Dear Friend,

I am in North Carolina and MIchaelmas brought  winds and  rain yesterday as Hurricane Ian passed over us. There are a zillion leaves on the ground and uncountable pine needles, but we are safe and there was no destruction or floods here. 

I grew up in South Florida on the East Coast. My grandparents lived on the Gulf in St. Petersburg, so my thoughts and prayers for those living in the aftermath of so much destruction of ordinary life are deeply felt. 

This post on Courage, Calmness, and Clarity was originally written in 2015. It focuses on the challenges we face in our inner lives, but these three Michaelic gifts can be very centering when we must move through outer destruction and slowly restore and reconstruct normalcy to daily life. 

There is another word that begins with "C" that is needed in Florida and South Carolina (and the Ukraine) and that is community. Michaelic community finds a collective courage, calmness, and clarity. 

I join with you and others to form an outer circle of Michaelic energy surrounding all those facing the loss and rebuilding of the structures of home, work, and inner strength of soul.

Please forward this email to your family and friends in Florida. 

Much love to all,

Lynn 

Christianity, Islam, and Judaism revere the  Archangel Micha-el as the great protector of humankind and Western Christianity celebrates the archangel on September 29, Michaelmas.

But there is much more to the archangel than the role of protector.  This being also carries the scales of balanced judgment and offers rays of the sun to illuminate the darkness of our inner lives.

I have written a blog on Michaelmas for many years (see below). Yesterday, I reread all of them. 

Three words stood out for me in the rereading of several thousand words: courage, calmness and clarity. I realized these were to be the focus of my post this year.

Michael is the source of our inner courage, calmness and clarity, especially in the fall season.

He brings us:

• Courage to protect our intentions from all kinds of attacks of doubt and overwhelm.
• Calmness to bring stable and centered compassion to our crazy self-judgments.
• Clarity to bring the light of order to our thoughts and priority to our activities.

Last night when I woke up about 2AM I was restless with anxious anticipation, some guilt, some excitement, some doubt…my usual middle of the night demons. Affter about 45 minutes of struggling, I remembered the three words I had read in the afternoon. 

I began a quiet Michaelic mantra: courage, calmness, clarity…courage, calmness, clarity. Courage in my will. Calmness in my feelings. Clarity in my thoughts.

Within minutes I was asleep.

I woke up today knowing that for these autumn months I would be questioning everyday. Is there courage in my will today? Is there calmness in my feelings?  Is there clarity in my thoughts? And I will imagine Micha-el’s gaze looking into my soul.

To strengthen the presence of these Micha-elic gifts, let me suggest:

• Take some time this weekend to enjoy imagining courage, calmness, and clarity.

• Journal your thoughts after a long afternoon walk.  Or writing a poem…poetry crystalizes meaning and surprises the heart.  Or, as I suggested in another Michaelmas blog, make a sword collage of words and images. 

• Or, this just came to me and it feels great, make a dragon-shaped bread and as you rhythmically knead the dough repeat the mantra: courage, calmness, clarity.

• Invite some friends over for tea or a hearty red wine and talk about the Michaelic Feminine.  Utterly courageous. Utterly calm. Utterly clear. Utterly feminine. (Spiritual beings are without gender and express both the masculine and feminine forces)

I love the cycle of the Inner Year. Micha-el is with us every moment of our lives, but every autumn we get a chance to reflect on, attend to, and embrace the Micha-elic mysteries and powers in the world and within our souls in a new way. 

Here are links to other Michaelmas posts:

http://imagineself.com/2014/09/discerning-dragons-michaelmas/

https://imagineself.com/michaelmas-the-souls-season-of-dragons-and-courage-2/

http://imagineself.com/2013/09/what-are-your-inner-dragons/

http://imagineself.com/2010/09/a-sword-to-protect-your-soul-forged-in-the-heavens-2/

https://imagineself.com/bow-take-three-steps-back/

Inner work is tough work and moving through the mysterious and labyrinthine pathways of your soul requires guides, tools, support, creativity, humor and perseverance. 

Books, prayers, coaching, counseling, meditation, workshops, good friends...every kind of help is needed and available.  But ultimately, only you can do the work of becoming you. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Conversations with Me

Is this the year to answer a question, solve a mystery, survive a crisis, take a leap, imagine a future, find self-compassion, balance inner extremes, connect with a spiritual mentor and friend???  Can I support you, guide you, mentor you, celebrate you as you take on this threshold experience consciously and creatively.  I will bring a cosmic and spiritual context for understanding the challenges and realities of your life, your karma and your destiny, and make the cosmic and spiritual intimate and practical. 

Why don’t you

schedule a complimentary 20 minute conversation here

Let’s talk about what you are seeking and how I can help.  

Here’s to your inner work and becoming new this Fall!

Blessings & Imaginations,

Lynn