Forgiveness vs Suffering

I am struggling this morning to forgive someone, I went into meditation to ask for help, after a little bit I heard go write about it and share. I sense they wanted me to share this because so many of us are having things come up in this season of change, that we have a choice about. We either decide to hold the pain and all the yucky, humiliating and shameful stories we tell ourselves about that thing. Or we can forgive. 

So, let’s talk about forgiveness for a bit. Forgiveness is NOT saying to another it’s ok what you did to me. Hear me, not that!!! Forgiveness is really “I am not going to let what you did to me hurt me over and over again”. I am not going to run my life based on untrue things that you told me or that I inferred. I am not going to keep suffering, while you stand by unaware that you have even done anything wrong. I am not going to let the devistating pain you left me with ruin m y life. I am going to set my self free from all that pain and struggle by forgiving you, by detaching from what you did and seeing from a higher perspective. 

All are joined in the oneness of love. So any attack I have on another is an attack on myself. Energetically and spiritually anger, vengefulness, hate filled thoughts are acts of attack. So we are sending that yuck to ourselves, as well as drawing more of that into our lives, to prove the story we are telling ourselves. You’ve heard that saying that resentment is like taking poison hoping the other person gets sick… It just doesn’t work.

Psychologically, if I believe that someone hurt me, then I also believe in the consequences of that hurtful act. For example, If someone tells you that you are not good enough, and you believe them, then you start to feel not good enough and act in ways that make you seem not good enough. 

So, it becomes a question of faith. Am I going to believe in this unloving act as truth and then build my life and choices around that hurt. Or am I going to believe in the Love that created the Universe, the Love that connects us all, the Love that is who each of us is at our core.  And allow that Love to flow through me every day  and shoot for every minute? Do I put my faith in the loneliness or enteral connection? Do I believe in my unworthiness or do I believe in the worthiness of every child, woman and man? Do I put my faith in separation and injustice or do I believe that we are all one and we can figure this out? Where are you putting your faith?

Forgiveness does not mean that you allow yourself to be taken advantage of or used. Forgiveness holds within it Discernment. The discernment, without judgement for everyone is one their own path, to say this person, place or thing isn’t good for me. That’s all it is “this isn’t good for me”. Unfortunately, we humans have been taught that we must justify such things, which becomes a whole other ego story to create more pain. Simply allowing “this isn’t good for me” to be true and then taking LOVING action to honor that knowing.

During this season of our evolution as a species we are being asked to let go of all the old stories, hurts and limitation. Because we need to change the world. That is why we decided to be here on Mother Earth at such a tumultuous time of change. So that we can be Love. So that we can do our work and therefore impact the whole. Because we are all one at our core. 

So if you are struggling with forgiveness this morning, I hope this helps. It most certainly helped me to share about it with you. Huh, my guides were right on the mark. Imagine that! Spirit, Love sent the answer. Love sent the miracle. The miracle is when I shift my attention to Love! 

The miracle is when we shift our attention to Love!

My wish for you my fellow journeyers is freedom, forgiveness and a shift in your attention to Love. Just for today or even just for this minute. And in the next moment, deciding again.

Much Love! 

Autumn

Rosemary Medicine Calling

A few days ago I was led to put rosemary in our ceremonial crystal grid. Throughout circle I kept rubbing and smelling the sprig I saved for myself. Since then, I find myself doing the same thing, smelling the rosemary… over and over.

So I thought I should stop and ask why. What is rosemary trying to tell me? Sometimes we call on the medicine of an herb or other plant. Sometimes they call us. And clearly Lady Rosemary is calling me today.

Of course, my logical mind wants to “go look it up” and “see what the people that know think”. But as I took another sniff I heard her say, why don’t you ask me.

Well, duh! The first thing she reminded me was that when we call on a medicine, be it plant or animal, we call to all of them. Because they are one. The second thing she reminds me is when we, you and I, smell or enjoy a plant, in a way that opens our heart; we send love to that plant. The plants actually feel us loving them. And their sense of purpose is impassioned. So, as I took another deep inhale of her magical essence; I smile because I know I am connecting to all the Rosemarys around the world and that they can feel my love!!!

With the next inhale, I find myself fully in the moment. Rosemary’s essence helps us to be more present, more in the moment. We know that is where the magic lives, in the moment. We all know that Rosemary is well known for bringing clarity, but this seems a little deeper, more profound clarity of the moment of being present.

And as I keep breathing in her goodness, I feel my nervous system slowing down, my breath becoming a little slower, and I feel more relaxed. I notice that my Third Eye seems a little more clear, more attuned.

Suddenly I feel my roots shooting down into the earth, down into Pacha Mama and find myself feeling deeply grounded and centered. My crown opens and I feel the light from above and below beginning to flow through me.

With the next inhale, she tells me that plant medicines are evolving, as we do, as the Mother does. That the medicine needed in this powerful time is a little deeper and offers more transformational energies to those who are open and searching.

She also tells me that they, the plants and the animals, love to work with us individually. She explains more, that the medicine she brings to each person can be more specifically attuned to the person, provided that we are open and curious. We tune out that attunement when we are stuck in thinking we already know what she offers.

She reminds us to approach all of creation with a beginners mind. To be open to all the possibilities, knowing there are things we can’t even yet imagine possible. She encourages us to approach each other with that same beginners mind, the place of “I don’t know but I want to”. Being open to all that is possible. All that wants to be present with us in this moment.

I hope that during this time of transformation, you will take time to go outside and connect. Connect with the Mother! Connect with her many amazing kingdoms! And connect with Rosemary, see if she helps you to feel more present and open.

I’d love to hear how you experience her.

Sending you all my Love!

Autumn Singing Deer

Remembering Wisdom from the Hawk

A beautiful October day, the leaves are changing colors, it’s the perfect temperature, warm breeze in the air. There is silence everywhere, even amidst all the noise. The water from the sprinkler bringing beautiful birds, chirping joyfully, as they take a quick bath.

I looked up to admire the amazing art work of the creator and in a near by tree was the most beautiful hawk. She was amazing, she looked me in the eye and then flew off. Her wings were stripped at the edges and must have stretched out 4 feet. She didn’t even need to flap, she just seemed to glide though the trees and disappeared.

I caught myself thinking, where’s your nest? I felt her say why do you need to know where my nest is? To which I quiet smirkily replied, so I can connect with you better. She in all her wisdom said “that’s what you’re mind needs, all your soul needs us to connect with me right now to take a deep breath and feel my presence. Feel that there is no separation, only the separation your mind creates. Your mind wants to understand and see and look and have a place to go. Your spirit doesn’t need that.”

So I took a deep breath and connected with that amazing creature. I felt her power, her confidence, her certainty. And perhaps more importantly, I felt the unity. She knows and remembers, always, that she is an intricate part of creation. That she isn’t separate. That the same amazingly powerful creative force that created her, is also in her, actually is her. Just like it is who we really are at our core, beyond all the stories of the mind.

That amazing creature had come to remind me, remind us, that we can stop and take a deep breath, let go of all the thoughts and be right here, right now, in this moment. Leaning into, sensing, looking for that unity, that non-duality. There is no separation. Feel it. Allow yourself to be That.

Right now as I’m writing this and remembering the experience, reliving it, feeling connecting again to that magnificent hawk. Then the thoughts come back. “You can’t write this on your blog. Are you crazy?” And for a moment I lost that unity, that connection. Then I remembered. Oh crazy ego, you really don’t get it do you? Being vulnerable is what makes us human, allows us to have deeper connections. Vulnerability is the cost of Freedom. And isn’t it worth it!!

All we have to do is remembered with our heart. Take a deep breath, again, and connect, feel who we really are.

Much Munay! (Much Love!)
Autumn and Pablo

Perfection; Wisdom from a Confederate Rose

It’s a grey cloudy windy day; threats of the thunder storms and tornadoes, somehow the world seems a little busier, and a little more chaotic. And yet when I came home and I came out to see the most magnificent beautiful pink Confederate Rose. I stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath and just noticing how beautiful it is and all its perfection.

Standing there, in the midst of all this yucky day is perfection; reminding me that there is always, always perfection to be found. Even when things feel hard, when everything is just not quite right, when things are chaotic and changing, when people don’t act right, when we don’t think right, shoot when we don’t act right in the midst of all of that is perfection, everywhere, in each moment. We just take a deep enough breath to be present, to notice the perfection. It’s everywhere. It’s in the beautiful pink Confederate Rose standing up and outstretched in my front yard. It’s in our four-legged friends eyes when we come home from work. It’s in the smile of a little child, full of innocence and joy. It’s in the smell in the wind; the smell that says rain is coming. It’s in the feelings that are evoked by all these beautiful things. It’s in the laughter, it’s in the connections. It’s in the Love. Everywhere we look, no matter what.

Take a deep breath and become fully present. We can see, feel and we can experience the perfection. In fact, we can sense and if we are willing, fully step into that perfection.

I am perfection. You are. We all are, perfection. At the core of who we are, beyond all the stories in our heads, we are that perfection; perfection having a human experience.

And in that humanness, when we forget about the perfection, all we need do is breathe deeply, bring out attention to this moment and look, listen, feel and be the perfection. It’s that simple and yet difficult to master. And isn’t that even perfect?

Now back to my garden. Much Love!

Thought I’d share a pic of the perfect confederate rose.
Looking for a crystal to help you find that inner perfection check out my store. Journey There Wands

Random Musing After Meditation with Gia Cards and Pablo

I am love
Love is what I am
Love is who I am
Love is how I am

At my deepest core, at yours too, is higher consciousness, all that is. The ocean that is  full of individual drops, but together can not be separated. Love, the purpose for our time here. Love, the driving force of the big bang 13.7 billion years ago. Love the force that can, will bring heaven to earth. Love the force that will always be, can not not exist. That is who we are….

Just take a deep breath and contemplate that….melt down into your heart space, feel that love. Love that longs for change and growth. Love that wants to experience ALL of humanities experiences. Love that does not judge, condemn or dismiss. Yet, Love that doesn’t accept less than our best…..

Because Love knows what is best for us, what is best for the world, is for us to live from this deep place of pure love. To strive to create the life we dream of. To not allow ourselves to become stuck playing small, because we are spirit, it is not about us, it’s about all of creation (including us).

Where do we start? By trusting our hearts. Following it’s guidance, listening for its wisdom in all we do. For that whole hearted sensing into what is right, what love is calling for, is what will and is changing the world.

Remember… We are Love! Love is who we are. Love is how we are. Love is what we are. We are Love. Will I choose to be Love today? Will you?

Wisdom from Serpent on Forgiveness

Outside on this beautiful warm breezy day. Enjoying the beautiful sweet smells of summer. Finally transplanting some cuttings from last year. Deeply connecting with PachaMama, so amazed at feeling of unity with the mother and all of creation. And as I pulled the plant out of its pot, out fell a baby snake. I caught my breath as i studied him, he was beautiful, silvery, maybe 5-6 inches long.

Great Serpent, reminding me to shed the past as he sheds his skin, over and over and over… Sometimes struggling to set himself free, only to continue growing so he can do it again. Holding on to the past keeps us from growing; just as the serpent can’t grow without shedding its skin. Holding on to the past keeps us from being able to see the opportunists right in front of us. Opportunities to grow, to be vulnerable, to truly connect. Opportunities to change the world; right here in our little corner of the world but also by raising our own consciousness we are raising the consciousness of the collective conscious; the part of us that is one with all of creation. Holding on to the past keeps us from being able to see opportunities to mend relationships. It keeps us from finding our passions. Holding on to the past makes us tired, stressed and often physically sick.

The Peruvian Shamans teach that the south direction is the energy of the serpent. A place of shedding our past as the serpent sheds its skin. Other more westernized traditions say the south is the direction of the wounded child. Either way the process is the same, forgiveness. I read a great quote today; “life is much easier if you learn to accept the apology that was never given” R Brault. And he is right! Life does get easier when we forgive.

Remember forgiveness is not something we do for the other, it is something that we give to ourselves; “I will not let what you did keep hurting me over and over”. Forgiveness releases the person doing the forgiving. It does not condone or approve of the behavior, it simply stops the hurt from continuing to live and grow inside us. We can speak our truth, and then we must then be willing to let it go. Have no expectation of what others “should” do… Just let it go. The only thing I have any control over is myself, my choices, my thoughts, my behavior…. Control over how I want to live my life. What I want to transmit to others. How I want others to feel when I am with them or when they think of me.

The Serpent doesn’t look back at his past, rather he sheds his skin, wiggling, working his way free of that which no longer serves him and then taking that opportunity to grow. Just as our past has presented us struggles, hurts and disappointments…Yet when we take an honest look back, we are overwhelmed by gratitude for the plethora of opportunities to grow. These growth opportunities appear, become manifest, when we let go of the past and become fully present. In this moment we can see how all of the struggles of the past have come together to make us this unique expression of the Divine.

Each of those struggles made us who we are today. Some of the greatest teachers in my life have been those that hurt me, because those struggles made me who I am. Hurts can be transformed into amazing gifts that Spirit can use. So Serpent reminds us to set ourselves free. Free from the past, more available for the present, for the opportunities.

One of my favorite stones to wear when I am working to forgive and let go is peridot. Peridot, much like the serpent, teaches that holding onto people and the past is counterproductive. It cleanses and activates the heart and solar plexus; allowing higher energies to come through. Here are a couple of peridot mini-wands on my site. Another great stone for forgiveness, especially forgiving the self, is rose quartz. It is called the stone of unconditional love and infinite peace. It purifies and opens the heart and brings deep healing and love.

A completely different way of forgiving is through visualization or meditation, my wonderful Reiki Teacher and dear sweet friend, Linda Backes has an amazing forgiveness meditation available on her website at www.aradiantlife.com. Her soothing voice and the channeled music will guide you through the steps of forgiveness. Including forgiving yourself, which is an aspect that we so often forget or find difficult.

No matter how you get there, give yourself the gift of forgiveness; allow yourself to feel the freedom that comes from being able to be present in this moment, available for all that life has to offer, available for connection with others and with creation. Freedom to be who you really are.

Much Munay!