Nourishing the Spirit Within
Keeping the connection to self and community
Collective Energy Card Pull
From the The Chinese Five Elements Oracle Deck by Vicki Iskandar
The Earth Ox pillar contains generosity, kindness, and harmony. Yin Earth in both the heavenly frequency and the earthly frequency represents guidance from Heaven and support from Earth The Ox, a Yin Earth sign associated with the planet Saturn, builds strength through perseverance and discipline.
This card is a reminder for you to return to your center whenever you feel like you're losing your focus. You’ve been patiently working toward your dreams and creating a solid foundation for abundance. Your resilience and dedication have been noticed by your allies and mentors, who can guide you further on the path. Keep doing the work, and trust that support will be there when you need it.
Message from Heaven: Stay in your center to keep your connection to Mother Earth, strongly emphasized in this pillar with Yin Earth in both the heavenly frequency and animal sign. Practices that engage the mind, body, and spirit such as dance, Tai Chi, yoga, and martial arts will help bring alignment to the three energy centers.
Message from Earth: When we are aligned, what we say, feel, think, and do are in harmony. Keep your centers aligned and connected to Earth by living in truth.
About the deck: The five elements carry a healing universal energy that is available to us. The Chinese Five Elements Oracle can be used as guidance to help reconnect you to the healing power of the elements, activated through stunningly illustrated visuals that contain energetic insights of the body informed by Qigong, ancestral wisdom, Chinese mythology, and sacred symbols (https://vickiiskandar.com/oracle).
An Act of Radical Self-Care
I never considered myself one to write poetry because I thought I was bad at it. I feared the times my classmates and I were “encouraged” to write and SHARE in front of the class because I was bad at rhyming. It wasn’t until I met with Dr. Ayesha Khan that she helped me realize that it was because I was following prose in a foreign tongue. I tried to fit myself in a box that didn’t allow my creativity to flow and expand.
Poetry isn’t about rhyming or alliteration. It’s about feeling, yearning, and connection. Here is a love letter to the comrades.
Kindling for the revolution
I can be the oxygen that your flame needs to stay lit,
the warmth that softens the cold pain.
I can spark the dim that comes from the burden of life,
because your light ignites the fire of our revolution.
- Your loving comradeThe pursuit of calm is causing emotional bypassing.
In the realm of spiritual and self-improvement discourse, the concept of calm holds a revered position. It's depicted as the holy grail of emotional states, promising respite from life's storms and a refuge within ourselves. However, the portrayal of calm within the context of New Age spirituality and social media often veers into romanticized territory, where it's envisioned as a permanent destination rather than a transient experience.
New Age spirituality advocates detachment from the trappings of the material world, advocating practices like meditation, mindfulness, and energy healing as pathways to this coveted state of tranquility. While these practices undoubtedly offer profound benefits, there exists a subtle danger in idealizing calm as a perpetual default mode.
In our earnest quest for inner peace, we may inadvertently cultivate an expectation that calmness should be our unwavering baseline—a state we can effortlessly inhabit at all times. This notion sets the stage for what psychologists term as "emotional bypassing," a phenomenon where individuals use spiritual practices to circumvent uncomfortable emotions rather than confront them directly.
Meditation, for instance, might become a means of ESCAPE from distressing feelings, a tool for numbing ourselves to pain rather than PROCESSING it. Similarly, we may find ourselves invalidating our own struggles by comparing them to the seemingly perfect lives of others portrayed on social media or in spiritual circles.
For more about this topic, listen to my latest podcast episode of Hold Up, Wait A Minute!
In this episode, I explore how social media and the new-age spirituality movement use meditation for emotional and spiritual bypassing. I discuss the dangers of emotional bypassing, the allure of spiritual transcendence, and the importance of integrating mindfulness with genuine emotional work. Join me as we navigate the meditation journey's balance between serenity and authenticity.
Reconnecting to my ancestral gift
Embracing Claircognizance: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Healing
My Ba ប៉ា (dad) possessed a remarkable spiritual ability and was undeniably the epitome of coolness. Many years ago, after constant pleading, he finally relented to read my palm. With intense focus, he examined my palms and uttered, "You think too much."
Homie really told me something I ALREADY knew. However, in his simple yet profound observation, his words became a catalyst for introspection, prompting me to explore the labyrinth of my thoughts and unravel the layers of overthinking that obscured my clarity. I realized how often I allowed the incessant chatter of my mind to drown out the whispers of intuition, clouding my judgment and obscuring the path forward.
In that moment, my father bestowed upon me a precious gift—the gift of awareness. However, I just chalked it to being an overthinker because who wasn’t??!!!
Fast forward to 2022, when I connected with Peter Veth @petervethmedium for a reading and he suggested that I journal and write down the things that pop into my head because they’re messages from Spirit and my guides. I was like, “Of course, I can do that!” Damn well knowing that I wasn’t going because I hate journaling. Lisssten, it is a great resource but I don’t connect with it, or at least the kind that is cute and aesthetically pleasing. My journaling is bullet style and chaotic… like my thoughts.
At first, I brushed aside those fleeting moments of insight, dismissing them as mere coincidences. Yet, they persisted, whispers from the depths of my soul urging me to pay attention. With each passing day, I began to trust the quiet voice within me, recognizing its wisdom beyond rational comprehension.
Fast Fast forward to 3 months ago, it CLICKED… My realization of having claircognizance—a gift of intuitive knowing. It was an epiphany but also a gradual awakening, like the dawn breaking after a long night. I flashbacked to all of the times I had ‘light bulb’ moments of business ideas or hobbies to try that ALWAYS seemed to work out. I would have dismissed the ideas and considered them wishful thinking or dreaming in the past.
Embracing my claircognizance became intertwined with my healing journey—a voyage of self-acceptance and understanding. It wasn't always easy; skepticism and doubt often clouded my path. However, with patience and practice, I learned to distinguish the voice of intuition from the cacophony of the mind bringing me closer to my ancestors and guides every day.
Music is Medicine
Bag lady, you gon' hurt your back
Dragging all them bags like that
I guess nobody ever told you
All you must hold on to
Is you, is you, is youOne day all them bags gon' get in your way
One day all them bags gon' get in your way
I said one day all them bags gon' get in your way
One day all them bags gon' get in your way
The message SPOKE to me as Ms. Badu’s beautiful voice streamed into my ears. My soul heard, “put down that baggage that is NO longer serving you.” Is that the message she intended to share… maybe not but isn’t that the beauty of music?
Gems Worth Sharing
Black Tarot, An Ancestral Awakening by Nyasha Williams
I have not connected to a tarot deck as strongly as I have until I picked up this deck by Nyasha for readings for my therapy clients and myself. I absolutely love the guidebook and illustrations of each card along with the messages.
Author Nyasha Williams, fresh from an outstanding Kirkus review of her new picture book I AFFIRM ME The ABCs of Inspiration for Black Kids, has created a unique Tarot deck brimming with dazzling artistic representation.
Nyasha tells the story here:
My spirituality developed and evolved through unlearning and learning, working to decolonize my mind and my spirituality. I have been learning to embrace traditional spiritual practices that were taken, banished, and replaced from BIPOC communities, tribes, and groups. Many of our long-established spiritual practices have been demonized. We have major work to do as a world to untrain ourselves-our minds, actions, and habits from the lies and propaganda we have been generationally fed by those who currently hold the power at the top. When I started with Tarot, I believed my answers came from my subconscious or my shadow self. Now that I have connected and aligned with my Ancestors and Spirit Guides, I know any reading I do, be it for myself or others is a message, guidance, and wisdom directly from them. One’s Ancestors and Spirit Guides are always ready and willing to guide, lead, and protect. You only have to ask (https://www.nyashawilliams.online/blacktarot).
Awaken Your Psychic Ability - Updated Edition: Learn How to Connect to the Spirit World by Debbie Malone
After tapping into my claircognizance ability, I embarked on a quest to discover a guiding resource that would refine this gift without overwhelming me. I stumbled upon Debbie Malone’s book, which proved to be a reassuring find. What appealed to me most was Debbie’s inclusion of affirmations and meditations tailored to each Clair's ability, helping me feel more at ease and empowered in my journey. I love it so much I have recommended it to a few of my therapy clients!
Ways to stay connected:
Check out the Reset & Resilient Wellness website!
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Follow and listen to my monthly podcast series, Hold Up, Wait A Minute Podcast! A space where we can explore nuanced topics within pop psychology & social media; debunking various topics relating to mental health, relationships, collectivism, abolition, and community care.
Follow me on Instagram @maobeckett_resetresilient :)