Are you Disempowering Yourself? Learn to Trust Your Intuition
In my years of teaching and coaching people in healing and spiritual development, I have noticed a number of ways people disempower themselves. As we import many sacred medicine practices from around the world, could we be losing just a little bit of our own power? It is perhaps true to say that we often ignore what is right on our door-step in favour of some other received global wisdom. Somehow, that medicine practice over there, is better than our local one, which in itself is better than trusting in our own inner voice. I am in no way saying that there is not wisdom to be learnt from other cultures and traditions. I am saying that we should not forgo our own local wisdom… prophets in our own back yard and all that. For example, Ayahuasca, (along with other ethnogens) ,has long been regarded as a sacred teacher plant and rightly so. Shamans access what is at hand - and have built a great relationship and respect with their own local plant medicines.
In the rush to experience Ayahuasca, many of us in the UK yearn to experience a greater sense of sense of self-knowledge through it. And it is a great teacher plant. However, do we also forget the great power of our own local medicine traditions? We have much to learn from and under the guidance of our own local trees, herbs and flowers? What has the Spirt of Mint, Lavender or Basil have to say to you?
Nature has much to share with us and I think ignoring the power and beauty of what is available locally is a huge mistake. Personally, I have found real wisdom and healing from indigenous herbs and plants and find it somewhat amusing that so many people think that the profound insights are only available from the perceived big hitters such as San Pedro or Ayahuasca.
We also give away our power in different ways. I work with and run workshops on Animal Spirit Guides. Often, when I lead people on a journey to meet with their own Animal Guardians and Guides, people are overjoyed to meet with them. It is so exciting and indeed, magical. However, I always have an inward sigh of frustration when the first thing people want to do is read what a book says about their ‘power’ animal instead of learning to trust and build their own connection. Sure a wolf is a teacher spirit, but if a wolf is your animal spirit guide, what advice has he/she about the choices and behaviours that you make? And I agree, there is much wisdom to be found in books from spiritual luminaries such as Ted Andrews. But if the first thing that we do, is go and look it up and a book, we are forgetting that the whole point of making contact is to learn to listen to our own higher self, strengthening our intuitive prowess in the process.
So please, before you rush off on the well worn path, consider what is available for you. Think about what feels right for you and what your own inner wisdom is telling you. Look to the local first before ordering overseas sacred plants such as white sage for smudging. Are their any local herbs that are good for clearing energies? This demand often puts such plants on the CITES lists and deprives indigenous people of their usage. By trusting your own judgement and intuition, you will gain the greatest spiritual wisdom and wellbeing. Of course, always make sure that what you are doing is safe and sustainable too. You don’t need to ingest plants in anyway in order to access their wisdom. It is enough to try to meditate and reflect upon them to seek a connection and gain wisdom and insight.