Long story short, I’ve been putting this off.
The world is calling for me to start sharing my voice in a really big way and I thought what better time to birth this new era than on the spring equinox?
If you followed along on my soul journey in 2021, you would know that I’ve been spiritual my whole life, but like most people in my metaphysical shoes, I shut down my gifts. Looking back now, I can see I was built for a world that didn’t yet exist. I felt out of place, alone, longed to go back home, and tried my best to just be “normal.”
I suffered with depression most of my life and although I don’t think back on any one time as being a “spiritual awakening,” I had many on-the-bathroom-floor dark nights of the soul. The thing that continued to get me through the most challenging times in my life was this deep knowing that I was here for a reason.
Divine Timing
Today I got the news I’ve been waiting a long time for. I’m going to be coming into a little money. I have been in the what-am-I-going-to-do phase for about a month now and each time it comes up for me, I gently remind myself that I am safe and supported.
Struggling with Money
About a month ago, I started listening to a Jason Stephenson (my go-to) sleep meditation for Wealth & Abundance, a 21-day program for prosperity. If you’re struggling in this arena, definitely give it a listen. I fully believe it was ramping me up to receive the next level, which came to me through Carissa @manifestdifferently on TikTok. Basically, she received a download about a new world being born and a new way to think about money.
Calling in Aureya
Carissa channeled a frequency called Aureya, a living current of support, soul alignment, and divine exchange. I instantly knew this was for me and so I wrote down her Aureya manifesto so I could add it to my daily rituals. She has since developed a free download with the manifesto, the activation, and a transmutation of our old attachment to the money system to this new frequency of Aureya.
Awakening
What does that even mean? Awakening seems to be a hot topic lately and there is a reason for that. At its root, awakening is used to describe the moment you “wake up” to an awareness that is much bigger than you previously could have imagined. So, while there is more awakening happening at this time than ever before in our lifetime, it’s not new and… surprise, surprise, it’s not ending any time soon. As long as you’re playing this game called life, your experiences will push you to awaken more fully.
I’ve said before that I never really felt like I had an “ah ha” awakening moment. I’ve always been a seeker of new knowledge, so I’ve had a lifetime of gentle awakenings as each new piece of information stretched what I already believed to be true and seamlessly integrated into my understanding of what is true over time.
Becoming Strong
Never in a million years did I expect to start a blog with a story about my cramps, but I checked in with spirit and this is the story that needs to be told today, so hang in there! I was enjoying a quiet moment of puzzling while sipping my morning coffee, when I started to experience strong cramps. This is not a usual occurance for me. I called in reiki energy, laid my hands on my belly, and pressed on with my puzzle.
When I could no longer ignore the pain signals my body was sending me, I told myself “I just need to sit with this for four minutes,” not even fully registering that listening to my body is my full-time job here on earth, not something you allow during a tiny sliver of your day.
You’ve Always Had the Power
This whole process of becoming has been miraculous. I’ve known for a long time I was here for a reason, but I still questioned whether I was on the right path, doing it right, and the biggest question - will I know what I’m supposed to do when I’m needed?
Because I could so clearly see and feel the rift between the old and new ways when I left my job last fall, I knew a big change was coming. At that time, I kept hearing people predict we were headed for another pandemic, but even then I knew that wasn’t it. I remember saying we could feel something big was coming just like we did in the fall of 2019 before COVID, but that didn’t mean it was going to be the same thing. I thought it was more likely it would be something so big that we couldn’t possible imagine it, which was how COVID hit most of us.
Abundance
Six months ago today I walked out of a job that was no longer serving me. I could feel that the structure of the company was based in the power and control old way of being and I’m already firmly planted in the unity and collaboration new way of being. I knew I could not thrive there.
Following three years of unemployment during the pandemic, I had taken the position for a sense of security. Ironically, the nearly two years I spent there did not move me towards feeling more secure, but instead moved me further away from my true center. And even with this knowledge, I find myself stuck in a loop where I think I need a traditional job to provide abundance.
A New Dawn
Long story short, I’ve been putting this off.
The world is calling for me to start sharing my voice in a really big way and I thought what better time to birth this new era than on the spring equinox?
If you followed along on my soul journey in 2021, you would know that I’ve been spiritual my whole life, but like most people in my metaphysical shoes, I shut down my gifts. Looking back now, I can see I was built for a world that didn’t yet exist. I felt out of place, alone, longed to go back home, and tried my best to just be “normal.”
Seeing Through the Weeds
I've decided I need to engage in writing therapy more often. During my soul journey in 2021, I was journaling every day and then translating those musings into real life lessons. The process of purging thoughts through writing helped me better evaluate what my day-to-day activities were showing me on a larger scale. So here I am, ready to start again.
To say I've been through a great deal over the last couple of years would be the understatement of this lifetime. It's definitely too much to download here, now, in this short space. I trust that the lessons I have been learning will come up again, and I will have the opportunity to integrate them more fully and share those experiences as they arise.
Birthing a New Era
Maybe I've mentioned it before, but I've been working on compiling my Grandmother's memoir for quite some time now. It all began in April 2018, after a visit to her apartment on the South side of La Crosse. Around this same time I had increased my focus on reconnecting with my spiritual side and so as I left her apartment on my drive back to Illinois, I recognized receiving a download.
A download to me is a clear, concise message that just drops into my head. I can't even tell you anything about the visit with my grandma that day or if we talked about her memoirs. But driving through the farmlands of Western Wisconsin, I had a clear message "You should write her stories."
Be The Light
It was still mid-August when I packed my bags in Pikeville, KY and departed for Manitowoc, WI. Navigating towards Wisconsin from the southland and Eastern time zone really was beginning to feel as though I was wrapping up my trip. I had one more stop to make in Manitowoc to puppy sit and keep an eye on my brother's teens, but I had these precious twelve hours all to myself and had the freedom to decompress and prepare for the next leg of my journey.
Not having prepared what I would be listening to on the road, I dialed into YouTube and chose the first video that popped up for me, an Abraham Hicks video: Be the Light & You Will Create Magic.
"You're not here to bring light into the world, you're here to be the light."
A Birthday Adventure Part II
We made a pit stop at the Island in Pigeon Forge to visit a puzzle shop, pick up a little candy, and ultimately enjoy a margarita along the riverside. I can't say that our vibe improved too much, but the margarita must have done wonders because we caught a little universal assistance when we just made it to the trolley and back to our car moments before a torrential downpour. We crawled back through traffic across town in the pouring rain before the clouds finally parted for us.
As we neared closer to Pikeville, the sun began to set on our adventure and the roads grew more and more windy. I tensed at every twist and turn in the road and braced myself for the inevitable SUV rollover and subsequent tumble down the mountainside in a fiery crash. So apparently this fear was heights related as well.
A Birthday Adventure
We started out on our birthday adventure to Anakeesta in Gatlinburg, TN bright and early and I was very tired and grateful for my travel mug of coffee I had brought with. The winding mountain roads heading south out of Pikeville always make me nervous, but it is worse when someone else is driving and I don't have any control. Despite my tired eyes, they stayed wide open watching every wind in the road approaching, but perhaps I only commented on it once. Eventually the windy mountain roads gave way to interstate travel and I relaxed into the journey a bit more.
We arrived at Anakeesta around 11am, easily found a parking spot, but had a harder time navigating the waiting lines. Nothing was marked very well, but we managed to get into the ticket line and secure a couple tickets before hitting up the restroom (yes there was just one), and then found the appropriate line to get to the top of Old Smokey.
Deeper Connections
Similar to my arrival in Lexington, VA, as I departed, I saw a pair of deer and they ran alongside my car as if to wish me well on my travels. According to CrystalClearIntuition.com, "A deer represents inner peace, tranquility, gentleness, intuition, graceful action, and self-awareness. They have a strong spiritual connection, as they are aware of subtle energies happening all around them. They can also represent your deeper connections with your close family and friends, bringing unconditional love, belonging, and community to the forefront." Well if that isn't a beautiful message on the tail end of this wild soul journey, I don't know what is.
My hostess had recommended I make a pit stop at Tamarack Marketplace in Beckley, West Virginia, so I set my GPS for the detour stop and settled in to finish up The Worthy Project on Audible. This book has some great exercises and journaling prompts to help move you from an unworthy mindset to a worthy mindset. I still need to do these! I would highly recommend this read for just about anyone, because who doesn't feel less than at some point along their journey?
Last Night in Lexington
Over a month ago now, I woke up to my last full day in Lexington, VA on August 8th. My host prepared a delicious omelet to start the day with a healthy dose of hazelnut coffee on the side. We enjoyed a leisurely start to the day with everyone at home that morning.
I noticed a giant bush of rosemary alongside the house, so when my host recommended he grill chicken with a firehouse marinade for dinner, I offered to make my now famous rosemary potato salad. My hostess agreed to prepare collard greens, a treat I had not enjoyed since my previous trip to Lexington, VA several years ago.
Honoring Your Energy
While my physical Soul Journey has come to an end, there are definitely still stories to be shared. I've been experiencing a slowing down of pace and I am definitely still processing all that I experienced this summer. I have been feeling guilty for leaving you hanging and I swear I've sat down to blog and journal several times without producing any results.
This weekend I'm back in Manitowoc, WI visiting my brother's family and I had a few hours to myself this morning. I got out my laptop and journals and when I opened the bag, I found my deck of Shamanic Healing Oracle Cards, so I pulled a card for my blog and #15 Honoring Your Energy popped out. Well this says it all, so I decided I could at least share this with you. I'm sure you've been in the same boat once or twice yourself and might find this advice helpful on your own journey!
Reunited in Lexington
My Saturday in Lexington, began with the smell of bacon followed by another steaming hot mug of the house blend coffee. Eventually I'd scramble up a few eggs and make myself some skillet toast to go with the tasty bacon.
While my hostess worked, my host busied himself with usual Saturday morning tasks and I headed out to reunite with Lexington. While my host humored me on my last visit and accompanied me to Duke's Lexington Antique Center, this time he let me go off to explore it on my own. The Lexington visitor's website says that Dukes houses 20,000 square feet of antiques and 200+ dealers. I can confirm, that it is the best antique store I've visited on my travels this summer! I found several milk glass treasures along with a couple National Geographic magazines with Coca-Cola ads on the back (four for a dollar!), and a new old Pyrex butter dish with yellow flowers and butterflies on it. They even packed up everything in a box for me to get it back home to Wisconsin safely.
Expectations
My second day in Lexington (Friday, August 6th) began on my own as my host and hostess went off to work for the day. I slept in and enjoyed three cups (!!!) of the Hazelnut coffee my host brewed before leaving that morning. I couldn't let it go to waste after all. I started the day with a breakfast sandwich before retiring to the front porch with my cup of coffee for a little journaling.
My load of laundry called me in to make a switch and the host’s bulldog, Walter, called me to go out to the backyard, so I picked up my journal and my cup and moved the operation to the porch overlooking a fenced-in back yard. A bright blue bee encouraged me to go inside to check on my laundry at just the right moment, so I folded my dry clothes before pulling on my swimming suit and packing a swim bag.
Flow
I arrived downtown Lexington, VA, shortly before my scheduled meeting time with my Lexington host, so I sat in my car while I continued to listen to The Worthy Project on Audible. By the time I made my way up the block to Southern Inn Restaurant, I walked in about 30 seconds behind my host. I surprised him with a big hug and exclaimed "I'm a hugger now!"
We were meeting there because they were hosting a guest bartender to benefit the local Habitat for Humanity organization. The two people with name tags started up a conversation with my host, which transferred to me. They both used to live in Wisconsin and know where my home town is. What are the chances?!
Stories of the Road
The day I departed Surfside Beach, SC for Lexington, VA, I had only 358 miles on my agenda that would take six hours and twenty-four minutes without stops. I hit the road with nothing on my playlist, but found The Year of Magical Thinking, a 90-minute free story on Audible. It slowly unfolded to reveal and older woman whose husband passes away and daughter struggles with her health at the same time.
Heavy, dark clouds overshadowed my journey as I listened to this dark tale, but pockets of brilliant blue sky kept peeking out, offering hope of a brighter future. By 11:30am, the sun had begun to dominate the sky and the clouds were fewer and farther between, leaving plenty of blue sky. I picked up my next free 90-minute Audible called Stories of a Lifetime with Dan Rather.
Spidey-Senses
My last morning in Surfside Beach with my travel companion began just as the rest... she was already up for the day when my first alarm went off and I started my meditation. My second meditation is an exercise in visualization for your day. As I finished that up I had this thought that I had no impulse about what to do for breakfast on this day. Moments later, my companion returned and let me know we had been gifted breakfast at the hotel.
We readied for the day and headed down to the beautiful, ocean-front restaurant. Upon seating, I picked out a tasty breakfast bowl including roasted potatoes, eggs, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, and cheese along with coffee and orange juice. The breakfast of champions! (Or at least those who plan to spend the rest of the day playing in the ocean.)
Step In Time
On Tuesday, I was researching our options for the day and located the blog with Shag movie locations, thinking we could make a tour to explore the different filming sites. I clicked through on several of the links and wasn't finding actual addresses. We had seen The Diplomat hotel already and two of the sites were a good hour drive away.
Although it appears the actual filming site for the Shag competition in the movie had burned down, the blog recommended Fat Harold's Beach Club. It said they had free shag lessons on Tuesday nights. I said to my friend, "Guess what we're doing tonight?!"