How has your Summer been this year? I hope it has been full of Joy, Peace, and so many happy new memories.I also hope you are finding ways to recharge your energy.Keep reading for my top 10 mantras for beating burnout!
For me, this summer has been full of fun activities and connecting with friends every week. I’ve also been vending at local Psychic Fairs, doing in-person oracle and tarot readings in addition to working with my online clients, enjoying lunch dates with old friends, beach days, county fair, and hosting house guests. I love it!
Listen, I love this Southern California sunshine and long days to hang out on my back patio, take a nature stroll, or work in my garden. Those are some of my key practices for grounding, centering, and clearing my energy.These are non-negotiable for me in order to not veer off into over-commitment and burnout.
Still, even with my non-negotiable self care practices fully in place… I’m tired, y’all.
Like DAMN, let me just take a nap already. Anyone else?
If you can use some leisure time to just BE and not constantly DO, then these next few mantras are perfect. These are the ones I use whenever I’m physically, mentally, or emotionally wiped out.Start with these mantras to get your mindset ready to come back from burnout.Which ones are your favorites? (Mine is the last one, lol)
10 Powerful Mantras for Beating Burnout:
I am allowed to rest for as long as I want and need to
It’s okay for me to pause
It’s okay for me to let someone else handle it today
My body wants to rest, and I am happy to give it rest
I am taking some time just for myself
I will be okay even if I miss out on this experience
There is still plenty for me to enjoy when I am ready
I am happier and feel better when I get enough rest
My friends/family/loved ones understand and support my healing
Whether you can get away for a dreamy 3-week vacation, or if you are able to enjoy a few days (or hours?!) here and there… you deserve a moment to yourself to rest & recharge.
Michelle Lewis (she/her/they) is the creator & founder of The Blessings Butterfly, a holistic coaching & energy healing practice that is teaching people to live a life that they love. She is a writer, speaker, energy witch/healer, and author of the Amazon bestselling positive affirmation books, The Blessings Butterfly and The Blessings Butterfly
Have you ever wondered why you feel a deeper connection to some seasons, but not others? It may be that the master element for your favorite season is also a master element in your astrological birth chart. To find out what your birth chart contains, get a free report here: Free Astrology Birth Chart Report
Today I want to share the message of Summer & Fire.
The season of Summer & the element of Fire are closely intertwined, energetically balanced and full of activity. This is well-known among Energy Work Practitioners, especially those with training in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Eastern Yoga, and of course witches, shamans, & pagans.
So… how can understanding and embracing Summer and Fire benefit you? Simply put, it can help you improve your health and access your Joy. Yes, even if the master element of Fire doesn’t rule your Sun sign.
Here are the key characteristics associated with the Fire Element:
Passion
Connection
Destruction & Transformation
Light & Warmth
Movement & Growth
Knowledge & Wisdom
The season of Summer belongs to and is ruled by the element of Fire. Taking this a step further, it is said that the element of Fire is ruled by the heart! So… what fires you up? What makes you want to get out of the darkness of isolation, and connect with other like-minded souls? Right now, this Summer- this is the time for you to come out and Shine.
Whenever you follow those little lights of Passion, they will inevitably lead you to your Joy. If you’ve been waiting for a sign, Honey this is it. It’s time for you to LIVE!
Michelle Lewis (she/her/they) is the creator & founder of The Blessings Butterfly, a holistic coaching & energy healing practice that is teaching people to live a life that they love. She is a writer, speaker, energy witch/healer, and author of the Amazon bestselling positive affirmation books, The Blessings Butterfly and The Blessings Butterfly
All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
If you’re interested in numerology or the tarot, you may have heard that this year is a Lovers year. The logic is simple: when we add up the digits in 2022, we get 6, which leads us to card #6 in the Major Arcana — The Lovers.
But what does this mean?
Lovers Stereotypes
With Valentine’s Day come and gone, I find myself exploring all of the stereotypical themes we might associate with this card, the kind of surface-level interpretations that come to mind when we hear the word ‘lover.’ Surely this card signifies romantic love, a twin flame connection, finally meeting that tall, dark, and handsome stranger…
We all know the feeling. Let’s say you’re doing a tarot reading for yourself and you pull The Lovers, and your heart leaps up at the thought of meeting your Soulmate with a capital S. Oh my goddess! you think, It’s finally going to happen! Or maybe it’s not a Soulmate, but a new job, or your family’s approval, or any other kind of external validation of your worth. Your heart leaps up toward this someone or something, leaps or even grasps at it, and you’re left hoping that this desire is a foretelling of its consummation. Will The Lovers bring you a lover, bring you your heart’s desire?
Maybe it will. Indeed, true love is real. It happens every day.
Still, I can’t help but feel like The Lovers card needs a PR update, one that expands our understanding to encompass the full range of this archetype.
And I should know, having read tarot for myself all throughout my tender twenties, those years of relationships beginning and ending, of looking desperately for love, of enacting codependent dynamics over and over until finally my eyes were opened to the pattern of my life — and to the possibility of choosing another way.
As with all the cards, we’ve got to go beyond the “Little White Book” style of reading, that is, relying on the guidebook that came with your deck rather than tapping into your own intuition. If The Lovers card is only what the LWB says it is, then all we have to go on is “Attraction, love, beauty, trials overcome.” Or reversed — “Failure, foolish designs.”
Attraction or failure. Love or foolish designs on love.
Duality Traps
So often, our minds fall into these dualistic traps, especially when reading tarot: Will my future be good or bad? Will I succeed or fail? Should I stay or should I go? Is this decision right or wrong?
Will I meet my Soulmate, or will I be alone forever?
Upon closer inspection, it is precisely this kind of dualistic thinking that The Lovers card urges us to alchemize and expand. The classic image by Pamela Colman Smith depicts this process perfectly. First, the binary: man and woman, Adam and Eve naked in the Garden of Eden. Then, the expansion: the archangel Raphael, patron of matchmakers but also of medical professionals, Raphael whose name means “God heals.”
The word heal has the same etymological roots as the word whole, and this is the key to The Lovers. When we pull this card in a reading, often we are being asked to interrogate all the ways that we are making our wholeness contingent upon something or someone outside of us: If only I could be loved by this person, if only I could be as beautiful or talented as that person, if only I could be validated and recognized in this way… then I will be happy, then I will be whole. Then I will be healed.
Deeper Inquiry Leads to a Shift
Here’s the truth. When your heart leaps up toward that which you desire, it is the leaping itself that is asking to be acknowledged. The desire itself. The longing. In this tender feeling is the gesture toward Wholeness. Belonging. Union. The Lovers archetype points us not toward the Other (the person or thing we desire so much) — or even toward the Self (the remaining half of a binary equation) — but rather directly into the interstitial space between Self and Other, the ineffable yet palpable place where Self and Other become One.
“There is only One Light, and ‘you’ and ‘me’ are holes in the lamp shade.”
– Sufi poet Mahmoud Shabestari, by way of Paul Quinn, author of Tarot for Life
The question then becomes: how and why are you denying yourself access to this mysterious place of Union, of Oneness? How and why are you banishing yourself from the Garden, convincing yourself that someone or something outside of you is standing between you and your worthiness?
As we sit with these inquiries, we come to realize that our ability to experience Union with another will always be constrained by our ability to touch this place of Union within our own hearts. The extent to which we can receive love is directly proportional to the extent to which we can love ourselves, or better yet, the extent to which we can access Universal Lovein our own heart chakras, harmonizing higher and lower frequencies — alchemizing duality — and attuning ourselves to Love as an orientation toward life, not a foolish design in which we either succeed or fail.
Remember that this alchemy is happening on a collective level, for one and for all, throughout 2022. Though you can and will learn Lovers lessons in deeply personal ways, this isn’t just a warm and fuzzy encouragement toward self-love. It’s no walk in the park, to enter a Lovers year now, in this era of great awakening but also of great existential threat. I believe that our collective survival depends upon the collective consciousness that is the fruit of Lovers labor. It feels like an urgent imperative, to bring this healing technology of the Heart back online, to re-member our interconnectedness to all beings and to all things, to reclaim the Earth as an Eden where each one of us is already worthy, already whole.
But we can’t achieve this Union by bypassing dualities, leaping over them and into Oneness. No, we must enter directly into duality, the feelings of separation, of unworthiness, the heartbreak and the longing, in order to see through the illusion of separation — and into the One Light.
To dig deeper into The Lovers card, you can check out Kate’s Year of the Lovers offering. She also recommends two podcasts, Tarot for the Wild Soul by Lindsay Mack and Between the Worlds by Amanda Yates Garcia. Here are some episodes from each that focus on The Lovers card:
Kate Sheridan is a tarot reader and astrologer who calls herself The Laundress. Through her project The Spiral Temple, Kate holds sacred space to re-member the Goddess, reawaken the Divine Feminine, and reconnect with the cycles of the Moon and the Wheel of the Year. You can find her online at www.thelaundresstarot.com and on Instagram @themodernlaundress.
All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
Many years ago, I wrote a blog post called, “SUCCESS begins with SELF-CARE”. I was crafty enough to turn the word SUCCESS into an anagram that included: Self-care, Understanding, Community, Creativity, Excellence, Service, and Savasana. What’s most interesting to me about this post is not how nerdy I am when it comes to wordplay but how relevant it is even now.
As entrepreneurs and values-minded people, we love to talk about The Hustle as an Evil Other. We share stories of how we’ve successfully overcome the external pressure to perform. But the truth is, when it comes to our daily routines, we’re often guilty of pushing ourselves too hard, creating unrealistic expectations for ourselves, and then diminishing or worse, ignoring our successes.
The Hustle is pervasive AF. Its insipid claws sneak into our planners, our To Do Lists, our social media feed, and our perfectionist standards. Its voice whispers “not enough” despite your life filled with big responsibilities and unexpected challenges.
In my last decade as a Business Co-Conspirator, I’ve seen this time and time again. The Hustle can be glorified as a “5-Step Marketing Plan to 7-Figures” but it’s still lipstick on a pig.
Anything that makes you feel as if your best is not enough is The Hustle in disguise…no matter how many glitter rainbows and fluffy pillows you find on the website.
Humans like things to make sense. We like to know that if we “do this plus this then we get these results”. That’s the reason why these templates and gurus do so well. They’re catering to our innate need for clarity, quick wins, and easy confidence.
I’d like to offer an alternative. This is what the real success formula looks like:
Discernment + Small Doable Actions + Noticing = Personal Success
Take small doable actionsand pay attention to your accomplishments.
Notice when you start consuming content or thinking thoughts that put you on the “not enough” train.
Then repeat. That’s it.
It’s the same as the old adage: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
We could call this Growth Mindset. We could call this Self-Compassion. We could call it simply Being Nice To Yourself. As business owners, we can also call it Success.
Whatever you call it, I’m here for it.
Real growth, real success, is an individual path that is highly customizable.
And if it hasn’t been said before, allow me to say it now:
You Are Enough.
Your best is enough. Your work is enough. Your magic is enough. Your definition of success is enough. You are enough.
Don’t let The Hustle tell you otherwise.
Anything that makes you feel as if your best is not enough is The Hustle in disguise…no matter how many glitter rainbows and fluffy pillows you find on the website.
helen tremethick
***
This is an original post written exclusively for The Blessings Butterfly.
Helen Tremethick is a thought partner & co-conspirator for badass entrepreneurs (and those who want to be). Helen uses a unique methodology called Love & Badassery that helps business owners find the courage, confidence, and clarity they need to show up wholly in their businesses.
Since 2011, she has worked with hundreds of business owners to clarify their messaging, copy, business models, and transform their self-confidence while doing so. If you’re looking for the skills you need to grow in your business and your life, Helen’s Love & Badassery Motorcycle Club is the right next step for you.
All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
I’m getting to be a big girl and I have started to really tap into the power of that imagery and correlate it to my new size. I say I’m big and strong and I won’t blow away in the wind!
I’m seeing goddesses showing up everywhere, and recently I’ve also been feeling a new important link between goddess culture and my work as a family historian. I am so grateful to Michelle Lewis for inspiring me to explore this spiritual aspect of my work.
I specialize in histories and archives (papers and photos saved for public research) centered on: women, historically excluded populations, and special needs kids.
My way into this work is usually through the much more popular idea of family history. That’s where the non-dominant folks seem to be allowed to be.
Unearthing a matriarchy is my dream job! I feel so lucky, so blessed, so called… to do this important work that I hope will shift the path of patriarchal cultures around the world. Seems reasonable, haha.
In the 1980s I did some family systems healing work with John Bradshaw for a weekend.
Barely past my teens, I was a little Maine girl in a huge California auditorium being led through my first guided visualization.
We spent a lot of time getting in touch with our inner child. Bradshaw asked us to imagine an unshakable supporter of that inner child — a fierce defender. A thing that we could always call up and call on.
I imagined a great grandmother … A big white woman with a sack dress, a grimace, and a huge pitchfork! She doesn’t have a name but this woman still comes to me and I love the look of her in my mind and I feel her strength. She is unfuckwithable – and bigger than this stock image.
No, I didn’t go on to find this specific woman in my family history — but some version of her is in all of our long histories.
I propose the goddess imagery that I’ve grown to love actually stands in for them, for all the amazing women in our lineage whose stories we do not know.
Yes every woman does seem heroic to me. Let me share some of the amazing women I’ve “met” with you:
A Black woman who started her local NAACP chapter, and rose through its ranks to become president. She was a force for justice in her community and she saved everything: meeting minutes, her letters to the editor, a copy of her letter to the local emergency room about her racist encounter (25 years later, she was on the board of directors of that hospital). She even saved her hate mail. Her documents show real truths about the power of women, the insidiousness of racism and the constancy required to combat it. Happily, this collection is now safely housed at a university, so future historians can know all of it.
A Jewish woman emigrated from Russia in 1919. Her spouse lived hours away at a camp to perpetuate their heritage; she remained in the big city. She raised four daughters mostly alone, working three jobs long before “women entered the workforce” during World War II. This collection, including 100 years of photos, is headed to a repository for Jewish families.
A white rural grandmother did double the work during the 8 weeks of fall harvest. All day she worked in the fields; at night she was doing housework (hearty packed lunches for the next day, women nightly meals, and laundry). And she still said “we loved it because we all got to be together; it was so much less lonely.”
A Black sharecropper’s daughter was recruited to teach and write for the newspaper and sent each of her ten children to college. She was a devoted wife, a consistent poll worker, and represented her church (both the first one, and the second one that replaced it after it was burned down) at mostly white regional and national events: a pillar in the community. Hundreds attended her funeral in the deep south.
One Italian family came to me suspecting a devious past had led to their material comfort… As it turns out the wealth came down the maternal line and was not recognizable in traditional gender roles. Nobody had ever spoken of it.
A white divorced mom brave enough to take jobs she wasn’t quite qualified for so she could both escape a current handsy boss and put food on the table for her kids.
Most families that I’ve worked with have strong, driven women who never married and gave themselves wholly to the church, the Navy, or to helping other families. Sometimes they tell me “I think she was a lesbian — but don’t put that in there!”
Once we uncover the women from generations past, we start to see where we fit in the path. And where we are in the path is so powerful.
angela l. todd
I know you’re feeling how remarkable our female ancestors are. Every woman I’ve uncovered has endured, overcome, or succeeded. You’re probably also feeling the thoroughness with which these women have been neglected over time.
And in history, neglect is synonymous with erasure. They are not included in our global, national, local, or even family histories most of the time.
I believe that we have been replacing our own forgotten foremothers with a much more abstract goddess image. When you trace your history, you will see the goddesses emerging. You will see your divine connection. Connections
Our mutual friend Michelle Lewis says: “People’s stories from generations past are pieces of us that we carry forward.” And I agree wholeheartedly.
Once we uncover the women from generations past, we start to see where we fit in the path. And where we are in the path is so powerful.
The more we look, the deeper we drill, we see the power in the present: “I’m the piece that’s bringing it all back together. You may go through thinking you’re the one that’s wrong, you’re the one that’s out of stuff. But actually it’s like no honey, you’re bringing everybody back in. You’re healing pieces from before you that weren’t able to be in their fullest expression.”
If this is resonating and you are goddess-curious, I invite you to consider joining me to uncover one of the goddesses in your lineage. The program is called Finding A Foremother: For Women Who Want to Save the Story of A Woman Who Came Before. I have a special discount for friends of The Blessings Butterfly, available HERE. We meet Wednesdays at 7pm Eastern, and the next session begins January 5.
History doesn’t just happen, it is actually made by saving — and researching — the records of what happened. Let’s make history together!
Angela L. Todd
Archivist, Historian, Activist
I have always been THAT girl — the one talking to little old ladies in the grocery store; the one reading a parade of women’s biographies, autobiographies, and history; the one asking my kid where the women are and where are they going to live on that Lego space ship… I’m always looking for where the women are, and what their stories are. I say it, and I believe it: every woman has a story worth saving.
I love having long white hair and I LOVE being in my 50s.
I’m on a mission to capture women’s stories.
I am working to save stories usually relegated to the sidelines of history — especially those of women, but also workers, activists, community groups, or salons.
I spent 18 years as “archivist and senior research scholar” in a science archive at a top research university: curating 30,000 portraits from daguerrotype to digital and ferreting out women to add to the biographical files. I gave up on dead people and now I help living women make history. That means you.
All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
It’s been just over five years, five years since I’ve had any intimacy. No sex, no kissing and no cuddles.
This wasn’t initially my decision, and at first for a long while, I’ll be honest it felt like a slow torturous death for me. Because in many ways it was. Most of the suffering starting out was because it wasn’t my choice. But I was the one that actually initiated it, without realizing at first.
I am a very physical woman, touch is my life force recharge. I love to have sex, and wanted it often, like at least every few days often, if not more. After my first divorce I refrained for a while, but once I reopened myself to it, the flood gates opened. They opened to a dangerous proportion.
I wasn’t reckless with situations, but I did quickly align myself with someone else who used sex as a distraction and addiction. The two of us getting together on weekends was a blur of sweat and showers. Often times topping off at twenty plus rounds in a weekend. It was quickly going from unleashing my sexual goddess and experiencing the best orgasms of my life, to numbing out and not being able to get enough.
Looking back on this and the one eighty turn I did after a few months of this indulgence, is an obvious intervention of the Divine.
It was during my birthday dinner with a long table of my new friends, that I got the ping. The notification that would launch my Soul into a long and tumultuous journey. It was my next ex husband messaging me via match.com. And my universe instantly shifted. So much so that within the first week of communication with this new man, I abruptly ended it with my recent sex companion. Cold stop. Which is now ironic, because as it turns out, that would be the last occasion for me to actually have a more functional sex life, as dysfunctional as it was. That was nearly ten years ago.
After a few weeks of corresponding with my now recent ex husband, we decided to meet in person. I was immediately enthralled with him. And when we said goodbye and he kissed me at my car, there in the late afternoon sun, the earth and my world shifted. For the first time in my life since I was a little girl, I was acutely aware of the dramatic change in the air and atmosphere around me, and within me. I knew in that instant that my life was about to radically change, and it did.
I was enraptured with this man, so much that I didn’t even notice at first that he wasn’t reciprocating any sexual body language. That he was actually just going through the motions and leaned heavily on his ability to dazzle me with his words and kissing. I was in it for the long haul, it was a spell, a spell as it turns out that my Soul had orchestrated. And that the energy shift I felt when he first kissed me was our Souls reigniting a long standing contract, one that now needed completion, and was necessary to launch me into a long initiation into the dark night of my own Soul. So that I could be the anchored and authentic Soul Guide I am now.
Sex was complicated from the start, he was always scrambling to avoid it, and I was always desperately wanting it, with him. Because I was so wildly attracted to him like I have never been with a man before, yet he kept me at an arms length. At first it was all about excuses and philosophies about wanting it to be different this time, and needing to still heal from ex’s cheating on him, etc. All the while talking about and flaunting his sexual experiences with others, and still showing obvious signs of being a womanizer. So many red flags, one after another after another. It was quickly becoming a mine field of red that no one could navigate. Yet I stayed.
It was like I had no choice, for the first time in my life I was going head first into something that made no sense, all I could do was feel. Feel the potential and feel the activation I felt in my entire body even just thinking of him. Which of course was just a new addiction. But also more, because my Soul actually was inviting me to see this through and to initiate my spiritual awakening. We did occasionally have sex, and with my level of attraction and addiction for all things him, I didn’t even notice how dysfunctional and lacking it really was. I was so far gone that the slightest crumb of affection and touch was all I needed, while pining and obsessing the entire time in between occasions, as to when I would get more. He was literally starving me sexually, which led to his ability to control me. This was his Souls ‘in’, in this contract playing out between us.
By the time his behavior shifted from this repeating cycle between just us to taking his toxic behavior outside of our relationship and using other women to hurt me, I was too far gone.
The story that played out between us is an entire novel, a novel of Souls, shadows, victimhood, and eroticized wounds. We eventually married, which is when the sex dried up even more, from once or twice per month, to once every two months. But I was content suddenly, because he was finally ‘mine’ and he was content in knowing he ‘had’ me. So I relaxed into this new rhythm for a while, until just a few weeks before our one year anniversary when I took a trip to the beach with friends.
There on the beach at sunrise one morning I asked my friend to help me pray for healing between my husband and I, and for our sexual healing. This is the moment that I initiated the ending of my sex life (for now), and my journey into celibacy, without even realizing it. Because what we are praying for often shows up differently than we think it should, than we initially want it to. That what we are actually praying for is at the core of what we are wanting help with, but not at the surface level frustration of it, but at the root cause and ultimate healing of it.
As it turns out the last time my husband and I had sex before my trip, would be the last time we had sex. On that beach, I had an additional silent prayer, a shift within me, that I never wanted to have to fight for or beg my husband to have sex with me again. What I thought I was asking for was his healing, his emotional capacity to open, and for me to finally have the intimacy with him I so desperately craved. But ‘our’ sexual healing would not be the healing between us and our ability to come together in better harmony. It was to be a separate healing journey, one that would take us both by surprise, and yet not surprise.
It was to be a separate healing journey, one that would take us both by surprise, and yet not surprise
stacy walker
A few months had passed after that prayer, and I was beginning to suffer the death of my sex life, this is not what I wanted, this is not what I asked for, and this wasn’t fair. I tortured myself with what might have gone wrong, what did I say or do wrong. I became resentful and sure I was secretly being punished somehow. I even secretly resented my friend at first, because I thought maybe she did something wrong in the prayer. I had after all just only recently started praying again after giving it up most of my life due to religious trauma, and I had counted on her to guide me, which was just more victim coming to the surface for me to heal.
I spent the next year suffering, I spent it angry and confused. All the while my husband felt more relaxed and calmer than I had ever seen him. But I never begged or tried to seduce him into being with me. I decided to follow his cue to truly heal this and to feel less dysfunctional with our sexuality. As dysfunctional as it was for newlyweds to not have a sexual relationship between them, it was less dysfunctional than our previous way of dealing with it through arguing. So I allowed it space, and in this space I found clarity. Clarity not only between us, but in myself and the reawakening into my psychic gifts. Gifts that I had closed off since I was a little girl, out of self preservation and safety. Safety from other people, not from the spirits that were constantly around me. And through this psychic reawakening, I also experienced my spiritual awakening.
Two years had passed and I was deep into my own personal healing and Soul journey. And things between us relaxed and even became sweeter than I had ever expected, we found harmony in this new space of celibacy and calm. That my old tendencies to lean too hard into my sexual desires, and his old tendencies to avoid it by ironically playing the part of womanizer, stopped. The smoke had cleared for both of us. Here we temporarily found peace, a breather. And here is where truth could finally come through, for both of us, and between us. This was the agreement our Souls had made that sunny afternoon when we kissed next to my car.
A few more months into this two year journey had gone by when the biggest truth came through. I was finishing up some laundry and noticed a rubber band that had fallen out of his pants pocket. In that moment everything flashed before me, our history, his history, and his truth. In that moment I knew that his rejection of me sexually, was never about me. It was never about me not being good enough, or sexy enough or even young enough. It was solely about him and what he didn’t even know about himself. That I wasn’t actually aligned with his true sexual orientation. And that none of the women that he desperately flaunted were. It was all so clear. All of it.
The depth of compassion and heartache that immediately flowed through me took me to my knees, I didn’t think of myself. I thought of him and how tortured he must have been his entire life. And I wept. Then I made a new internal vow. Knowing that ultimately our marriage had to end, and that we both needed to live lives that honored our genuine needs. It took another three years, three years of compassion, grace and continued celibacy to steer us towards this ending. It nearly killed me. But I held the container and the space within it for us to come through a new depth of even greater harmony and truth. I poured absolute unconditional love into this man, I showed him the utmost compassion and understanding, and I held the space for him to eventually realize for himself what his truth is, and to find peace within himself.
That this space of celibacy between us enabled him to heal into his truth, and to start to heal a lifetime of wounds around it, and it enabled me to heal years of sexual and psychic trauma too. I am incredibly grateful for this experience between us, I consider it to have truly saved me, although it nearly killed me too, it ultimately did save me. It thrust me into a massive awakening and into the gifts I have carried for lifetimes, waiting to be embodied and used to serve others through, starting with myself and my recent now ex husband.
I am still currently celibate, as I am walking myself through the grieving of finally closing out this Soul agreement between us. Still unraveling the threads that kept me so closely bound for so long. Recognizing now that the intense passion I felt for him was the eroticization of my old wounds, lifetimes of wounds, being touched, triggered and activated for the purpose of healing and integrating. And that the level of intensity I had felt for so long was only a reflection of the intensity of my wounding, and the desperate plea for it to be met and healed.
In the months since this conscious uncoupling, so much has been revealed to me about the masculine and feminine energies within each of us, and between us. Regardless of how we identify, that these energies when brought into harmony through the healing of the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine within us individually, can create Divine Union between us as partners. That we can disarm the eroticized wounds and roles as victims, and embark on the hero’s journey into conscious co-creation. That conscious or even unplanned celibacy can both create a space for clarity and truth, a space of ease and also raw and open opportunity for the deepest sexual healing we could ever have imagined for ourselves. And possibly for those that witness us too.
Regardless of how we identify, that these energies when brought into harmony through the healing of the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine within us individually, can create Divine Union between us as partners.
stacy walker
I look forward to my journey moving forward, of further harmonization within myself, and in aligning with a new partner in true Divine Union and expression. While now knowing that whoever this man is, that he is also an opportunity for any additional wounds being called to the surface for healing and integration, through more conscious awareness, and not misunderstood eroticization. But also that he will be a reflection and celebration of all of the healing and transformations I have carried myself through so far. And that will truly be something glorious to experience and to exalt to.
Stacy Walker is an embodied Oracle, Akashic Records Reader and Teacher. She currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida where she is actively working with the Ley Lines in the area.
Working with clients remotely primarily through zoom, as a Quantum Healer distance isn’t an issue, nor is time, these initiations, activations and healings are infinite and are just as effective as receiving in person.
A Session with her provides tremendous insights, understanding and support. You are held by your Guides, and provided with what you are needing most in that moment. Coming away from your session with a greater understanding of many areas of your life and experiences, plus tools to further support your journey.
Her primary mission is empowerment, through her Online Courses and Services, every individual can unlock their highest potential, and anchor in their own Souls Purpose and Personal Power.
Connect with Stacy:
I will be offering my Akashic Records Readings at 50% Off for the remainder of the year (2021). •There isn’t any discount code required•The discount come off automatically in their shopping cart •No limit on purchases •These Sessions can be Gifted to others My New Soul Codex -Akashic Reading & Embodiment is open for enrollment now! Content will be accessible on Dec 1st.
Picture this: It’s a beautiful day in early September 2021 and I am sitting in a salon in Leipzig, Germany. I have just had my hair coloured pink. Dyeing my hair has been a ritual I have been following for the last 6 years. It is my way of showing my true authentic self. Let me explain….
It all began with me watching cartoons at a very young age. I became obsessed with this particular character who magically transformed from a girl to a showgirl. In the process, her hair changed from copper to turquoise or lilac or anything colourful! Little me was in awe! What I didn’t know at the time was how much this transformation would affect my subconscious and that later in life, it would become my business brand!
Just two days after getting married in 2016, I decided to colour my hair in a fun colour…finally! There I was at the salon excitedly asking for my favourite colour. I didn’t know how this was going to look or feel, but I confidently took a leap of faith and went for it. (This wasn’t the first time I took a leap of faith and I have to share that it gets easier every time!)
TURQUOISE!!!
My hair was turquoise! Oh my gosh. I loved it and I looked like the cartoon character I adored in the 90s. I was filled with this new youthful energy – I felt alive again. To be exact – my inner child became alive again! I hadn’t felt that feeling in a long time. I hadn’t allowed ‘her’ too. I had no idea that colouring my hair would have such a huge impact on me and feel so liberating.
Our honeymoon was in Hong Kong and Bali where I was a hit with locals as I looked like a character from Anime. People stopped me to take photos with me and I loved it. I enjoyed the attention and the smiles I brought to people’s faces. Who knew that hair colour could bring such joy to others too?
Nonetheless, back home after a dream wedding and vacation, the reality of life fell on me like a ton of bricks. I had a teaching meeting lined up soon after the trip and I couldn’t wait to show my colleagues and my boss my new cool hair and wedding ring. See, at the time, I taught drama to kids aged 4 to 15, so having coloured hair was going to work out – or so I thought.
The Ultimatum
The meeting started with some glances and sighs, but I expected that. I was living in Ireland and Irish culture was quite new to me at the time even though it’s quite similar to the one I was brought up in, back home, in Malta. During the break, the boss asked to speak to me outside in private. I was excited to share my honeymoon experiences with her – she was the only ‘friend’ I had in Ireland at the time. But to my surprise, the conversation revolved around my hair. And not in a positive way! My boss felt that my hair would be a distraction for the students and that it would look unprofessional for her company.
At first I thought she was joking. I nearly sniggered at her comments. But her tone set me straight and I dipped my head in embarrassment. She didn’t like it and wanted it gone, covered, changed, hidden. As long as no one saw it, I could keep it. Otherwise I had to dye it a ‘normal’ colour or, “there would be consequences.”
The free spirited me felt like it had just been locked away into a dungeon and the key thrown away. A heaviness lurked over me. It felt like an imprisonment of sorts. What was I to do?
Financially we weren’t in a situation where I could just stop working. However changing my hair felt like ripping away the last months’ happiness off my chest. My inner child had come out to play and she wasn’t ready to go anywhere, I was torn with this dilemma. It was a very hard decision for me. Brain over heart. Work over fun. Safety over authenticity.
That’s it. Authenticity.
Was I being asked to change who I was to suit a company’s rules? Was I being asked to not show up as my true self, while ironically at the same time I was teaching kids to be who they aspired to be?
I sat with myself for a day. I had little time to make my mind up. In that day I went through all the things I enjoyed doing. All the things that still bring me joy. All the things that make me smile. Give me satisfaction. Light me up inside. That new hair colour had definitely brought this out again but I did love teaching. However in that moment, right there, I felt that that decision was bigger than me. I felt that if I made the wrong decision, I would regret it for the rest of my life. And I am a No Regrets kinda girl.
The Defining Moment
The word AUTHENTIC kept resurfacing. I had been working with kids for over 15 years by then, and I knew that whilst I was with them, I couldn’t deny being myself. Thoughts kept going through my head, “I can’t wear a hat or hide my hair. I can’t show a version of me to them that is not my true authentic self. I don’t know how to do that. I don’t want to do that!”
I met my boss at a random café I had never been to before. My heart was racing. I had only made one big decision before this so I was quite new to life changing decision making. I was early. I sat with my bottle of still water as I stared outside the window overlooking Cork city centre. There she was. My boss, with her huge smile, making it harder for me to make my call.
Her sprightly manner seemed very jarring to how I felt. She gave the impression that she was sure I was going to stay. It was as if she was certain she had convinced me that I still needed her. Little did she know that she was the one who needed me, but at that point, it was too late. The conversation was very dry. I didn’t want my emotions to take over. I stated the facts and my reasoning and asked her to respect them and not dispute them. She was shocked. She didn’t expect this level of confidence in my turquoise coloured hair self. She nodded her head to show understanding of my point and left.
I did it. I had just said No to being inauthentic. I just said Yes to Me.
My inner child will stay out to play and since then, she has not left.
I did it. I had just said No to being inauthentic.
I just said Yes to Me.
Angèle cristina
We all have defining moments in our life, where we get to choose and stay true to our authentic self. Very few are brave enough to take this step. But you don’t need to do it alone. I coach women+ to show their authentic selves. This is the best version of you, it will be you at your happiest and the most aligned version of you. It’s time to step out and shine.
__
All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
Angèle Cristina is an Intuitive Empowerment Coach from Malta who helps women+ worldwide find their truth, happiness and magic. Through her coaching work, she helps them find their power, confidence, voice and ultimately their true authentic selves.
Can we please stop using retrogrades as a scapegoat for our discomfort and lack of preparation?
As astrology has become more mainstream over the last few years, there has been growing panic surrounding retrogrades because it seems like it’s a fun thing for media companies to sensationalize for clicks and ad revenue (from my perspective, anyway). Looking at some of the language being used in the last few weeks we see “a reign of retrograde confusion” that’s “coming for your relationships” and so many “survival guides” to get one through.
While astrological retrogrades have had a bad rap for centuries, and they can indeed shake things up, ultimately, we are the ones who are in the driver’s seat for this ride, and it doesn’t need to be a wild one.
While astrological retrogrades have had a bad rap for centuries, and they can indeed shake things up, ultimately, we are the ones who are in the driver’s seat for this ride, and it doesn’t need to be a wild one.
montine rummel
What is a retrograde?
A retrograde is when the apparent motion of a planet from the perspective of someone on Earth appears to slow down and even move backwards for a period of time before appearing to move forward again. Here are two of my favorite gifs that show what it would look like if we looked at the same spot in the sky over the course of a few weeks.
As you can see, the apparent motion of Venus and Mars seems to slow down and move backwards.
Astrologically speaking, during this time when the planet appears to be slowing down or moving backwards, the energy of the planet also is said to slow down or be stalled.
This movement was not lost on ancient astronomers and astrologers. Vettius Valens was a Hellenistic astrologer born in 120 AD who wrote “The Anthology” — the longest and most detailed treatise on astrology which has survived from that period (thank you, Wikipedia!).
It is clear from some of his writing that even 2,000 years ago retrogrades were deemed unpleasant:
Even if retrograde energy is here to fuck shit up, we don’t have to let them overtake us. We can accurately predict retrogrades, so much like a hurricane, we can prepare for what is coming. The challenge is that this requires a bit of self-awareness and forethought which is seemingly more of a luxury in this post-capitalist hellscape we call life. The demands of merely surviving in this world don’t often leave everyone with enough time to reflect on the ways we move through and react to it.
Also, retrogrades can affect us in many ways. Most articles about retrogrades are only written based on how they might affect a Sun sign, which is about as much as general audiences know about their birth chart. But the placement of Mercury in one’s chart, as well as house placements come into play, as well. This article was written a couple years ago and does a great job describing the 3 ways to observe a retrograde based on the planets in your own chart. If you don’t have your birth chart, Café Astrology has a great one for free.
If this starts to feel overwhelming, just keep in mind that these are just offerings of different perceptions to observe during a retrograde! Remember: a retrograde is only the perception from our viewpoint, it is not the only source of truth. If we were to view a Venus retrograde looking down on the solar system like in the gif above, we would see Venus continue in her orbit as usual; it would not look like she’s slowing down or moving backwards. So, what we can do for ourselves during these times is seek out new perspectives and ways of thinking about whatever energy the retrograde is supposed to represent. For example, if this Mercury retrograde in Libra was “coming for our relationships,” what perspectives would be best to learn and understand?
Start each retrograde by being curious about at least one aspect and see what you notice!
Both Jupiter and Mercury will go direct in the next few days, Saturn is already direct, so why mention saying any of this now? If I want to prepare, why not say something BEFORE it happens?
I’m glad you asked! This is the perfect time to reflect on what exactly did come up for you. Make some time to journal about the following events and their aspects from this year. You don’t need to through every single one of these, of course. They are just some of the available perspectives to choose from!
This Mercury retrograde in Libra, Sept. 27-Oct. 18, 2021
Think about anything regarding communication, such as how you communicate with others, methods of communication, and so on. Pay extra attention to anything related to your relationships. What went right? What went wrong?
Think about travel and transportation and anything else related.
Think about thinking, mental clarity, and types of thoughts you have been having, again paying extra attention to anything related to relationships.
Think about any physical feelings or ailments that appeared in your brain, nervous and respiratory systems, and thyroid.
If you have any planets in Libra, look up their aspects and home in on those.
If you have any planets in your seventh house, look up those aspects and home in on those.
Look at the sign Mercury is in on your chart and home in on those aspects, too.
Jupiter Retrograde in Pisces, June 20-Oct. 18, 2021
Think about anything regarding growth, healing, prosperity, and fortune that happened in these last few months, especially regarding your emotions, dreams, and creativity.
Think about any physical feelings or ailments that appeared related to your liver, kidneys, ears, and tongue.
If you have any planets in Pisces, look up their aspects and home in on those.
If you have any planets in your twelfth house, look up those aspects.
Look at the sign Jupiter is in on your chart and home in on those aspects, too.
Saturn Retrograde in Aquarius, May 23-Oct. 10, 2021
Think about anything regarding your career, authority figures, stability, and achievements, especially regarding individuality, intellect, compassion, and justice.
Think about any physical feelings or ailments that appeared related to your skin, hair, teeth, and bones.
If you have any planets in Aquarius, look up their aspects and home in on those.
If you have any planets in your eleventh house, look up those aspects.
Look at the sign Saturn is in on your chart and home in on those aspects, too.
The more you pay attention to the different aspects that exist, the more patterns will start to emerge, especially as you do it over time. Then you’ll be able to know exactly which areas of your life you need to pay closer attention to during retrogrades and other astrological events.
Have you ever noticed that some people don’t seem phased by astrological events when others do? These people might be prepared and ready to roll with them, but they might also have aspects in their chart that don’t get shaken up as much at the time. Observing these events and paying attention to the different aspects of your chart can help you learn what you can roll with and what you need to be more prepared for!
The next planet to go retrograde will be Venus Dec. 19, 2021-Jan. 1, 2022, in Capricorn and will be the perfect time to practice seeking these new perspectives. Here are some things to observe during this time:
Anything regarding beauty, love, unification, and harmony, especially regarding the areas of work, stability, and responsibility. What might benefit from some extra care and attention?
Anything regarding your reproductive system, lower back, throat, or circulatory system. Take extra care of yourself during this time if you have any conditions related to these areas.
If you have any planets in Capricorn, look up their aspects and see what might benefit from some extra care and attention.
If you have any planets in your tenth house, look up those aspects.
Look at the sign Venus is in on your chart and home in on those aspects, too.
Being aware of the energies and possibilities at play will help give ourselves more a sense of control as we navigate our days and help us learn even more about the way we work and what makes us tick. Knowing how different energies affect us will also allow us to prepare for ones that are heavier or take advantage of the ones that can propel us further than we’d be able to go on our own.
If you enjoy exercises like this, check out my workbook for 2022! It will include prompts for each Full and New Moon to help you explore your psyche and get to know yourself better. You can find more at BookOfMyShadows.com
All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
About Montine:
Montine Rummel (she/they) is an astrologer and writer who likes to explore her own personal growth using these tools. She has been studying astrology since 1994 and began her personal growth journey in 2016 focusing on shadow work and emotional regulation. In 2017 she had the idea to create her own practice to explore her Shadow using the sign the new and full moons were in as a theme. After sharing the idea with some friends who told her that many more people would be interested in following along, Montine began writing Book of My Shadows and turned it into a yearly zine. She sometimes updates her blog, too!
All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
We ALL require access to divine sweetness in our lives to thrive. The sweetness or “sweet spot” that I am referring to is a profound feeling of soul nourishment, a constant connection to our innate worth, wisdom, power, and assurance of the infinite wealth that is always here for us.
That sweetness is mostly locked away deep within us. Many of us have had to harden our hearts to survive in a world that devalues the sacred feminine. Most women have been in a state of survival, operating from an outdated model that programmed us to excessively sacrifice our desires and well-being.
Unfortunately, this type of survival functioning results in women feeling frozen and disconnected from our hearts and therefore from the very nourishment required to fully actualize our potential.
Women, activated in our divine sweetness, are a powerful transmitter of this vital nutrient. We create a portal for miracles in us and in those around us. That is why it is essential that each awakening woman find her unique portals to access this sweet spot within. To discover and accomplish our destiny, having access to that inner sweet spot must be and must remain our number one priority.
Power Practice #1: Say YES to Love
Opening to love is a practice that you must choose to in every moment if you want to experience the fullness of divine sweetness is available for you. If you are lost in a trance of scarcity or unworthiness, or if you are not willing to say yes to love, then you will not experience the profound benefits constantly offered to you to live in your sweet spot.
Power Practice #2: Find Your Unique Sweet Spot Portals & Savor Them
Each of us has unique sources that activate this divine sweetness. For example, many women love connecting with the Earth’s wisdom, beauty, power, and rhythms as a portal to their divine sweetness. Also, making room in your heart to nurture yourself and cultivating life-giving relationships and activities powerfully expands your access to this inner sweet spot.
Create time to discover inspired ways to sustain and expand access to your heart. Some women find that taking several three-minute breaks to be outside throughout their day can help them shift into their inner sweet spot. Others who are too depleted or who do not have sufficient skills to access their sweet spot will require more time and skills development to make and sustain that inner shift.
When you feel drained, it is important that you know how to quickly and powerfully source yourself and realign with that energy. In fact, the more you are serving and/or leading others in one form or another, the more vital it is to know how to renew yourself so that you show up from the best within yourself.
If your daily activities are not aligned with your sacred gifts, you will feel far away from that sweet spot. If this is the case, the misery you are feeling is a loving sign to wake up and get on your soul aligned path which will lead you to that sweet spot.
Power Practice #3: Show Up Consciously and with Full Awareness in Order to Receive
Learn to seek out and savor the depth, breadth, and vastness of the sweetness. When you notice them, show up fully present and receive from them. Perhaps there is a divine message coming through. It is important to be attuned and available so that you are conscious of your unique portals when they are being revealed to you.
Consciously focus on using all of your senses to be in that higher energy. As you do, your energy will rise, and you will feel a vibrational shift occurring within you.
Power Practice #4: Express gratitude for these portals
Cultivating an attitude of gratitude amplifies the sweetness that you can experience. Make this a habit as you go throughout your day. Even the subtle energies of sweetness that show up in our daily lives are powerfully expanded through a gratitude practice.
Cultivating an attitude of gratitude amplifies the sweetness that you can experience.
marcia mariner, m.a. lmhc
Power Practice #5: Let Go of Resistance and Fully Embrace All of Your Emotions
It is not unusual when the heart opens to feel deep emotions coming up for clearing. The emotions that surface is natural and part of your organic unfolding. Awakening women are thawing out from centuries of collective trauma and neglect. Draw close to all of your emotions. If pain surfaces, welcome it with love. Let go of judgment and move towards your pain with the tenderness you would have for a young child.
Constantly source yourself from the beauty, joy and spiritual nourishment you are being given through your unique portals. This is especially important when you are experiencing a major loss or a time of transition. The healing of the heartbreak will naturally follow. By saying yes to what shows up and by trusting your process, you will emerge more fully in your radiant essence with each layer of past conditioning that has been shed.
Power Practice #6: Find a Mentor and Join a Supportive Collective of Other Heart-centered Visionaries
This creates the optimal conditions to activate your sacred worth, discover your unique portals and anchor in your sweet spot. It provides a feeling of safety and connection, which naturally gifts you with a collective sweetness and opportunity to accelerate your full becoming. This personal support also helps you process challenging emotions and share your dreams in a supportive climate. This expands your heart’s power to give and receive love.
As your power to access your sweet spot develops, you discover what it feels like to fully thrive from the inside out. This inner assurance empowers you to love more freely and embrace the outer uncertainties of life with confidence and grace. The stabilizing support of this collective sweetness frees you to fully embody your authentic self and move in the direction of your dreams at lightning speed.
Marcia Mariner, M.A. LMHC
Marcia is a sacred feminine empowerment coach, certified hypnotherapist, and licensed counselor who specializes in empowering awakening women to break free from patriarchal conditioning, reclaim their feminine power and create lives they love. For over 25 years, Marcia has provided and continues to provide her clients with individual sessions, women’s empowerment circles, psycho-educational programs, and destination retreats. Marcia loves creating a safe space for women to connect on a heart-to-heart level so that they feel supported not just to heal, but to become who they are divinely encoded to be.
Trigger Warning: This post contains mentions of serious disease, abuse, sexual violence.
My life has been hard. One challenge after another since I was very young. Then, one year after finally meeting the love of my life at the age of 59 and beginning a life-long dream of travel, international speaking, writing books and more, I got hit with an excruciatingly difficult personal health challenge, one that was totally unexpected. I collapsed with neuro-Lyme disease, a disease that rendered me unable to go out in public for almost a year. I became so panicked, I could have been institutionalized. My brain and eyes didn’t work. I couldn’t see clearly and my visual perception was way off. I felt like I was going blind and crazy. And that was just the beginning of the 25 severe symptoms I was about to experience. 2019 was the longest year of my life.
As I began to slowly heal, I was beyond anxious to be able to eat at restaurants, go to a movie, shop and travel. I pushed myself and flew to LA in January of 2020, for a movie premiere with my love, even though I didn’t look or feel very well. I got to briefly see my daughter who was driving from San Diego back to Oregon. It was a first step. It felt good.
I made plans. I looked forward to the future and I couldn’t wait to be well again.
And then, Covid hit. And it hit hard. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t see it coming. All of my intuitive capabilities didn’t give me a clue. No one else saw it coming either. Shock, fear, uncertainty and eventually depression hit. Now what? What if I or someone I love gets sick or dies? Will we have enough toilet paper? How will we make a living? Will life ever be the same?
For someone who teaches that life is happening FOR us and not TO us, two big crisis’ in one year was too much. In that moment, I was forced to choose between giving up what I teach and believe or using every tool I had in my toolkit. I didn’t like what I was experiencing but I had a deep knowing that what I teach is true, so I clung to it. That choice saved me and that’s why I’m sharing this with you today.
When life throws us curve balls, we have two choices. We get to jump into a deep state of fear, depression and negativity, or, we can choose to see things in a different light, a more positive light. You know the saying “what you focus on grows?” Well, it’s 100% true. We are energetic beings who always attract what we think, feel and vibrate. We attract our dominate vibration. And again, we always get to choose. We are not victims of fate, but deliberate creators with power.
One thing I know for sure, is that when I look back over my life and all of my challenges; abuse, r*pe, divorces, losing my home to wildfire, breast c*ncer and Lyme, I can absolutely SEE how Spirit (God, the Universe, the Divine) is woven through all of my “stories.” I can see how things were perfectly orchestrated just for me. I can find evidence of loved ones supporting me, unexpected people showing up; proof of everything I needed being provided in perfect timing and yes, even miracles.
So, we can all go to the “dark side,” but why would we want to? We all have a habit of expecting the worst. But what would happen if we expected the best? We can’t possibly see the entire picture; only the Divine can do that. So, what if we chose to amp up our faith, and trust that something bigger than us, some “thing” that loves us so much, actually has our back and wants us to experience good?
Whether it’s Covid, a health challenge, relationship breakup, trouble with your kids or your job, you get to choose how you’ll show up. If you sit around mulling things over in your head, nothing will get better. And I guarantee, you will suffer. But, if you decide to jump in, say YES to whatever is happening for you, not only will things improve, but you will feel better. I live by this. It’s been my saving grace and my greatest strength.
Taking action is imperative, even if only baby steps at first. When you actively participate in asking questions, listening for answers and raising your vibrations, victimhood falls by the wayside. I’m not saying these things are easy at first, especially when you’re in a crisis, but you can absolutely work through your human moments and inch your way into using your superpowers. My bout with Lyme propelled me into the darkest night of the soul I ever experienced. I was sure I was dying and there were days I wanted to die. But there was a fire that burned inside of me that was greater. I found my way to it, and so can you.
When I was ill, one day I just decided I was going to fight for my life. From that moment on, I did every, crazy thing I could think of to show the Universe I meant business. I did energy work all day long; I listened to Jason Mraz and danced around the apartment even though I couldn’t see! I put affirmations on sticky notes large and small and stuck them on windows, ceilings and walls. I videotaped my journey for teaching when I was well. I meditated and more.
So, when life hits you with things unexpected, try one or all of these things. I promise, if you’re determined enough and don’t give in to your old negative human habits, they will help.
1. Start an “evidence journal.” Just as I explained above, write down all of the things you remember about difficult times in your life when you absolutely saw the hand of the Divine working on your behalf. Look at these miracles often and be in gratitude.
2. Ask, “what is this here to teach me?” Then, stay out of your head and wait as long as it takes for an answer(s). Be patient. It will come.
3. Reframe your thinking. This is imperative. If you feel you’re powerless in your situation, ask yourself how this wonderful challenge has come to assist you in stepping into your power. If you feel that horrible things always happen to you, ask yourself how this situation is happening FOR you. Look for the evidence. Reclaim power over your “stinkin thinkin” and learn to see the good. Question your thoughts, self-talk and beliefs and soon, you will see that most of the things you tell yourself are just not true!
4. Visualize a happy outcome. I call this pre-paving your future. Once you get good at seeing yourself healthy, happy, in love, etc, then add emotion to it. Don’t just see yourself in these situations. FEEL the story as if you’re living it. This kind of energy creates.
5. Learn to be in gratitude for anything and everything. Gratitude is a high vibration. Even if you don’t feel grateful because your dominant vibration is fear, do it anyway. Create a list. As you commit to doing it more often, your vibrations will begin to rise.
6. Do something you love that’s high vibe. We are creators. When we don’t create, we stagnate. Sing. Dance. Paint. Take a walk.
And, above all else, love and be gentle with yourself. It’s all a part of the journey.
lisa winston
And, above all else, love and be gentle with yourself. It’s all part of the journey. The more you practice these skills during the difficult times, the more grit you acquire, the more you ignite your inner fire and the more confident you become, knowing all things are here to make you stronger. And, you get to help others through your experience!
So, are you brave enough?
Lisa Winston is a gifted vocalist, #1 international bestselling author of “Your Turning Point,” TV host, intuitive mindset strategist and inspirational speaker. A life of extreme challenges, including losing her home to wildfire, breast cancer, and neuro-Lyme disease, made her hungry for a deeper connection to Source and determined to find her true calling. Today, she shares the message that life is always happening for you and challenges are sent to refine, not define you. Lisa has produced many influential global summits and is also featured on online summits, national radio, podcasts and trainings. She co-hosts and produces The Mindset Reset TV Show, a weekly series which reaches millions, worldwide. Lisa is so grateful to be mom to her beautiful daughter, Sarah, and to live, teach, and speak across the globe with her soulmate, life partner and love, Dr. Joe Vitale. —
This article appeared originally on www.LisaAWinston.com and is reprinted here with the express permission of the writer.All opinions expressed in this article are the sole perception/experience of the writer, and may not necessarily be shared by Michelle Lewis – The Blessings Butterfly. All Rights Reserved.
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