Sparks in Wisdom's Fire: light

Showing posts with label light. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Be the Light in a Shadow World

Darkness fell. As the lights went out one-by-one, I breathed deeply of the loamy silence. The awakening of the night made itself known in little scurries and breeze caresses. As the darkness surrounded me, my soul lost some of the tattered-ness. The angst unwound and peace twined within me.

As I peered into the lengthening shadows, the world reached out to me. Courage kindled, I reached back. Fear and courage twined together changing my perception bringing doubt and clarity at the same time. To clear the cobwebs of the day, I breathed deeply into the moment. I chose to surrender into my fear. As its trappings fell away, I took flight on the on the wings of curiosity.

Faster and faster the kaleidoscope of shadow images flew around me. Those I understood, I invited into my life. Others had me backing away in trepidation. A voice whispered, “No matter how you feel, breath deep, breathe wide. Feel your fear grip you. Surrender into the moment until your fear slips away. Stand tall. Stand proud. Walk into the moment. Trust each footfall takes your further along this path of wonder. Step by step the path that leads you home to yourself.”

Home to our self. Do you know where your home is? Each time I surrender into the moment, I reconnect to that place at my core. The wonder in each unfolding moment invites us to edge past the cracks through the crevices onto solid ground of self. This solid ground smells of magic and mystery; it sprouts wonder and glee.

As we step onto this ground, we leave our footprint of resolve and are enveloped by the beauty of our journey. We wake up to who we are and live from that knowing. We recognize that we are the light shining through the dark.

Darkness has fallen. The moon shines upon a shadow world. This can be a place of heart palpitations and fear or it can be a place of curiosity, courage, and daring. We choose how we are going to show up in each moment. And each moment gives us opportunity to choose the path that twines us home to ourself.

Van Hurst, ms, is an intuitive-contemplative-catalyst. She uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for navigating the uncertainty in your life. The result of time with Van? An evolving life blueprint that creates a deeper, sustained connection to your intuition and contemplative nature.

Van is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Her most recent book, As Natural As Breathing: Being Intuitive, is available on Amazon. Contact Vanessa for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Have you noticed? It’s coming alive.

Have you noticed? Everything is coming alive. Even the trees that haven’t leafed out feel more alive. The vibrancy of their bark speaks to me. Yeah, spring has sprung even if winter is still clinging on.

I admit to grumbling when I awoke to 28 degrees. I mean, end of March…brrrrrr much? But, hey! At least it is not the teens that I woke to several weeks ago. Yeah, the world is coming alive, and I can feel it invigorating me.

In early March it seemed that every time I walked outside a murder of crows squawked loudly. Now those big black birds (large crows or ravens, I am not quite sure) are less interested in gaining my attention than in building nets. I was amazed the first time I saw one carry a large strand in his month. Then he disappeared with it into the upper canopy of a tree to twine that strand among others.

Wait a minute? Do you think that the crows got tired of me not listening to their caws and decided to communicate in another way? I bet. Crows are sneaky like that!

I got the message: strand by strand build the nest. As I imagine the beauty of the nest Crow is building, I ask myself what vessel do I need to build or dust off to prepare for newness in my life? What will I give birth to maybe not today or tomorrow but soon? That is the question for me to discern and live into…and maybe it’s your question, too!

Crow reminds me that life, like the turning wheel of the seasons, is not static. It is about choosing the strands of new growth, creating a nest — a womb to nurture the new, and then giving birth. Knowing that giving birth is going to be the easy part. What follows is joyous, hard work!

Once our creation leaves the nest and takes flight, we fly with them. We ride the thermals, dodge raindrops, enjoy a different perspective. This is what the acceptance our newness offers us. When we accept the invitation, we live from the beauty of our spirit.

New always offers the opportunity to dust off the cobwebs of discouragement and peer into our shadows with more aware eyes. It requires that we pluck out the weeds that tangle our hopes and dreams. That we courageously nurture beginnings. That we live with a sense of curiosity and daring because who knows what is waiting on this flight into the new?

What is speaking to you this spring? What’s coming alive? What are you being called to nurture? What new will you sustain? It is probably you!

Van Hurst, ms, is an intuitive-coach-catalyst. As a contemplative coach, she uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for navigating the mundane and extraordinary. The result of time with Van? Creating a blueprint for your life through a deeper connection to your intuition and contemplative nature.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Totally own who you are

Sometimes I return to my Reiki roots and the intentional practice of mindfulness. Those three words that begin each Reiki Principle: just for today bring me into the moment. These just for today words tumble from my intuitive core: just for today totally own who you are, be your own person, shine your light, the world needs you as you are.

Let’s break down that intuitive message.

Just for Today: Totally own who you are

I don’t know about you, but I seldom totally own who I am. Yeah, I can embrace the me reflected in moments of listening, being compassionate, practicing patience, listening my intuition, and exercising. But, those other ways of being: impatient, frustrated, ignoring my inner wisdom, and overeating, are times that I don’t even want to acknowledge much less own who I am.

On my good days, I can see how all parts of me — the light and the shadow — create the total picture. The shadow represented by my frustration, impatience, ignoring, and overeating gives me opportunity to pay attention to what is triggering these reactions. In befriending my shadow, I can understand how my peaceful self gets blotted out by all those triggers.

When I totally own my loud brash as well as my quiet calm, I can appreciate that those that ways of being I’m not so thrill about are actually powerful. Their energy helps power the parts of me that are more shy and reserved about showing up as my best self. That loudness reveals not only the weeds but also the rutted path of my growth.

Just for Today: Be your own person

Will I ever be a calm gentle listening person 100% of the time? Will you ever be the person you most desire? I hope so for both of us but probably not. Owning all parts of myself creates that wildfire of me — you know, being my own person. Through those sparks within the fire, I see more clearly who I am. I can choose where I place my energy and how to temper the wildfire energy in parts of my life that need change.

Just for Today: Shine your light

In the light I can be my own person. I set boundaries. I am gracious. I share compassion. I learn to be comfortable within the shine of my body/mind/spirit/heart. I can enter the shadows knowing that I am my own light. Whatever I find in the shadows become opportunity. While I feel fear, I also call upon my courage to transform into my truest self. Yeah, shining that light means being my own person no matter what I find in the corners of my being.

Just for Today: The world needs you exactly as you are

I am not perfect. I am wounded like everyone else. Without an awareness of our wounds, we navigate our self into one detour after another. But, it need not be that way. Might I recommend the book I wrote about navigating our lives in awareness of our woundedness? Imperfect in an Uncertain World.

The world cannot wait for us to do everything just right. We don’t have the luxury of getting everything right. We are imperfect, wounded beings who are here to make the world a brighter place.

In the crazy of the day the uncertainty of the moment, the world needs us to show up and be the compassion, the peace, the light that makes the minute changes that truly transform the world into a better place. I hope you will join me.

Van Hurst, ms, is an intuitive-coach-catalyst. As a contemplative coach, she uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for navigating those places may scare us. The result of time with Van? Creating a blueprint for your life through a deeper connection to your intuition and contemplative nature.

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Who? A Birther of Miracle? You! A Birther of Miracle!

Within each of us is a miracle waiting to be birthed. That sounds really cool, doesn’t it? I can hear those creaky gears turning in your head, “Me? A miracle. I. Don’t. Think. So.” I believe in you, in your ability to birth a miracle, even when you can’t believe in yourself.

What is a miracle? Let’s start with the basics — the definition. According to Merriam-Webster a miracle is something extraordinary. It is an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment. For me, this definition changes everything. It brings my sphere of possibility closer to miracle realm.

Although a miracle may seem otherworldly. It’s not something out there. It doesn’t happen to you. You are not a passive participant. A miracle is an inside job, you instigate the miracle. It a response that simmers from the core of your being. It is birthed from your sacred spark.

A miracle is so bright, so extraordinary that you cannot contain it. Its light bursts forth from your being demanding to be shared with the world.

Let’s ground this talk of miracles into real life situations. I think about the times that people have shown up for me when I was in a bad space. People just spontaneously reached out to me at a moment of despair.

They didn’t know I was in a bad place. It was some unknown that had them reaching out. Their words and actions dispelled the gloom surrounding me. With clarity I could see deep within myself. I knew just how much I mattered — to others and myself. In this mattering, I could show up as my best self to others and myself.

The miracle wasn’t so much the words or actions of another. No, the miracle was the synergy created by their actions and my response. Think of synergy as energy created by two things that is greater than the energetic sum of the two parts. That is what a miracle is: unintended, joy-filled, wild consequence of relationship that stops us in our tracks and invites us into a new way of being.

A miracle doesn’t happen by my energy alone or through your energy alone. No, a miracle is fueled by the collective. It happens when the actions of one are received without expectation by another. A miracle is birthed in the awareness of the extraordinary, a recognition of the outstanding that occurs in that moment of connection.

A miracle changes you forever. That change sparks potential, chases away the dark, and propels us to the heights of joy and possibility. I am a birther of miracles and so are you.

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

You Are

Have you ever reflected upon the question, “Who Am I?” I mean, really sat with the question? Dug deep — past your roles, past the illusions you cast, past the illusions others cast upon you? If so, what did you discover at the core?

I have taken a deep dive into this question. More than once. I am sure that I will do it again and again and again. The questioning is part of a lifelong journey of self-discovery. What have I discovered? I am dynamic and evolving — as more of who I am is revealed, I know that there is more to uncover.

Maybe what I have discovered will nudge you deeper into self-exploration. I believe that within each of us is a child of light, a dancer in the dark, a traveler through the veil, a harvester of wisdom, and spark of transformation. Maybe you will see these aspects of yourself, too.

A child of light

Within each of us is a spark that shines so bright that it cannot, will not, be extinguished by suffering. Sure, when we suffer, our light dims. But, when we acknowledge suffering, we awaken the spark of compassion within. Awareness of suffering is the first step in sharing compassion.

Find your way through suffering by breathing deeply. Feel the suffering. Surround suffering with your breath. Allow your breath to flow to the ember glowing at your soul. Blow upon the ember. With a whoosh your spark ignites. Through your exhale, compassion flows from your being incinerating suffering — yours and others.

A dancer in the dark

Life is lived in moments of light and in moments of dark. To shy away from the shadows means we live by half measure. To live fully is to enter the dark. Stepping into the shadows takes courage. With each courageous step into the shadows, we develop our rhythm. Soon we are dancing in the dark.

This is the dance of eyes wide open. The dark cannot scare us when we know what gifts it offers. With awareness engaged, we find the root of a challenge, discover a gem of wisdom. Aware, we act upon our discoveries. The dark is no longer a desolate place for our sacred spark burns brightly illuminating the treasures within.

A traveler through the veil

Dark. Light. In between. The veil invites us into the between where everything appears clearer. We notice what catches us, what we shove away. We choose to not to be caught in tangles, we are objective about what is happening.

This traveling through the veil requires nonattachment. This doesn’t mean that we live in the gray of our life. If anything, when we are nonattached, we feel more strongly. We are aware of how we are impacted by our triggers. We choose how we respond. Traveling within the veil gives us choice.

A harvester of wisdom

No matter where we find yourself on this journey to our self, there is wisdom to be had. At the end of Zen and the Birds of Appetite, Thomas Merton tells us, “It would be good if we would open our eyes and see.” When we see with our entire body — all of our senses — we open our self to wisdom. We become wiser.

Wisdom floats just out of our reach, is wedged in the crevices of our being, whispers in the wind of our soul. Wisdom is present in every moment of every day. To be a harvester of wisdom is to open our heart, our mind, our soul. Within those openings spring forth the wisdom we harvest.

A spark of transformation

At our core is a spark of divinity. A glowing ember that connects us not only to the sacred but also to everyone, every creature — all of creation. The light is no longer separate. We are aware that we are the light as we bask in the light, we share our light, we reflect the lights around us. The dark is no longer a scary place. Within it, is the stuff to kindle our ember.

Within our spark, dark and light twine to create who we are. It powers our journey through the veil. Within the veil we see with everything we are. We harvest the wisdom that calls to us both within and without. Within the wonder in the world, we gather wisdom seeds to our core. In the gathering we transform.

How are you a child of light? A dancer in the dark? A traveler through the veil? A harvester of wisdom? A spark of transformation? How is your life uniquely, unequivocally, daringly you?

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an intuitive-coach-catalyst. As a contemplative coach, she uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for navigating those places may scare us or bring us joy. The result of time with Van? Creating a blueprint for your life through a deeper connection to your intuition and contemplative nature. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Her most recent book, As Natural As Breathing: Being Intuitive, is available on Amazon. Contact Vanessa for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

A child of light

A dancer in the dark

A traveler through the veil

A harvester of wisdom

A spark of transformation

uniquely, unequivocally, daringly you

Tuesday, September 14, 2021

The Bright Light That You Are

May you light shine…may your spirit soar…may you breathe in magic…may you ignite wonder…may you know the beauty of your soul

Life is easy until it is not. Those moments of dis-ease create an illusory dimming of our life. But, do we really dim? Of course not. I hope that you, that me, that we, can find a way past the illusion into the light.

May your light shine

The illusion cause by difficulty often overwhelms. Unable to see past that fog, we wander in the gloom. How do we stop this aimless wandering? We have only to open our eyes. It really is that easy. Awake to the beauty in the world, we see, we feel, we know our light shines brightly. We recognize our self in that light.

During these moments of brightness, we turn our light within. We point our light into our shadows. In the shadows we discover the hidden wisdom gems. Using them we clear the fog from our being. And, in the clearing, we lift off into the sky of our soul.

May your spirit soar

The fog of illusion cannot withstand the courage in our heart. Our courage evaporates the illusion, and a vista of possibility appears. Soaring into the sky of our soul, we gain a new perspective. The obstacles shift into learning opportunities. Looking down upon our life, we are finally able to see the path that leads us home to our self.

So, soar high. Soar free. Within the soul sky exists the understanding to seed the garden of our spirit. Within the sky are the drops of rain that bring our garden to life.

May you breathe in the magic

Within each of us is a spark of wonder, a spark of connection, a spark of the sacred — these are the stuff of magic. Living within these magical sparks, we accept the invitation to change our consciousness. We see the world as it is. And, with this paradigm shift, we blow away the illusion. We see our glowing soul embers.

Blowing upon the embers in our soul, the sparkleys fly free. Within their rhythm, we laugh at the sheer joy the sparkleys bring. Hope is birthed from our laughter. We experience of the magic of wholeness. Made whole, we adapt our heart song in ways that heal the world.

May you ignite the wonder of who you are

The light is shining; it clears away our illusions. Fog lifted, we see what gems sparkle within our shadows. We soar higher and higher in the sky of our soul. We survey a land twinkling with possibility and hope. There is magic to behold in the wonder of who we are. And, in that wonder life shifts. The world is a lot less dim when we illuminate the bright light that we are.

May it be so.

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an intuitive-coach-catalyst. As a contemplative coach, she uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for navigating those scary places. The result? Creating a blue print for your life through a deeper connection to your intuition. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Her most recent book, As Natural As Breathing: Being Intuitive, is available on Amazon. Contact Vanessa for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

The Light that Bears Witness in the Dark

2020 seems decades old instead of a mere five months. So much has happened. Events continue to spiral out of control. As I remind myself that out of chaos comes new, I wonder what that new will be. Then, I realize that within whatever the collective is birthing, I am called to be an active participant-witness in a world increasingly uncertain.

I know that I must be a light that bears witness in the dark. Some will tell you that I have an exaggerated sense of right and wrong. In certain circumstances, for me, there is little or no gray between the two. I used to feel shame, guilt, over how I was wired. I am gradually letting those emotions go as I answer the question, “How can I bear witness if I do not have the courage to stand in my power?” Perhaps you can ask this question of yourself.

Because, really, no matter where we find our self, it is time to survey the land. Now is the time to bear witness on our own imperfections — to stand witness to the collective imperfections that drag us into the abyss of hatred, isolation, and suffering. This witnessing begins by owning our own dark not to excuse our behavior or to justify the behavior of others because, well, we are dark, too. We change our self and demand that others change themselves. Through this transformation we become a welcoming community that stands against the uncertainty of the world.

In my better moments, I own my bodhichitta heart. As a bodhisattva, I share the compassion flowing from that heart. In those moments of compassion, I aspire to alleviate suffering. In other moments, no matter how I react, I find a way back to my bodhichitta heart. I do not give up for I believe the path through this darkness is littered with morsels of compassion. These lure me to a place where my humanity shines anew.

How do I, do you, do we act from a compassionate heart?

Stand up: be compassion — act from not only her soft side but be the sharp edge of her sword that cuts through the illusion and holds bringers of suffering accountable for actions that cause hurt and harm. Love gently. Live fiercely.

Speak out: let compassion flow from your thoughts, your words, your actions. Share your compassionate heart with all. Be the unwavering light that shines so brightly that the suffering explodes into starbursts of healing. Be the spirit wind that heals a suffering world.

Leave your comfort zone: bear witness, dance on the edge of chaos while vowing to be courageously true to who you are. Be compassion no matter how the chaos presents. This is it. No matter what your soul purpose, bearing witness in this time is integral to being exactly who you are meant to be.

*bodhichitta: the desire to be awakened to the suffering of the work and to have empathy and compassion for all sentient beings.

** bodhisattva: a person who desires to share compassion with the world.

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an Intuitive, Coach, Catalyst, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for personal and relationship transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

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