November: Our time in the dark

November is the third month of the spiritual year. The shorter days and cool temperatures of November initiate changes in our physical and spiritual energies. We’ve passed Halloween and released our burdens, our disappointments, our pain and more.

 Some of the releases we experienced may not have been as gentle as we would have liked them to be and November presents us with a unique opportunity to ease our discomfort and provide us with understanding, which is important if we truly desire to heal.  The changing weather brings us to a place where we are mentally, physically and spiritually ready, to go within, to spend time on ourselves and to heal.  

It can be tempting to hunt for quick fixes to fill any perceived voids or empty spaces from our Halloween release.  Unfortunately these quick fixes are not in our best interest, and like all quick fixes they can fall short of what our spirit actually needs. Pride and our sense of worth can interfere with our perception of our needs also.  In fact, we may feel like we have been abandoned and are unworthy because of past actions or by whatever events are taking place in our lives at this time.  We may believe that we don’t need help, that we can push forward no matter the cost and hide whatever pain we’ve experienced.  These feelings also need to be examined and by going within, we can find the strength and commitment to change our opinions of ourselves, our journeys, rediscover our worthiness and more importantly combine these into a personal and divinely inspired healing strategy.

Physically, we begin to spend time making our homes warm and comfortable against the coming cold and dark.  Mentally, we rebel at the thought of being cooped up and we see the dark as something to fear.  Why is it we fear the dark?  We fear the dark because we believe we are alone and when we are alone our thoughts rush forward to be acknowledged.  Our thoughts; the good, the bad and the ugly, call us to be accountable and to examine our motives, true feelings and our worthiness. Yet at this time of the year, the gathering darkness also has the ability to free us from thoughts that can, in the light of day, stop us from moving forward on our journey.

If we allow ourselves the luxury of being cocooned, at least spiritually, in this time of darkness we can accept the healing power inherent in the dark.  The Dark of the Year, the time before the returning light of the solstice, we go within to find the power and ability to heal and love ourselves.  This is our time in the dark.

MEDITATION OF THE MONTH

A channeled meditation from a monthly women’s gathering.

Take three deep breaths, feel your body relax with each gently exhaled breath.  Imagine a column of white light surrounding and protecting you as you journey inward toward your heart. Once within your heart imagine a door opening…

Beyond the door you find a large warm room reminiscent of a Roman bathhouse.  The lights are dim yet the room is warm, and soft, gentle music and aromas fill the air.  

Your body is swathed in a soft robe that slides away as you move slowly forward and step lightly into the bath, each step taking you deeper and deeper into the warm soothing water. 

Allow yourself to relax as the gentle heat warms your body and eases your spirit into a quiet state of acceptance. When you are totally relaxed you leave the pool and again wrap yourself in the soft robe.  

A woman approaches and yet this is no ordinary woman, for She is the Divine Feminine, the Mother of All, and the one who heals the body, the mind and the spirit.  

Allow yourself to transform into Her child and as you feel her arms wrap around you, you feel Her strength, love and healing energy enfold you.  

Feel the physical, mental and spiritual aches and pains fade into the past to be replaced with the warm golden energy of health, wellness and forgiveness.  

Allow yourself to accept Her acceptance of you as you rest within the circle of Her arms, Grace and Love.  Slowly, She will release you to allow the healing to continue while we embrace the energy of November’s darkness and heal. 

Return knowing that healing has begun and that this time of darkness is a time of powerful healing, if you will allow it to be.

We must allow ourselves this time in the dark, to go within, to be gentle with ourselves and to allow the gentle energies to surround and sooth us.  The Light will return soon enough but for now it is time to go within and heal.    

Blessings of Light and Love
Cheryl Camillo
Spiritual Counselor & Healer

motherc@spiritwalkdundas.com

spiritwalkdundas@yahoo.ca

The True Haunts of October

October is the second month of the spiritual year and it is an important month.  The spiritual year begins with September and celebrates our abundance and bounty in all forms, and culminates in our Thanksgiving celebrations. The harvest is in, and has been stored away for the winter months to come.  Across the Northern Hemisphere the energies of October take hold with a riot of colourful leaves and cooler temperatures leading the way, as it too prepares to rest and heal. These energies move us toward a time of quiet reflection and a sense of satisfaction begins to settle in.  There may still be work to do but the urgency to complete those tasks eases.

Spiritually, we must also begin the process of preparing to rest and heal.  The preparations we make in October are part of the natural spiritual cycle that ends with their release at Halloween.  The Eve of All Saints Day has always been known as a time when the curtains between the worlds of spirit and the living become thinner. A time for ghosts, ghouls and stories to be told and yet, it is so much more. What if the ghosts and ghouls have always been our emotion, our pain and our disappointments from the past year?

Our stories of ghosts and such have always been about the remorse of not completing some work or accomplishing some goal and today is no different. October is and always has been about releasing our disappointments, and regrets about the plans that didn’t manage to come together in the past year. It is a time for us to do some well-deserved spiritual cleaning.

The realization that these disappointments are not failures is paramount!  They are simply dreams and plans that may have come before their time, may need some work or are to be left for someone else.  Future plans can wait, this not the time to begin planning anew.  First we need to be honest with ourselves about the plans and path we have walked this past year.  It can be difficult but the effort to be honest with our progress or lack thereof is critical for our spiritual wellbeing.  No recriminations, just a time to be honest about where we wanted to be, where we are, what worked and what didn’t. 

We need to find a way to release the emotions associated with our experiences of the past year.  There are many ways to release these pent-up emotions. Writing a List of Pros and Cons about the events of the past year can expose hidden emotions and show where changes can be made.  A letter to the Universe can be a powerful release as seeing and expressing the words can allow us to forgive. Even Meditation can free hidden emotions as we re-enact experiences making the release more real for the mind, body and spirit to accept.

MEDITATION OF THE MONTH

The meditation below was channeled few years ago at a monthly women’s gathering.  

Take three deep breaths, feel your body relax with each gently exhaled breath.  Imagine a column of white light surrounding and protecting you as you journey inward toward your heart. Once within your heart imagine a door opening…

Beyond is a clear, moonlit night.  A path appears at your feet and you journey along it. This path is part of a labyrinth bordered by tall, leafless trees, a sign of the coming time of rest.  Approaching the centre of the labyrinth, you see flickering shadows from large, bright fire.  A gentle song, carried on the cool night air, calls to you.  The singer is a woman, a crone, ancient and wise.  In her eyes the reflected fire shimmers and dances and her voice is soft and gentle as she sings quietly to the wood she feeds to the fire. As she sings her words appear, etched by flame into the surface of the wood.  This is your story, all of the glory and all of the pain. As you take the wood and read the words, you feel the hurt, pain, and disappointment flow from you and into the wood you hold.  At her urging you toss the wood into the fire and watch as it ignites.  You exhale, and find a joyful peace and understanding begin to settle in place of the released emotions.  Continue to fill pieces of wood with all of your experiences from the past year, feel the sense of peace settle deep within. Spend time with the crone and the fire; wish the wood and your emotions well as they burn away in a final act of release.

Return knowing that peace and understanding fill your heart and mind.

As we prepare for the dark healing energy of November, we know that our hearts, minds and spirits are ready to truly heal.

Blessings
Cheryl Camillo
Spiritual Healer & Counselor

www.spiritwalkdundas.com

motherc@spiritwalkdundas.com
spiritwalkdundas@yahoo.ca