“I am the only obstacle between me and the sacred…”
I woke up from a deep sleep with this exact phrase on my lips not knowing where it came from but understanding that I needed to dive deeper into its meaning. The Anima Mundi, soul of the world, the Universe in her wholeness, did not wait around for the tea to be made this time, she brought it to me bedside.
The Disconnect
I have been relatively disconnected lately, somehow prioritizing any and everything over practicing my craft. Nothing has felt sacred. I had too many mundane things to do. It did not feel sacred to work with my herbs, it felt like a normal everyday action. My meditations did not feel sacred.
My magic did not feel like…magic.
She had spoken before I had even opened my eyes to face the day ahead to tell me that I am the obstacle and I set time aside to contemplate things that were keeping me disconnected from having the awareness of the sacred.
Going on a Quest
It might be surprising to know that when I am unsure of what I need it is a sure sign that I need to be outside. The Universe has a way of providing exactly what I need when I am feeling lost or need to slow down. This time it just happened to be stinging nettle that brought the lesson, along with a rash and the thought of amputating my arm. That is a joke.
This was valuable because it was like a pinch from her, forcing my attention to a plant I had never actually seen growing in the wild.
I slowed my breath, focused on it, and closed my eyes. The message became clear from this plant. Outwardly I have been frustrated, I have had more to do than I care to admit, and none of it has been leading me to where I long to be. Inwardly, I know I am sacred, but I have been shut down. Too focused on doing rather than creating my own sacred space to actually connect to the sacred within and without. No wonder I am getting stung by plants who are the same outwardly as a protective mechanism for what is on the inside!
Nettle is Sacred
Nettle has become sacred and I have intentionally assigned it to the crossroads of my Hekatean practice. It lies at the crossroads of the middle world of action, that is where it lives, but it unites the underworld self of feelings and the higher intellectual world. It is sacred because while it stings the skin (outwardly) it soothes away frustration and anger at the spiritual and intellectual level in a tea (inwardly).
Nettle is a key to wholeness by being at that crossroads.
As above, so below, as within, so without. It perfectly embodies Mars energy (did I mention we are going into the Summer of Mars and just happens to be going into Aries, the very sun sign I belong to?) and reminds me of the fire of growth which is where I want to be, but have felt like I have been stagnating.
Much like awareness of the pattern of nature and connecting to the energy of the elements, connecting to the sacred requires awareness. It is only by intentionally assigning meaning to something that I begin to see the sacredness of it. It is an intention crafted from the heartspace of wholeness into something that becomes sacred for me. When I am feeling disconnected I know I must move out of my own way and return to center!
Nettle is my sacred tea, one that the Goddess herself brought to me,
Stormie
Feature Image Credit: Paul M via Unsplash
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Nettle is a powerful awakener. It is remarkable how she stings us into awareness when we might otherwise be selecting absence. And yet, she is the gentlest of healers…nourishing our kidneys…strengthening our bones…all of that deep level stuff that supports the whole being of those who choose to dance with her. She is a wise teacher of our wholly sacredness (<—word weirdness intended). I enjoy how you were able to paint a word picture of how this shining and sacred one helps you to live in your own sacredness.
It is so true that we get so wrapped up in al that we have to do, that we forget how to BE. We are human beings, not human doings.
Thank you for sharing your powerful journey.