You know the kind of experience you have that becomes etched into the fibre of your being? … I had one of those this week.
I know I’m not the only one who knows the challenge it can sometimes be to stay powerfully grounded in the presence of those who are feeling down, or to be in places where the focus is on things heavy and dark – on those we think are wrong, or what’s going wrong.
I was really aware of this earlier in the week – feeling both the ‘pull’ of the heaviness on me, AND my commitment to exploring what else was possible. So I got on the phone with my friend and evolutionary partner Aline Lanteigne – she’s also a wonderful coach!
Together we took a journey. I can’t (and have no desire to) explain or prove what happened. I share it here – on a weekend where many celebrate the feast of Easter and the power of the resurrection – not only because it was a powerful experience, but because in the days that followed, it has been a touchstone and a sea anchor for me to come back to when life feels stormy. And I know – especially recently – I’m not the only one experiencing that kind of storminess!
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Pegasus
by eschu1952 freeimages.com
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We set out asking for the support of all that is life-giving and wise, and with the intention of expanding our capacity to be the fullest expression of the women we came here to be.
Aline first ‘saw me’ riding on a Pegasus, and I experienced the delight of the sense of freedom, the wind rushing past me, the power under me! After a while, the Pegasus touched down in a beautiful garden and forested area. In exploring here, the sense of aliveness and possibility was palpable, AND, I was aware of a dark heaviness nibbling around the edges of that magical space. I didn’t feel endangered, but my gut reacted to the proximity of the presence of the dark.
As I felt into that reaction, a number of things became clear. It wasn’t the presence of the dark that was challenging to me – I realized this contrast actually heightened my appreciation for the lightness and beauty. What was disturbing to me was the sense of being contained – that I was somehow being limited by the darkness. For a moment, I thought “Well, I could get on the Pegasus and fly away again!” But it quickly dawned on me that this would have been an illusory freedom. The freedom I wanted was to be present to the dark and still be in my power – no sense of containment of the full expression of me. AND, I had no idea ‘how’ to do that.
Our exploration continued, and after a while, Aline said “I can see five spirit guides standing around you. They have their hands on your shoulders and have something to say to you. Listen to what they have to say.” While I absolutely honour Aline’s gift of seeing these kinds of things, my first reaction was “I’m certainly open to whatever wisdom there is here for me, and I’m a really good listener, but I need them either to speak to you, or to speak in English, and really clearly so I can understand what they’re saying!” Aline calmly suggested I make that request – ah, yes! I could do that! And I did.
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We are not alone …
by sgarbe84 freeimages.com
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I settled in to listen – this part I felt really ‘at home’ in. As I quietened myself, I could sense the presence of the light, and wisdom around me. I could feel myself open to the energy flowing through my body. And out of no-where, I ‘heard’ the words “You are not alone.” I shared them with Aline, and let the soothing of those words wash over me.
Though neither this, nor any of the other words I heard were news to me, I’m clear about the power in moments when we’re feeling shaky, of being so lovingly reminded of things we know to be true.
The next message came in words that could not be mistaken for anything coming out of my head. Though I have my own way of expressing this sense, and it is deeply resonant for me, I don’t use this kind of language! The words were “ALL is in Divine Timing.” I took a deep breath in. Ah, yes, that one’s hard for me to remember when I’m feeling like this, thank you!
The third message was another powerful reminder for those uncomfortable moments when I tend to be myopic. “Open your eyes and awareness. See all the possibility.” This, one of my big ‘yesses’, reverberated to the core of my being. By this time I was realizing that with five guides, there were probably five messages! So as the reverberations in me settled, I listened up for the next one.
“Stand, and speak!” Oooof! Those of you who’ve been on the journey with me for a while know that this call is one I’ve been intentionally responding to for some time. And though I feel enormously more free to stand and speak now than I ever have, in those moments when I’m feeling shaky, this is the first place I feel the contraction! So having the call to stand and speak repeated here was a powerful one for me.
Finally, another message it never hurts for me to be reminded of “You are loved.” As these words washed over me, so did tears. Tears in response to the felt sense of being seen, met, held, known, loved, and called out. I took time – both then, and in the days since – to be in appreciation, and to more deeply anchor this powerful visceral experience.
In her Soul Map Live broadcast for April, my friend and colleague Lissa Boles pointed to the massive opportunities for transformation we’re being presented with in this period. I am clear that however uncomfortable these may be, what’s really happening is that our greatness is being called out in a way it’s never before been expressed. And from my own experience, I also know that there are times when we need each other’s support as we walk this path of more fully and clearly expressing our greatness. Another time I’ll share with you a second powerful (and fun!) recent experience which called me into my greatness – spending a day at the Superhero Training Academy!
I’m committed to creating opportunities for community, and resources for support and partnership to those who feel the draw to realize RICH relationships in their lives. This eNews is one of them, our twice monthly At Home with Maralyn & Friends calls is another. As always, if 1:1 coaching feels true for you, I’d love to explore the possibility of that partnership.
I’m excited to have also had requests to repeat the program I’ve developed – Relationship Treasures Hidden in Plain Sight. In this we take a look at some of our implicitly held assumptions, with the invitation to open our perspectives and step into the possibility of RICHer relationships, and greater freedom. The dates I’m proposing for this are 6 Wednesdays – May 21 through June 25. If you feel a draw here, check (and perhaps mark) your calendars!
Do you feel an internal ‘yes’, or would you like to hear more about any of these possibilities? Perhaps you’d simply like to connect – maybe to share an experience of yours? Remember you can always be in touch by leaving a comment below, or by clicking here. Either way I’ll get your message, and I’d love to hear from you.
Post Script – Being with darkness seems to be a powerful meme these days. The Sunday after I posted this article, I came across this piece in Time Magazine – written by Theologian Barbara Brown Taylor, it’s an excerpt from her book “Learning to Walk in the Dark” (Harper One.) I also found a talk she gave at Rothko Chapel last September. You may want to give it a look!