Katherine Mitchell, M.M.Q.
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Guns and god

6/24/2018

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"What polarized us so badly toward guns and god...with a small g?"  This is a great question from a reader.  Just as individuals have energies that makeup the issues they are meant to deal with during their life, so it is with nations.  Our nation’s consciousness and conscience is made of the combined energies and intent of the people.  Each of us is a part of a national energetic collective consciousness; we all play our part.  Your personal integrity, social, political, and spiritual attitudes, help create the national voice.
 
Guns:  Historically we are taught to believe that our nation was won by heroes with six shooters. Movies idealize and romanticize the struggle our fledgling country had against the British, the Spanish, the Mexican, the Indian, the wild west, and with ourselves.  War after war, guns and more guns, this nation has prided itself on its self-determination and divine right.  Never challenged to look into the baser motives that underlay these wars, Americans charged forward, their misunderstood or misinformed ideals in their hip pocket and guns blazing.  Is that prostituting self-determination?  Have we squandered our divine right?
 
Don’t get me wrong, there were acts of greatness on all sides of these conflicts.  A hero actually has an inkling of what sits in his or her back pocket and acts even when those actions contradict the general directive.  Still, once expectation, entitlement, greed, and so on become a prime directive, they create a path to destruction.  Has America’s greatness has been subjugated to the baser instincts of the entitled few?  Power and wealth motivates those in control while propaganda and spin ultimately sweeps all of us into the role of international bully, and the guns are blazing. This is the victim triangle (covered in earlier blog posts) writ large: victim/perpetrator/rescuer.
 
To make matters worse, our children are raised with an entitlement/duty myth.  We train them with violent video games that give them practice shooting and killing.  Gaming anesthetizes them against the pain and suffering that is reality.  Some kids experiment with guns and are surprised to find being shot hurts.  Others, so confused, resentful and battered by their reality, take their guns to school.
 
Is this God’s directive or design?  Of course not; but, God granted us free will.  God is turned easily into to god with a lower case g.  As humanity becomes less humane, more entitled, more willing to form cliques and cults, more willing to follow blindly into the fray, the God of our heart recedes and is replaced with a do-for-god, a fabrication and misinterpretation, who is fought for with righteous, if misplaced, ardor.  This god is a creation of the controllers, the greedy, the vengeful, the unforgiving, the self-righteous, the bully, the entitled.  God allows our choices so we learn through direct experience why some actions are unconscionable. 
 
God is Love.  Remember, all light and shadow is the love of God expressing and teaching.  In keeping with free will, an all loving God allows us to move against all that is true and good knowing that eventually, and after many tries, we will turn back to love and light.  It is the only way to realize the true and loving God in ourselves.  Check yourself.  Do you believe in a God of Love or a god of money?  Do you have a moral direction or a profit margine?  Are you gullible or just self-righteous?  As a nation, are we saviors or despoilers?  Are we beginning our descent into chaos and purgatory?  Will we catch ourselves? Is it too late to turn back?
 
What energy are you adding to the collective?  Can you forgive someone without feeling superior to them?  Can you find compassion for oppressed people seeking asylum or do you feel it is your divine right to shut the door?  How do you feel about the least of these my brethren?  Can you sit with the lonely, even if they aren’t popular?  Is your want more important than anyone else’s need?  Are you willing to own your own thoughts even if they are not in keeping with the party line?  Are you willing to stand up for what is right rather than what is profitable?  We must look deeper, past what we have been spoon fed.  We are all equal in the eyes of God.  We all have free will.  It is up to us to create a national consciousness with a conscience.  It is up to us to reap the blessings of love from a God who is purely love.
 
Love always,
Katherine
 
Thank you for your questions.  Please like and share on Facebook.  Help spread the word!

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Chaos

6/17/2018

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Chaos seems to be reigning.  Everything is in motion, from the macro to the micro level.  Someone, something is stirring the big pot of life.  People are moving; attitudes are shifting.  Challenges are being laid down though often not recognized.  Don’t get me wrong, some of the radical changes that are happening are positive.  Let me restate that; the changes that are happening are positive.  That being said, the world as we know it will not look the same as it did when we were innocent; or, should I say inattentive?
 
At any rate, there is a great sorting going on and I can say with certainty that I finally understand the forces that could cause a civil war: brother against brother, a polarized, conflicted mass of people buying into opposing ideas and ideals.  Profit and power at any cost is what exists on both sides.  Ideals seem an after-thought.  It is a massive tug-of-war that raises questions of integrity, morality, and right use of this planet and its resources.  People, both privileged and powerless, are struggling to be right.  Righteousness wears many faces.  The pious and the put upon both use it, playing out the Victim, defending a position, each trying to improve a status quo that is so badly broken the cries disappear in the chaos.  Religiously maintaining the compulsion to make more money, to rape the world, defile honor, and to get what’s owed or needed, both sides bellow into the chaos and no one hears.
 

I see no Christian ideals here and I wonder if it is true, that a Christian can support the continued abuse of others and still be called Christian.  I wonder if cowardice and complacency have taken over the exhortation to love your neighbor as yourself.  Does a lie matter if it gets you the big return on investment?  Does a child matter if one can exploit its family or homeland with impunity for great gain?  Did any spiritual leader ever say, take all you can get and screw the little guy?  Are we meant to divide and conquer our own nation for the sake of a land grab, or oil royalties, or better and bigger war games?  Are we meant to offend our friends and praise our enemies?  Are the old and vulnerable meant to just shut up and die?  Did Christ say, the least of these my brethren, and mean those who could exploit, and condemn, and lie the best?  Have we lost our souls?

An answer to all these questions can only be found in the silence of the soul.  Can the prejudice and anger be put aside?  Is the self-right-ness of our judgment able to withstand the silence where the soul speaks, or is the chaos too loud?  It is time to step back.  It is time to reconsider.  It is time to follow the truth of our soul’s righteousness.  It is time to find conscience, to call on grace, and to remember integrity or disappear into chaos and destruction.  Either way, it’s a choice.  Either way, all will learn valuable lessons.  Chaos is a great teacher and lessons, even painful ones, are positive. 

Love always,
Katherine 

I welcome your questions and comments.  Please like and share if so led.

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In the center of the labyrinth

6/17/2018

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"I stop. Every few steps, I stop, to pray
Oh beloved, be near, lead me.
Tiny, bright yellow flowers respond, see me.
I pass under frayed, bleached prayer flags
flapping in the wind.
I stop.
Grant me grace, fortitude, patience.
And the wind caresses. The sun shining on my face.
A few more steps.
The sun is interrupted by whispering branches.
Shadow flickering and there, In the shadow:
violets, deep, secret, sweet.
A few more steps,
I release my heart; embrace and forgive its pain.
I stop. Dear God help me breathe.
I acknowledge tightness in my throat; it is time.
The wind turns cold and bites at my ear.
There is water. I feel it near, wide, deep, stormy, still.
I stop. I breathe.
Thank you beloved.
In the center of the labyrinth
I collect my soul."

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The Saboteur and You

6/9/2018

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Saboteur archetypal energy screams at you with your inner voice.  It actively and unceasingly sends messages born out of fear of failure and sometimes, fear of success.  You hear it as self-talk or “I messages.”  Because of the Saboteur, you create judgements of and for yourself that skew reality.  Many of these judgements are learned from your tribe very early in your lives. They run the gamut from doubt of capabilities to feelings of being entitled to certain advantages.  There are endless variations of:  I will fail, so why try; What if I got the job, I’m not good enough to keep it;  I’m too good to get involved with these people; I’m entitled to better things.  
 
Make no mistake, entitlement is as big a trap as the, “I can’t”(s).  No, you are not entitled to anything.  Because you were born privileged or you have been victimized in some way does not entitle you to special treatment.  And no, it is not true that you are worthless, helpless, incapable, and so on.  Both of these thought processes are the very thing that stops you from stepping into your real power and expressing the best of who you are.  Unfortunately, once you grow up, you don’t realize you need to think better of yourself and your place in the world.  Most of us somehow feel we need permission to rethink our training which means; we are still operating from the level of the archetypal Child. 
 
Each journey is different.  Your journey is different.  Tribal rules are valuable when you are small and need protection and some of these teachings may still have value.  But, part of self-care must be that you examine the beliefs and dictates of your tribe and decide if they are right for where you are in the expression of your life and soul growth.  Where do you want to go in this life?  This has nothing to do with other’s hopes for you.  You don’t need permission to seek your highest good!
 
Suicide is the ultimate expression of the Saboteur’s work.  People with families, careers that create approbation and privilege, pillars of the community, or the young with unending potential can be so involved in the myths of the Saboteur that they, in desperation, take their own lives.  Fear and the masquerading emotions of defeat, worthlessness, depression, alienation, and anxiety motivate some of our best and brightest to put out their own light.  We are the worse for it.
 
Since the Saboteur speaks to you with your own voice, it is imperative that you are vigilant with your inner dialog.  Those words you tell yourself, no matter the original source, can make you fulfill your every dream or plunge you into defeat and despair.  Think about those times when you let Saboteur speak out.  You might talk about your self-doubts in the hope that someone will convince you that you are wrong about being awful.  While talking may give some relief from the flagellation you endure in your mind, you never believe the kind words spoken in rebuttal.  The Saboteur sees to that.  For true relief, this is a battle you must fight for and, largely, by yourselves.  Your “I messages” must be made loving.  We all need to approach our fragile self with compassion for it to grow into fullness.
 Find the resources deep within to speak and think of yourself with as much love and compassion as you would for other people you meet.  Also, when you hear others expressing negative opinions about themselves, call them on it. Remind them to speak about themselves with loving kindness.  This not only reminds them, it reminds you of that which must be done if you are to stop undermining yourself. Help yourself by being mindful of your self-talk and, when possible, help others to understand the power of their words.
 
Your thoughts and your words create your world.
 
Your thoughts and questions can also help direct our conversations.  I welcome them.  Also, please feel free to like and share on Facebook.
 
Love always,
Katherine

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Saboteur, Guardian of Choice

6/2/2018

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If there is any archetype that goes hand in hand with fear, it would be the Saboteur.  Think about it, we have all been strung up with anxiety and fear at some point in our lives.  This is fodder for the Saboteur. This archetype sneaks into your psyche as self-talk: words you tell yourself about yourself.  It explains how you are not enough, that you are wrong, stupid, too big, too little, too good or any other similar message that pops into your head at the moment of choice.  The Saboteur responds to your fears; it convinces you that what you fear is true.  Much of this fear is derived from your tribe.  Your tribe, made up of your personal group of individuals and institutions, feeds you your first ‘I’ messages from birth.  Most times the intent is not to create unhealthy or unhelpful messages.  If they think about what they are doing at all, they will say they are teaching you to behave in the way that is acceptable to the community into which you have been born. 
 
Unfortunately, many of the messages we get from the tribe are judgmental, critical, and harsh.  Even if there is no intent to harm, personal perception of the teasing, the yelling, and so on imprints on the mind and is believed.  Children take the messages in, imbed them, and define themselves by them, whether they are true or not.  It is important to understand; behaviors that are acceptable according to the tribe are what keep you safe, conforming, and manageable.  This is habit on their part, tradition even, generations old and not necessarily kind or in alignment with your personal soul journey.
 
How does the Saboteur play out in life?  Imagine you are a teen and you meet a beautiful, brainy girl.  How automatic is it for you to think, she’s never going to fall for me, I’m too stupid.  Look at her, she is exquisite and I am nothing special?  How easy is it to manage saying hello to her?  How easy is it to face up to the click at school or work and put the real you out there?  Are the messages in your mind, they are so awesome; there is no way I will ever be allowed in that group.  With better ‘I’ messages, you have what it takes to develop real friends.  Imagine you are an office worker, diligent, careful, punctual, and accurate.  A job opening is up that would be a good advancement for you.  How do you talk to yourself about the possibility?  Do you convince yourself that you will not get the job, that other people are smarter or more likable so why apply?  If you are in an abusive relationship but you just can’t get out, what are those messages?  I can’t take care of myself, I’m too stupid to get a job, I  can’t make it on my own, I’ll never find someone to love me.  My (abuser) cannot take care of him/herself. It’s up to me. 
 
The fight for yourself can be very difficult, long and, yes, sometimes tedious but it is worth more than anything else you could do.  Fear has played a big role in my own life.  I was plagued with nightmares awake and asleep.  Growing up and for a long while as an adult, I pretty much felt anyone was better than me.  I never spoke up for myself; I always gave my right to choose what I wanted or what I liked away to teachers, friends, or siblings; You cannot be fulfilled, happy, or honestly productive if you must always wait for someone else’s blessing or permission.
 
What value do you place on you?  Can you recognize your thoughts as yours or are they echoes of what you have been told by people around you?  Is the voice that criticizes you in your head your voice or someone else’s? How hard is it for you to say what you want?  For example, can you choose a restaurant when you are out with others? Simple things provide big clues. Do you recognize your Saboteur?
 
Remember to like and share this work if it speaks to you and, please, feel free to ask questions or make comments to further the discussion.
 
Love always,
Katherine
 


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