Have you ever seen a storm pictured from above? It can appear to be so beautiful and elegant. This is certainly different to the ground view which can be quite a violent experience. So too, there is great beauty in your life now. However, at this point in the natural process, you may be experiencing it as anxiety-inducing rather than beautiful. You may sense it as internal chaos. You may feel it as something that is waiting to erupt from within, as a restless anxiety that you cannot quite articulate but sense vaguely nonetheless.
Whether the chaos seems subtle, strong, internal or external, know that all is unfolding according to a perfect higher order. You are currently enduring a cosmic, spiritual storm which is having an impact on you. It is clearing things out, preparing you for that lovely, super-fresh, uplifting feeling that one experiences after the storm has finally passed.
If you cannot believe there is anything happening – even at a subtle level – because you feel stuck, denied, bored, thwarted or stale, no matter what appears to be, in truth there is only the unfolding, creative genius of the universe. You are not forgotten. You have not been looked over. You have not been denied, found wanting or rejected as unworthy.
The storm that needs to erupt is in your own heart. Do your liberating rain dance! Rage, weep, pray, dance, paint or sing. Express whatever is needed, however it is needed, to exorcise the blocked energy in your heart. Then you will call on the powerful perfection of your life path, as it aligns for the next creative turn of the spiral of life.
Mantra :: I give thanks for the higher order of my life, which I trust implicitly, as it guides me into wholeness and love. From what appears as chaos, new order is rising. I trust this and receive the gift of higher order in my life now. Through grace and mercy, so be it!
In the chaos of modern life and the constant fluctuations of our minds, it can be difficult to remember that a sublime sanctuary lies within. Yet it is always there. Beneath the ceaseless activity, there is an endless, vast spaciousness that restores and connects us to something greater – something that exists outside of time.
Universal love inspires, energizes and moves us to create – even beyond what we once thought was possible. Your love for life, the need to feel alive and express yourself, and the quest for that which is truly fulfilling … these are the sacred urges that rebel against fear and promote passion for being alive, they flow through your blood and can be felt through the beating of your heart.
There is the way of the mind – which can make mountains out of molehills even when it thinks it is turning mountains into molehills! Then there is the way of the heart. It is subterranean and moves subtly beneath possible obstacles, intelligently shifting with exquisite sensitivity, sensing the way forward, through dangerous pathways and responding to what is before it even occurs in the physical world. However, with the hearts intelligence we cannot see and know in the same way that we do when we allow the mind to direct us. We have to open to another way if we want to benefit from the innate intelligence of the heart.
The mind sees, plans, strategizes. The heart feels, responds, senses and intuits. When we walk the path of the heart, we must feel and respond rather than plan our way. It is a different way to live and create. It is closer to the earth and to the source of life itself. It is not for those who are lacking courage and trust, but you are not one of those! Trust your heart, and drop into it. The mind is important, but it cannot supplant the heart.
Deep within, you know what to do and you know what is true. It matters not whether the mind and its plans seem to agree with your inner sense. Your willingness to trust your heart and to rebel against fear will serve you well. Let your heart lead you. Be sure of your faith and trust in what you feel.
Your head and heart have been in conflict at times over the course of your life. This has brought you struggle and, sometimes, deep suffering. A truce will soon be declared and the appropriate outcome – of the mind waving the white flag in surrender – is imminent. Soon, if not already, you will finally be feeling that your heart is leading you. You will feel that your mind is learning to follow the guidance of your heart, rather than trying to be out front. What a relief to let go of this old way! Your mind can become more relaxed and trusting. There will be a period of adjustment, as you get used to living without so much foresight, but with more insight, wisdom and energy in the present moment to create.
If you are finding that you cannot plan or strategize as you once did, or you feel that you know less than you have ever known about where you are heading or how you are supposed to get there, know that these are healthy signs of a shift from the head to the heart. You are not proceeding in error. You are exactly where you are meant to be, doing exactly what you are meant to be doing. You are now in a position that is more powerful than ever, because you are allowing yourself to be guided by your heart – a heart that beats in harmony with the heart of all existence. Your affairs are in accord with love and no matter what may appear at times, all is unfolding according to that greater love.
Neuroplasticity happens when connections are made across the neural network in our brain. Essentially, our brain creates super-highways that it travels quickly in response to outside stimuli. Thought patterns that are repeated often create massive highways that the thought travels on. The more the thought occurs, the more it will occur.
One of the most effective ways to reprogram the mind, to reformat the consciousness, is through using affirmative statements. I share with you examples that you may find helpful should you wish to use them to assist in reformatting the thinking mind.
I remain centered.
I remain in compassion.
There is no need to “prove” myself.
I do not need to fight the darkness within me.
It is the light of my heart that sustains me.
I foster unconditional love in my life. In this love no fear can remain.
I break free from habitual patterns.
I invite fresh energy into my body, mind and heart.
I move beyond the familiar.
I take time to experience myself.
I am healing.
I am abundant light.
I am one with the earth and the multiverse.
Harmony and balance are entering my bodies, the whole of my energy fields.
I am beautiful in many ways.
I accept the existence of inner harmony.
My heart is open.
The earth and all living upon it are my family.
I trust that everything is going to turn out okay.
The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.
You have the ability to go with the flow, and the potential to own your power. You are sovereign, wild, and free. Whenever you find yourself in a challenging circumstance, your charge is to enlarge!
Your mandate is to become a heart space so large that all the world can fit within it ~ all parts of you and all parts of humanity, all parts of life, with no-thing left out.
Stop resisting. Open and allow the diversity of life and the entire ocean of emotion of all sentient beings to be celebrated and loved.
You are connecting with your own multidimensional wisdom, intelligence, and healing.
You are becoming a more telepathic, advanced version of yourself.
Mantra :: As I embrace my inner self, I feel my heart grow as big and deep as the ocean.
Artwork by Rassouli
The Hero’s Journey dream oracle, by Kelly Sullivan Walden
Keep fresh before me the moments of my high resolve, that in fair weather or in foul, in good times or in tempests, in the days when darkness and the foe are nameless or familiar, I may not forget that to which my life is committed. Keep fresh before me the moments of my high resolve. ~ Howard Thurman
Mantra :: I am a citizen of both heaven and earth. I soar high and land with grace.
Artwork by Rassouli
The Hero’s Journey dream oracle by Kelly Sullivan Walden
The Sun is the center of our solar system and the source of life. The child on the card reflects rebirth and resurrection as he wears the same red feather as the Fool and the Death card. He is the Fool reborn, with spiritual understanding and mastery. He rides forward on the horse of purity with his newfound freedom. The wall behind him reflects a barrier that has been crossed. The sunflowers represent all the bounty of summer and the richness of a beautiful August day. The Sun appears to fill you with optimism and let you know everything will be okay. Each of us is a Sun with our universe, friends, family, Magic, and creativity orbiting around us. You are pure consciousness and energy. Let yourself shine.
The child of earth holds an innocent nature. It reflects the parts of yourself that is lost in play, exploration and treasures of the material world. An upturned field behind the Page is the bed of possibility. What will you plant? What do you want? An attentive student. Focusing on studies and schoolwork. Thoughtful and curious nature. Focus and fascination. Playful and creative.
Intentions are sent. Energy in motion. Intentions are powerful and the eight of wands is an illustration of action in motion. What is done cannot be undone. The send button is hit, the letter is in the mail. The spell is cast. The words and incantations have been said. While you can’t undo what is done, you can pause, wait and see what the ramifications are. The energy is strong and effective. Allow the universe to work its magic. Do not try to control what has been sent. The situation is out of your hands for now. Be patient and you will get results.
A grown man looms behind my three-year-old daughter. Occasionally he will poke or tickle her and she responds by shrinking. Smaller and smaller with each unwanted advance. I imagine her trying to become slight enough to slip out of her booster seat and slide under the table.
When my mother views this scene, she sees playful taunting. A grandfather engaging with his granddaughter.
“Mae.” My tone cuts through the din of a familiar family gathering together. She does not look at me.
“Mae.” I start again. “You can tell him no Mae. If this isn’t okay you could say something like, Papa, please back up—I would like some space for my body.”
As I say the words, my step-father, the bulldog, leans in a little closer, hovering just above her head. His tenebrous grin taunts me as my daughter accordions her 30-pound frame hoping to escape his tickles and hot breath.
I repeat myself with a little more force. She finally peeks up at me.
“Mama . . . can you say it?”
Surprise. A three-year-old-girl doesn’t feel comfortable defending herself against a grown man. A man that has stated he loves and cares for her over and over again, and yet, stands here showing zero concern for her wishes about her own body. I ready myself for battle.
“Papa! Please back up! Mae would like some space for her body.”
My voice is firm but cheerful. He does not move.
“Papa. I should not have to ask you twice. Please back up. Mae is uncomfortable.”
“Oh, relax,” he says, ruffling her wispy blonde hair.
The patriarchy stands, patronizing me in my own damn kitchen. “We’re just playin’.” His southern drawl does not charm me.
“No. You were playing. She was not. She’s made it clear that she would like some space, now please back up.”
“I can play how I want with her.” He says, straightening his posture.
My chest tightens. The sun-bleached hairs on my arms stand at attention as this man, who has been my father figure for more than three decades, enters the battle ring.
“No. No, you cannot play however you want with her. It’s not okay to ‘have fun’ with someone who does not want to play.”
He opens his mouth to respond but my rage is palpable through my measured response. I wonder if my daughter can feel it. I hope she can.
He retreats to the living room and my daughter stares up at me. Her eyes, a starburst of blue and hazel, shine with admiration for her mama. The dragon has been slayed (for now). My own mother is silent. She refuses to make eye contact with me.
This is the same woman who shut me down when I told her about a sexual assault I had recently come to acknowledge.
This is the same woman who was abducted by a carful of strangers as she walked home one night. She fought and screamed until they kicked her out. Speeding away, they ran over her ankle and left her with a lifetime of physical and emotional pain.
This is the same woman who said nothing, who could say nothing as her boss and his friends sexually harassed her for years.
This is the same woman who married one of those friends.
When my mother views this scene, she sees her daughter overreacting. She sees me ‘making a big deal out of nothing.’ Her concerns lie more in maintaining the status quo and cradling my step-dad’s toxic ego than in protecting the shrinking three-year-old in front of her.
When I view this scene, I am both bolstered and dismayed. My own strength and refusal to keep quiet is the result of hundreds, probably thousands of years of women being mistreated, and their protests ignored. It is the result of watching my own mother suffer quietly at the hands of too many men. It is the result of my own mistreatment and my solemn vow to be part of ending this cycle.
It would be so easy to see a little girl being taught that her wishes don’t matter. That her body is not her own. That even people she loves will mistreat and ignore her. And that all of this is “okay” in the name of other people, men, having fun.
But. What I see instead is a little girl watching her mama. I see a little girl learning that her voice matters. That her wishes matter. I see a little girl learning that she is allowed and expected to say no. I see her learning that this is not okay.
See the Truth ~ Do not be deceived. Be watchful and mindful of the illusions others weave around themselves, and that you may weave around yourself. Know the night. Understand the shadows. See through the darkness to the light of truth. Pay attention to contradictions. Notice when actions and words are not in harmony. Hone your intuition and insight so that you may know the minds and hearts of those around you – and yourself – and trust in the wisdom born of that awareness.
Have Courage ~ There are Times when you feel small, afraid and alone in the world, but you are not alone. You are watched over and cherished by Gaia and Great Spirit. Know that you have within you the strength to overcome all obstacles placed in your path no matter how daunting or large they may seem. Have courage. Now is the time to trust in yourself and have confidence that you will overcome all.
Embrace the Dark ~You have been taught that all is either good or evil, negative or positive; good gives rise to good, and bad gives rise to bad. It is wrong to have feelings of anger, dislike or fear as these emotions are born of our shadow self. This is not Truth. Everything happens for a reason. Love can give rise to destruction, and hate can inspire acts of genuine love. The lessons offered by our shadow often teach us the most. Know your shadow self. Love it. Without the darkness, the stars cannot be seen.
opensenseme 