6 Things I Do with Every Client

No matter what energetic skill level and capacity a client has when they come to work with me one on one, we end up working on these 6 fundamentals, and it universally makes a huge difference.

I have shared some form of this framework with almost every single private mentorship client for the last few years--people who are newer on the path and get overwhelmed going to the grocery store, people who have some energetic tools but maybe not everything they need, and even well-established practitioners who may have a blind spot about something fundamental to their practice.

The reason these 6 things are so beneficial and universally applicable is because these are the Foundations of Energetic Mastery.

These 6 things build the solid foundation of your energy practice.

These 6 things make all the "fancy" work possible. These are essential skills for things like channeling and mediumship, shamanic extractions and soul retrieval.

These 6 things will save your butt when you feel overwhelmed, depleted and stressed out.

These 6 things will bring you back to center when things in your life go sideways and you're too distracted to channel the angels for guidance.

These 6 things are deceptively simple, but simple is effective.

A lot of people who already have some training in energy work think they have the fundamentals mastered, but then I show them these 6 things and their eyes go wide. They say, "No one has ever explained it to me like that before. I didn't know I could do that. That makes so much sense. Will you please teach me how?"

Here are the 6 things:

The Foundations of Energetic Mastery

1. Awareness

This is the foundational skill that makes all the other pieces possible. Your awareness is your ability to sense and assess your body and etheric field, to discern what energy is yours and what is not, as well as to determine the presence, location and other relevant information regarding blockages or interferences in your body and energy field. Your awareness is your ability to direct and project your consciousness like a voluntary muscle. Your awareness is foundational to your energetic regulation and radiance.

2. Clearing

Clearing is your ability to release and send away any energy that is not yours, or things that are yours that you don't need anymore. Clearing releases hidden and trapped emotional residue, old karmic patterning and soul blueprints, trauma and traumatic imprints, energetic parasites and psychic implants, stagnation, other people's energy, and more.

3. Grounding

Grounding enables presence. Grounding helps you anchor your consciousness firmly into your bioform, the cells in your body, and to Gaia. Grounding is your ability to be stable and resourced in your presence, and to call upon the aliveness in your body and the Earth.

4. Centering

Centering brings you back home to yourself. This practice calls all parts of your Self, your energy and your attention back to wholeness with you. Centering is also where soul retrieval comes in to support healing from soul loss and fragmentation.

5. Cultivation

Cultivation brings in energy from Earth, the Heavens and Source to increase the amount of energy in your field, as well as your capacity to hold it. Cultivation practices give you radiant aliveness, raise your vibration, support thriving health and well-being and enable you to practice high-demand energy work like incorporation mediumship.

6. Protection

Finally, Protection acts as a semi-permeable membrane to help you conserve your energy and regulate yourself efficiently. A lot of people think it's important to start with Protection, but this is actually the final step.

In which of these 6 things are you most confident? Which one feels the most challenging to you?

Do you want help with this in your own practice?

I've got you covered!

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Most spiritual practice is like cleaning your house

Most spiritual work is like cleaning your house.

It’s mundane, but very necessary, and things get really yucky when you don’t do it.

If you’ve been following my work for a while, you’ve probably heard me talk about this before. Yes, it’s time for another article about how spiritual practice is actually very unglamorous, contrary to a lot of what you might see on social media.

And friends: that doesn’t mean it’s not beautiful, meaningful, powerful, miraculous and life-affirming. It is all of those things, and more.

But on the day-to-day basis, spiritual practice is more like cleaning the toilet.

Imagine you didn’t regularly clean your house. I am pretty sure every single one of us has gone too long without vacuuming at some point in our lives, so we all know the feeling. You get used to the piles of paper, the dust bunnies in the corners and the scuzz in the sink.

And then, a guest is coming over! Time to recycle all the junk mail. Time to vacuum up the pet hair and scrub the gunk.

And wow, it feels great. The sink is so shiny. The counters are clear. Your socks are no longer covered in pet hair because the floors are clean.

Cleaning your house feels way more dramatic and miraculous if you don’t do it often.

Spiritual practice feels way more dramatic and miraculous if you don’t do it often.

If you only clean your toilet once a year, it is going to feel like a f*ing revelation when you finally do.

If you clean your toilet before it actually gets yucky, it is going to feel sort of mundane and potentially unnecessary.

If you don’t have a consistent and regular spiritual practice, the moments when you do tap in and connect are going to feel like the clouds parting, a beam of sunlight illuminating your vision as a choir of angels serenades you with your favorite song.

If you do have a regular and consistent spiritual practice, you will probably reach a point where it feels boring and potentially unnecessary, because it is working so well.

One of the most significant benefits of spiritual practice is helping you be regulated and stable in your life, no matter what. This sounds super unglamorous, but I promise it’s easy to regulate your energy when things are going well and a whole lot more difficult to do so when shit hits the fan.

When things go sideways, as they do for every single one of us, your spiritual practice will help you maintain your inner equanimity.

Your spiritual practice will help you not lash out from hurt feelings or anger.

Your spiritual practice will help you process your grief.

Your spiritual practice will help you find joy and hope in the darkest moments.

Your spiritual practice will help you be kind to yourself and others, even when it’s more convenient to be unkind.

Your spiritual practice will help ground you and keep you from dissociating when you feel overwhelmed.

Your spiritual practice will help you access your intuition and inner wisdom when you feel lost.

Your spiritual practice will help you love, even when you’re hurting.

Your spiritual practice will help you tune in to the wisdom of your body when you need healing.

And yes, your regular and consistent spiritual practice will help you connect with high-vibration divine beings, have transcendent epiphanies and receive cosmic downloads. Your spiritual practice will help you sing songs to the spirits, experience magic and synchronicity, expand in love and joy, and feel more connection and beauty than you ever thought possible.

But the most beneficial support your spiritual practice can offer you is to help you be more at home in yourself and present in your life, which will make the biggest difference when you need it most.

Healing Through the Timeline: Trauma, Ancestors and a New Earth

You may have heard me mention a “shitty breakup” that took place last fall. In fact, the nightmare of those four days took place exactly six months ago this past weekend.

To give you a little bit of context, my ex and I were together for two years. There was a lot about our relationship that was really good and loving, but we simply weren’t right for each other. We “officially” broke up last summer, but continued for all intents and purposes to be in each other’s lives as partners because we loved each other so much. So of course, I was fully invested in supporting her with her big annual event: a four-day in-residence retreat in September.

The specifics of what happened at that event are not important for this story. All you need to know is that my partner of two years broke my trust more hurtfully than I ever thought possible, in a way that was completely out of integrity at every turn. Even worse, this betrayal took place during a time when I put everything else aside to help her and support her vision. Even worse still, I was stuck at this event for four days in a leadership role. I couldn’t leave, as I was responsible for her event attendees. My only option for external support was two other staffers who knew what was going on and helped me hold it together in front of 60+ people. During that time, I called deeply upon my own reserves of resilience and self-love. All you need to know is that those were four of the most challenging days of my life, and I’ve been healing and processing the resulting lessons and trauma in waves for the last six months.

Please understand, I’m in a good place now. In fact, I’m super impressed with myself and the amazing healing work I’ve done. (Self-hug. Good job, Michelle!) Overall, I have grown into a much healthier, more vibrant and alive place than I’ve been in a long time. And even though that challenging experience gave rise to so much growth and goodness, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t hard as f***. Even six months later, I still have the occasional wave of trauma echoes rolling through, and I get to roll up my sleeves and practice grace and compassion.

One such wave came through in a big way last week, and it's directly related to that powerful Full Moon. (Did you see it coming up huge and orange the other night???)

I felt “off” all day Thursday and Friday. I felt tender, reactive, volatile and like my energy was blocked. I did my practices, canceled everything that wasn’t important and took care of myself because I could tell something big was ready to shift.

On Friday night, I woke up promptly a few minutes before 3am. (The time period of 3-5am is when a lot of energy healing and psychic activity takes place. Usually I’ll wake up at that time if there’s deep healing work to be done, or Spirit really wants my attention.) Instead of feeling exasperated or resentful as I sometimes do when nudged awake at this hour, I asked with calm curiosity, “What do you want me to know?”

Immediately, I knew that I was being haunted. I rarely use that term, but the word “haunted” popped unmistakably into my mind, and I felt a lingering energy present with me. I asked if I was being haunted by my ex. “Not exactly.” I felt some of her energy but it didn’t feel like her, specifically. I asked if I was being haunted by anyone or anything else. “No.”

Then I saw a vision of myself from six months ago, and I realized that I was being haunted by this past version of myself. I looked awful. The energy around me was sharp, hot and fragmented, like shattered glass. I also felt a lot of wetness (grief is a very “wet” emotional energy). This version of me from the past looked enraged, on the verge of tears, and ready to explode. In other words, I saw myself as I felt during those four days.

I maintained the feeling of calm curiosity as I surrounded this vision of myself with love and compassion. As I soothed this Self, I was transported back to the event. I saw my Current Self standing next to my Past Self. I saw my Current Self at times literally with my hands on my shoulders from behind, offering love and support to my Past Self. I literally had my own back. I watched myself walk by my own side through every trauma of those four days. My Current Self held my Past Self as I sobbed in rage and grief. I got to relive one of the most hurtful experiences of my life from the perspective of six months down the road, knowing that I am whole and illuminated on the other side of this challenge. I got to support my Past Self from a place of empowerment, grace and feeling secure in my own health, well-being and aliveness. Instead of simply remembering the event as my Past Self, I got to re-experience it with my Past Self, with all the perspective and grace of my current reality. And it felt completely different.

Take a moment and let this sink in: I got to retroactively go back and offer myself healing through the timeline (Energetic Principle #1, above). Read on.

When I think about my lived experience of the event, I remember how supported I felt, even in the midst of four of the worst days of my life. Despite the devastating feeling of betrayal and horrible disillusionment, despite feeling bitter, trapped and alone, I remember feeling almost surprised at how much loving energy I felt around me. I remember several moments when I looked around and almost laughed at the astonishing juxtaposition: on one hand, a key area of my life was actively falling apart in irreparable damage. On the other, I felt more connected, supported and loved than I had any logical reason to feel.

I know now that, during the event, the support I felt was coming not only from my Guides and Teachers (as I thought at the time), but also from my Current Self offering healing that positively impacted my past experience (Energetic Principle #2, above). Read on.

Two of these moments in particular stand out:

On Saturday night after the main event of the evening, I made my way back to the staff house I shared with my partner. I didn’t even know if she would come back that night, or if she would find somewhere else to stay. Regardless, I felt sickened, physically nauseated and shaking from head to toe. Then the weirdest sensation came over me, and I watched as my hands started packing up all my things. Literally, that’s what it felt like. I didn’t consciously make the decision, but somehow my body was moving as if someone else had taken control and was telling it what to do. I watched my body move calmly around the space and was fascinated at the precise care and assuredness my hands exhibited, while my heart and mind felt anything but calm. At the time, I simply marveled at the feeling and let it happen.

The other night as I lay in bed and watched this vision, I saw my Current Self packing up my things at the event. I watched myself calmly and firmly guide my Past Self to take the necessary steps to remove myself from further harm, just as I would guide a friend or client in the middle of a traumatic situation. What I experienced in the moment at the event was my Current Self directing my movements, during a time when I was incapable of making grounded decisions and taking empowered action. Just like my friend describing the car accident, I experienced the visceral feeling of receiving my own, retroactive healing during the traumatic moment itself.

The other big moment of healing I experienced directly while at the event took place that night as I lay awake in a fiery rage. After wandering around and finding absolutely no available beds (short of dragging a mattress into the van), I had decided to sleep on a narrow cot in the next room, rather than stay one more second in a bed I had shared with my partner. I lay seething, wracked with grief and rage in equal measure, and used my breath to open my channels and allow the energy to flow. Suddenly, I was overcome with bliss. I didn’t consciously understand it, but I knew somehow that I had shifted out of the raw pain and into the pure life force at its core. I didn’t question it, I simply let myself dissolve in that bliss and be revitalized by it.

The other night as I watched this vision, I saw my Current Self kneeling beside the cot, placing my hands on my Past Self and offering all the healing love and compassion in my heart. And I saw the practices and intention I had at the time combine with and respond to this healing through the timeline. In the past, I experienced it as an inexplicable gratitude and euphoria. But now I know that I was able to retroactively heal and alter my lived experience of an incredibly traumatic circumstance. I felt healing take place the other night as I offered love to myself in the past, and I felt healing even while at the event, as I received love and blessings from myself in the future.

When I eventually did go back to sleep the other night, I knew that some profound healing work had taken place. Indeed, the next several days have felt much lighter and clearer.
 

TAKEAWAYS:

(If you decided to skip ahead, resume reading here.)

• I was guided by Spirit to offer healing energy to a past situation, and it worked.

• I experienced a profound and immediate relief by offering healing energy through the timeline. I feel the effects of this healing not only in my current reality, but I also experienced the benefits during the traumatic incident itself.

• As citizens of Earth and Lightworkers on this planet, we all received a powerful Priest/ess activation from the Virgo Full Moon. We are all being prompted and activated to offer healing energy throughout the timeline for the benefit of All Beings.

• As we are empowered Creators building a New Earth, we have the opportunity to offer healing to our ancestors, to our own past lives, to our descendants and to the future of Earth.

• It is vitally important that we use this Sacred Work to offer healing through the timeline, not only to clear and heal trauma from the past, but also to set the course for our future, personally and collectively.

• At a time of tremendous uncertainty and fear, a lot of people are asking, “What’s going to happen?” Friends, we answer that question every day with our choices, our prayers, our words and our actions. Instead of asking what the future holds, part of the Priest/ess path is the Sacred Work of anchoring in the frequency of harmonious alignment, joy, peace and right relation that spans throughout the timeline. The Sacred Work is to lovingly guide our planet and all beings to live in alignment with frequency, and create a New Earth in that vision.

  Get Support:

  Are you ready to step fully into your Embodied, Wild Self and offer powerful healing throughout the timeline, for the benefit of All Beings?
  
  Apply now for Embody Wild™ 1:1! Check out the details and submit your application here.

Practice Prompts For You:

(This is a new style so I'm open to feedback on this variation of Practice Prompt--let me know how you like it! One prompt each for ceremony, journaling, movement, discussion and inspired action.)

Ceremony: Hold a Full Moon ritual for yourself (if you haven’t already)

Journal: What is my Sacred Work?

Move: Ask your body how it wants to feel, move and express your Sacred Work. Dance, roll, stretch, walk it out.

Discuss: With a friend/family/community member, talk about the concept of healing through the timeline. What past challenges and traumas would you like to heal for yourself and for the planet? What future healing would you like to see for yourself and for everyone?

Act: What ONE inspired action step can you take TODAY to move in this direction?

Get Support: Are you ready to step fully into your Embodied, Wild Self and offer powerful healing throughout the timeline, for the benefit of All Beings?

Apply now for Embody Wild™ 1:1!

Why you probably don't have an entity (and no one is attacking you)

I have learned to never be surprised by the shit people tell me, or by people contacting me out of the blue with some truly wild stories. Seriously—my email is a fascinating read. I regularly receive messages from random people that range from two sentences to a few pages long, and most of these emails include the person’s assumption that they have picked up a harmful entity, and/or someone or something is attacking them. Occasionally, people request an exorcism.

My response to these people varies, depending on the level of wackadoo in the email. I will usually offer support in the form of resources and practices to ground and strengthen the field. (I tell them, “go watch this podcast episode, do these practices for a week and then let me know how you’re doing.”) If the person seems relatively grounded and stable, I may invite them to do some sessions with me.

Interestingly, the people that I give practices to never circle back around with me. Seriously. Not once. This astonishes me, because in my mind, if I thought I had an entity and a Shaman told me to do something to support my system, I would do exactly what they told me.

Of the people I have worked with who came in thinking they had entities, attachments or were being attacked by someone or something, care to guess how many actually did?

Answer: a small handful.

In other words, over the 15+ years that I’ve been studying and practicing Shamanism and healing work, the percentage of people who think they have an entity or are being attacked, who ACTUALLY have an entity or are being attacked, is tiny. Like, maybe 5%.

So, what’s going on with the other 95%?

Without fail, the other 95% of people do not actually have entities or attachments, and are not being attacked by anyone or anything. Instead, they are feeling their own Shadow, and ascribing their discomfort to something outside of themselves.

Here are a few notable examples:

1. Several years ago, a woman contacted me about getting an exorcism for her 8-year-old granddaughter. She described the situation and I tuned into the field. Did the granddaughter have an entity? Answer: no. She was just being an 8-year-old and processing a lot of trauma in the only way she knew how—by screaming, acting out and going from zero to tantrum at the drop of a hat. I offered healing work (not an exorcism) and the woman said no. I believe she went on to have her granddaughter exorcised by a priest. (Cringe.)

2. Last year, a client came to me who thought he had entities that were making him tired and depressed. Did he? Answer: no. He was processing his own Shadow and metabolizing energy on behalf of his lineage. We did some very powerful healing sessions that released ancestral trauma, rewrote some unhealthy soul contracts and supported him in stepping into his empowered soul work and purpose.

3. Recently, my ex asked me if I was “sending her bad juju.” When I asked for clarification, she said she felt a lot of bad energy coming from me and was physically afraid for her safety. She thought I was attacking her. Was I? Answer: of course not. The fact that she thought I would further illustrated the wisdom of that separation. What was actually happening? She was most likely processing her Shadow and pain body magnified by our breakup.

4. A while ago, a woman reached out about her son. She was concerned for his health, and thought that he might have an entity or attachment. It turns out that the boy’s father had died in a bad way and that the boy had been the one to find him. Did he have an attachment? Answer: in this case, yes. The father’s spirit had attached to the boy.

These are only a few examples, but my god, people! The level of story-making blows my mind. Why do people so quickly jump to the conclusion that they have an entity, or that someone or something is attacking them? How did this become a thing?

I have a few thoughts on this:

1. Generally speaking, most people don’t understand the principle of Shadow or Shadow Work. For our purposes in Shamanic and Alchemical philosophy, the Shadow is “that which is unseen or unintegrated.” If people are confronted with their Shadow, it’s probably something they’ve been avoiding and it makes them uncomfortable.

2. If people aren’t used to being uncomfortable, they will try to explain their discomfort by assuming something is wrong, rather than “I’m processing trauma” or “I feel really bad about my decisions” or “I’m learning some really hard lessons right now,” and letting that be okay.

3. Projecting the discomfort to an external source means that people don’t have to take responsibility for it. If they’re not ready to own the energy and actually move through it, it’s a lot easier to blame their off-ness on an entity or an attack.

4. If people think there is an external source to blame, it means they get to be a victim, and they don’t actually have to change themselves or their behavior. Instead of looking at how they are creating or contributing to this experience, people think that the problem to be fixed is simply getting rid of the entity or stopping the attack.

5. Pop culture has glorified and misrepresented possession, entities, psychic attacks and all sorts of other bullshit. Yes, all of these things do exist. Yes, it is possible to be possessed, to have an entity or attachment, and energetic attack is totally a thing. However, it is not the most LIKELY explanation. Far more likely is the Shadow Work explanation. Occam’s razor, people: the simplest solution is probably the correct one.

The next time you’re moving through some uncomfortable energy and wondering if you have an entity or are being attacked… stop. It’s probably just your own Shadow. Here’s what to do:

1. Regulate your energy. Use energetic and physical practices to clear, ground, cultivate and protect your field. If you don’t know any of these techniques, tune in to my podcast, Shaman Sister Sessions. Katherine Bird and I offer lots of tools and practices.

2. Once you’ve regulated your field, assess how you’re doing. Ask yourself some guiding questions to learn more about your experience. Examples include:

   • What energy is moving through me?

   • What part of me is asking to be seen?

   • What am I getting out of this experience?

   • What part of me is asking to change or transform?

3. If you still need help, contact me! Yes, I know how to do exorcisms, but you probably don’t need one. Instead, we would most likely work on supporting your field, metabolizing unprocessed energy, healing trauma, actualizing your purpose and bringing you into your fullest, most empowered expression in the world. Isn’t that more fun than an exorcism?

When these people who contact me choose to show up and work with the Shadow, the results are incredibly powerful. Imagine consciously and lovingly working with the unseen and unintegrated parts of yourself to bring them into a harmonious state. Wouldn’t you love to give yourself that gift? Instead of keeping it surface level and assuming that someone or something else is to blame for your experience, imagine taking empowered agency for your process and transmuting your own Shadow.

Special sneak peek: new Shaman Sister Sessions episode comes out on Thursday! Episodes #92 and #93 are both about Entities, Attachments and Psychic Attacks. Episode #92 continues this conversation about why you probably don’t have an entity. Episode #93 talks about what to do if you do have an energetic attachment. Want access to the episodes? Join Lightworker Portal—the FREE community I created just for you! Get instant access to all the content archives.

Whether you have an entity or not (let’s face it: probably not) the opportunity for you is the same: to transmute your Shadow, to master your energy and to embody your fully empowered sovereignty. Regardless of how you choose to learn this lesson, your own Soul is inviting you to be more powerful and compassionate, and live with more grace than ever before.

This is true Alchemy.

If you find yourself in a situation like this, it's because your Soul is giving you the keys to your own actualization. Even though the energy may feel dense, heavy, insurmountable and incredibly painful, it is this same energy that will liberate you. This is your own personal lead--the heavy base metal that you get to transform into Gold. Your Soul is calling you to step up and alchemize your Shadow into your greatest Light. Your Soul is asking you to alchemize your pain into joy. Your Soul is inviting you to alchemize your grief, your anger, your suffering into grace, compassion and peace.

If you’re ready to say YES to your Soul, I’m here to help.

Do you want to…

• …go from feeling like you’re living at the whims of change, to intentionally choosing your own path of transformation and creation?

• …have a roadmap to guide you through the hardest transformational moments of your life?

• …learn tools and practices that will immediately and noticeably enhance your vitality, health, energy and well-being?

• …know without a shadow of a doubt that you are living your life “on purpose?”

• …feel connected to something bigger than yourself? Do you want to commune with Spirit through this ancient and powerful lineage?

• …use these powerful tools to support loved ones, clients and your community in their journey of transformation and actualization?

Applications are now open for Embody-Wild that will help you heal your Shadow.



Check out all the details here.

Many Blessings,

Practice prompt:

Get comfortable sitting with your Shadow body. Rather than dismissing or avoiding it, practice asking questions like:

• What energy is moving through me?

• What part of me is asking to be seen?

• What am I getting out of this experience?

• What part of me is asking to change or transform?

WARNING: Calling major bullshit on marketing and the path of Self-Actualization

THIS  COMMON  PSYCHOLOGICAL  PRINCIPLE  YOU  HAVE  PROBABLY  NEVER  HEARD  OF  IS  KILLING  YOU.

Just kidding! But you've probably seen headlines and marketing like that, right? That's because most marketing uses aforementioned common psychological principle to attack base-level human needs. This principle is known as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and today, I'm going to share with you:

1. My utter disdain for traditional marketing (barf)

2. How Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and its implications are actually a huge detriment to our individual and collective human experience (actually, it may even be killing us)

3. How you can re-interpret this principle to help you make more money, have more free time, have better sex and get your dream job (but not in the way you think, haha)

Let's have a look at this silly principle. Maybe you’ve heard of the Hierarchy of Needs before, or seen a graphic like this one:

I see this concept tossed around most commonly in the context of marketing. If you also hang around with entrepreneurs, I’m guessing you’ve encountered this, too. The advice I hear from business and marketing coaches always seems to be the same: “Find the universal need that your service provides for people and speak to that.” Usually, this means, “Tell potential clients how your service can help them make more money, have more free time, have better sex and get their dream job.” Ever notice how much coach-y and personal development programs focus on this in their marketing? If you haven’t yet, just keep an eye out and you’ll see what I mean.

This is where I take huge issue not only with “spiritual business coaches” (BARF) and marketing to these base-level needs, but also with the Hierarchy of Needs itself (and the way in which this plays out in social norms and expectations of the collective consciousness). How are we supposed to evolve as a global community if this is our psychological conditioning?

Let’s examine this graphic. This food-pyramid-esque image would lead one to believe that the most vital needs are physiological (I’m on board so far), but as we move up the pyramid, we notice that Self-Actualization occupies the little tiny triangle on top. In between are Safety (health, money, home), Love and Belonging (family, connection, community), and Esteem (respect, status, recognition). That’s where I take issue.

Based on the organization of this hierarchy, we can assume that the need of Self-Actualization can only be fulfilled once all tiers below it are fulfilled, and that needs should be addressed in ascending order.

This is total bullshit.

What happens if we treat Self-Actualization as conditional upon all these other things? What are we costing ourselves by saving it for last?

What people don’t understand is that Self-Actualization will help you satisfy all those other needs, and in a more authentic and fulfilling way. Maslow has it backwards.

Let’s look at a re-interpretation of the Hierarchy of Needs. Here, I re-imagined it from two perspectives: Shadow (unactualized) and Light (actualized). What do you notice about the Shadow and Light manifestations of these needs?

Let's look at an example "Shadow" life trajectory of someone who pursues these needs in a linear fashion, as indicated by Maslow's hierarchy.

Imagine this: someone spends the first thirty years of their life working their butt off to get a good job (Safety), gets married and has two kids before age 35 (Love and Belonging) and finally succeeds in getting promoted to the C-suite (Esteem). They then look around at their life for meaning, have an existential crisis because they don’t know who they are as a person, quit their job, divorce their spouse and go on a quest to “find themselves.” (Think I’m exaggerating? I can name a dozen personal acquaintances and clients off the top of my head who have lived some version of this story. I bet you know at least one person who has had this experience.)

Now you might be thinking, “Michelle, this perspective applies to a fairly privileged subset of society. What about other types of people?” Let’s look at this play out for someone else:

Imagine that our second person grew up in an unstable home environment. They live in an underserved community but they do their best to try to make sure their family has somewhere to live (Safety). Maybe they find community in the form of a gang or an abusive partner (Love and Belonging). They have a child before the age of 20, they struggle with substance abuse but they manage to hold it together enough to make ends meet and eventually secure a decent job (Esteem). …until it all comes crashing down around their ears, they think, “I can’t keep living like this,” have an existential crisis and lose everything. (Yes, I have had some of these people as my clients as well.)

Regardless of the path they took to get there, by the time these people find me, they are often in some state of desperation or dire straits in regards to their personal life path and purpose. They desire depth, meaning and fulfillment. They want their lives to be an authentic, positive contribution to the world. Above all, they want to come into the full expression of who they are as a whole person. And they know that any of these other external factors (home, relationship, career, reputation) won’t ever be fully whole, healthy and stable until they access the full potential of who they are.

Let's examine a "Light" life trajectory through the hierarchy of needs. Imagine now that both of our example people had had access to the idea of Self-Actualization as the primary question that informed the pursuit of these other needs. (Maybe they learned about it from family, or in school, or through other early influences.) Once the physiological needs are met, the next quests are a simultaneous investigation of Who am I?” (Self-Actualization) and “As I learn who I am, how does that version of myself live in the world?” (Safety). The pursuit of self-knowledge informs the journey to achieve safety, and vice-versa. This self-aware person may then pursue the needs of Love and Belonging as this emerging, whole Self. Then, when they achieve Esteem, it comes not from the place of ego-inflated-self-aggrandizement, but instead from genuine self-respect and integrity. This person has more authentic and healthy relationships, more fulfilling career, more genuine self-image and more potential for continued growth and harmonious existence. (In other words, they probably make more money, have more free time, have better sex and work their dream job.)

Maybe you recognize some part of your own path in these examples. What would have been different for you if you had given Self-Actualization just as much priority as these other needs? What could be different for you moving forward if you made Self-Actualization a true priority?

The problem is, most of us are spoon-fed so much social conditioning that tells us that Self-Actualization is a luxury, when in reality, it is the fundamental question of humanity: to know oneself. Instead of encouraging this investigation, our current social structures try to sell us the illusion of safety, love and status. But anyone who markets to the levels of Safety, Love and Belonging, and Esteem is preying on base-level human psychology. And if I told you that by participating in my I AM Alchemy course you would obtain these things, I would be blowing smoke up your ass. I can’t guarantee that for you, and I wouldn’t want to. No one can promise you that. Anyone who does is lying.

Instead, I can invite you to consider your true needs and motivation. Do you just want to make more money, or do you actually want to make more money by helping people with the true medicine of your own enlivened soul? Do you just want better sex, or do you actually want more authentic intimacy and respect with your partner that comes from knowing yourself deeply as a person, and being able to connect on that level? Do you just want more free time, or do you actually want more intentional space in your life for creating meaningful experiences that will nourish and uplift you and your family? Do you just want the “dream job” that looks good on paper, or do you actually want a career that challenges you to grow as a person, fulfill your life purpose and contribute positively to the planet?

Embody Wild won’t help you make more money, have better sex, have more free time or get your dream job.

But it will help you find out who you really are. It will teach you tools of self-inquiry, mastery and power. It will give you the space and freedom to discover the magic of your own soul and create your life according to the blueprint of your fully actualized Self.

Embody Wild is not a course for results-oriented people who want instant gratification. Embody Wild is instead a course for those who understand that there are no shortcuts to self-actualization, but that once you embark on this path, the world opens up before you and anything is possible. Embody Wild is for those who are ready to prioritize their own journey of meaning. Embody Wild won’t give you the answer to those other levels of need, but it will show you how to create it for yourself.

...and applications for Embody Wild are open now. If you're ready to see what Embody Wild holds for you, begin the process by submitting your application here.

Are you ready for self-actualization, which will give you the keys to everything else?

Many blessings,

Practice prompt:

Let's look again at this re-interpretation of the Hierarchy of Needs. Take a moment to consider your own life path and trajectory.

Without judgement, what do you notice about yourself and your patterns? How are you engaging with the Shadow and Light interpretations of these needs? What does that mean for your process of Self Actualization? Where do you see yourself in each of these areas?

Are you depressed? No, it's just Alchemy!

Did you know that 1 in 6 people in the US will suffer from depression at some point in their lives?

I've had a really tough month, and a few days of last week were particularly challenging. (Remember last week's article I sent out about the School of Shamanic Underworld Initiation? At one point last week, I Googled "am I depressed?" out of curiosity just to see where I was on the scale. I don't qualify as experiencing clinical depression, but I'm definitely moving through some pretty heavy energy. Oof.

So if I'm not experiencing depression, what's happening?

...why, ALCHEMY, of course!

Did you know that the process of Alchemy is divided into a series of three phases, the first of which is known as the "Death Phase?" That's right: the seven stages of Alchemy are grouped into the Death Phase, the Purification Phase and the Rebirth Phase. The Death Phase comes first, and it is no joke.

The Death Phase is also not a metaphor. True, you may not actually transition out of your physical body, but the version of yourself that goes through this phase actually dies. Structures in your life crumble away. People often enter into the Death Phase through loss of a loved one, ending a relationship, losing a job or a home, health crisis, or other disaster-esque experiences. The Death Phase is characterized not only by loss of the physical structures, but by the release of emotional and energetic charge that accompanies this process (people experience this as grief, fear, sadness, anger, mourning, trauma response, etc).

Side note: are you wondering how "real" this Death is? I received an unmistakably obvious vision about a week ago. In this vision, I saw myself (a future version of me) holding my own body (current self) in my arms and carrying my lifeless corpse into nature. I set down my body and watched (both from inside my future-self and from inside my old body) as my corpse was eaten by vultures, crows and insects. It actually felt quite peaceful and cathartic, and I experienced energy moving while I witnessed my body being eaten.

I am currently in the Death Phase of Alchemy, and it's exciting! The last time I experienced a Death Phase of this magnitude was at least three or four years ago. This time, I am a completely different person with different tools, upleveled wisdom and powerful practices to support me. Bring it on, Death!!! (Applications for I AM Alchemy 2020 are now open)

Here's the thing: even if 1 in 6 people in the US experiences chronic depression at some point in their lives, 100% of people everywhere will experience at least one Death Phase at some point in their lives. Most people will probably experience many Death Phases of varying magnitudes. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this--the Death Phase is a natural and necessary part in the cycle of Creation and Transformation.

The problem is that we live in a society that glorifies Rebirth and rejects Death, to the point where most people experiencing this powerful Alchemical phase usually think that something is profoundly wrong.

I am absolutely NOT saying that everyone who experiences depression is "just" going through the Death Phase of Alchemy. However, I do think that our society is so under-educated about the Death part of the death/rebirth cycle that most people never fully process and integrate their Death, and thus never fully experience true Rebirth.

If  Transformation = Death -> Purification -> Rebirth,  is transformation actually possible without fully surrendering to Death? Are we doing ourselves a huge disservice by only focusing on what we're growing into, and not fully processing and releasing what we're leaving behind? Can we honestly say that we have "transformed" if we launch our unintegrated selves into Rebirth?

Unfortunately, this seems to be the case for many. A lot of people gloss right over the Death part and right into something new. Even more unfortunately, there's a lot of this in the "spiritual" community. (Ever see a "spiritual" teacher or coach focus exhaustively on the "positive," to the point that they ignore and gloss over anything that's not "of the light?" This is A: super shaming, and B: unrealistic of how energy actually works.)

Death has a stigma. Depression has a stigma. Experiencing loss and pain and emotional discomfort all have so much stigma. People avoid talking about it, but by avoiding pain, we never fully integrate it. By ignoring Death, we never get to receive its gifts.

Of course it's more fun to think about Rebirth. Of course it's more socially acceptable to focus on chasing the big, awesome version of our lives that we imagine. Of course it's a lot prettier to ask, "What's the best that could happen?" Of course I probably grossed some of you out by describing my vision. (Not sorry. Shamanic truth dilutes itself for no one.)

...but Alchemy is here to teach us that Death is a sacred ally. Alchemy, this ancient mystery school, has so much to teach us in our modern context where everyone experiences Death and no one wants to talk about it. Alchemy is here to call major bullshit on our collective resistance to examining, processing and sitting with things that are profoundly uncomfortable. Alchemy is here to remind us that, if it feels like you're dying, it's because you are... and that Death is necessary in order for Rebirth to occur.

Remember how I said that the last big Death Phase I experienced was 3-4 years ago? Do you want to know what's different this time? This time, I am not freaking out. This time, I feel empowered in this experience, because I know:

• Alchemy has a very logical set of teachings to explain my experience.

• Alchemical philosophy perfectly describes my current state as the Death Phase in the cycle of Transformation.

• I am currently experiencing the first two stages of Alchemy: Calcination (burning) and Dissolution (dissolving), both of which comprise the Death Phase.

• I have specific tools and practices for working with all stages of the Alchemical process, including the Death Phase.

• I have experienced success with these tools and have evidence that the teachings of Alchemy support the cycle of true Transformation.

• I have supported my Alchemy students through their own Death Phases, and they all benefited from these tools.

People, it's not a question of IF you'll go through the Death Phase, it's a question of WHEN. And when you do, do you have the tools you need to feel empowered? Do you have what it takes to be fully present with your own Death? Do you know how to fully process and integrate the destruction of your life so that you can gracefully shift into a true Rebirth?

There are tools for this, and I want you to have them.

If you want to feel empowered the next time a Death Phase shows up in your life, you need Alchemy.

If you want to truly master the process of Transformation and feel confident in your ability to move through great loss, you need Alchemy.

If you are ready to go from overwhelmed and "am I depressed?" to self-confident and "bring it on!!", you need Alchemy.

Applications for I AM Alchemy 2020 are now open!

...and to all my people out there currently going through their own Death Phase, know that there are so many people (myself included) who are right there with you. I see you. I feel you so much. You are not alone. It is okay to feel everything you are feeling. I get it, and I love you.

Blessings,

Inspiration

The School of Shamanic Underworld Initiation

Are you ready for a big announcement???

Drum roll, please...

I am going back to school!!!

Now, I know you might be thinking that this seems sort of unexpected. Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are! Let's just say an opportunity fell in my lap that I can't possibly ignore. This special invitation is beckoning me to continue my studies, deepen in my practice and step into my Mastery more than I ever have. How could I say no?

Would you like to know about this school?

Again, drum roll...

I'm happy to announce that I'm attending the school of Shamanic Underworld Initiation!!!

Hahahahaaaa okay, please forgive the joke. But for real, y'all, if you've been through an underworld initiation of your own, you know as well as I do that it can school you harder than pretty much anything else. (Based on my previous studies, looks like I'll be going for my PhD.)

What is Underworld Initiation?

For those of you who might not be familiar with the term, an Underworld Initiation (also known as Dark Night of the Soul) is a Spirit-led initiation through the Shadow mysteries, usually precipitated by a big life change or traumatic event, and characterized by ego death, radical transformation and rebirth in a new, elevated form.

...that is, if you do it right.

See, the thing about underworld initiation is that most people don't seize the opportunity, and instead hang out in their confusion/trauma or never completely go through the necessary catharsis. Some of the most common ways that people avoid fully moving through their Dark Night of the Soul are through distraction (which can take many forms, including relationship, career, shopping, hobbies, internet/TV, food, etc), medication and substance abuse.

But when we're fully present to an underworld initiation cycle, I am here to tell you that it is crazy powerful and you will come into some next-level magic as a result. It will be pretty fucking uncomfortable, but it is totally worth it.

What do you learn in an Underworld Initiation?

What you learn in your underworld initiation(s) will be different from mine and anyone else's. In essence, you will be confronted with opportunities to shift and/or release your personal shadow patterns and wounding, and come into deeper Self Mastery from a place of authentic actualization. If you're successful, the lesson usually either doesn't show up again, or it shows up in a different way that helps you go even deeper in your Mastery. If you don't make the shift, you're very likely to see a repeat of your Shamanic Underworld Initiation school curriculum the next time around.

Here are some examples of what I've "studied" in previous initiatory experiences, and the resulting uplevel of my skills and mastery (in bold):

• Stepping away from my connection to Spirit, to fully claiming and embodying my holy nature as a Divine Embodied Being, before anything else.

• Questioning my belonging in community, to feeling more connected to a tribe of like-hearted people.

• Abandoning my power, to fully stepping into the expansive potential of my personal magic and my gifts, and using my power with ease.

• Feeling abandoned by loved ones and community, to cultivating healthy relationships with a group of supportive humans who I know have my back.

• Home and financial crisis, to internalizing my sense of safety so I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have what I need, and resulting stability and abundance.

• Not trusting myself and my intuition, to always standing by what my inner wisdom tells me, even if other people don't believe me or listen. I trust myself fully, no matter what.

• Embodying the Wounded Healer archetype, to embodying the Empowered Healer archetype and stepping into my authentic service.

• Receiving manipulation and abuse, to loving myself so much that I only accept loving and compassionate treatment from others.

• Feeling like a powerless victim of my circumstances and my emotions, to being able to confidently draw upon the infinite wellspring of my personal power and life force in order to transmute energy for healing.

• Lack of boundaries, to boundaries, boundaries, boundaries! (Okay, I'm still working on that one in certain areas, but I'm much better than I used to be.)

I feel very confident that I have completely shifted many of these, but there are still a couple lessons that keep showing up in the cosmic syllabus, along with new stuff! I'm so excited about this learning opportunity, I could scream!!!!!!!

Do you know the best part? Every time we return to the school of Shamanic Underworld Initiation, we have more tools. We have additional perspective and information from the intervening years, we have more people in our corner to support us, and we have even more capacity to move a massive amount of energy. Best of all in this case, I actually know what underworld initiations are now, and I know how to let myself go into them without completely losing my shit (there are moments where it gets a little dicey, but I'm much better at being uncomfortable than I used to be). Don't worry--if it feels like you're dying, it's because you are!

How do we get into the school of Shamanic Underworld Initiation?

...why? Are you thinking, "that sounds great! I want to go to that kind of school."

If so:

1. You're crazy. You do not want to volunteer for this kind of learning if you can do it in a different way.

2. You don't choose the school of Shamanic Underworld Initiation. It chooses you, whether you like it or not.

You might be thinking, "But, Michelle! You sound kind of excited about this. What gives?"

Well, friend, I wouldn't say I'm "excited." Again, it's super uncomfortable and I definitely would prefer to not be having this experience. But it is fair to say that I'm leaning into it with a certain degree of good humor and "fuck it, let's do this." I can guarantee you that I fought tooth and nail to avoid going into this underworld initiation, and hahahahaaaa of course that didn't work. But now that I'm here, I am going to make the best of it and seize the opportunity for some major lessons in Mastery! (I keep flashing back to May: this is exactly the feeling I had when I didn't make it on the ferry back from Orcas Island and had a 7-hour wait at the ferry dock. I genuinely felt as cool as a cucumber and in good humor, even though I 10000% would rather have been on the ferry. I made the best of it and did fine once I was in the experience.)

What are some tools for a successful Underworld Initiation?

I'm so glad you asked! Based on my experience, here are some of the most important things you can do, regardless of your particular lessons:

• Do not avoid your process. Do not avoid your pain. Whatever it is, be present with your feelings and allow yourself to completely receive their gifts and messages. Even the most painful circumstances hold powerful medicine, and you'll miss it if you're distracted.

• That being said, it's okay to step back from your process every now and then! Go watch a movie. Hang out with friends. (It's a balance. Don't overdo the checking out, but don't be a masochist hero.)

• Reflection is an amazing tool: journaling, meditation, counseling, talking with friends.

• ...but make sure to receive inputs of new information and energy so you're not just spinning around in your own shit! Read articles, get perspectives from different people, tune in to my podcast (link below), get some outside wisdom.

• Move energy on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, Spiritual. Make sure you have practices to support this (movement practice, breathwork, mantra, crying, journaling, energy healing). I AM Alchemy is a great resource for all of these.

• Ask for help. Whether it's from loved ones, community, or a professional, it is vitally important to receive support and remember that you are loved.

• Remember that if it feels like you're dying, it's because you are: the old version of your Self and your life is dying. Yes, it hurts. Yes, it's okay to grieve this. But keep in mind that you're growing into something new and you get to claim it whenever you're ready.

You know what? After writing all of this, I actually am kind of excited. I can look back on previous rounds of "school" and see how they were instrumental in my personal and energetic education. As a result of these Shamanic Underworld Initiations, I received concentrated growth and learning within short periods of time. I have these initiatory experiences to thank for aligning me with the process of Alchemy (applications for I AM Alchemy are now open), cultivating a comfortable relationship with Death and Sacred Destruction, and coming into strong allyship with associated spirit guides and deities. Some of my strongest medicine comes from these experiences.

I know that these periods of my life when I was most uncomfortable were also incredibly valuable training grounds for my gifts, my resilience and my ability to work with big energy. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

(Have you experienced Underworld Initiation and wish you had more tools for next time? Are you experiencing one right now? I recommend applying for I AM Alchemy to give you tools and support to move through these lessons!

Many blessings,

Inspiration

How to Deal with Energy Vampires

Energy vampires are everywhere. Sometimes they're obvious (that friend who seems to suck the life out of a room and whom you care about but feel really tired after talking to them), and sometimes they're super sneaky. Sometimes they seem like awesome people on paper. Sometimes they are so good at hiding in plain sight that they successfully attract lots of juicy, vibrant people to feed on.

Guess what: the "spiritual" community is not exempt from energy vampires. In fact, there are probably more of these "hiding in plain sight" vampires in the spiritual community than almost anywhere else. They're practitioners, they're "spiritual" business coaches, they're shamans, they're speakers. They have a foothold in a community of heart-centered people. They are sneaky, and they are gross.

I don't mean to sound dramatic about this (it's all very deal-with-able), but I recently encountered one such energy vampire. It's been a while since I've dealt with an energy suck of this level, so I wanted to share with you the process I went through in dealing with this vampire so you can apply it to your own experiences.

Here are some of my favorite tools and practices for when you inevitably encounter one, yourself!

How to Deal with Energy Vampires

1. Trust your intuition. You are not crazy.

If you feel like something is off, something is probably off. Even if this person is saying all the right things and it seems like there's something wrong with you for not wanting to be around them, I guarantee you will eventually find out why. Better to trust yourself from the start.
 

2. Step away.

Once you've identified the energy vampire, do what you can to create some space (energetic and physical) between you. It will be easier for you to maintain your field if you're not in immediate contact with this person. If for some reason you can't take physical space from this person, create space with your energy and your body (avoiding eye contact, turning your body away, placing others between you and the vampire).

2. *****Alternative step for confident and advanced practitioners only!!!!!

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unless you are extremely confident in your energetic boundaries, you feel well-resourced and are ready to be extremely uncomfortable (and probably make other people uncomfortable, too). Instead of stepping away and creating space, lean in and "poke the bear" to see what kind of energy you're dealing with. The vampire will either back off or come at you harder. In this particular circumstance, I threw some darts to see what would happen and the results were downright nasty. The process was incredibly unpleasant and has made my energetic cleanup a little more challenging, but it confirmed for me exactly what I was dealing with. Totally worth it. And totally disgusting.
 

3. Assess your energy.

After you're no longer in contact with the vampire, do a scan and assess your energy body. What do you notice? Is your energy relatively intact, depleted, raw, reactive, etc? Are there cords or attachments? (Answer: probably.) If so, where? Are there energetic implants or traces from the vampire? If so, where and of what kind? Make sure you assess all the layers (physical body, emotional body, mental body, etheric body.)
 

4. Take appropriate action.

This is where your different tools come in. Depending on what you notice in your assessment, the tools and the order in which you use them may vary. Some of the tools you might use include:

• Grounding

• Movement practice

• Rest and replenishment

• Cord cutting

• Energy clearing

• Emotional Alchemy

• Reviewing and altering energy signatures

• Energy/entity removal

• Soul retrieval

• Re-upping your protection practices

For more information on tools for dealing with energy vampires, check out this episode of Shaman Sister Sessions:

Again, these people are everywhere. Some of them don't know what they're doing and are using vampirism to take energy from others because they are deeply wounded and don't know how to support themselves. And unfortunately, there are plenty of vampires like the one I faced off with who know exactly what they are doing and are really good at getting away with it.

I hope you find this helpful. It is my deepest hope that what I share with you (today and always) is useful to you and helps all of us step forward into more empowerment, confidence and integrity. When I encounter people like this vampire, I get really angry. I feel incredibly protective of my community (that's you), and I want to take a stand for ethical energetic practices.

A Shaman is responsible for the health and well-being of their Tribe. A Priestess is a temple keeper and guardian of the Sacred Work. As a Shaman and a Priestess, when I come across a manipulative narcissist masquerading as a loving leader, my inner Sacred Warrior rises up, sword in hand, to declare:

Not in my house. Not in my temple. Not in my Tribe. I commit to always taking a stand for you, my community. I commit to always advocating for love, integrity and Truth. I commit to holding a fierce boundary when necessary. I commit to doing this Sacred Work for the benefit of All Beings, and for the Earth herself.

Want to know more about other ways to protect and cultivate your vital life force energy?

Whether you are an existing or aspiring practitioner, healer or coach, or whether you want to spend 12 months walking the Alchemist path as part of your personal journey of Self Mastery...

if you want to bring practical application of real-time magic and alignment with Universal forces of creation to your life, I AM Alchemy is for you.

I see you. I love you.

Many blessings,

The Empowered Healer Checklist

Over my 15+ years of training and practice, I've found that there are a few key essentials that make all the difference both in my personal practice and in my ability to offer healing to others. These were essential skills that I imparted during my 7 years teaching Reiki, and continue to teach to my private clients and Alchemy students.

...Do you want to know what they are???
 

How do you know if you're an Empowered healer?
Use the Empowered Healer checklist to find out!

The Empowered Healer Checklist

Every Empowered Healer should feel confident in these 5 key areas:

1. Energetic Anatomy: You know how energy naturally moves through the body and energy centers. You can identify different layers of your energy body, direct flow of energy and tell if something is out of alignment.

2. Clearing energy: You can comfortably and confidently use purging, releasing and cleansing techniques to clear the different energy bodies. You know how to clear trapped emotion, old energetic residue, other people's energy and stagnation.

3. Grounding energy: You know how to safely ground into Earthly and embodied energies. You know how to return all parts of your energy back to your body and create a solid container.

4. Cultivating energy: You feel confident building and cultivating your energy field. You know how to increase the vibration and the amount of energy in your field, and safely work with it.

5. Protecting energy: You know how to create a non-defensive protective field. You feel comfortable setting and asserting energetic boundaries, especially in stressful or chaotic surroundings. You know how to keep your energies safe.

If you answered an enthusiastic YES to all of these, congratulations! You're an Empowered Healer!

Were there some points where you didn't feel so confident? Did you see some areas where you would like to grow and feel more comfortable?

Applications for I AM Alchemy are now open. Whether you are an existing or aspiring practitioner, healer or coach, or whether you want to spend 12 months walking the Alchemist path as part of your personal journey of Self Mastery... if you want to bring practical application of real-time magic and alignment with Universal forces of creation to your life, I AM Alchemy is for you.

Are you ready to go from being "just another healer" to a Fully Empowered Master of Transformation?

Apply now for I AM Alchemy 2020!

Journal/Meditation prompts:
 

Who am I as an Empowered Healer?
What dreams do I have for myself in my Healing abilities?
What do I need to learn or be in order for that to happen?

As Long as it Takes

I don't usually use this platform for movie reviews, but... holy cow, y'all! I watched a documentary over the weekend that has me inspired, activated and deeply reconnected with my Inner Warrior.

When I began delving into my study of Shamanic Astrology several years ago, I learned that Aries is activated for me in a few different areas of my chart. Aries is one of these signs that we see portrayed as strong-willed and independent, but one of the ways I like to think about this archetype is through the lens of the Peaceful Warrior. Aries pushes the edges not for the sake of conflict, but because the eternal question burning inside them asks, "What is possible?" Aries is the Pioneer, the Wayshower, the one who climbs the "impossible" mountain to discover within themselves that it can be done, and to pave the way for others.

The film I watched literally portrays two such Peaceful Warriors in their quest to climb an "impossible" mountain.

The Dawn Wall (available on Netflix) follows world-class rock climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson as they attempt to successfully free climb the notorious 3,000 foot Dawn Wall of El Capitan in Yosemite. In the interest of not giving away spoilers (because I really, REALLY encourage you to watch this film), I'll share with you a couple of my takeaways without referencing specifics. If you watch it and want to email me what you got out of the film, I would love to hear from you!!!

One of the repeating themes in The Dawn Wall was the idea of "as long as it takes." This showed up not only during the actual attempt, but in the preparation. Not only had both of these people practiced climbing for pretty much their entire lives, but Tommy Caldwell had climbed El Capitan for years. When he decided to try the Dawn Wall, he spent six years researching and testing possible route sections across the sheer rock face.

When is the last time most of us spent six years devoted to mastering a very specific task where the outcome was so uncertain?

We live in a culture of instant gratification and guaranteed results... which, when you think about it, is inherently antithetical to true Mastery. The state of Mastery is an uncertain outcome with an uncertain timeline--but we do know it's a long-haul journey. As Bruce Lee famously says, "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." In other words, the best way to be effective and powerful in a given skill set is to simply practice it over and over, as long as it takes to master it.

Not only did Tommy and Kevin practice the Dawn Wall over and over, but they failed over and over. One thing that drives me crazy is hearing stories about someone who achieves "overnight success," when in fact, they spent years out of the spotlight developing Mastery and cultivating their skills, often failing more than they succeed until they get it right. Tommy and Kevin were in this journey for the long haul, which included years worth of injuries, setbacks, emotional toll and bloody fingers. True Mastery is a journey that tests us on every level, and offers us thousands of opportunities to walk away. Those who are committed to the journey, even with no guaranteed outcome, will show up for as long as it takes.

Back to that burning question, "What is possible?" There was no climbing route on the Dawn Wall when Tommy first considered it. This was uncharted territory in every sense of the word, that would require not only physical strength and endurance, but also creative ingenuity, emotional resilience, fierce commitment and dedication, lots of support from community, and a colossal investment of time and energy.

And yet, Aries is the keeper of the Spark--the catalyst, the tiny explosion of a match that eventually leads to a bonfire. When we ask "what is possible?", we strike a match. It's up to us whether the match goes out, or whether we nurture it into a full, blazing flame.

By nurturing that tiny spark, true Warriors push the edges of what we as a society deem "possible." All of a sudden, the seemingly impossible enters the realm of "doable," and paves the way for others to not only push their own edges but go beyond to become Wayshowers of the next frontier.

We may not all be world-class rock climbers, but I promise you that we each have an opportunity to embody our Inner Warrior in other ways. What is your Dawn Wall? Where is the question, "What is possible?" pointing you? What are you willing to show up for, to practice over and over, to fail at over and over, and to ultimately master?

Whatever your own Dawn Wall may be, know that I'm right there, climbing beside you... as long as it takes.

Are you ready to go from being "just another healer" to a Fully Empowered Master of Transformation?

Apply now for I AM Alchemy 2020!

Inspiration



"I have a very distinct goal all the time that I'm working toward, and I love the way it makes me live."

~Tommy Caldwell

Soul on Fire

What sets your soul on fire?

As creators, we know that participating in the creative process requires a massive amount of energy to get a project, idea or brainchild off the ground. We are quite literally bringing a new entity to the world with a life force and a purpose all its own, and until that brainchild has enough energy and momentum to sustain itself, it survives by borrowing life force from its creator.

What do our creations ask of us in order to fully actualize?

I consulted the Sacred Creators Oracle. The card that came up immediately caught my attention:

"Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire," was one of the messages.

Have you ever read an oracle card description that feels like it's you talking to yourself? That's exactly how this felt: the words, language and messages were the same as my own ponderings and the questions I ask myself.

Right now, the creation that is asking the most of me is I AM Alchemy. This course spent about four years as an evolving and expanding set of ideas and philosophy before it was born last year as an intensive training. As we head into the second iteration of I AM Alchemy, there is definitely more momentum and infrastructure, but the creation process is not without its growing pains.

Every day as I shepherd this project into greater degrees of its unfolding, I have the opportunity to practice being fearless in pursuit of bringing to life that which sets my soul on fire... or rather, showing up even in the face of fear.

Because I AM Alchemy truly does set my soul on fire. This course epitomizes my most deeply heartfelt passion: it provides tools to empower those who are ready to step into their own fully empowered Creatorship to be masters of transformation in the world and bring their own sacred visions to life. Those of you who have joined me for the Taste of I AM Alchemy classes have witnessed my excitement and heard me exclaim how strongly I believe in the teachings and principles of practical magic.

As I participate in this process of Sacred Creatorship, I get to ask myself:

What is this creation asking of me in order to fully actualize?

Right now, I AM Alchemy is asking me to believe enough in myself to know that I can bring this work to life. It is asking me to trust that I have the skills and capacity to deliver this sacred knowledge to the world in an effective way so that it can work its magic. I AM Alchemy is asking me to trust that this work is powerful, accessible and that it makes a difference in people's lives.

Dear Creator, what are your creations asking of you at this time? How can you be fearless in the pursuit of that which sets your soul on fire?

If you want to feel confident, masterful and fully trust yourself as a practitioner...

If you are ready to cultivate a soul-aligned practice that supports your life...

If you are ready to master your intuitive gifts, your training and your craft by mastering your Self...

Apply now for I AM Alchemy.

That which sets your soul on fire is ready to be born.

Journal/meditation prompts:
 

What are my creations asking of me at this time?
How can I be fearless in the pursuit of that which sets my soul on fire?

7 Keys for Mastering Your Craft

What does it mean to Master Your Craft?

How do you know when you have?

Whether or not you're currently a practitioner (healer, bodyworker, yoga teacher, coach, naturopath, etc), we all have a craft. And I know, since you're here, that you have a vision for what is possible by mastering your craft.

One of the biggest fallacies I have seen over and over in my practice (and one that I have been guilty of, myself) is one that continues to plague the Spiritual and self-development community. And it drives me effing bonkers.

Maybe you know someone like this. Maybe you've been in this position, too! Either way, I share this with you because I believe it's one of the most fundamental components for any practitioner. The fallacy is this: many people try to master their craft without the internal process of mastering themselves.

I've shared articles with you before about the path of Self Mastery and its implications on our personal and professional lives. In fact, I designed a year-long intensive training course that helps empowered practitioners master their Craft by mastering themSelves. If you want to trust yourself as a practitioner, feel confident in your intuitive gifts and your service, build a thriving practice that supports your life and create the biggest possible impact for your clients and for the world...

Turn your energies inward.

Come home to yourself.

Master your craft by mastering your Self.
 

How do we do this, exactly? What do Masterful Practitioners have in common?

Funny you should ask! I wrote a guide for you that answers that very question:
7 Keys for Mastering Your Craft. (Don't let the name fool you--it's all about Self-Mastery.) This guide offers 7 things that all Masterful Practitioners incorporate into their practice, as well as journal and meditation prompts for you so you can incorporate them into your own practice!

Scroll down for the guide. Happy integration!

Many blessings,

7 Keys for Mastering Your Craft

Strong and Consistent Personal Practice

In order for them to be effective and powerful in their work, masterful practitioners know that they must cultivate health and vitality in all areas of their life: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Personal practice serves as a microcosm for the rest of our lives, and masterful practitioners prioritize their personal practice so they can successfully support their own energies as well as their clients.

Journal/meditation prompt: What do I do every day that supports my health and vitality? What specifically does this practice do for my body, my mind, my heart and my spirit? What fills me up the most?
 

Radical Self Awareness and Continual Inquiry

Masterful practitioners know themselves from the inside out, and they know that there is no “arrival.” We are never “done” our process of actualization and development—the best way to support our clients and be effective changemakers in the world is to remain in close contact with our own process so we can ensure that we’re showing up authentically, fully and clearly.

Journal/meditation prompt: Tune in with the subtleties of your body and your energy field. What do you notice? Are there any hidden, trapped emotions or beliefs that show up? How can you create space to get to “know yourself” and who you are becoming every day?
 

Self-Trust

This is different from blind faith or confidence: masterful practitioners trust themselves because they know themselves well (see previous point) and have lived experience of their own capability, capacity and resourcefulness. Even if the circumstance is new, masterful practitioners trust themselves to call upon their reservoirs of self-awareness and life experience to effectively navigate the situation.

Journal/meditation prompt: State the affirmation, “I trust myself completely.” As you do so, notice what sensations or emotions arise for you. Ask yourself, in what ways do I trust myself? In what ways do I not trust myself? How do I relate to self-trust? How do I want to embody self-trust?
 

Congruence

The way we do something is the way we do everything. Masterful practitioners embody congruence, meaning that all areas of their life and practice exhibit consistent traits and principles. A non-congruent practitioner might teach nutrition and self-care, but go home every night to binge on sugar and television. A congruent practitioner fully embodies and aligns with their practice in all areas.

Journal/meditation prompt: How am I embodying and aligning with my practice every day? In what areas am I congruent? In what areas am I incongruent? What action steps do I need to take in order to come into congruent alignment?
 

Practice is Fully Grounded and Integrated

Masterful practitioners have a seemingly effortless relationship with their practice. Their work seems to flow through and from them, as an extension of their very being. This “effortlessness” actually comes from having processed and integrated their work so deeply that every cell, every facet of consciousness and every action aligns with their practice. This energy and wisdom live fully in their body, and they draw upon it without having to think about it.

Journal/meditation prompt: How have I integrated and grounded my work? To what extent is my practice fully embodied? What remains to be integrated? What steps do I need to take to ground in my work?
 

Less Is More

Have you ever been around a practitioner who simply seems to help you feel brighter by their mere presence? The energies are subtle, words are few and precise, but incredibly effective. Masterful practitioners know that less is more: they do less and have more impact. By filling a session with doing, there is less room for being. Masterful practitioners know that true healing and growth
happens in the spaces between doing, and create plenty of room for being.

Journal/meditation prompt: What is my relationship to doing? What is my relationship to being? How can I do less in order to be more effective and have more impact?
 

Healthy Relationship with Shadow

All Lightworkers must have a healthy, grounded relationship with Shadow as a sacred ally. Masterful practitioners know that “negative” emotions and energies are neither good nor bad, but merely represent one polarity of the spectrum. Instead of demonizing the Shadow, masterful practitioners welcome it as a valued teacher. They have an active working partnership with Death and the Sacred Destroyer, and know that Shadow may also work in service to love.

Journal/meditation prompt: What is my relationship to Shadow? What does this say about me? How do I want to relate to Shadow? How is Shadow an ally in my life and practice?

Are you ready to go from being "just another healer" to a fully empowered Master of Transformation?
>>>Apply now for I AM Alchemy 2020!

Cycles of Power: Winter

Cycles of Power

Many people view time and energy as a linear trajectory: we experience a series of sequential events and threads that make up our lives. In reality, time and energy function much less like a line and more like a spiral. Energy naturally fluctuates, and as the saying goes, what goes up must come down (and go up again, and so on), following the Universal Law of expansion and contraction.

By bringing awareness to the cyclical nature of energetic movement and our own cycles of power, we learn to align our own personal energies in the most effective and efficient way with cycles of power that exist outside of us. Think about it like a current: it is much easier to swim with the current than against it. Swimming against the current is inefficient, tiring and you have little to show for your exertion. Working with Cycles of Power is like learning to swim with the current at all times—less work for you, greater results and you get to enjoy the ride.

In this case, we’re working with the Cycles of Power that we witness in the change of seasons. Shamanic tradition teaches us that each season has its own suite of associated energies. These seasonal signatures offer us clues as to how we can align our own energies to effectively “swim with the current.” Let's take a look at what Winter energy holds:
 

Seasonal Signatures of Winter

• Energy: Yin

• Direction: North

• Signatures: Silence, stillness, rest, hibernation, integration

• Guides: Animals of “structure” (such as Bear and Elk) and strong Tribe (such as Wolf)

Autumn asked us to harvest the seeds we planted and begin the journey inward, and Winter asks us to fully arrive home within ourselves to rest and replenish our energies. Consider the fields in Winter: the crops have been harvested, the soil turned under and left to rest until Spring. This is the season to offer that to ourselves so that we can fully integrate the energies of the year and be ready for the next Spring. Here are some ways you can orient yourself to Winter magic:

Aligning to the Cycle of Power of Winter

• Sleep more than you would any other time of year--how much does your body actually want to sleep? How can you include more rest in your day?

• If you default to listening to music in the background, try turning it off and tuning in to the silence.

• Even if you have an active personal practice (exercise, moving meditation, etc) add in a few moments of stillness. Maybe include an extended Shavasana in your yoga practice, or shift your movement practice in a more Yin direction. Restorative yoga, Yin forms of Qi Gong, stretching and rolling out your body are great for this season.

• Take a moment to review your year. Winter is the time of integration--what needs to be processed from 2018? (Stay tuned for a special Solstice article from me for more tools on this!)

• The guides of Winter orient our energies to hibernation, structure and Tribe. Consider hosting or attending intimate gatherings to share stories and build connection.

I invite you to take some time before the Solstice on Saturday to sit with your intentions for Winter. See below for some helpful journal prompts!

Applications for I AM Alchemy are now open. Calling all Lightworkers! Whether you are an existing or aspiring practitioner, healer or coach, or whether you want to spend 12 months walking the Alchemist path as part of your personal journey of Self Mastery... if you want to bring practical application of real-time magic and alignment with Universal forces of creation to your life, I AM Alchemy is for you.

Many blessings,

Journal Prompts:

• What do I notice as I turn my energy fully inward? How does it feel to fully "arrive" in myself?

• What is my relationship to stillness? Where is my life asking for more stillness? What does that look like?

• What in my life needs rest? What needs to be restored or repaired?

• How am I engaging with my Tribe? How would I like to engage with my Tribe?

I invite you to journal for 3-5 minutes on each prompt, and allow yourself to slow down and tune in. Take some space on Friday to honor this process and allow yourself to fully arrive in your own Winter!

What is the core purpose of your calling?

What is the core purpose of our calling?

For all of us Soul Aligned humans out there, living "on purpose" is a significant component of our awareness. Whether you're a professional Lightworker Soulpreneur, or a Lightworker spreading love through your life path, awareness of our Sacred Purpose is a compass point we all attune to in order to stay true to our inner North.

...and yet, what is the greater purpose that we serve by following our calling? Does that get lost in the shuffle? If we're tuning in to the compass point of our calling, what is the ultimate "destination?"

Last week I had a conversation with a woman who wanted to put on a workshop around compassionate communication. After listening to her ideas and thoughts, I reflected back to her that I didn't hear a very clear idea of the purpose behind her workshop. She replied with confusion that she would have thought the purpose was obvious: we're all human and it's a good thing to communicate with compassion.

As we discussed further, it became apparent that while she felt the calling of offering her Compassionate Communication workshop, she was not clearly connected to the core purpose that this workshop would serve in the greater context... of her work, and of her own Sacred Purpose. I lead her through an exercise called "For what purpose?" so that she could have a clearer view of not only this individual workshop, but of her work as a puzzle piece within the larger whole.

Lightworker, what is the core purpose of your calling? How do you connect not only with the immediate steps in front of you, but with how this calling serves a purpose beyond you? What is your personal contribution as a piece in the cosmic puzzle?

Having access to this awareness provides us not only with the calling immediately in front of us, but with some context around the ultimate, core purpose of why we are orienting ourselves to this particular North.

Would you like to know exactly where your inner compass is leading you? If you would like to practice the "For what purpose?" exercise, here is the formula and an example:

Our "For what purpose?" formula goes as follows:

1. Statement A.

2. Statement A, for what purpose?

3. Statement A, so that Statement B.

4. Statement B, for what purpose?

5. Statement B, so that Statement C.

6. Statement C, for what purpose?

7. Statement C, so that Statement D... until you reach the point where there is no higher purpose.

You get the idea. Let me give you an example:

1. My path is calling me to offer I AM Alchemy: Master Alchemist Training.

2. My path is calling me to offer I AM Alchemy, for what purpose?

3. My path is calling me to offer I AM Alchemy so that my students may fully remember and reclaim who they are and trust their innate gifts.

4. So that my students may fully remember and reclaim who they are and trust their innate gifts, for what purpose?

5. My students may fully remember and reclaim who they are and trust their innate gifts, so that they can come into their full Self Mastery and Creatorship.

6. So that my students can come into their full Self Mastery and Creatorship, for what purpose?

7. My students may come into their full Self Mastery and Creatorship, so that they are empowered to participate in the creation of a New Earth.

8. So that my students are empowered to participate in the creation of a New Earth, for what purpose?

9. My students are empowered to participate in the creation of a New Earth, so that all beings on Earth and the Earth herself may be aligned to the frequency of love.

Your turn to try it!

...and I would love to hear from you! If you feel called, please comment once you have completed the exercise and let me know what you discovered in that exercise!

From one Lightworker living "on purpose" to another, keep it up!

Applications for I AM Alchemy are now open. Calling all Lightworkers! Whether you are an existing or aspiring practitioner, healer or coach, or whether you want to spend 12 months walking the Alchemist path as part of your personal journey of Self Mastery... if you want to bring practical application of real-time magic and alignment with Universal forces of creation to your life, I AM Alchemy is for you.

Many blessings,

What is the filter of the guidance you're receiving?

Self Mastery

Original Medicine: the purest, most authentic expression of one's core essence (the I AM).

Original Medicine: the actualization and translation of the core essence into one's lived experience.

It's amazing how the core essence of who we are and what we're doing in the world can be right in front of our faces, and yet it sometimes takes years of practice, learning, falling down and peeling back the layers to see it properly and remember who we are.

Sound familiar?

As a child, I lived my Medicine effortlessly. I spoke fluently with animals and nature, I saw energies and played with the life force all around me. I intuitively worked with crystals and offered healing energy, all before the time I was 12 years old.

My Original Medicine came from sheer Grace, innocence and an uninhibited dance with Spirit.

I never fully stepped away from my sense of Self, but as I grew older, I started to realize that not everyone experienced magic the way I did. Thus began my journey of hiding my heart, of playing it cool and trying to fit in.

When I began studying and practicing Shamanism at age 15, I only told my immediate family.

When I began my Reiki training while earning a degree in biology at University, I pretended not to care when my classmates scoffed at my suggestions that perhaps energy healing might have a role to play in modern medicine.

When I traveled and lived abroad, I was careful not to let anyone observe me praying and living my magic, because I was already an outsider.

Throughout all that time, even though it took place under the surface, I learned to consciously understand and work with my Medicine. I received initiations, I listened to guidance from mentors, I practiced my intuition, I honed my abilities and brought the understanding of my Medicine into my mind.

I had become a student of my Medicine, but I still hadn't claimed it fully.

I started publicly practicing and offering my work to the world. I flexed my healer muscles and began to implement what I had learned.

Suddenly, I was thrust into a Dark Night of the Soul initiation cycle. I entered one of the most traumatic periods in my life, when it felt like I might lose everything: my family, my community, my health, my trust, my life and my connection with Spirit.

In this Dark Night of the Soul, it was my Original Medicine that saved me.

Even though I had fallen so far that I had almost forgotten who I was, I still experienced flickers of magic that helped me remember just enough. The call and power of my Medicine gave me the strength to claw myself out of a dangerous situation, and begin the arduous journey of healing my wounds of forgetting.

For that period, I had stepped away from who I was. I had abandoned my true nature, my innate wisdom and I had placed myself in harm's way.

As soon as I remembered who I was, the power of my Medicine came flooding back.

Over the past several years, I have grown from an Adept in my Original Medicine to a Master of Self.

I have brought my work back into Spirit, returned to a state of ease and once again felt that effortless embodiment of magic.

As I reclaim my own Self Mastery, I once again feel the Grace and effortlessness that I had experienced in my Original Medicine as a child.

But this time, that Grace comes from a full-circle investigation of my Original Medicine.

It comes from consciously recognizing and choosing every day to walk my path.

It comes from Self Mastery.

It comes from who I AM.

...just as YOUR own Self Mastery comes from your I AM.

As I consciously claim my Self Mastery and connect ever more deeply with who I AM…

...I AM witnessing people find the courage to remember who they are and not shrink from the greatness of their purpose.

...I AM guiding Lightworkers to fully understand and trust their innate wisdom, and feel empowered to know that who they are and what they are is enough.

...I AM supporting fellow empaths, intuitives, healers and practitioners as they rediscover their Original Medicine and their most authentic service.

...I AM watching people claim their role as the magical creators of their lives.

...I AM witnessing leaders and changemakers step up with conviction to usher in a new Earth.

I AM...

A SHAMAN

I walk in both worlds of Earth and Spirit, and hold the wisdom of the ancestors. I guide you to attune to the power of your own lineage.

A LIGHTWORKER

I AM here to resonate the frequency of a New Earth by embodying and shining my Heart Light, and helping you find this light within yourself.

AN ALCHEMIST

I know and align with the cycles of transformation, and teach you this process so that you may Alchemize yourself into the true gold of an awakened soul.

A CHANGEMAKER

I AM a master of the cycles of creation and destruction, of Shamanic Death and Rebirth. I support you through these rites of passage as you come into the fullest expression of who you are.

A CREATOR

I have orchestrated the birth of many worlds, and I AM here to hold you in your power as Magical Creator of your own.

A MENTOR

I embody the lessons of this and all my lifetimes so that I may shepherd you through your own teachings and initiations.

A HUMAN

I AM here to love Earth and all her children. I AM here to help us rediscover Spirit in every cell of a living planet. I AM here to witness and honor you as you walk your own, sacred path of becoming.

What This Means for You

You might be thinking at this point: "Okay, now I know more about Michelle and where she's coming from. But how does that impact me?"

My journey of Self Mastery impacts you because:

• I believe that you already have everything you need, and that deep down, you already know who you are. There is nothing I can give you that you do not already have access to, but I can help you find the way.

• The world needs you to live your Sacred Purpose. I know that part of mine is to help you remember and live yours.

• Part of your path is to fully understand, trust and live your innate wisdom. I've been there, and I have some amazing tools to help you.

• You are invited to bring ALL of your Self to our work together. Every single part of you is welcome in our conversations, because it's all a part of your journey. Even the crunchy, shadowy bits. (Especially those.)

• There is no such thing as singular Truth. What is true for me may not be true for you, and there is enough room for that in our container for that to be the case.

I hope that gave you a little bit of insight into where I'm coming from when I offer guidance, inspiration and perspective! I highly encourage you to take a moment to consider the filter of your source whenever you find yourself seeking guidance... whether it's from a loved one, from a mentor, from the internet or from Spirit. Please know that the filter is just as important as the guidance itself.

For my part, it is an honor to be a part of your journey. Thank you for choosing to include me on your path of Self Mastery. I hope you receive what you're looking for, and maybe even something you didn't know you needed.

If you would like some guidance regarding your own journey of Self Mastery, please see below for some journal and meditation prompts!

Applications for I AM Alchemy 2020 are now open. Calling all Lightworkers! Whether you are an existing or aspiring practitioner, healer or coach, or whether you want to spend 12 months walking the Alchemist path as part of your personal journey of Self Mastery... if you want to bring practical application of real-time magic and alignment with Universal forces of creation to your life, I AM Alchemy is for you.

Many blessings,

Meditation Prompt (use as mantra or sit with this idea and see what comes up):

"I know who I AM.
I know what I AM.
I know how I serve."

Journal Prompt:

"What does my I AM Presence want me to know about mySelf? How does my I AM presence want to be expressed in the world?

Self Mastery: The Alchemist's Path

Dear Tribe,

Thank you for continuing to ask the Big Questions. You know the ones I mean...

"Who am I?"
"What is my purpose?"
"What the f*** am I doing with my life?"

If you're asking these questions, you're in the right place.

I enjoyed two deep-dive days last weekend with a mentor of mine looking at some of these Big Questions, but honestly, my biggest takeaway wasn't an answer, and it wasn't even a question in itself:

My biggest takeaway was learning WHY I was asking Big Questions.

One of the teachings we visited over the weekend was the 6 Core Drivers of Human Behavior (originally from Tony Robbins). I was already familiar with these drivers, but something landed for me in a new way when I looked at my primary driver: Significance.

"People who are driven by Significance are those who crave Mastery of their lives," my mentor said.

I had always taken for granted my interest in self-inquiry and Self Mastery, but never before put the idea together with an archetypal driver of my behavior that impacts my choices, my world view and how I offer my work in the world.

You see, this weekend I learned that not only do I want to know myself and practice the path of Self Mastery, but:

I want it to matter.

I want my journey to be important and serve other people.

I want the questions I ask myself and the path of self-knowledge to ripple out farther beyond me than I could ever imagine.

I want the path of Self Mastery to be available to all who seek it.

If you are seeking this path of Self Mastery, read on.

"What you seek is seeking you." ~Rumi

I AM: The One Presence, the God Body, Christ Consciousness; the identification, resonance and expression of the Divine Self.

"Know thyself."

You're probably familiar with this idea.

This particular maxim has appeared in many philosophical and literary works throughout the ages. Its roots go back to ancient Greece and the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, although some historians cite origins even earlier in the temples of ancient Egypt. More recently than Socrates and Plato, however, we've seen this aphorism show up in the works of Benjamin Franklin, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Carl Jung and even in The Matrix film series.

The theme of self-knowledge, and therefore, Self Mastery, has been one of the governing quests of humanity, if not the ultimate investigative journey. Who has not wondered about their identity, their sense of Self, and their place in the world? In fact, I can guarantee that, if you are reading this email, you have asked yourself in some form, "Who am I?"

I've been there, too. In fact, I'm there right now.

When I was playing with some ideas last year about the course that has since become I AM Alchemy, I found myself asking a lot of Big Questions, among them:

"What is actually the point of this course? What is the goal?"

"What do I want my students to learn or achieve as a result of this course?"

"...what the heck do I call it???" (Okay, maybe this isn't exactly a "Big Question.")

I meditated on these questions as I considered not only Alchemical philosophy and its role in the modern world, but also my personal values and desires as a facilitator of this body of knowledge. After all, we are not separate from the work we offer, and I knew that any teachings (especially transmissions from such a powerful mystery school) would be coming through the filter of my own sense of Self.

The school of Alchemy is primarily known in popular understanding as the process of turning lead into gold, but most people don't realize that gold is not actually the Alchemist's goal. In addition to producing gold, the end result of a successful Alchemical process is the Philosopher's Stone, or Ultima Materia: the perfected, fully actualized state that symbolizes the union between Above and Below, or the Heavenly and Earthly Selves. In the case of the Alchemist, the Philosopher's Stone is the fully actualized Self: the embodied state of our Divine nature... the I AM.

In other words, Self Mastery is the path of the Alchemist.

I knew when I was developing the course last year, and I was reminded over the weekend as I sat with my driver of Significance: I want my journey to serve others, and I want the path of Self Mastery to be available to all those Lightworkers who seek it.

This was my intention in creating this course, and this is my greatest desire for my students: that they remember who they are as fully actualized, Divine Embodied Beings, and that they identify, resonate and express their own I AM Presence for themselves and for the world.

When I said that I'm right there on the path with you, I meant it. I know that by offering this course in I AM Alchemy, by inviting my students to ask Big Questions, by encouraging them to explore and examine every facet of their lives through the lens of Self Mastery and transformation, by leading them through the fires of change and asking them to trust that they will make it out the other side...

I am asking myself some Big Questions.

I am examining every facet of my life through the lens of Self Mastery and not taking anything for granted.

I am walking voluntarily through the fires of change and watching those parts of my life that were no longer aligned burn to the ground.

I am having to trust my Self and my path more than ever before, even when it's hard. Even when it means stepping away from things I love. Even when the outcome isn't guaranteed, but I know that if I didn't try I would regret it for the rest of my life.

...because, on the other side of that, is my I AM.

This is what I want for my Self.

This is what I want for my students.

This is what I want for you, if you choose it.

If you are ready to step into your own path of Self Mastery, then I AM Alchemy is right for you. If you are ready to have clear access to your fully actualized Self... If you are ready to come into the fullest expression of your Divine Nature... If you are ready to claim your I AM and inspire others to do the same... If you are ready to walk the Earth as a Divine Embodied Being...

Apply now for I AM Alchemy 2020

"What you seek is seeking you." ~Rumi

Journal prompt:

What am I seeking?
What is seeking me?

Alchemist: You Are a Visionary Thought Leader

Visionary: A person who has a vision for their world.

Thought Leader: A person who can effectively communicate their vision to others, inspiring them to think differently and planting seeds of change.

Raise your hand if you have a vision, a dream or an idea for what you would like to see in the world.

I thought so.

If you're like me, you have lots of ideas that relate somehow to this grand vision of a better world that lives in your heart. You hold this vision, you're connected to the feeling it gives you and when you think about it, something lights up inside you... something that gives you a little fire in your belly and an urge to move forward into making it a reality.

Alchemy is known as the process of transformation, yet before the Alchemist can begin the journey, they must have a vision for the desired outcome. I can guarantee you that no Alchemist started practicing because they were perfectly content with themselves and the world as it is. One of the principles of Alchemy is rectification: the act of putting something right (or in the case of Alchemy, the process of transmuting something into its highest potential form and elevating its state of being). The path of the Alchemist is one of trusting one's Sacred Vision and in coaxing this form into being through the magic of transformation.

Alchemists as Visionaries

A visionary may or may not know exactly where they're going or what the final result will be like, but they usually have a pretty good idea. An Alchemist knows that the end product of a successful Alchemical operation will be the Philosopher's Stone: an elevated, perfected state of matter and consciousness that will inspire and elevate all that comes into contact with it... But the nature of the Stone is unique to the Alchemist, and thus, a mystery until it manifests.

Alchemy, then, is a practice in holding faith in this Sacred Vision, even if we're not exactly sure what it looks like. Maybe your Sacred Vision is an elevated state of improved health and well-being, maybe it's moving into a different career or supporting your family, maybe it's living internationally. Whatever your Sacred Vision, the more connected you are to knowing and feeling it with every part of your being, the more easily it comes about. And just as with the Philosopher's Stone, the final manifestation of your Vision will be unique to you.

Alchemists as Thought Leaders

This was the idea that interested me most. I modified our working definition from what was given in the workshop, and it feels important to explore it further. Let's break it down:

1. A person who can effectively communicate their vision to others.
I want to emphasize here that "effectively communicate" does not necessarily mean "talk about." Rather, I invite you to consider all other means of communication. What if a vision could be communicated through someone's way of being? What if, rather than talking about the virtues of compassion and the vision of a compassionate world, a Thought Leader simply behaved compassionately? By modeling the behavior and way of being, a Thought Leader can effectively invite others to join them in actualizing the vision.

Alchemy is one of the most secretive, mysterious and deliberately concealed bodies of knowledge. Historically, Alchemists wanted to protect this mystery school from those who would misuse or take advantage of the power available through Alchemy, and protect themselves in the process. Therefore, Alchemical wisdom has traditionally been communicated entirely in metaphor, imagery, indirect teaching and through modeling the practice. While none of this teaching was direct transmission, it was nonetheless effective. Alchemical instruction only very recently shifted to include written works and more straightforward communication.

2. A person who inspires others to think differently.
Consciousness is the root of all creation, and thoughts are the manifestation of our consciousness. If you're familiar with the Law of Attraction, you know that "that which we think about comes about." Let's reverse this: if you take a look at your life, you will have a very good idea of what your thoughts have been leading up to this point. If you don't like what you see when you look around at your world, start by changing your thoughts.

An Alchemist knows that their greatest tool is their own consciousness, and their most effective means of change is to shift the consciousness of not only themselves but of all beings. An Alchemist as a Thought Leader will invite others to create a shift in their thinking that is aligned with a shared Sacred Vision, thus harnessing the collective consciousness to move more easily in a common direction.

3. A person who plants the seeds of change.
We live in an ever-changing world, and the Alchemist is the first to acknowledge and ally themselves with the cycles of transformation. After all, once the Alchemical process is complete, we start again at the beginning. Alchemists plant seeds for change, knowing that even the massive oak tree comes from a tiny acorn. All great changes and worldwide paradigm shifts begin with a seed, just as a bonfire begins with a spark.

When I consider the greater implications of my own Alchemy work and the I AM Alchemy course, the possibilities of this particular Sacred Vision become even more magical. I know the power that comes from being the guardian of a Sacred Vision, and the responsibility that comes from actualizing this vision in the world. Yet, that responsibility is a gift to be honored and enjoyed. As a Visionary Thought Leader, the Alchemist walks the sacred path of seeing to the heart of something and beholding its highest potential, and the most cherished honor of communicating this vision to others, inspiring people to align with this different consciousness and planting the seeds of change for this vision to be born.

Together, we Visionary Thought Leader Alchemists are creating worlds.

If you are ready to access your inner Visionary Thought Leader, then I AM Alchemy is right for you. If you are ready to have clear access to the amazing vision you hold for the world... If you are ready to communicate this vision to others through the power of your being... If you are ready to plant the seeds of magic and change in the hearts of those around you... If you are ready for your magical vision to be born into the world...

Apply now for I AM Alchemy 2020

Journal prompt:

What is the Sacred Vision I have for the world?
How can I communicate this vision effectively?
How am I living in alignment with this vision and inviting others to join me in this world?

Access Your Inner Master Creator

Creatorship: active participation in the natural cycles of Universal energy, from a place of fully empowered BE-ing.

Creation is the natural order of energy. Cycles of creation and destruction hold a healthy, harmonious balance of flow in the world. We see this phenomenon in the cycles of the seasons, in nutrient cycling in nature, in the phases of the moon… you get the idea.

Natural Cycles

Often, when we think about the process of creation, we call to mind the idea of “making something out of nothing.” However, as we know from the first law of thermodynamics (also known as the Law of Conservation of Energy), energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but rather, energy can only be transferred or transformed. Thus, creation originates not from nothing, but from recycling, reorganizing and reforming energy that was already in existence into a different vibration.

Your Active Participation

Universal energy is an infinite source with a will and life force of its own. Since we ourselves are made from this energy, we already have the right and full access to work with life force energy. However, one may ask, “If Universal energy has a will and life force of its own, why is my active participation required?” This is where I’ll insert a tiny rant about Bliss Ninnies. There are people (I’m sure you know someone like this, or know of people like this) who have taken the passive approach to life. They have determined that the Universe has a will of its own and that all things move in accordance with this will, and they have stopped there. Some things these people commonly say include, “Everything is perfect,” “I’m just going with the flow,” and “The Universe will provide, man.”

You may also notice that these people are remarkably ineffective at creating change in their own lives, usually hold a lot of stagnant energy and tend to have poor boundaries.

And yet, they’re not totally wrong, they’ve just taken the passive approach. Let’s examine these statements from the active perspective:

“Everything is perfect, because everything is Source, and I am a perfect embodiment of that same Source.”

“I am consciously moving and aligning with the flow of Divine will.”

“I am clear and empowered in my intentions and desires and the Universe is answering my prayers and providing for me, always.”

What is the difference between these two approaches? Mostly, it’s as simple as paying attention. Your active participation in the cycles of creation is a gift and an invitation. You are always at choice. However, keep in mind that your choice not to participate as an active co-creator of your life and of the world is also a clear intention that will be answered in its own way. Better to show up and take an active role.

Fully Empowered BE-ing

The good news is, taking an active role in the creation of our lives and of the world is usually simpler than we think. Put very plainly:

There is nothing that you have to do, other than be who you are.

But just because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. Assuming your place as Master Creator of your existence requires you to claim your fully actualized, empowered state as a Divine Embodied Being. It requires that you remember fully your own Divine origins, remember that you have the right and the privilege to come to Earth to play and learn, and that you have chosen to be here in this body, for this reason.

In other words, mastering the cycles of creation isn’t really about doing anything at all. Rather, it’s about remembering who you are and letting that knowledge spread through every cell of your body and every facet of your consciousness, until your mastery of Creatorship is inevitable.

If you are ready to access your inner Master Creator, then I AM Alchemy is right for you. If you are ready to align with the natural cycles of Universal energy... If you are ready to show up in active participation to collaborate with Spirit in more magic than you ever thought possible... If you are ready to remember who you are and come into the full expression of your Self as a Divine Embodied Being...

Apply now for I AM Alchemy 2020

Meditation prompt:

What would I like to create in my own life and in the world? How can I participate actively in aligning with this frequency through my BE-ing?

Righteous Living: Aligning with Flow

"Please help me to be in alignment with Divine flow, right timing and the Highest and Greatest Good."

Right timing.

I've been thinking a lot about this idea lately. In case you missed last week's article on Wu-Wei (the art of not doing), know that this has been a prevalent theme for me. I find myself asking, how can I be more in alignment with the flow of energy as it wants to move, rather than how I want it to or think it "should" move? And, in doing so, how can I align my own desires more authentically with the natural rhythms and currents of universal energy?

In addition to themes of slowing down and turning our energy inward, one of the signature energies of Autumn, according to Taoist philosophy, is righteousness. Let's look at this for a moment in contrast with self-righteousness:

Self-righteousness: my time, my reasons, my place, my people.
Righteousness: right time, right reasons, right place, right people.

Self-righteousness asserts a degree of ownership and control over the flow of energy, whereas righteousness itself infers a co-creative process of being in right relation with the flow of energy.

When you consider that distinction, what do you notice? What feelings arise in your body? I don't know about you, but when I consider the idea of right time, right reasons, right place and right people, it feels as though my whole body softens with a sigh.

What a relief.

In continuing with the theme of Wu-wei and the active process of not-doing, I am practicing paying radical attention to how self-righteousness is showing up in my life, and how I can surrender attachment and ownership and remove my sense of control from the equation. The sensation and energetic frame this requires feels much like what I find myself practicing when I work with horses.

Last week, the ranch owner asked me to demonstrate to a group of newcomers what it looks like to move a herd of horses with energy and intention. Entering an arena with five horses who are all doing their own thing, getting their attention and asking them to move cohesively as a group with focus and power is the ultimate practice in righteousness. (Oh, yeah--it was also my first time doing this exercise.) I dropped into my breath, noticed my posture shift automatically to a stance of grounded empowerment, and felt my attention move from my conscious mind ("how am I going to get them to do this?") into my subconscious, subtle awareness... the same place my attention shifts when practicing healing or psychic work.

Merely from these small changes, the horses shifted their energy and attention to me. Using the energy of their attention combined with my subtle awareness, I began to move my energy. The horses responded. As we cycled our energy and intention together, we created a feedback that resulted in the five horses running effortlessly together in a weaving pattern, with me simultaneously following their energetic flow and directing and shaping the current.

I'm not trying to be deliberately vague about this--the point is that it's not really a conscious thing. By being in a state of righteousness--reading their energy of right direction, right place, right timing and aligning myself with it--we were able to co-create flow and momentum. If I had kept my energy in my head and tried to assert my direction, my place and my timing, it probably would have fallen flat, resulted in the horses ignoring me or scattering and avoiding my direction.

Last week's very embodied experience of this simple distinction has me looking out for all areas in my life where I can practice righteousness over self-righteousness. The process feels like living constantly in that state of subtle awareness, and noticing how the universe weaves in co-creation with me when I allow it to show me the natural flow. So far, the result has been less effort-ing, less tiring, less time spent, and a whole lot more being quiet and paying attention, while making subtle shifts in response.

If you would like to join me in this ongoing practice of playing with righteousness with the universe, see below for meditation and journal prompts! Thank you for taking this journey with me into the subtle realms... 'tis the season.

This teaching comes from I AM Alchemy, and how to work with allowing energies to flow through you rather than "making" it happen.

Want to know more? Apply now for I AM Alchemy 2020

Many blessings,

Journal prompts:

Where in my life am I living with righteousness? Where in my life am I living with self-righteousness? What in me needs to shift in order to align with righteous living?

Meditation prompts:

What does righteousness feel like in my body? Where does it live in my body? How can I consciously access this energy and use it with intention?

Full Blood Moon Eclipse Magic

Full Blood Moon Eclipse: Friday, July 27 at 1:22pm PST.

This weekend, we get to enjoy the second of three back-to-back-to-back eclipses, which also happens to be the longest eclipse of the century. For those of us in the PNW, we won't get to appreciate witnessing the eclipse visually, but we can still take some time to bask in the energies and set intentions.

This full moon lunar eclipse takes place in the sign of Aquarius: the revolutionary keeper of the Sacred Vision. As part of our I AM Alchemy retreat, we'll be holding a vision quest ritual for the eclipse. Here are some of the themes we're working with as a class:

• Moving into the Separation stage of Alchemy: stepping back to gain perspective, and separating out the pieces of our sacred inquiry in order to understand and evaluate them all.
• Moving out of the Black Phase (sacred destruction) and into the White Phase of Alchemy (reorganization/reconstruction).
• Working with Eclipse magic: playing with energetic polarity and the role of tension and harmonization of duality.
• Designing powerful rituals to amplify energy and participate actively in the creation process.
• Claiming our roles as Visionary Leaders of our lives and of the world.
• Working with powerful planetary correspondences and alchemical calculations in order to align more intentionally to our primary influences.

I hope that gives you some ideas! If you feel called to join us in working Eclipse Magic, please come meet us in the ethers.

Many blessings and happy Eclipse!