Soul Story

“I hope you will go out and let stories happen to you, and that you will work them, water them with your blood and tears and you laughter till they bloom, till you yourself burst into bloom.” -Clarissa Pinkola Estes We all have our stories in life. Some of them serve us well. They empower us, they soften our hard edges, they warm our inner fires, they support our truths or they inspire our passions. We shine brighter for some of these stories. We walk in the role we have been cast with pride and certainty and conviction of what we believe and stand for. Our stories sometimes encourage our bravery. There are times when our story models for others and weaves lives together. A bond is formed when the chapters overlap or the sentences complete each other. We find companionship and fellowship in the union of our stories.

But there are those times when our stories do not serve us well. They become tired and worn out. They are the dried-up excuses that even we no longer believe, but still attempt to use. They become shrouded in fear and our freedom is sacrificed. They hinder our growth and stop us in our tracks, unable to move forward and continually looking back. Some stories get retold and retold so that we lose sight of what our reality is and we play in a role we have type cast ourselves in. Some stores we tell create boundaries between others and us so that we do not have to face resolution, acceptance or disappointment.

The shaman’s role in story telling is to go in between the worlds of our reality and our stories. She finds the wounded part of our being that lies behind this story. She awakens the sleeping part of our soul that has become disconnected and left behind. She heals the suffering parts of our soul that cannot receive our hearts balm of love and compassion because the essence of the story feels impenetrable. The shaman crosses between the worlds through journeys and the help of guides and spirits to recover, return, heal and connect what the story may have affected.

Our soul brings the light to our life; it does not want to hide in dimness. Our soul brings passion to our days; it does not support apathy. Our soul celebrates in joy and strength, it does not quicken in pain or fear. Our soul, when well tended to, is a source for us to tap into, to inspire us, to empower us and to share with others the love and beauty we hold within. Our soul story holds so many possibilities for us. And not one is too small or too full; all possibilities are waiting for us to explore. Be aware of your story and its effect upon your day. Does it serve you?

Blessings ~ Lisa ©COPYRIGHT 2013 Lisa Meade

Life's Wounds and Tragedies

The shaman knows the importance of struggles and painful life experiences. The shaman knows that the soul when open to receive will ride through the transformation of the suffering and find the gifts and lessons that are waiting. But if the soul becomes wounded, hides in fear or weakens and wanes from the loss of life's energy then the shaman needs to be the retriever, the healer and restorer. A favorite quote by Carolyn Myss, “We are not meant to stay wounded. We are supposed to move through our tragedies and challenges and to help each other move through the many painful episodes of our lives. By remaining stuck in the power of our wounds, we block our own transformation. We overlook the greater gifts inherent in our wounds — the strength to overcome them and the lessons that we are meant to receive through them. Wounds are the means through which we enter the hearts of other people. They are meant to teach us to become compassionate and wise.”

If we view our life’s painful struggles, our tragedies and wounds as growth opportunities then we are more willing to move through them with as much intention and grace that we can muster. We recognize the need for support and assistance. We see the value of these times in our life instead of going into a place of panic and suffering. If we can step outside of our self and recognize that much like a toddler learning to walk, we will fall, we will be hurt and we will rise again and move on. Especially if we stay open to the process and not let our fear, our suffering or our pain chain us in place. And if we do find ourselves struggling or too overcome to move on, we have our resources to help us and tend to our soul’s needs. Soul care is a priority to being able to be the transformative beings we are designed to be. Soul care enables us to shine brightly and be effective in the lives of those around us, to be of service to Spirit, to know grace, peace and joy and to see the beauty of our lives.

Putting our needs as a priority is paramount to how we walk in this life. Whether it be body, mind or spirit, whether it be soul care or heart care, making sure to face our needs with the attention they require and accept that this is part of our humanness is the best gift we can offer ourselves. No one else can. And when we welcome this gift we empower ourselves and we flow with the energy that is unique to us.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2013 Lisa Meade

The Feminine

I have read in three different places in the past twenty four hours that today’s woman will be a major force in the change this world needs to transform and heal. Then a friend sent me the following verse: “The feminine has deep understanding of the power of matter. Women carry the instinctual knowing of the divine substance in matter and of how to bring this substance into life, because this knowledge is fundamental in the process of giving birth, in bringing a soul into human form. Now this wisdom is needed for the regeneration of the earth, for the earth’s awakening.” ~Llewellyn Vaughan Lee

I fully believe that the Universe is telling many of today’s women to step into their calling, whether it be healer, shaman, visionary, creator, midwife or more. We do have a certain understanding of the power of matter. We do know how to bring things to life, to breathe life into things, to dance things into life, drum them into being, speak them their truths and birth their potential.

Our suffering world is ripe and ready for this awakening of a new life. It is ready to receive our wisdom to grow, to take from the old stories of the ancestors the golden fibers and weave together the luminescent fiber of our stories of today and create a new tapestry to share from.

The stars of Nut will light our path and Pele’s fire will warm our feet. Within Gaia’s womb we will be held when we need a safe container. But it will be our hearts that will beat the rhythm to our dance and we will bring our chants and songs to the hearts of the people of the land. These chants will carry the messages of our souls. The shamans will return the lost stories and heal the wounded and the spirit’s medicine will be the balm for the pain and suffering of all.

The women will birth the regeneration of this earth and cradle its newness like a babe in arms. Then wisely we will lead with the vision of our souls and bring us back to a place of wholeness once again.

Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2013 Lisa Meade

Yes, It Must Be So

The inspiration for today’s blog is a beautiful and powerful poem that poses the necessary questions whose only answer is, “Yes, it must be so!” "What if our religion was each other If our practice was our life If prayer, our words What if the temple was the Earth If forests were our church If holy water--the rivers, lakes, and ocean What if meditation was our relationships If the teacher was life If wisdom was self-knowledge If love was the center of our being." ~ Ganga White

So what if our religion were each other and we cherished and honored the glory of our family and friends, if we respected and revered the beauty of all souls that walk this earth? What if? How different would be receive and accept one another?

And could you bring so much integrity into every day that your life became your service to others? Imagine how your actions would be affected and how your choices may be different?

Think of the words you speak. Could you speak them as though in prayer? Could they leave your lips and be sacred enough for the gods to receive? What would you say differently? How would they shower blessings onto others?

Each day we awaken on our temple’s floor. We are blessed beyond what we can conceive. What if we rose each day and strode across this temple floor with the utmost awe and wonder of its majestic beauty and we tended it with the loving care that would carry it for all universal time? Imagine the spires of the trees rising to the heavens bringing our prayers into the realms beyond our reach. See the waters as the cleansing and purifying tonics of life that we can sip from to replenish our tired soul and wash away the wounds of old and then splash with delight in as we celebrate its flow of life.

What if we relied more on our own personal lessons as the instructive gifts and not seek teacher after teacher to show us the way? What if our inner truth and authentic story held the wisdom of our path and we only needed to be present and live within the moment to learn fully what is being offered for our progress, growth and fulfillment?

Can you see yourself as love, not simply being loved or offering love? What if love were the core of your essence and everything that emanated from it became love, sought to love and brought back love. Imagine!

Yes, the only answer can be, Yes, it must be so! Blessings ~ Lisa

©COPYRIGHT 2013 Lisa Meade