release
The True Meaning Of Spiritual Surrender
When life becomes too challenging, and things begin to fall apart for us, we usually seek spiritual guidance and comfort.
In these circumstances we often tend to hear terms like surrender, release and acceptance. We are told to just let it go and simply be in the moment.
But what does it really mean to surrender? It’s a term often used in spiritual and metaphysical circles. Is there even such a thing? And if so, what does it entail?
According to the dictionary, surrender means to stop fighting and admit defeat. It also conjures up the vision of waving a white flag. But is spiritual surrender truly nothing more than throwing in the towel, and graciously accepting our defeat?
I prefer to explore the meaning of spiritual ‘surrender’ through the metaphor of a painting I made, which is my way of meditating and reflecting on life.
The painting is of an angel and I even named it Surrender. I chose this name, because it is the energy this angel emanates. His pose and posture also symbolizes the act of surrender.
At the time of working with the energy of this piece, I was in the process of leaving the security of a mainstream finance career, to establish myself as a full-time artist, energy healer and spiritual reader. Meanwhile, I was also very busy navigating a family separation and divorce. There were so many major changes in my life, and so much about my future and my life path that remained uncertain and unknown.
The Secret To Manifesting An Abundant Life
Many questions I am asked in psychic readings have to do with why someone’s life has not changed to what they want it to be.
Some people feel they have religiously applied the teachings of Abraham-Hicks, or they closely followed the guidelines of the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrnes, or one of the many other popular methods for manifesting through the Law of Attraction, but nothing has changed.
And when I ask these people what they have changed in their inner being or subconscious mind to allow the new to come in, often I receive the response, “Oh, I have already done all that!”
However, had the person ‘done all that’ they would be manifesting their intentions. But they are not.
Some steps on the way to manifesting a better life may seem redundant – especially the detail work, the forgiveness and releasing, and the simply believing that it can come… and not specifically in the way that the person has set out in their mind.
Too often the person that is trying to get ahead in life, however, always struggles with money, or has it in their mind that they have to work 80 hours a week instead of 35 to get what they are seeking. That is not allowing, that is trying to make it happen in their way. And yet the answers are so much simpler.
As I look at love, finances, work, material items, health, I see the world is in a state of turmoil for the most part. I see bad things happening to good people, and those good people simply giving up hope. And then I see the ones that are constantly growing and getting further ahead without much effort.
Staying Calm Is Often The Key To Inner Peace
Sometimes the emotional charge of something as simple as a misunderstood comment, or a statement taken out of context, can throw even the most level-headed person into a tailspin.
Developing a general demeanor of good humor can assist you in dealing with some of these most difficult, embarrassing or awkward situations encountered in life.
Everyone handles things differently, doing the best they can with the information they have at the time.
Although, generally, the goal is to come to a better understanding and reach common ground, sometimes this takes much more time, effort and compromise than expected.
Although it is important to resolve an issue and clear the air, if possible, it is equally important to put each issue into context. Years from the date of the affront, will the issue be remembered at all and, if so, will it have anywhere near the importance that it did at the time?
Certain issues will never be forgotten, however, they can often be forgiven for the sake of all parties involved.
Long after the dust has settled, though, some people are inclined to continue to ruminate and replay negative scenarios over and over again.
This only serves to feed the flames of injustice and keeps the anger front of mind, long after the offending party has moved on physically and/or emotionally. As a result, rehashing the past can seem to perpetuate an aura of general negativity in your life.
When Will I Find My Soulmate?
The questions I get most often in psychic readings is about finding true love and meeting soulmates. Why am I still single? When will I meet the love of my life? Will I be married? To be honest, I asked myself the same kind of question for decades.
When I got divorced at the age of 28, I had no idea that I would be single until the age of 52. Yes, I had several failed relationships during those years, and even when I connected with someone who I was certain was my life partner, things always seemed to fall apart.
However, many years later, when I did meet my soulmate, it was incredible! Truth be told, I would go through it all again to end up in the relationship of my dreams, no matter how long it took.
Of course, I would have done many things differently over those two and a half decades, instead of wasting my time searching and lamenting the fear that I would always be alone.
That fear, along with a few other factors, was actually what held me hostage for years. It is the first thing that should be addressed when one is searching for your soulmate.
Many people told me over the years, that I would meet the man of my dreams when I wasn’t looking. My response to that was always, “Well, it will have to be a burglar then, because the only time I am not looking is when I am asleep!” If this is how it seems for you, then this is the first thing that needs to change. Your soulmate will find you. Period. And it will happen when you are not looking. Double period!
Spiritual Awakening ‘Turns On The Light’
What exactly is a spiritual awakening, and is there a way you can tell if you are having one? Here are some ways to be aware of what is happening to you.
The first sign is usually when you are no longer living in a ‘dream world,’ where you used to see everything through your human ego and you were overly focused on the future and your past.
This is a clear sign that you are becoming more spiritually aware. You have a greater awareness of your individual self and the connection between that and everything else. Things start to come into better focus in your life and make more sense.
When you closely examine various religions and faith traditions, there is usually a common thread that describes this state of heightened awareness as nirvana, enlightenment, or awakening.
This new consciousness happens when you stop being the observer, and instead ask yourself, who is observing?
Many people go through life on ‘autopilot,’ because that is what they were taught, or they simply fell into a routine without giving much thought to who they really are, or what they truly need or desire to make their life meaningful.
Asking such questions about yourself is important for your personal growth and self-realization. It is ‘turning the light on’ so to speak. The first step in growth is always the awareness of the present moment followed by an impulse to change something. Continue reading
Maybe This Is How We Mend Our World
I have certainly been trespassed against over the years, as I suspect you may have too: maligned, misunderstood, abused, betrayed. Many of us have been hurt and wounded.
For many of us lifetimes of pain also seem to rise to the surface now, as if this era has come to collect on both the debts and the blessings.
Some of my wounds in this lifetime occurred at a young and tender age, when there seemed to be no healing granted; when the best I could do then was retreat and lick my wounds alone. There was no wise elder at my side, no sacred ceremony to mark the grief, no balm from the spirit realms. Just the aching silence of pain, and the quiet hope that one day, perhaps, I would understand why.
Since that time so long ago, I have also seen much vindication. This ability to witness what I have called “the coming around of the going around,” hasn’t been only in seeing karmic issues resolved for little slights, but for big wounds as well.
I’ve watched as Spirit, with its own perfect timing, allowed clarity and closure to emerge…sometimes years later, sometimes through unexpected channels. There is a strange and sacred justice to the Universe that rarely moves on our schedule, but always, always moves.
Justice. Yes, always in the end. But what of forgiveness?
It all shifted for me when I came to know the ‘big picture’ in the powerful prayer, “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us.” These words are not just religious rote, but an energetic key to spiritual evolution. Continue reading
All Hallows Month Is Ideal For Self-Reflection
I did a reading for a new client yesterday, and during the session, I kept hearing the word “roots.” I told her, “You should get back to your roots.” She confirmed right away that she’d been thinking about moving back to her hometown to be closer to her family and friends.
That got me thinking about how October is often a time to think about where we really belong in life and in the world. This season, we’re thinking about place, direction, and home. It is the ideal time to reflect on whether it’s maybe time for a change, or if we should return to our roots.
It also got me thinking more about my spiritual roots and ancestry. October is a time to think about our physical lives and the spiritual truths, values, and principles that have been passed down to us. Are we still following those principles? Are we living in a way that reflects the wisdom of those who came before us? This is the kind of reflection October brings out, encouraging us to reconnect with our roots and the bigger picture of where we’re headed.
October, also known as the All Hallows Month, has always had a special kind of magic about it. It has always been a big deal in many spiritual traditions, because it is seen as a kind of in-between month.
This month is a time when the physical and spiritual worlds feel closer to each other, synchronicities multiply, and messages from the unseen find their way more easily into our lives. It’s no coincidence that so many cultures honor the dead and celebrate the mysteries of life and death during this season.