Why have we forgotten who we are?
Wouldn’t it be easier if we weren’t born forgetful? If we were born and remained awake? If we came here remembering ourselves? If only we grew up remembering our natural potential, our – not only inclination – towards magic, but our very immersion in it. Imagine what trials we could avoid. Imagine how much more responsible we could be, how much less we would suffer.
And suffering – why so much of that?
Why is it that we suffer? Why does life hurt so much? Why are we born so naive, growing up placing our belief in things that bite, not trusting our own instincts? Why, without good guidance, do we stumble around our own lives for years? Because this is what we do. Blind, deaf, and dumb, we grope around this world, trying to puzzle it out, engaging every thought process we can, drowning in our feelings, and all our fingers touch are things that snag and catch and tangle.
Why do we grow up with something inside ourselves that preys on us, a predator going for our own soft throats? You know what I mean by this – it talks to us all the time, this predator, its voice inside our head soft, snarling, insinuating. You’re no good at that, it says. You’re too scared to do that, it tells us. It laughs, lip curling in contempt. You wouldn’t dare, it says. You couldn’t, you wouldn’t, you can’t. You’re too lazy, too stupid, you procrastinate too much, you talk too much – all talk no action, that’s you.
It nips at us, grazes our skin, nicks a vein, makes us bleed, makes us scared, too scared to do anything but listen.
Why are we born so fragile, so forgetful?
I don’t know.
How do we become otherwise? How do we face down the predator, with its big eyes, big ears, big teeth?
Here’s what to do:
Grow into your power.
Grow your own big eyes, big ears, big teeth. Just as we physically grow up, so must we spiritually mature, developing our instincts towards what is true.
What is true?
You might not be brilliant at everything, but you’re good at this. And that. You’re not too scared. You do dare. You can, you would, you really might. You will. You’re not lazy, you get up every day and do a whole bunch of things. You’re not stupid, you’ve learnt a great deal, and you’ll keep learning – all the time learning new things. You don’t always procrastinate – you get things done. You like to talk, and quite often you act on the things you dream up.
There’s a trick to dealing with this predator who lurks inside your own head and part of the maturation process is learning how to turn from that voice and stand in your own strength. Look at every thought you have. Ask yourself – is it true? Does is serve me? If it is not true, or only has a crumb of truth to it, then correct it, firmly, and shake your head, letting that thought fall away. If it does not serve you, then do not give it space.
Turn your face from it and look elsewhere with those lovely big eyes of yours. Close those beautiful big ears to it. Forgive yourself all your mistakes and let them go. Take those new big teeth of yours and bite gently at the marrow of the world.
Nourish yourself.
‘It’s like this,’ she’d said. ‘All of us are able to look at our minds and think about, well, our thoughts. So, get yourself into the habit of looking at your thoughts, Stephan, and deciding if they deserve a place in your garden. Are they going to grow and bear fruit good to eat? Or are they sticky little burrs that just get under your skin and aggravate you until you’ve scratched yourself till bleeding?’
Katherine Genet is the author of the Wilde Grove mythic/visionary fiction series, as well as complementary non-fiction. She has been walking a pagan path for 30 years and is a shamanic Druid, spirit worker, and priestess of Elen of the Ways.
I love the idea of growing your own big eyes and ears and teeth and being fierce for yourself. Visualization is something that has saved me many times over my 57 years and shaped who I am. I hope it is a gift I am passing on to my grandchildren by enriching their minds by looking at sunsets and sunrises and finding fairy gardens on walks and allowing them the space to talk about anything and everything. So they know to look beyond what’s in front of them and dive deep into what’s inside of them. I wish someone had done that for me but the gift is doing it for them
Oh goodness yes – imagination and the ability to look around and in and out – it’s a true gift you’re giving your grandchildren.
The ability to know whats right and whats wrong, it would save so much despair and heartache ?
Yes! Discernment plus resilience equals superpowers.
This is so resonant and wise .Love your books and everything you share ..
Looking forward to reading the latest book and wondered if i can share via my page on facebook and Linkedin ? Thank you
Please do share! Very happy you’re enjoying the books. I have so many more inside me ?
I have thought about this often… especially when those old tapes that I thought were extinct rise up in my mind like dinosaurs, still alive and still saying their negative, hurtful comments. Our patriarchal culture shares most of the responsibility for this, especially regarding women and how we are treated. We are the ones who can promote positive change through our own rejection of our own demons by saying to these fears: “Thank you for your concern, but I’m good. I have other ideas and am strong enough to follow through on them.”
Wonderful post, Katherine. Thank you for your thoughts.
Yes! It’s quite amazing thinking of all the conditioning we receive as we grow up, not to mention how so many feel very free to share their negative options and their expectations on how we should act. It makes that voice inside ourselves louder.
I know that voice. Until perhaps six months ago it was a constant companion. I didn’t think anything would make it stop being mean and limiting me to a very small, tiny cage. But years of journeying inside myself has healed so much. It took heartbreak and the hardest of towers to come crashing down, but I found the lost children the voice was still trying to protect and brought them home. Now the voice is an ally. I say ‘Let’s do this’ and she says ‘yes’ or ‘not yet’ or ‘we have some blocks here and I’m afraid, help me’. It’s so quiet and peaceful inside my head where once it was a buzz of negativity.
I love your books, Kate. I love relaxing into them. It feels like spending time with friends. Thank you for opening this world for us and teaching such important skills in such an accessible way.
Healing requires such grit and courage, discernment, softness, gumption, and commitment. I’m so glad you’ve found your way and have turned that voice into an ally. It takes a lot to say out loud that we are scared, that we’re trying to protect our small, vulnerable selves, but there’s nothing to do in the end but say it, and see where we are.
And do what we can.
I’m very glad the books are finding homes on shelves, and in hearts ❤
This brought tears to my eyes. This was…is magic. Healing. Something I needed to hear and feel. Thank you so much for being part of my journey back to remembering who I am.
Cheryl,
I’m so glad this resonated with you. This remembering who we really are is so essential, isn’t it? And dealing with that voice, correcting it, standing up for ourselves, realising our value – let’s all do that for ourselves.
Wow, so much learning I have achieved this morning with your amazing enlightenment. Thankyou Kate with all of my soul. I understand that I shall attract like minded souls to me but I’m having trouble with this process. They seem to just flit in and don’t stay. Is this usual please Kate? Blessings to you and all who read this ??
Gathering those like-minded people around us just isn’t a simple process, unfortunately. I think we really need to meet others half way – and often this means going places and doing things where there are those other like-minded people. Friendship takes time and effort, and putting ourselves in the path of it. Not only that, but generally, we only make a few close friends at once, and even they can come and go according to circumstance. So be patient, I think, and get out there and enjoy yourself and make connections. Some of them will definitely stick.