This series explores what it is like to be a spiritual seeker and Priestess in the 21st century.
Is there more direct access to the Divine in the world now?
I’m interviewing women involved in my Priestess Training Program to find out!
I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a woman…but I am so much more than that. To label me and put me in little boxes is to tame me – to crush my spirit. The truth is I am everything, anything, nothing. I cannot be defined by a word, a phrase or a label.
I am a wild creature of this Earth. I am flesh and bone. I am spirit.
The biggest transformation for me has been to listen to that little voice that whispers to me from deep inside, and to trust it. Living life according to the norm felt so unnatural, so empty and devoid of any real connection – especially when I became a mother. Bit by bit I found the courage to follow my own path, to listen to my heart and my gut.
I began to remember who I was before I was told who I should be, that beautiful wild little girl. I found my connection to the wild places and creatures around me.
I found the more I opened up to my heart and my spirit,
the more I drew the experiences and people that had meaning for me into my life.
I now see each day as a blessing and a gift.
Finding connection in a community of like-minded souls has been huge for me – people I can be my unedited self around, who support and listen to me, who never judge or try to ‘fix’ me, who inspire and uplift me.
I remember going to my first women’s circle, completely terrified that I wasn’t going to fit in or that they would be judging me. Instead I found a group of women that opened their souls to me. Their honest and candid feelings and experiences mirrored all my feelings and experiences. This connection has definitely allowed me to be able to further relax into myself like never before.
I think that empathy is one of my spiritual strengths. I used to think it was a big weakness. To feel the feelings of others can sometimes be painful and overwhelming but it also can be very healing and brings me a heightened awareness of the world around me.
By opening up my empathetic heart I am able to hear messages from the natural world and channel it through my creativity.
My biggest struggle has been making the time and space to ‘fill my spiritual cup’. It is too easy to get caught in the cycle of mindless numbing and staying in my comfort bubble. I really have to push myself sometimes to go for a nature walk or get out my art materials rather than stare at my computer screen.
Pushing my limits and doing things that make my heart race, like traveling solo, hosting a workshop, or sharing a hidden part of me has also been a challenge.
Each time I do these things, I am rewarded with an amazing experience that fills my heart and soul.
My spiritual practice is very informal and fluid. I often approach my everyday activities as a ritual.
For instance, if I am feeling irritated or edgy, I will have a shower in which I visualized the water washing away tension and built up energy. I find these simple activities very effective at changing my energetic state.
I typically take time each new and full moon to:
- Create some sacred space
- Explore my inner landscape through meditation, divination and/or journeying
- & Journal about my experiences.
The rest of the time my spiritual practice is very intuitive.
If I am feeling stuck or heavy, I might do some space clearing or smudging.
If I’m feeling edgy, I might do some breath work or movement.
Each time is a little different, depending on my mood, time available or even the season.
I wrote this when I began down my spiritual path and it still says so much about what being a Priestess means to me.
I want to be kind and compassionate.
I want to hold a healing space.
I want to become part of the solution.
I want to love myself deeply.
I want to connect with the natural world and all its creatures.
I want my actions to reflect my beliefs.
I want to inspire and uplift others.
I want to surround myself in beauty and wonder.
I want to be free of guilt and shame.
I want to feel joy.
Karen not only walks her talk she makes her own path! She is one of the Melissa Priestesses in my Priestess Training program, and I can’t wait for you to experience her deep compassionate spirit!