Category: Illuminations
Your Brokenness Makes You Whole
When I was a kid in the 90s yin-yang symbols were all the rage. From tee-shirts to posters, everyone was displaying yin-yangs. In Chinese philosophy the yin-yang symbol represents the duality present on Earth. The Yang of bright heat, fire, and action and the Yin of dark soil, water and patience. Together, the two…
What Brings You Alive?
I had been walking for hours with a pack that was heavy as stones. My knees felt like they never wanted to bend again, and my toes had begun to bruise. Backpacking into the heart of the wilderness, at one point I took a wrong turn and ended up having to backtrack for miles….
Is This An Awakening?
I was curled up into myself like a leaf. My whole body hurt, and my brain felt like a helicopter that couldn’t land. It was the very beginning of spring and I felt hopeless. I had been diagnosed with Lyme disease the previous fall and had spent the whole winter trying, unsuccessfully, to heal….
There Is Another World
Just beyond our struggles, there is another world, one where peace and solace prevail. In this world, all endings are beginnings, spring comes after winter and no catastrophe ever goes unhealed. This wider world is not a part of our world— we are a part of it. The wider world called nature is a place you…
The Amphibious In-between
Navigating the world as a sensitive person can be an overwhelming experience. Add in the rigors of living through an ongoing global pandemic and it can feel like you’re jammed in overload. On an almost daily basis, especially when I’m trying hard to keep my life running as normal, I have moments when I…
Who I Talk To When Things are Hard
I still vividly remember the first time I spoke out loud to the moon. I was twenty years old and dealing with life-altering chronic pain. I didn’t have anyone in my life I could talk to about how much I was suffering. Doctors didn’t understand why I was hurting and my carefree college peers…
Finding Rainbows In Storms
A month ago I got a new rattle in the mail. A natural gourd painted with running horses, the rattle seemed like the perfect companion to take with me on my upcoming heritage trip to Europe. Like drums, rattles can help deepen the trance states needed for shamanic journeying. After unpacking, I decided to…
Three Practices To Reclaim Your Power
For a long time, I didn’t know what it felt like to be in my power. I had gotten so used to giving it away, I honestly couldn’t have recognized it. Whether it was stuffing my needs down for the sake of my relationships, pushing ahead with projects even though my body said no,…
