Priestess in Blue Jeans

Energy Practices Support Unfolding Vision

Isn't it a wonderful feeling when we're gifted with a new vision -- an image, energetic imprint, yearning, or idea that really beckons us into co-creation? At such times, it seems that anything is possible.

And then we often experience a co-arising of resistance: that within us which is perfectly comfortable with the status quo and doesn't want to risk that seeming comfort and familiarity.

That part of us certainly doesn't want to court failure and whatever we associate with it. "Eeek," it screams, "Back away, don't go there...besides, it's not such a great idea, anyway."

We might suddenly find ourselves thinking of a myriad of reasons why the vision isn't possible, or why we should wait; we might even experience resistance from those around us with whom we share the vision-seed. Sound familiar? To most of us, it is.

Thankfully, there are a whole variety of energy or spiritual practices that really support us in our ability to move forward into a new cycle of creativity and experience.

I've shared several practices and rituals in previous blog posts here or at Sophia's Children, and will share several in this post that can be particularly helpful in supporting your emerging vision and cultivating a new momentum.

Einstellen & Heilstrom - from the work of Bruno Groening

Bruno Groening was a German healer with an immense natural gift for healing, with many 'miracle healings' attributed to his presence and his teachings. Given the times in which he lived in Germany (1906-1959), his gifts and the attention they drew weren't always appreciated by the authorities!

Mr. Groening emphasized that each person has an innate connection to this healing capacity, and encouraged people to tune into the Divine energy or life force to restore health and harmony, and keep themselves on the path of the soul. The Circle organization was created by those close to him, many of whom experienced profound healing and revelation themselves.

The core of what Mr. Groening taught was that illness and unfortunate circumstances were not a natural state; one had to be ready and willing to release any identification with the illness or circumstance; and that by tuning into the healing stream of Divine energy -- einstellen and heilstrom, in German -- one could receive the energy that helps restore the  natural state of health and harmony. His teachings are very similar to the tenets of many other traditions.

The practice of einstellen -- 'tuning in' -- to the heilstrom or 'healing stream' of life force of Divine energy is a restorative meditation which many experience as healing, calming, centering, and heart-opening. Such Divine Love or Divine energy meditations also help us to allow the Mystery to move through us, as the Choktaw Elder, Sequoyah Trueblood, has said.

Emotional Freedom Technique - EFT

EFT is one of the acupuncture/acupressure-meridian-based energy modalities, in which you work with -- and in this case lightly tap on -- particular meridian points to clear energy blocks and the patterns or traumatic memories that are held in the body (and thus energy field). EFT was founded by Gary Craig in 1993, based on the Thought Field Therapy modality created by Dr. Roger Callahan in 1981.

A wide variety of people -- 'EFT masters' -- have explored, expanded upon, and adapted EFT for an array of applications. Two practitioners whose style I've appreciated, are Carol Look and Dr. Patricia Carrington.

Ms. Look has a conversational approach to EFT that can be both amusing and effective -- good combo! She focuses much of her EFT work on abundance, since it seems to open up the Motherlode of issues that are unhelpfully limiting or problem-causing.

Dr. Carrington is known for her 'Choices Method', including one application that brings forward a recollection of positive experiences and states of mind/energy and anchors them in the body and energy field.

If you're a believer that what you're predominantly thinking, feeling, and ruminating about has an effect on what you experience -- or even if you'd just like to feel more relaxed, centered, intuitive, and resourceful, practices like the ones I've shared here can be powerful and easy to use allies as you live into a new vision and cycle of creative expression and experience.

Blessings from your Vision Priestess,

Jamie

The Way of Mary Magdalene

[Note: This post originally published in my Sophia's Children blog, just a day or so ago. Somehow it got republished here yesterday. Since quite a few people have followed the link here, I'm going to leave it in both blogs. Thanks for reading!]

Who was Mary Magdalene, really? And why is this question important at all given that we're talking about a woman who lived 2,000 years ago, and about whom we have only slender references?

Over the past several weeks, several people have sent me things about Mary Magdalene, and that's usually a clue to pay attention to what's arising.

Such questions seem to arise in force when the answer is important to the times, it seems. And this seems a question whose time has come, if all of the movies and books offer a clue. Mary Magdalene resurfaces in our collective consciousness as part of a general rise of the Feminine and the Goddess.

Most of us grew up with the notion that Mary Magdalene was a repenting prostitute, if we heard of her at all. More recently, we've learned that she was a very close companion of Jesus, one of his devoted disciples, 'the apostle of apostles', according to gospel references.

The bible doesn't actually say that Magdalene was a prostitute; we have a sixth century sermon by Pope Gregory 'the Great' to thank for that, and though it 'stuck' for centuries, it's since been debunked as lie or misinterpretation.

The film, The DaVinci Code, brought Mary Magdalene into even greater visibility, raising the possibility and stimulating conversation and debate about whether she was the wife as well as disciple of Jesus. While this is interesting, to me it seems a distraction from the more important question, and greater likelihood, that she was a spiritual adept, priestess, early church leader, and teacher in her own right.

In the preface of The Gospel of Mary Magdalene by Jean-Yves Leloup, David Tresemer, PhD, and Laura-Lee Cannon, write:

"...Mary Magdalene focuses on the inner worlds of initiation. We imagine that, not through outer pomp and pageantry, but through gnosis or direct knowing, she seeks union with the Divine. Hers is the path of the sacred marriage, accomplished within."

They continue, "Her path emphasizes inner preparation, introspection, and inner transformation. Perhaps, in addition, she also represents the feeling world; she carries the sensitivity of sensuality, in the truest meaning of the word, finding the divinity in the senses."

She's also seen, in the various gospels, as one who 'gets it' -- one who has truly understood and experienced the teachings of the wisdom master, the rabbi Jesus. The scholar John Lamb Lash has explored this indepth in his writings on Mary Magdalene and the resurgence of the Feminine.

Yet Mary Magdalene, according to the gospels and more recent scholarly writings about her, was one who, in addition to an emphasis on the inner Mysteries, engaged in the world. She's portrayed as a teacher and adept, yes, but also as one who is devoted in action -- it is she, with two other women, for example, who don't flee the threats at the crucifixion.

They remain there, present, witnessing, and perhaps 'holding the space' through their attention and devotion. It is Magdalene who goes to the tomb with the sacred oils, and it is to her that the risen Jesus first appears and gives the instruction to 'go tell the others what you have seen'. Because Mary Magdalene is one who has seen.

Joan Chittester, OSB, in her book The Friendship of Women: The Hidden Tradition of the Bible, writes this of Magdalene:

"The Magdalene quality of friendship is what distinguishes those who walk with us through the shallows of life from those who take the soundings of our soul and follow us into the depths of them...Intimacy, the Magdalene quality, is about appreciation, affection, and warmth...it is about being deeply valued, reverently respected, lovingly tended, and warmly received." (p. 83)

In these reflections we begin to see why the question of who Mary Magdalene really was is important -- why these ways and qualities are so needed in our lives and in our world now. We see how the path of inner transformation and devotion to wisdom enlivens these beautiful qualities of sensuality, devotion, intimacy, dignity, wisdom, and deep respect and reverence for all as Divine expressions of sacredness.

Who was Mary Magdalene, and what does she offer us now? The explorations continue...

Blessings on the Way,

Jamie

* Image Credit: Leonardo Davinci's Mary Magdalene

The Power of Suggestion

 We know 'the power of the Word', and thus the power of suggestion, and I gained a renewed respect for it a few days ago.

I'd been vexed about something that just wasn't progressing, that seemed stuck, despite myriad efforts that we'd expect would be very effective.

I'd inquired into it, looked into it, done energy work around it, worked with my own healers and advisors around it, and taken actions that get results. And I saw some success with that, a bit of movement, yet there still seemed to be some block at work. So I kept looking, kept up with the energy work, continued with aligned action.

Then, a few days ago, I experienced a powerful opening and clearings in the heart and sacral centers - fourth and second chakras. If you're familiar with energy work, you know that we tend to hold patterns -- thought forms, traumas, etc. -- in our bodies, including in the energy centers.

Within 24 hours, I received several insights into it, and found myself intuitively pulling out a little-used notebook from late 2007 and early 2008 -- a time of significant change for me.

I leafed through the notebook, and found notes from a conversation with an advisor I'd consulted in early 2008. There, in ink, were notes of her telling me, related to this particular area in my life, "It will take two years for you to recover from this." 

Jeez, Louise!

I knew as I looked at the notes, with that particular suggestion, that it had been a powerful seed planted. At the time, I was both deeply fatigued and grieving loss, so was particularly open to the power of suggestion. But it hadn't seemed that significant, until now, with the vision of hindsight.

The wonderful thing about this 'aha' moment is that it was very specific, so I could immediately address it specifically in energy work -- I used TAT (Tapas Acupressure Technique) and a particular EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) approach to dislodge and clear the suggestion-seed from my body and energy field. I'll continue to work with these and other modalities to clear any residual from it and any root causes. I also had myself a little fire ritual to burn the notes!

And as I mentioned, the experience gave me a renewed respect for the power of suggestion, and for energy work, inquiry, and other modalities we use to access insight, intuition, vision, and momentum, and clear the way for them to flow.

The advisor I'd spoken with - who delivered the two-year dictum - was actually coming from a place of compassion, and from her perspective, protecting me. So I don't fault her; we've all done it. And suggestions can be healing and positive as well.

Yet it's a powerful reminder to be more mindful, whether we're delivering the suggestion (particularly with an air of authority, in a definitive way) or on the receiving end of the suggestion (particularly if we are, for whatever reason, in a particularly open and receptive place for it, and it's unhelpfully limiting or not particularly true). Note taken!

And while the two-year timeframe has recently ended (and new progress arriving in its wake, like Swiss-made clockwork), I'm glad that this particular suggestion is no longer lurking, hidden away out of consciousness. There is beauty in that.

Blessings on the Way,

Jamie

The Freedom to Choose Graciousness

I've long found a magnetic beauty in the idea of graciousness. We've all had those moments, when an unexpected graciousness is summoned from us, or when we've experienced the gift of another's graciousness. The expression of graciousness lends a degree of beauty and meaningfulness to our interactions; they're lifted above the ordinary and become truly memorable.

Recently, dipping again into the late John O'Donohue's poetic and inspiring book, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace, I came across this passage on the freedom to choose graciousness:

"…a spirit and atmosphere of graciousness often emerges when the human heart reaches into its own nobility and allows the destructive reaction to disappointment and hurt to open into something more healing and creative. Regardless of outer circumstances and even inner turbulence, we always have the freedom to choose differently. This is a difficult freedom. In many instances, it may be beyond our reach. However, the freedom to choose graciousness is a freedom no-one can take from us..." (p. 184)

One definition of 'graciousness' is acting from or expressing 'a Divine influence upon the Heart' that causes one to rejoice and feel a sense of wellbeing and heartfulness. How lovely is that?

In a time when so many things seem overwhelming, beyond the grasp of our seemingly small efforts, we become weavers of beauty, right where we are, when we cultivate graciousness and extend it in our day to day interactions with each of the people with whom we come into contact.

A seemingly small thing, yet, as O'Donohue says, perhaps a 'difficult freedom' in our current hurriedness. Yet we know the power of it -- we've experienced it, and have been left better for it, or have left another better for it, as we've continued on through our day.

New Moon - Authentic Vision, Creative Imagination, Inspired Action

"This is a time to discover /rediscover our soul’s purpose
and orient toward realizing our ultimate dream."

~ Steve Nelson, Mythic Astrologer, 2/28/10

We're just 30 minutes or so past the new moon in Pisces, so entering a potent seed-planting time centered around authentic vision, creative imagination, and the inspired action that grows from the wellspring of Spirit within and around us.

Pisces is the last sign of the zodiac, the end of one journey, where the wisdom gained from our walk around the wheel informs and inspires the next cycle of activity. Pisces is associated with psychic and energetic sensitivity, the mystical awareness and experience, the rich guidance from the unseen realms, and the spiritual path. It is the archetypal well from which the waters of deep compassion are drawn. If we're operating from shadow, it can mean overly porous boundaries, illusion, and even addiction (to numb and avoid the sensitivity).

Working with the lunar cycles is one way we can ground and center ourselves in what otherwise can feel like a whirlwind. It's also one way to make sure 'time doesn't get by us' when it comes to our highest visions and deepest values. And Time does seem to have stepped on the accelerator!

At the new moon, we open to our higher wisdom (and Divine Guidance if we're so inclined) to receive the visions, insights, and intentions that we plant like seeds, tend, and watch grow to ripeness and harvest.

Each new moon has its archetypal energies, and with Pisces, just before the Spring Equinox, we open to more inspired, authentic vision, and work with the great gift of our creative imagination, to guide wise, soul-aligned action that is compassionate and dedicated towards the higher good (the Aquarian energy that precedes Pisces on the wheel).

"Support abounds for those with dedicated creative purpose.
We are getting ready to ride the tide of the imminent Spring thaw."

~ Caroline Casey, Visionary Activist, Coyote Network News

So, to what will you dedicate your 'creative purpose'? What small green shoots want to be tended in your Life-garden this year? The answer doesn't come from your mind; it's not a matter of intellect, which brings old  (albeit sometimes valuable) news. Yep, that's the kicker, isn't it?

The inspired vision and intentions you seek -- that will inform unfolding action -- comes from within, and through that deep center and its imaginal playground, a greater wisdom and genius than the mind can offer.

Starting this week as the new moon begins to show its crescent, and through this lunar month, ask for vision, dreams, insight, and guidance to illuminate the joyful way through this next year. The energy of Mars (March, and Aries' ruler) is building for release towards a higher, devotional cause (lest it be misspent in a youthful and reckless jaunt). What vision and wisdom will guide it? And towards what?

The next few weeks are perfectly timed and energized for this work of imagining, receiving vision, and shaping the intentions that will guide the energies of the coming months -- in a way that has a feeling of joy, heartfulness, and purpose for you.

For inspiration and deep-Feminine juju to get you into the Pisces New Moon, visionary zone, check out the new SophiaLogues at Ivy Sea-Sophialon.

Blessings on the Vision Way,

Jamie