Tender Visions & 'Believing Mirrors'

"When we are dealing with peoples' dreams ---their

visions, really---we are in the realm of the sacred."

~ Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way

That's the way it is, really, when it comes to the dreams and visions we hold most dearly. Midwifing dream and vision into the world is a sacred matter, and so it becomes vital to draw to us, to share the tender shoot of dream-vision only with those who can witness and hold that sacred space.

Our tendency, understandably, is to share it with all of those around us - family members, partners, friends, colleagues. And many of us may remember well times when those sharings brought vision-and-joy leveling responses that felt crushing to that tender bud of vision and the precarious momentum that brought it shooting from us.

At such times for me, it was as if I felt the vision withdraw itself to a deeper, safer place, and the momentum seemed to stop. And there have been times, no doubt, when I have unwittingly done that to others -- when I've responded too hastily out of old patterns or the 'stuff' of the day, rather than from mindful presence. I shudder to think of it, but I, like others, learn as I go and such recognitions can make me more committed to being present to others in a more graceful way.

It's a practice and sacred trust to be a 'believing mirror' to others as they share those deeply held, oh-so-tender dreams and visions that are emerging for expression. And it's a sacred responsibility for us to find believing mirrors for our own dream-visions.

Believing mirrors is a concept from Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way. To be a believing mirror, or to surround ourselves with believing mirrors, means a person or persons who are able to hold the sacred space with us as our vision emerges and gains wobbly, and ultimately stronger, legs.

Believing mirrors can reflect that sacredness, the belief in our vision and in us, when we've lost that sight and ground of our own. Their reflection, reminders, encouragement and love can help us to find the light-love center again.

In being a sacred steward of vision or dream -- which we all are, since we all have some vision or dream that longs to find expression through us -- is to recognize the tenderness of it, and the sacredness of it, and be as protective of it as a mother lion with her cub.

And one of the things that requires of us is to share it only with those who can be believing mirrors for us -- just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes that sacred circle to birth and raise a vision. With all others, we learn to hold a sacred silence. Our believing mirrors can help us to do that, too.

Blessings on the Way,

Jamie

* Thanks to Harpagornis for the beautiful 'Vortex of Light' spiral image, through Creative Commons.

p.s. I'm thinking about creating one or several small 'believing mirror' circles for vision-midwifing - particularly for those doing the work of the Divine Feminine or ushering in other 'new-era' ways of being. These will likely by tele-conference, since many of us are spread to the four winds! If that speaks to you, send me an email, and we'll explore it.

Comments

[Kim Gould]

Hi Jamie,

I love that phrase 'believing mirror'. I have a friend who has always given me something I call 'radical acceptance', which means she believes in and accepts me totally even against all evidence that I'm wrong ...lol! And then it releases me to find my own way, in the light shining from her love. It's a precious thing. The more we can be a believing mirror for ourselves, the more naturally we bring that quality to others.

I've always found you to be a most wonderful believing mirror btw ..:)

love
Kim