Arleen Hannich, MA |
Spiritual Facilitator |
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Published / Featured Articles by ArleenAHannich@bellsouth.net / (919) 460-3028 / www.ArleenHannich.com |
Gifts of the Divine Mother
The Divine Feminine has creative, healing, and transformative power that is beyond our comprehension. And while this power resides in each of us, many of us do not allow this power to be present in our lives. We have internal fences and walls in place to restrict and contain it. These selfimposed barriers often come in the form of conditions--conditions we place on ourselves and others.
Let’s look at an example--one that is real for you. Think of someone who is “pushing your buttons” right now. Think about your expectations, your requirements of them, or any hopes or dreams you may hold for them. Allow yourself to evaluate how this person is “measuring up” right now against those rules or dreams.
Now, take a moment to notice how you feel. Are you angry? Perhaps frustrated? Resentful? Sad?
Next, take a deep breath and acknowledge the many rules and criteria you have created and used to evaluate and judge this person. Just list them in your mind.
Now give yourself permission to be fully present and let go of the expectations, the criteria, and the rules for just a few moments. (Don’t panic--you can always pick them up again later!) Take your filters out of the picture, and allow yourself a few moments to simply see and experience this person as they are.
How do you feel? Calmer? Maybe a little more understanding? If you are feeling relief, don’t be surprised. It is never the “other person” who is causing conflict in us. It is our not accepting them as they are that causes our conflict.
For many of us, it is very difficult to accept or honor others as they are, because we do not accept or honor ourselves. In many cases, we do not even see ourselves clearly. And until we are willing to see ourselves clearly, we will not be able to see others as they are--we will only see distortions of ourselves. As George Bernard Shaw put it so beautifully,“Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world."
The aspects we do not see or accept in ourselves are reflected to us by those around us. These reflections are here to help us heal our own wounds. The question is: “Will we accept the gift?” Indeed, this is where our work begins. To see ourselves as the Divine Mother sees us. To allow ourselves to be who we are.
We can honor ourselves by accepting our own unique nature, which includes those parts of us that we disapprove of or fear. The angry me. The resentful me. The scared me. Do any of these sound familiar? Of course they do. They are a part of all of us! And we make ourselves miserable by hiding from them and pretending they do not exist. But in fact, it is not our feelings that are causing us conflict. It is our denial or disapproval of our feelings that causes us pain.
When we try to change how we feel, it can be viewed as a form of inner violence, because we are looking at ourselves as if we are the enemy. If we treat ourselves this way, we automatically treat others this way. Similarly, when we allow ourselves the freedom of our own individual path, we allow others the same freedom. In taking responsibility for our relationship with our self, we take responsibility for our relationship with others.
Being comfortable with how we feel is true spiritual growth. Embracing ourselves when we feel angry, jealous, or depressed creates an incredibly fertile space for growth and transformation. Accepting and including is the nature of the Divine. Wanting to disown and exclude is the nature of the mind.
As we begin to recognize our connection with all beings, we begin to awaken our connection with the Divine Feminine. As we begin to consciously live this connection, we realize the value of the beautiful gifts the Divine Mother has been sending us all along.
