“What would the world be like if we all knew we could get these instant, radical, lifechanging transformations to happen simply through the power of ideas being presented to our minds, through the natural use of words on our bodies.” Kristin Rivas, The life-changing power of words, TEDxRainier, 2014

Transformative insights do happen in an instant. Wildly profound, seemingly catalyzed by a moment of lucidity, these transformative insights lead to moments that are nothing short of divine. When all expectations fall away, and I am not under the influence of my own beliefs or those things that influence them. Moments where I just am. I am. These moments have found me during rituals, during conversations, in between waking and sleeping or sleeping and waking (and to be honest, I feel like sleeping and waking are subjective in most cases, so it must be in between, right?).

The Magic of Introspection

The magic of introspection, of understanding ourselves, our beliefs and where we learned them, is that we begin to see how we create our reality. For example, one grows up with parents (even those with the best of intentions) that taught a perfectly clean home and a certain image of success are priorities in life.

Fast forward to adulthood, that belief that was instilled in the child (priorities should be a perfectly clean home and a certain image of success) starts to be detrimental when one does not have that same level of perfectly clean or image of success as one’s parents.  One might begin to associate that with self-worth.

Instead of just feeling guilty about priorities not matching that of the parents, shame starts to kick in and holds a person in a pattern of stuck or complete disenchantment with life as one is living it. Those were priorities that never matched that child’s soul and it most certainly doesn’t fit the adult. Sometimes the priorities and beliefs instilled in us are just cruel. Sometimes it is inflicted by not just the parents, sometimes it is a lover or a friend or a colleague or entire corporate entities, societies, or governments. It is all connected.

Time-Walking

We have to take off the things we are wearing that do not fit, but sometimes those things we need to take off only live in the darkest cave and we have to bring it up into our conscious view. As a witch, retrieving these pieces from the cave is a specialty and sometimes the universe provides synchronicities that command my attention to look deeper.

Recently I went on an expedition to Hekate’s Cave and was given a powerful card that made me pull back pieces days later that have profoundly moved me. Going from entirely unaware of the lies I told myself about certain situations to full on grieving so I can heal has allowed me to redefine how I want my reality to be. That is the thing about beliefs that no longer fit, we must either realign or redefine our own truth to match who we are. It is magic to create a new reality by going back in time to see where we learned our beliefs and then making new ones instead.

Realign

The Faultline card was my medicine. True to the nature of this deck, the medicine of this card appeared over the next few days, in my dreams, meditations, and just bubbling up from underneath the surface during the everyday magic of my daily life.

I began time-walking at will back to every single fault line of my own life.

The radical shifting and transforming of everything in my life at ages 4, 8, 15, 18, 21, 30, 33 (powerball anyone?). Looking at myself from above with help from my owl guide, I recognized the positive spins I chose to listen to because I was either too young to comprehend the message under the message or the times that I was incapable of trusting myself to feel and understand the impact of every faultline I have found myself in.

This is realignment. By realigning myself to the fault lines through time walking, I can see how every one of those moments built upon each other in layers. They have created the reality that I live in today. Where I have felt stuck, those are placed that I can trace back to one of these fault lines. I have a choice, I can choose to remain the same or I can break the cycle of stuckness through deep self-inquiry. The questions I found helpful are:

• Do those moments and messages still define me and align with the truth I am desiring to create (does it fit)?
• Do I need to take it off instead (redefine it)?

Redefine

Choosing to take off the things that no longer fit is excruciating sometimes! It requires that we make different choices and do the work required. The process of redefining those fault lines and the messages from that time required that I allow myself to grieve. Grief is so different to everyone, it comes in many forms, but I chose to honor my grief for those points in time for what they were: moments in time that allowed me to persevere even when deep down they had moments of BIG suck.

Those moments are ones that took my power away through fear, shame, invalidation, abandonment, and my own attempt to cover them up with excuses for both myself and for others.

I do not get to sweep those things under the rug, because in Hekate’s Cave, she requires you bring those pieces back and integrate them. To become aware of them, to accept them (this does not mean that whatever took your power is acceptable, it means that those things happened, and they cannot be changed), and use them to build your power by integrating them into wholeness (redefine it, create a new reality by changing your mind).

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” Rumi

Integration and Gratitude

I utilized a powerful tool to begin the process of integrating the pieces I have called back: my words. Words are powerful. They are especially powerful when used in front of a mirror. I am going to share a practice that has helped me to begin the integration process from a place of gratitude. This is a high sensation practice, it is felt within the body, and for that reason it is my recommendation that only one piece is integrated at a time, daily, for a period of 3 to 5 days.

If distress tolerance is not a strong point, please seek help from a licensed professional. I am a firm believer in the power of psychology as a path to freedom and sovereignty when needed!

What you need:

• A tealight candle and something to light it with (or battery-operated candle)
• A mirror (yes, you are going to look at yourself)
• Notetaking tools
• Rose Quartz (make sure it has been cleansed through sacred smoke or salt)

Creating the space:

• Light the tea light (or turn on your candle)
• Breathe deeply, in through the nose and out through the mouth
• Direct the energy of the flame to shield the space as sacred, safe, and blessed
• Continue to breathe deeply until you can feel your container completely sealed off and you are encased within it

Begin:

• Pick up your Rose Quartz and hold it in your right hand

Look in the mirror and say:

“I am here now, and I am safe”

Take a breath

• Transfer your Rose Quartz to your left hand

Look in the mirror and say:

“I accept my power back from ______________ when I felt ______________ and I know that this does not align with how I wish to experience, give, or receive _______________.”

(Example: I accept my power back from my mom when I felt like a burden and this does not align with how I wish to experience, give, or receive nurturance).

Take a breath

• Transfer your Rose Quartz to your right hand

Look in the mirror and say:

“I have called my power back to me and I am grateful for the freedom to choose how I allow _________________ to be experienced, given, or received from this day forward.”

(Continued Example: I have called my power back to me and I am grateful for the freedom to choose how I allow nurturance to be experienced, given, or received from this day forward.)

Take a breath

Completion:

• Place your Rose Quartz in front of the candle

Look in the mirror and say:

“I see me, as I have spoken, it shall be”

Blow out your candle

Journal:

This is where the work begins because our words are powerful. A part of integrating the pieces is reflecting on what and where we can utilize the power from the pieces that we are integrating. Calling attention to it is the best way to bring the energy to us.

• What piece did I work toward integrating today?
• Where did I feel it in my body during my integration ritual?
• What emotions came up today?
• What can I do today to experience, give, or receive ___________ as I choose, from the ritual today?
  • Example “Today I will nurture myself by deliberately speaking kind words to myself and to ______________ (a person, an animal, a plant, a spirit).”
• Imagine yourself doing the thing, how do you feel?
• What else do you need to do for yourself today that would have a profound impact on your magic and integration?
• List one thing you are grateful for.
• List the simplest thing that would bring you the greatest amount of joy, just for today.

May your integration and the intentional, magical life you are creating be one that matches your spirit and your soul!

A candle and a key,

Kaycee

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Feature Image Credit: Author