unsure, and scary. As we come together, the pace will quicken and we, finally, as global community, will reach that for which we have been seeking and yearning.
May we each find our peace and healing. ?
Wishing you all the best.
I would like to acknowledge some of the people that influenced or confirmed the content here outside of my own guides (thank you!); including Caroline Myss, Elizabeth Gilbert, Alex Collier, Daria Justyn, and Jessica Mangum. Along with countless others: friends and confidants, that have sat with me in places of contemplation and discomfort, and those that have offered their own teachings along my path that have integrated in such a way that I can longer distinguish them from my own. My thanks to all those that have offered their own perspectives and insights in an effort to help others along their journey.
? Fauxels via Pixels.com
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Thank you.
YOUR ONE WILD AND PRECIOUS LIFE
The Summer Day
—Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
What will you do with your one wild and precious life?
Many people are battling a sort of crazed fear over coronavirus. If that’s you, I’m certainly not here to talk you out of it. I know you probably don’t want me to. But I do want to offer a bit of sanity, if you’ll have it. I offer to you what I learned during a year of living with fear and how that’s impacting my outlook during this period of frenzied chaos. I offer it not to talk you out of your fear, but because we need wise, mitigated responses during this time.
In April of 2018, almost two years ago, my husband and I went out to celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary. My husband had not been feeling right for weeks, but that after that dinner, he knew something was definitely wrong. Within the week, we knew why he hadn’t been feeling right; he had pancreatic cancer.
I know many of you know the feeling that he and I experienced, because you’ve experienced it yourself, in your spouse, or your children. Terminal illness in ourselves or our loved ones is frightening and devastating, without a doubt. When it impacts your all-day, everyday life, someone you love, live with day in and day out, care for and receive care from … the magnitude seems to become so large, so dense and thick, that it feels impossible to escape. Fear (like grief) is incomparable and unquantifiable. When those things threaten or impact your minute-by-minute life, we resist, we evade, we seek to control the situation in any way we can. Many of you are feeling the threat of COVID-19 in the same way.
But sometimes, there’s simply NOTHING we can do to control the situation. Except … we can. We CAN monitor our responses. How we respond is a choice.
During this time of upheaval, chaos, and fear over coronavirus, we still have control over our choices and actions. Many of our routines may disappear, and our comforts. I’m hearing apocalyptic-type scenarios playing out in people’s minds. But here’s the thing – if we reach cataclysmic proportions, it’s because our response to this drove us to it. It won’t be because of the virus. It is unnerving – I won’t deny that. Some of us are going to lose loved ones; from experience, I can tell you, yes, that’s the hardest thing to go through, ever. And so I understand why people are frenzied and scared. And we do need to take precautions; yes, yes, absolutely. It would be equally stupid to pretend nothing’s happening.
But, even if/when death is staring you in the face, as many in the world know well, there’s no point in panicking. There just isn’t. And the casualties for this virus aren’t that high. Be cautious – yes, please. Be prepared – yes, please. But also – understand that panicking does nothing but take away your precious time. When my husband was sick, we knew the statistics. Very well in fact; I think I now have a PhD in pancreatic cancer. But we made a choice. We pursued every possible avenue of healing, but we also chose to LIVE – to live life, to live with hope and care, consciousness, compassion. He was scared, I was scared, our kids were scared. But we didn’t live scared. We lived with hope.
So I know really, really well what people are feeling. But I also see this time as a period of potential and possibility. Take this time to spend with family, learn something, do the thing you’ve always wanted to do but didn’t have time to. Make art. Be outside. Talk to your neighbor, even if you need to stand outside and 10 feet away while you do. Help tend to the children out of school, even if you help keep an eye out from your porch while they play outside. Tread lightly and with compassion and care. Yes – I do believe our lives with be different after this episode. But I see that the “differences” have the potential to be positive and empowering. As with any transition, there’s a period of chaos. A shaking loose of what doesn’t work, what isn’t needed, baggage that cannot be dragged forward. Our systems and our philosophies are being shaken to the core. The image I get when I journey for guidance is that we’re, individually and collectively, being held upside down by our ankles, as everything we’re carrying that isn’t the essence or core of what we are is shaken right out of our pockets. We cannot carry forward our baggage any longer.
What that means is that we are going to have to cultivate a new way of existing in our world. A new symbiotic relationship with the Earth as opposed to the currently parasitic state we exist in. Many thought we were past the point of no return in our destruction of the Earth. But in just a few weeks time of reduced human activity, we’ve seen a remarkable recovery in our environment. The Earth is capable of healing, as are our systems, and ourselves. Weakness in our societal systems and structures will come to light so that we can forge new or better foundational systems that are sustainable and robust. And we humans have the opportunity to undergo our own personal, internal realignment and revamping so that we initialize philosophies and routines that are nourishing, revitalizing, and inspiring, as opposed to our current go-go-go mentalities that create daily drudgeries, experiences that are lack-luster, unfullfilling, and drain our vitality.
It’s one thing to know these things, but another to feel them – to initiate and manifest them – especially when we’re feeling frightened and unsure. In the midst of panic, how do you recenter? I will be posting guided meditations soon, but one of the easiest, simplest ways is to watch your breath. Become conscious of your breathing, and direct your breath until it’s both slower and deeper. Some other ideasL
- Become aware of your senses. This process helps to ground yourself in your body. Name 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you feel, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste.
- Journal. Write out your worst case scenarios, your deepest fears. Let them manifest on the page. Then burn that page, get a clean sheet of paper, and write out a new scenario. It doesn’t have to be unrealistic, but it should focus on the POSITIVES.
- Go OUTSIDE. Walk barefoot. Garden. Smell the flowers. Watch the birds. Watch the clouds. Walk amongst the trees. Climb a tree. Hug a tree. Listen to all the sounds. Look for all the colors of the rainbow. Learn to identify what’s in your yard; wild edibles are fun to learn about!
Finally, I just want to share that the guidance I’ve received is that it isn’t the virus we should worry about. Our bodies have been in existence with and developing strategies again viruses for our ENTIRE existence. Whether or not this virus is new, the process isn’t and our bodies know how what to do to heal and develop immunity. Where our attention should be directed is to our RESPONSE. Consider this like a cumulative exam; the virus is providing the framework, the scenario, inside which we are being asked to call-forth, to manifest our soul’s wisdom and stamina. Can we go within and with intention, cultivate calm, trust, and grace in the midst of the storm?
Sending you all much love and well-wishes. ?
GLOBAL HEALING MEDITATION
During big events that impact people in painful, fearful ways, I have this strong desire, like most, to be of service. But I also know that even the best intentions can have unforseeable impacts that can be unhelpful, at best, detrimental, at worst. So I go within and seek guidance. And the guidance I receive is ALWAYS this. ? Not that there aren’t other helpful things to be done, but this is the supernova❣️
Because we cannot heal outside of ourselves, the purpose of this meditation is to identify something in you that is in need of healing related to or surrounding the global event and then radiate that healing outward onto the Earth grid like a supernova. This makes your “process” available as an energetic blueprint to others with similar patterns. This process is the process of Healers, allowing one to help facilitate global healing while preserving everyone’s Free Will in undertaking their own personal, inner healing journeys.
In the case of our current global upheaval, you might examine your fears around pathogens, illness, finances, systems collapse, etc. Go as close in as possible and work your way out. If your afraid of, in this case, getting sick with the virus, start there. Maybe you’re not afraid of this virus, but of illness more specifically. Start there. And so on…
MEDITATION ??❣️?
?Deepen your breath, find your center. If you understand grounding, ground yourself. If you know how to open sacred space, open sacred space. (If you don’t, it’s ok – just continue…)
?Call in support from your guides, angels, ancestors, ascended masters, or others. Ask them to surround you, lend you strength and insight. (If you haven’t ever journeyed to meet your guides, don’t sweat it. They’ll show up anyway!)
?Call in your “fear.” See it as an object that exists completely outside of yourself, about a foot or two away from you. You can see it clearly and it does not touch you. Observe it. What color is it, what shape? Turn it around in all directions. Talk to it. Ask it questions. GET TO KNOW IT INTIMATELY, HONESTLY.
?Summon your inner light. Find its glow deep within you. What color is it? (any color is fine!) Watch it pulse brighter as you breathe in, growing brighter and larger each time. Keep watching your energy until it’s so large that it fills every cell, every void space of your body. This process is effortless and natural whenever space is present for it. And because your fear is currently sitting outside of you, there’s plenty of space for expansion of your energy, your power! Sit in this power as long as you like.
?When you’re ready, expand your energy outwards and encompass the object that represents your fear. Notice that it doesn’t obliterate it. But it does change it. It may transform or transmute into another object. There’s no judgement in what happens; just observe, accept.
?Now, imagine that you’re standing on top of a mesh-like, energetic grid that surrounds the earth. With your hands, forcefully push the now transformed object outwards as hard as you can. Watch what happens to it as it hits the grid. Does it bounce? Does it imbed? Everywhere it touches, watch as it transfers energy into the grid, the way color leaches out and disperses into water. Watch as it diffuses outward throughout the entire grid, slowly becoming lighter and lighter as it integrates with the grid itself.
NOTE! It’s not necessary to get through every step of this meditation. It’s not necessary to achieve total, complete healing of the fear you called it, and it CERTAINLY ISN’T NECESSARY to get every fear or every layer! Every little bit of progress is WONDERFUL and AMAZING. <3 You can repeat this meditative process as often as needed or desired.
THE MYTHOS OF THE LABYRINTH AND ITS APPLICABILITY TO MODERN SPIRITUAL LIFE
The labyrinth is an old structure of varying construction and complexity, but generally is circular in shape, with meandering paths that resemble, roughly, a spiral. Unlike a maze, which has dead-ends or false paths, a labyrinth has a single path to enter which ends in the center, with the same path traveled in reverse to exit. The term “labyrinth” dates back as early as 5th century BC, when the Greek writer and traveler Herodotus described an Egyptian labyrinth situated across from the City of Crocodiles. It has also appeared prominently in Greek Mythology via the poet Homer, when Daedalus and his son Icarus “invented” a labyrinth to trap and hold the Minotaur. Later, it was appropriated by Christians and used as a symbolic journey for those that could not travel to complete the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Even today, many churches still host labyrinths on their grounds.
“The motif of the labyrinth has a long history. Depictions in rock art may date back as far as 10,500-4800 BCE, and can be found from Nevada to Cornwall, from Lancashire to Spain.“
DR KATY SOAR,
https://folklorethursday.com/folklore-of-archaeology/cretan-labyrinth-myth-history-archaeology/
Today, labyrinths are primarily used as a spiritual tool, whether as a walking meditation or for prayer. Symbolically, the labyrinth is said to represent the journey to the inner self, and the subsequent return to the outer world. My first real introduction to them was via my friend Anna, who had a long-held fascination with them and later built one on her land. When she came to visit me for my first wedding anniversary after my husband’s death, I wanted something different for us to do, something that held meaning. I found a list of local labyrinths and we chose a few to walk.
“The point of a maze it to find its centre. The point of a Labyrinth is to find YOUR centre.”
Author Unknown
I remember that the first labyrinth we walked had a cardinal, which my family associates with “visits” from my husband, sitting on a tree right at the edge, singing loudly. Perhaps that, as well as my wedding anniversary, opened me up to a very particular lesson. As my friend and I walked the labyrinth together, I noticed that it held so many messages related to my journey with my husband, and relationships in general. As we walked the paths, I found that my friend and I were occasionally very close to one another, and then a moment later at opposite ends of labyrinth. Sometimes we walked on adjacent paths going in the same direction, other times we were walking in opposite. And no matter how closely we walked one behind the other, it was impossible for us to both arrive at the center at the exact same moment, although we could choose to wait for the other in that sacred center.
Later that night, we decided on the spur of a moment, after a large dinner with friends at my husband’s and my favorite restaurant, to return to the labyrinth, all five friends walking the paths together. The lessons above were reflected in an even deeper sense, namely that it’s impossible for us to walk the same paths at the exact same time. Occasionally we walked in tandem, sometimes in opposition, sometimes close together in the labyrinth, sometimes far apart on opposite ends. Sometimes someone stopped for a moment to reflect and another would have to scoot around them on the narrow path. One friend insisted on walking across the paths rather than following them, which drove another friend to distraction. Mostly we alternated moments of quiet reflection with uproarious laughter, and finally we gathered in the center together, arriving singly, but waiting there together in beautiful unity.
In the almost year since that day we walked together, I’ve only visited any of the local labyrinths perhaps a handful of times, but they are often on my mind. I’ve walked an approximation of the them on my land in ceremony, and my friend and I talk often about me constructing one here on my land, and then linking ours together energetically (as hers is linked energetically to another friend’s.) We envision a network of labyrinths, linked together in harmony and power, and in which we can meditate in synch. Recently, in working with someone on a shamanic journey, the labyrinth came into play as a wonderfully powerful initiatory and closing location, inside which the journeyer felt safe, empowered, energized and psychically clear.
For me, the impetus to construct my own labyrinth has become stronger and more imperative. There are many considerations including pattern (of which there are many), location, and materials that allow for easy maintenance. I decided, because it’s been awhile since I last walked a labyrinth, to visit one of the local labyrinths, new to me, to see if I might gain some clarity. Below are the notes and insights from my visit.
“…It makes me cry, I want to talk about something I am not sure I can talk about, I want to talk about the inside from the inside, I do not want to leave it. I am so happy in the silky damp dark of the labyrinth and there is no thread”
― Hélène Cixous, The Book of Promethea
When I arrived, I said a small prayer before entering, “Let the wisdom of the labyrinth be known to me. May I be clear and open enough to receive it. May I be humble enough to understand it. May I be strong enough to integrate it and then pass it on.” On my first entrance onto the path, I noticed immediately that I entered on an intermediate circle, which wound progressively outwards to the outer circle, then back to an intermediate path, then circumventing the center (but not arriving at it), moving outward again, and then arriving, quite unexpectedly, in the center. (I would encourage you to trace with your finger the 2-dimensional depiction above for yourself so that you can actually visualize what’s happening.) I wrote:
We are born, we enter at the mid-point, where the inner and outer worlds are evenly matched. But we are quickly taken outward; the ego grows. Larger, larger. Suddenly there is a contraction to the inner, the essence of the self, of truth. Very close to the center but cannot enter, not yet. Taken back out into expansion, where inner and outward are equal, in balance. Suddenly, we are at the center, at the essence, the TRUTH.
Another similar note:
There is process of constant movement: Balance – Expansion – (Re)Balance – Contraction – (Re)Balance.
Later, there’s a specific point of the labyrinth that seemed to trigger a particular response from me on each pass:
In regards to this particularly tight turn, I wrote this:
You are so close to the center, so close to the truth. But then there’s an uncomfortable, painful turn, and you are carried away from the center, sent further out than you care to be. You can’t help but to be lost in your thoughts during that circuit; distracted. How did it get away? It was so close. And then without warning, you’re there. One turn and you’re in the center, in the core of your ESSENCE, and TRUTH.
I made a total of seven passes through the labyrinth, often sitting in the center for some moments to seek guidance and messages. On one, I was told, “Remember who you are. Your strength, your wisdom, your gentleness, your wholeness.” On another, I was instructed to pick up a rock while in the center. I, without deliberately choosing, picked up the white rock on the left in the picture below. I exited the labyrinth and was instructed to pick up another rock from the entrance area. I, again without deliberate thought, “happened” to choose the rough, dirty, oddly shaped rock on the right. If we consider that the labyrinth represents the self, with the outer rings representing our human soul, the inner circle representing our spirit, or innate essence, it’s fantastic to see how the rocks appear to reflect or symbolize this: our human selves are often rougher, dirty, and somewhat oddly cumbersome. Our inner selves, however, are beautiful, smooth and polished. Both, however, are sturdy, useful objects, both made of the same materials.
Some other interesting insights from my day. Time in the labyrinth seemed to pass slowly. I noticed several times that my thinking, time-driven mind, kept getting impatient, saying, “This is taking soooo long, for me to get to the center, and then back out.” Because you never seem to be in the labyrinth where it seems like you should be! Rather resembling, for me at least, the passing of time, and events, during life. Another thing I noticed is that, because the paths were gravel, the faster I walked, the more I seemed to struggle because the rocks kept shifting beneath my feet. My journey was much simpler and more stable, the slower and more deliberately I walked. For me, the lesson reflected in these thoughts is this: the less we rush in life, the less we focus on where we think we should be, and focus instead on the next step, taken with consciousness, the more pleasant, productive, and stable our lives become.
Some other interesting things that happened; about halfway through, sometime during my 3rd or 4th trips, beautiful bells started sounding somewhere on the church grounds. During my fifth pass, an event must have started at the church. Suddenly, what had up to that point been quiet, started to build with car doors slamming, people walking past, in ones and twos to start, but later a large progression as the group moved from one building to another. A very private, introvert by nature, I had the inclination to stop and leave. But, feeling strongly that seven was the number of cycles I needed to complete, I ignored the distraction of all the people and continued walking the path. We must walk our path even when others are observing, even if uncomfortable in being witnessed.
Another interesting event rather resembling the tight, uncomfortable turn I talked about above; on my sixth (next to last) trip through, a neighbor to the church let their dog outside. It heard me walking the path and went absolutely bonkers. The entire trip through was loud with the dog barking and it felt chaotic and decidedly UN-meditative, as the dog was obviously upset by my near presence. This lasted the entire 6th pass. As I exited the labyrinth, the owner took the dog back inside and suddenly all was quiet and peaceful once again. I found it so curious that another example manifested of the “chaos before arrival;” just as with the turn above, just as I was so close to the end, it all seemed to become uncomfortable. But on that final lap, as I arrived at the conclusion, it settled back into place.
Finally, on that last trip, as I was exiting and on the very outer ring, I suddenly heard, for just a few moments, loud and extremely beautiful Gregorian Chanting. It was so sudden and unexpected that I literally stood stock still on the path listening, even after it stopped, hoping that it would resume again. (It didn’t.) What a magical note (no pun intended) to end on!
If you have a labyrinth near you, I encourage you to check it out sometime. It’s a wonderfully peaceful, enlightening experience. If you’ve already had the experience, I’d love to hear more (via comments below)!
WHAT APOLOGIES ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
What apologies are you still waiting for?
It’s an easy thing to say we need to practice forgiveness, but it can be a hard thing to execute. Sometimes just getting the apology we’ve been wanting is the pivot point to moving forward into resolving and releasing the resentment. Desired apologies can be easy to identify when we consider ourselves to be the victim. But if the event exists in the shadow layer of our psyche, we may not even be consciously aware that we’re waiting for an apology. What happens when we have resentments that we’re not even conscious of? And how do we get apologies from people that are unaware, unwilling, or just not around to apologize to us?
Forgiveness and a subsequent letting go is critical to our health and wellbeing. Every time we hold on to a resentment, whether we’re conscious of it or not, we create an energetic sinkhole in our biology. This means that a substantial portion of the energy we have coming into our being gets diverted into our resentments. This leaves our physical body depleted of the energy it needs to stay strong, focused, and primed for repair. Over time, we may find our sleep disrupted or excessive; we may begin to eat foods that are calming (comfort foods) or quick energy boosts (sugar, caffeine) but that lack nutritional value; we may turn to substances, such as alcohol, that give the illusion of “all is well;” or we may begin to act in compulsive ways that ultimately sabotage our longterm wellbeing (excessive shopping, engaging in relationships that we know are not in our best interests, and other risky behavior).
Forgiveness, quite frankly, is the most SELFISH thing you can do. Because it is the GREATEST thing you can do for yourself.
Caroline Myss
Just a reminder, please do not dive into any event that still triggers you in extreme ways without the assistance of someone qualified to provide you with support.
Forgiveness does NOT mean you condone what’s been done. What it DOES mean is that you have released the energetic charge of the event. This often only happens once you’ve attempted to change your perspective in such a way that you might be able to understand what might have compelled the events that occurred. Most often, people get really hung up on the why and how of the event. How could someone do that to me? Why could they do something so hurtful or horrible? Those answers are often impossible to obtain. Even if we can ask those answers, the answers we get often do not make sense to us. In order to get around this “hook,” we can switch the questions slightly. Could you imagine ANY circumstances, no matter how unrealistic or repulsive, in which you MIGHT have acted in such a way? Obviously, this can become difficult the more damaging and violating the precipitating event was, so by no means is this exercise easy to do. More generally, you might reflect on times where you yourself were hurting or in pain, and in turn, inflicted pain on another, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Just changing the focus of the why and how questions often allows the hook to release in such as way that we can move towards release and healing. The most humbling of truths is that we are ALL, at one time or another, capable of inflicting pain or hurt on another human being. (!! Please note, this is NOT in any way encouraging one to take on responsibility, guilt, or shame for the event. This exercise isn’t implying in any way that someone deserves or “got what was coming to them” for past or potential actions.)
In some circumstances, the above exercise may be impractical or impossible to imagine. It may not serve you to dive into the event in detail, but rather to adopt a generalized stance that in some way, this trial provided an opportunity for you to understand forgiveness and healing at a whole new level. Can you identify any good that came from the event? Whether it’s awareness and understanding, the potential of emotional growth through forgiveness and healing, or the ability to offer empathy and support to others going through painful events themselves; all are positive outcomes that deserve to be identified. Again, this exercise can help release the “hook” that is preventing us from moving forward.
True forgiveness is breaking the emotional charge and energetic bond to our painful past, whatever that might be. What you’re left with instead is a memory, and a memory without emotional charge is called wisdom.
Joe Dispenza
I’ll outline below an iterative process to release resentments. Again, please use discernment in how deeply you go into an event. You can release at a higher level of of consciousness without diving into the details of the event; this process is NOT about reliving trauma.
- Keep a running list of people and/or events that have hurt you. As you work through the process below, if you feel an improvement in your emotional response, you will cross through the name/event. If it comes up again, even if it’s reduced in intensity, you’ll add the name back. The purpose of the list is simply to help you understand how much energy you have tied up in past events. It also helps you uncover events or people that are more subconscious. Don’t be surprised to find YOUR OWN NAME on the list several times. (When a name or event comes up multiple times, be sure to add both so you’re clear on what you’re working on.) This list is intended to be EMPOWERING, not defeatist. The goal here is AWARENESS.
- When you feel relatively calm, find a quiet place to meditate or reflect inwardly. A good time for many people may be first thing in the morning before events of the day add to your emotional state, or after a session of exercise in which you’ve been able to disperse excess/disruptive energy. (If you’ve had a night of poor rest or intense dreams, first thing in the morning may not be ideal.)
- For a few minutes, breathe deeply and slowly. Feel your body sink into the floor, and down through into the earth. Begin to slowly repeat the manta, “I am safe.” If, at any time during this process you find yourself feeling emotionally triggered, you can come back to this step.
- Set an intention that you will attempt embody and sit within your “highest self.” This highest self has a greater capacity for perspective, compassion, and forgiveness. This is a good time to call in any spiritual support you feel you need; angels, ancestors, guides, ascended masters, or others.
- When you feel ready, call up in your mind a single* person involved. Imagine them only at the level you’re comfortable. If their image feels triggering, you can picture them only as a vague form, or envision only their name. Remember through this process to breath and state “I am safe” if it feels necessary to do so. Also reach out and feel the loving support surrounding you anytime you feel alone, vulnerable, or unprotected. (*If there was a group of people, you CAN work with the collective group at once, but it’s often easier to work one to one.)
Once you’ve called the person/event into consciousness, you may talk to them just as you would face to face. Express what you need to express, and ask questions you need answers to. If you don’t receive a response, respect that the answer is ultimately unhelpful and not in your highest good, and attempt to move on without it. Once you’ve said what you need to say, ask them to apologize. You will get an apology.
An even more empowering exercise can be your awareness of any involvement you may have had in the event. Few events are solely ALL one person’s fault; often we act in ways that contributed to the event in some way, even if small. Perhaps we just regret that we didn’t see the signs sooner and disengage or walk away. This is about seeing clearly what role you may or may NOT have played in an event; this is NOT about accepting blame that isn’t yours to accept. If you played any part, then it’s empowering to acknowledge this with your own returned apology back to the person. This is less about claiming responsibility and more about saying, “I’m sorry that you and I, at a soul level, had to struggle through this event.” Perhaps you’re upset with yourself in some way, for not seeing the warning signs, or not responding in the way you wish you could have. Again, you can add a compassionate apology to yourself as well. - See that there’s an energetic connection, or cord, between you and the person standing with you. This energetic connection fuels a pattern that you may see positioned somewhere along the energetic cord. This pattern can be considered a memory, but might also be something more substantial, like an ancestral or generational pattern. Take a moment to observe the cord, particularly where it’s attached to your body, the characteristics of the cord such as its diameter, color, etc., and observe the pattern that exists. How robust does the pattern appear to be?
- State the intention that you would like this cord to be unplugged and removed from your body. You may choose to the cut the cord yourself or ask for one of your spiritual support team to do it for you. Recite the following:
– [Name or Event] – At this time, I choose to sever/cut/release this energetic cord that exists between us. I am reclaiming my energy and my power. I withdrawal energetic support of any patterns that existed between us. I am now energetically and spiritually free of [person] and/or [event].
Watch what happens to the cord and pattern now that they are unplugged or released from your energetic field. As your energy is released/withdrawn, the cord and pattern should lose their vibrancy. You may see them disintegrate and break apart, falling to the earth to transmuted, transformed, and recycled.
As an extra step, you may ask your spiritual team to come and ensure there are no lingering remnants of either the cord or the pattern.
I encourage you to keep notes of any messages or insights received during these sessions. You may need to repeat the exercise multiple times for highly charged events. Please remember that your safety and sense of well-being is of highest importance. Highly charged or traumatic events may call for a neutral, supportive person to help you work through these or similar exercises.
Stay tuned; a You Tube meditation walking through the steps above is being recorded and will be available soon!
DISCERNMENT AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE
We are inundated daily with multiple messages about who we’re supposed to be and what we’re supposed to do. The messages can overlap and contradict, but mostly it’s the sheer VOLUME of them that can really become overwhelming and confusing. In this time of profound change, it’s vitally important that we be able to sort and sift through these messages and to identify those that are true messages for us and those that we need to discard. We need to separate the wheat from the chaff.
The first step is to bring awareness to all the messages we are receiving unconsciously. We receive feedback constantly from our society, culture, and tribe. These messages are often programming us to conform. When we’re operating at a “tribal” level, we unconsciously believe our survival depends on our tribe, and uniformity within that tribe. This cohesiveness ensures the tribe is working together towards a common goal in mutual interest of all members. This is the inherent nature whenever there are groups of people, and happens even in enlightened, or otherwise spiritual groups. Television, movies, advertising, social media, and more all attempt to sway us to think and act in defined, narrow ways that ensure group/social/cultural cohesion. This approach is predicated on fear, as those that are central in the group attempt to influence the outliers, threatening with ostracization if they refuse to get in line. For the outliers, it takes one becoming aware of this sometimes almost imperceptible influence, and then trusting that the individual can, indeed, survive, even thrive, outside of the group. The individual must learn that all this unconscious influence has likely created “perception filters” that practically block all decisions before they actually reach our consciousness. You know these exist when you find yourself making snap judgements*, particularly when they are definitive (such as either/or – right/wrong). These snap judgements are often predicated on assumptions and pre-formed opinions and do not allow space for additional facts or individual circumstances to be taken into account. The easiest example is any social issue in which there are TWO dominant sides. Whenever you consider yourself to be on the “right” side and anyone who disagrees with you on the “wrong” side, be aware that you have these filters strongly in place.
(*A note: sometimes rash decisions are actually a survival mechanism in times of impending danger. If you get a spontaneous read on a person that feels uncomfortable or dangerous, I encourage you to immediately act upon it and remove yourself. Once safely away, you can determine whether the threat was real or not. Discernment works in multiple ways, one of the most crucial of which is getting us away from danger.)
As we watch the process in which the soul becomes thought or speech, we notice that many a time we ease ourselves into convenient clichés that have little of the new insight in them. Once more we are trapped by habits that are the dunghills upon which the creeds feed. It takes vigilance and humble courage to make acts of faith. After all, where faith is weak, there is an abundance of beliefs. With this in mind we may be more humble about our tradition and our sureness, yet also a bit more proud of the holy process in our inner being that keeps teaching and guiding us.
~ Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
These filters often exist in layers, and commonly, one mistakenly believes they’ve all been removed when in fact, only the most superficial have been identified. The trickiest circumstance is when one has already opted out of one or a few group thought forms (usually parentally introduced or influenced), thinking ALL filters now dissolved. This is actually when we are MOST susceptible to programming, because we believe ourselves to be free and independent thinkers when in fact we’ve usually just identified with a new group. Conscious decision making is a life-long process that requires pause, evaluation, and usually involves some degree of “gray area,” i.e. recognition that few things are conclusive and definitive. This process is known as discernment. We can be part of groups, and in fact, our psychology has a strong need for this type of belonging and connection. But when we choose a group (used here to broadly identify mental, emotional, and psychological collectives based on thought forms, not just physical groups), we must still commit to constant examination of facts, circumstances, etc., and be first and foremost loyal to our own internal guidance system.
Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.
~ Alan Keightley
Once we learn discernment, then we are in a position to really bring in authentic, powerful spiritual guidance. It’s not that we haven’t been receiving this all along, but these messages are by nature subtle and often get blocked by perception filters. Where things get tricky is when we still have some filters still in place, but guidance is trying to get through. How do we discern which is which?
So let’s talk about guidance and what constitutes AUTHENTIC guidance. Spiritual guidance comes to us directly via two sources; 1.) our own soul/spirit, and 2.) our spiritual “team.” Our team is comprised of the two main guides we chose before we incarnated. These two guides are with us the entirety of our lives. Often, we will have one that will present as more strongly feminine and the other as more strongly masculine; these presentations help us balance our own masculine/feminine aspects. Additionally, one often presents as celestial in origin, the other more “earthly.” These forms help us come to terms with our celestial origins while being incarnated in a physical form. (Note: I say “appear” and “present” because it can be challenging to know definitively if these forms are indeed absolute, or rather that which has been deemed to be most conducive to helping us. Additionally, know that distinctions are fluid; what you deem celestial or earthly can be different for you than for another.) In addition to these two main guides, you can have a plethora of other helping spirits. These can include angels and other celestial beings, God/desses, spirit animals/plants, Ascended Masters, ancestors, and more. These other guides may be permanent (through this lifetime), long-term, or temporary. Aside from our two main guides, it is common that once we integrate what a particular guide has to teach us, they may leave and another comes in. Thus our team shifts often according to what we most need at any given time.
Do not assume that divine guidance flows only when you are in need of help. Guidance continues to flow whether or not you have problems. It transcends problems, heartbreaks, and traumas, flowing through dreams and illuminations. Whether guidance comes during times of tranquility or trauma, however, it is up to you to have the courage to acknowledge it.
~ Caroline Myss
ONLY advice from these sources – our own spirit and our divine team of guides – can be considered authentic and true. The caveat, however, is that it takes a great deal of self-belief, trust, and calm in order to hear this guidance clearly. Any fear, doubt, etc., drowns it out rather effectively. Our guides are understanding of this, however, and will often repeat messages via many different avenues and sources, much of it non-verbal. This means that we must commit to remain open during our times of trial. We might get repeat visitations from specific animals, see particular number combinations, have vivid dreams, or have certain word phrases practically jump out at us. For me, I find that certain messages come through prominently when reading or listening to podcasts. All of a sudden, it’s as if the volume (or font) gets turned up to max, while the everything else (ambient noise and other inputs) dials down to zero. Although my rational mind understands this is impossible, I have the sense that the person is speaking directly to me. These are the avenues through which our own divine self and our team of guides speak to us.
So we see, our guides DO, on occasion, use other people to deliver messages to us. However, these are the times we need to be most discerning regarding the divine and authentic nature of this guidance. In my experience, our guides will use almost anyone to deliver a message, and most certainly do not limit themselves to someone we might deem to be a “spiritual authority.” There will often be a different quality to these statements; they will stand out in some way to us, emphasized above and outside of the surrounding “noise.” Even so, you must always pass any statement through your own internal discernment to determine its authenticity. This is why it is vitally important to develop, refine, and utilize our discernment skills continuously throughout our lives. Remember that people frequently have filters in place that they are unaware of, and this can influence the message, particular when the message is being delivered “deliberately.” Gurus and spiritual advisors are not exempt from having these filters and thus care must be taken no matter how enlightened the person appears or claims to be.
You push the TRUTH off a cliff, but it will always fly. You can submerge the TRUTH under water, but it will not drown. You can place the TRUTH in the fire, but it will survive. You can bury the TRUTH beneath the ground, but it will arise. TRUTH always prevails!
~ Amaka Imani Nkosazana
Implementation of spiritual guidance is not a task that is without courage. We must be willing to be our own authority, and we must trust that our guidance, while not always easy, is always in our highest, ultimate good. This is a difficult, often uncomfortable position to stand in, but it is critical if we are to grow into our greatest potential and purpose. It’s an ongoing process that allows for mistakes, but always requires that we recognize our inherent strength and honor our own inner truth even in the face of overwhelming outside influence. True guidance is ALWAYS delivered internally, first and foremost.
At every step, she paused, withdrew to the inner sanctuary, and asked herself, Does this feel right? Her answer came in the form of peace or tension. If she felt tension, she stepped a different way. If she felt peace, she kept going forward.
~ Donna Goddard
Do we, as humans, truly understand what it is to love?
Love, I’m told via divine guidance, is the “grand” lesson of our human existence. We are programmed (for lack of a better word) with an innate understanding that this is our goal, but we are left with little understanding of what love truly is and how to practice is, and thus we often fall quite short of executing it in its true divine form. We try, of course, according to where we are in our cycle of soul growth, but like a child learning his or her first language, we learn the language of love in progressively deeper iterations. We often start by throwing that word around casually because we know we’re supposed to love, but we don’t really know yet what that looks like. So we say “I love you” often, but without depth.
We use the word casually and often, because it seems to cover a lot of ground in our immature emotional centers. “I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family” seems to imply this – If I say I love you, then you’ll love me back, and all will be well. And while that’s a lovely thought, love is an active process, not a passive thought or statement. Love takes a lot of work, a lot of introspection, a lot of course-correction. Love isn’t “easy” as we’re taught to believe. If love is our ultimate divine soul lesson, then why would we ever expect it to be so simple?
When I seek divine guidance, almost everything comes back to love. To the deep, strong, resilient, robust kind of love that few humans understand, and none have practiced perfectly / flawlessly / continuously throughout their human lifetimes. To learn to love in a cosmic sense while existing in a dense physical form, to incorporate the “all” (all of life, all circumstances, all perceptions, all needs and desires) – and then transcend it… It’s an unfathomably deep concept which we can only approximate cognitively with our thinking brain and ego via side glances and dreams. But we can sense its presence – and its absence – when we sit with an open, honest heart. And as we go through the cycles of our soul lessons, each turn getting more expansive and flowing, each completion bringing our own aspects of rational thought, heart, ego, and soul into harmony as “one,” then we deepen our ability to love ourselves and others in the truest sense of the word.
Can you love another human that you struggle to understand? Can you love someone despite all their flaws and differences? Can you love another person that disappoints, hurts, and/or disrespects you? Can you love all life no matter how lowly? Can you put yourself in a place of service or vulnerability to another? #faith
Can you love yourself even when you don’t really understand yourself? Despite all your flaws and mistakes? Can you put yourself first? Can you love yourself so much that you never feel alone or unsupported? #grace
Can you balance the two processes? The two halves of self and other that make the whole of true love? Can you support another when they need it, even when you’re hurting yourself, busy, or overwhelmed? Can you allow someone you love to have the space to create their own life, lessons, and reality, no matter how much you disagree? Can you embrace the idea that sometimes the strongest love, the truest love, doesn’t look like “love” in the human sense of the word at all, that sometimes love involves space, boundaries, and even detachment? #unconditionallove #trust
The answer is, YES, you can; we are all capable of loving in all these ways, but not without sometimes falling, failing, and losing sight of what love is. Sometimes we have to feel its absence in order to feel its brilliance once again.
In the moments you feel lost, alone, unsure, or unable to love either yourself or another, try this meditation
In a quiet space, close your eyes, and begin breathing deeply and slowly into your belly. Focus on relaxing your body one area at a time. When your mind is calm and your body relaxed, bring your awareness to your heart space. Feel it first relax, allowing any tension, pain, or hurt to evaporate away on the out-breath like smoke. After you’ve done this a few times and your heart feels clearer, begin breathing directly INTO your heart, using your #sacredimagination, and see/feel/sense clear, crisp, cool air flowing in. Imagine this air is pure, energizing, and healing. Do this until you feel calmer and more centered.
For extra assistance, call in one of your angels, spirit guides, ancestors, or some other being you feel connected to. Ask if they will allow you to place your forehead (Third Eye) on their heart space. In this way you can better “see” or experience divine love. You may also ask that they share with you some of their loving energy. You may see this manifest as a direct channel between their heart space and yours. See/feel/sense as this energy flows from them to you, filling your heart, then overflowing into the rest of your being, filling you until it overflows from your body in a cocoon of loving of energy surrounding your body like an egg. Notice the color of this energy.
(For me, one of the most profoundly beautiful experiences I’ve had with the angels was when I called in Archangel Michael in a moment of extreme grief, pain, and exhaustion. I laid my forehead against his heart space and immediately my vision went white. I looked around and saw that I was deep inside what seemed to be a white flower. The petals were limitless and they enfolded me in a velvety soft gentleness that was soothing and peaceful.)
Love to you,
Sheila, RHHW