While technically I’m a bit behind in my play with Lori-Lyn Hurley’s Sacred Beginnings prompts, Iuckily it matters not at all and today I’m going to do a three for all.
The first prompt: RELEASE.
While probably the thing that pops most to mind when I think of release is the guidance I constantly receive – to release what does not serve me. What’s not mine. What I’m carrying that doesn’t really belong to me and is actually keeping me out of alignment with my true self. For so long this has been an ongoing mantra and I’ve released and released and released. By now I understand it will be something to pay attention to always – it so easy to pick up stuff! But I feel so much clearer about who I really am, so it’s become much easier to see what isn’t me, and hence what needs to be released seems much more obvious than it once did. I celebrate that.
My attention has also moved to another definition of release, and suddenly I’m obsessed with butterflies being released from their cocoons. I’m thinking about the ways we bind ourselves and the courage it takes to free ourselves. I’ve been thinking about timing – how transformation releases us from once was into what is now.
And mostly I’ve been thinking about how fabulous it would be to have a butterfly costume.
The next prompt is FEAR.
I wear an armful of bangles, each inscribed with a bit of poetry I use as touchstones and reminders. One of the bangles is engraved with Mary Oliver’s words:
“I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing as though I had wings.”
I wish I could say I was fearless and brave and powered through no matter what. I’m not. While fear can be a useful response in genuinely physically dangerous situations, that’s not where it shows up in my life, nor probably yours very often.
Fear is such a constrictor. A life constrictor certainly, but also very clearly a heart constrictor.
One of the things I most like about Frank Herbert’s classic book Dune is the The Litany Against Fear taught by the Bene Gesserit.
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing…only I will remain.”
The final prompt for today is MYSTERY.
I love mystery.
And I love this quote from Mary Oliver:
“Truly, we live with mysteries too marvelous to be understood…Let me keep company always with those who say ‘Look!’ and laugh in astonishment, and bow their heads.”
Yes! That’s what I want as well.
Fear is so debilitating … I love the quote from Dune Deborah – truly we need to learn how to be warriors to battle these demons. Thank you as always for the inspiration.
Fil x
So true Fil. And looking at fear a the great debilitator is such a helpful way to approach the energy I think.
I love to think of release as transformation, I’ve never thought about it this way before,
It is a helpful expansive way to look at it isn’t it?