Loving our Shadows

I notice today how easy it is to love my beauty and how challenging to embrace my darkness. Sometimes I behave badly. I make choices that hurt myself and others and then the consequences of those choices leave me with myself, my character defects, my shadows and my darkness. I am grateful that I learn to share these dark places with others that love me and with a Higher Power. Humility is the great outcome of surrendering all of who we are and allowing ourselves to be loved when we feel we deserve it the least.

Learning to love the most hidden and shameful parts of ourselves requires great courage.

Wisdom of Mary Magdalene

“Yes, this is true. We are able to love you, to see you, to know you in ways you are unable to see and know yourself. This is the great gift that we offer and the gift that you resist most.

Learning to love yourself and the places hidden deep within, of which there is the most fear and shame, is the greatest challenge of the spiritual life. It requires great courage. It requires admitting those parts are there. It requires clearing off the cobwebs and digging them out of the cellar and attic and exposing those parts to light.

In the light, there is remembrance, there is pain, there is self-loathing and there is self-hatred. There are tightly wound memories of the painful loss, anger, fear and shame we carry within.

Coming to us means coming to light, and coming to light means peeling off the ways we have kept hidden. It requires loving a part of ourselves we have wanted to forget. It means honoring a part of ourselves we want to keep in the dark.

The courage, willingness and commitment you have to come to us will be rewarded. Bringing to light all the places of hidden pain and woundedness will reap great and lasting rewards.

Your courage will reap freedom. Your willingness will reap great compassion and your commitment to serve will bring healing to the masses.

We love you. Trust your darkness to our light.”

Honest Self-Reflection

There are many times when I want to blame someone else for what I am feeling, thinking or why I am behaving as I am. There are other times that I blame others for the circumstances in my life or for my dissatisfaction of the circumstances. While I do believe that I am responsible for my feelings, thoughts, behaviors and the circumstances in my life, it's still challenging to assume the level of responsibility for it all. For me, there is some payoff for looking outside myself for why it is as it is and something dysfunctionally comforting about believing that I am a victim to someone or something outside of me.

My honesty about this pattern is the beginning of transforming it and fully embracing the emotional and spiritual power that I have to create my life as I desire; without blame or criticism of anyone or anything else.

Next I must surrender myself to a spiritual practice and Higher Power that can assist in healing and changing me from the inside out. Awareness is the first step and surrender is the second.

Here is some writing from "Blessings From Mary" that support honest self-reflection and spiritual connection:

May 14^th

Honest self-reflection becomes the well from which Divine wisdom comes.

Wisdom of Mary Magdalene

“Each person’s journey is uniquely their journey. Connecting with a holy presence is the foundation of that journey and releasing all that gets in the way of this connection is the individual’s soul work to do.

Rigorous self-honesty and a determined will to serve and honor our Divine calling will fuel the journey of self-awareness and spiritual enlightenment. The easy part is receiving the holy blessings that come from Spirit and opening to its abundance. The challenge comes in honest self-reflection and the willingness to release what barriers remain internally.

This is the greatest challenge on the path, allowing complete healing and unleashing of the wounds, the poison and the remaining pus. This can be a painful process, but the clearing out creates space for the receiving of great mercy, wisdom and blessings. These blessings of wisdom give action to the passions inside waiting for full expression in life.

Come to us with your honest, open heart. Allow us to hold you during times of painful self-reflection as you allow for cleansing. We will fill you with Divine love.

This journey has many challenges along the way. You are not alone.”

Creating the Ceremony with Intention

June 15th

The power of your intention will attract synchronicity into your life. Wisdom of Mary Magdalene

The first step in the four step prayer and meditation practice from Blessings From Mary is CREATING THE CEREMONY WITH INTENTION. Our intention is more powerful than I think we often realize it is. When we sit down to do our prayer and meditation and begin with Creating the Ceremony with Intention, it alerts our mind and our spirits of something sacred happening. How we do this is up to us. Here are some suggestions for this initial step:

1) Find a place in your home or yard that you enjoy being. Be sure you are comfortable either on the floor or in a chair where you can relax.

2) Have candles, sage or incense to burn as part of the ceremony. You can also use items such as small totems, photos, rocks or special statues that hold significance for you as part of the sacred space.

3) Once you light the candle or sage or prepare the area, begin to breathe deeply and methodically. Connect with your breath and notice your thoughts, how easy or difficult it may be to focus. Allow yourself to be just where you are and enjoy the space.

Once you create this space for yourself, you will begin to feel the sacredness of it all over time. Our brains begin to experience this consistent time and rhythm as self nourishing and soon you will find yourself relaxing into the space.

Step 2 in the four step prayer and meditation practice will come easily. You will be surprised at what you discover. Stay turned for more information about Authentic Journaling® the next step in Creating a Unique Prayer and Meditation Practice for yourself.

Blessings and love to you on your journey,

Sally

Miracles...

The origin of the word "miracle" means an object of wonder. I have experienced miracles this week.

I know the foundation of my own inner growth and spiritual surrender created a fertile ground for these miracles and still I hold and honor these happenings with great joy and reverence. As I scanned through my book "Blessings From Mary" I discovered there were almost 50 references to miracles in the text and many of these references to miracles begin with honesty and vulnerability.

Today I open myself to experiencing more "objects of wonder" as I surrender what does not serve, open myself to receive and continue to stay awake. I invite you to do the same.

January 11^th

The simple act of meditation and prayer produces extraordinary results.

Wisdom of Mary Magdalene

Today I am awed by how this simple time of sitting down and showing up for my prayer and meditation has yielded such loving and powerful connections with Mary and my guides. Part of me does not believe that I really deserve this time and another part is astonished at how simple and yet profound this practice has become for me. I give this all to Mary and my guides this morning.

“Yes, it is amazing how the simplest behaviors and practices in life are able to produce the most magnificent results. Sitting in the morning, lighting a candle and burning a bit of incense and sage are a simple yet profound ritual. Throughout time we all had practices, ceremonies and sacred spaces that we created with intention to invite holy presence. In this space and through this ceremony, we invite our most intimate spiritual allies to join us and to experience their energy, their mercy and their guidance.

Today we remind you that you deserve the miracles and blessings of abundance that are received from this simple practice of coming to us daily.

There are years and years, sometimes lifetimes, of soul work that is done to clear the emotional debris and embrace the gifts from our woundedness and history. We are here to remind you of your own courage in simply showing up, addressing your addictive patterns and pain and seeking sobriety and connection so that your spirituality can mature.

We remember times you surrendered your grief and shame and started your mornings on your knees seeking spiritual assistance.

With great humility and joy, we offer you these blessings and ask that you honor your own willingness and surrender to the highest good for all things. We honor your willingness and choice to surrender all of your life to us. These are the gifts received by your willingness to walk through your own pain and woundedness.

Simply showing up, with even a small trace of willingness and desire to be of service, over time, reaps the most magnificent of miracles."

Ego Work versus Soul Work

I think that we are all wounded and have shadows and character defects and places in our lives that we wish were transformed. When we embrace our own humanness, we embrace compassion for humanity. One of my personal challenges has been to share my gifts in service and let go of needing acknowledgment. My ego looks for this validation often and it is a place of continued surrender for me. This is from April 18th in "Blessings From Mary."

Our soul’s work is to use our gifts for healing, not for feeding our ego.

Wisdom of Mary Magdalene

“Yes, the discipline and maturity of your emotional and spiritual gifts will provide you this insight. You will see more. You will notice more. You will understand more. This is a gift. This is part of your destiny in service. Honor and embrace this gift of discernment and sight.

The only difficulty comes from trying to convince another of your insight and your ability. This is where your wounded ego takes charge and where discipline comes in. You are responsible for using this gift to be of service to those you encounter. It is not intended to feed your ego by asking for acknowledgment and validation or to be used as a tool for confrontation and/or conflict.

This is your work. The opportunity to do this healing will come to you again and again until your only desire and action will be to use this gift in alignment with the highest spiritual service for all.

Do you see this? Come to us when these insights and revelations come to you. Offer it to us for guidance and discernment of the highest good and then surrender the outcome.

You will know what is next from here.”

SACRED FEMININE SPIRITUALITY AND MARY MAGDALENE~Clarity and Surrender

Sacred Feminine Spirituality and Mary Magdalene

Clarity and Surrender

November 3rd

To gain clarity and guidance, you must be willing to risk being lost in despair.

Wisdom of Mary Magdalene

I want to make a difference and want to learn how to surrender more each day. I continue to get pulled into other people’s dramas. I bring this to my meditation today. This is the inspiration I received from my connection with Mary Magdalene and the Sacred Feminine.

“My child, my sister and my brother. To live in the world and not be of the world requires a unique connection to Divine Creator and a spiritual maturity not often found in social circles. These soul supports will come and have come to unite with you on your journey, but you must see them with eyes of a mystic with the eyes of one who honors Sacred Feminine Spirituality.

Your feminine spirituality will continue to unfold on the mystical journey and clarity and wisdom will emerge. There will be rejoicing, as well as somber reflection and unification for the greatest good. Feminine Spirituality unites and celebrates this maturity and wisdom.

In your embracing of the Sacred Feminine, your Divine purpose will be made clear. You have been called to accomplish this through connection and reunion with the Sacred Feminine voice, which remains dormant in the souls of many.

Come to us for guidance. Come to us for inspiration. Come to us for assurance. Come to us for courage. Come to us for all that you need and want and all will be revealed to you. It is the simplest of messages. It is the most difficult of disciplines."

Regrets...

Today I am aware of some regrets I have. As I look back and think about what I might have done differently in this specific situation, I find it easy to "beat myself up" and dwell on what I wish I had done and did not do. I search my book, "BLESSINGS From MARY" and find this reading from October 23rd that I find comforting. I know today that I can not transform anything until I allow myself to be with it as it is. As I embrace my regret, I find hope and possibility for the present and future. Blessings to you as you find hope and possibility in any regrets that you have, Sally

October 23^rd

Great gifts come from taking risks and making mistakes.

Wisdom of Mary Magdalene

I am on a plane and heading overseas. I feel lonely for my guides and eager to get answers to questions posed a few days ago about when to speak, when to confront and when to be quiet. I bring this question back to Mary and my guides today.

“Your resources are plentiful and without limit. The time to know comes through quiet and meditation. Sometimes clarity for the right action comes after taking the wrong action. This is the way of learning and maturity. It comes in trial and error and in taking risks to react and respond without perfect clarity ahead of time.

There are great gifts that come only from making mistakes and taking risks. All helps to clarify where your purpose lies, what values are yours intrinsically and what difference you are called to make.

Come to us with these urges to speak. Come to us with this obsession to convince and be heard. Come to us with all the questions and confusion you may have.

As you surrender and open to the greater wisdom and guidance available, all will become peaceful and clear. We are with you always.”