My husband took the kids out on Mother's Day so I could have some extended alone time, during which I sat down in the quiet for an automatic writing session. I was coming off of a week-long heated debate with a strange man who showed up randomly on one of my Facebook posts to berate me for being "biased," and I needed to shake off that dark pit sensation in my stomach from having absorbed his contempt for me during our exchange. Frustrated and angry at this man, at Trump, at everything that has led to this tumultuous moment in our collective history, I began writing down my questions and concerns one at a time, allowing myself to fall into meditation so that my hand could be free to write down whatever answers I was given.Â
Here is the dialogue that ensued:
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Q: How is it fair that our whole country should be punished for the thoughts and actions of a minority of misguided people?
A: 'You' are not separate from 'them.' The sins of one belong to all. You're not being punished; rather, you're confronting the sickness of your collective body. All cells must rush to the infection. When this period ends, you will feel as though a fever has passed, and your community will be well again.
Q: If the seers are correct, the darkness ahead will last for nearly a decade. How can we possibly survive this?
A: Like all struggles, you will overcome it one day at a time. Focus on the present moment and your immediate sphere of influence. Do what good you can within the reach of your small world, until your corner of reality is infused with truth, compassion, and love. Then, trust that it will expand and cover the earth by way of those you've touched.Â
Q: I'm so confused about God. So much of my faith is predicated on the belief that the arc of history bends toward progress and that our actions have karmic repercussions. How can I believe in that anymore when the people in charge of our lives indulge every evil, and they are nonetheless rewarded with power?
A: You have yet to witness the completion of their stories. Even power and money cannot satisfy an empty soul, and their deeds will be met appropriately when the time is right. Do not concern yourself with retribution, as it will do nothing but waste your energy. Instead, acknowledge your contribution to the arc of progress. You are a soul in the midst of enlightenment. You are an agent of progress in your life and in the lives of others. Only God endures long enough to see the arc of history fulfilled, so do not be discouraged by those who argue that justice and equality are not the destiny of mankind. All beings come from a single source, and to that source you will return. *That* is the true arc of progress, and it transcends the capacity of the human mind to understand it completely - much like God itself.
Q: If it's true that spirits of light are among us, and that their purpose is to guide and help us, why don't they intervene when people do terrible things?
A: Your insight into the tapestry of human experience is limited by your material existence. The paths of all people are interwoven in ways you cannot see. It is not always the place for angels to intervene if it disrupts the journey of a soul. However they will be always be present to console, heal, and provide what is needed when it is needed. Proceed in life with the confidence of knowing that you are not alone, instead of with the fear that you are the only energy active in your life's trajectory.Â
Q: What about me? Every day, I'm trying to make some kind of positive change, but then I backslide into conflict, impatience, or fear. I feel overwhelmed and responsible for everything.
A: You are not responsible for the fate of the entire world. That is a higher domain. To take on such a burden is both prideful and a drain on your energy. Be present with the challenges in your immediate space and offer yourself the same compassion that drives your desire to save the world. Empty yourself of fear and you will leave much more room for goodness to work through you without exhausting yourself in the process. A medium's gifts do not originate from the medium. The medium is a conduit, a channel, a highway for the safe passage of divine energy. Leave the doors open for it to pass through by resisting the urge to clutter the way with thoughts of your limitation.
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That was where the conversation ended, mostly because my hand was hurting from writing so quickly. A lot of this was hard for me to read later, as it was a lot more philosophically Buddhist than I want to be feeling right now. Most days I want to launch a grenade at the injustices of the world, and here I was being told there would never be a quick fix and that I would have to be satisfied with the small successes. But the more I look over this exchange, the more comforted I am in how steady the voice that answered me was. That voice was convinced that everything would be all right. To that voice, the next ten years were a blink of an eye compared to the eternity it came from. That voice also seemed convinced that, despite the look of things, the greatest power we have is also the most subtle - in which we set our intentions on our immediate time and space and do the best we can with it.Â
So now, I'm trying to do my due diligence and resist the urge to constantly live in fear and anger at having been forced to this threshold. I find it takes frequent pauses in which I ask, "What is my intention?" and I ensure that what I'm about to say or do is in service to that intention. If I'm trying to cultivate love, I pause to resist the urge to share that snarky Facebook post that would hurt or alienate someone. If I'm trying to encourage critical thinking, I pause to change my voice and my approach in an effort to resonate with the mind I'm trying to change. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. But we aren't operating in a vacuum, and often the kind response exchanged with someone angry or confrontational will catch the eye of someone else in our mutual audience and teach them something valuable about which side of a debate deals in truth/love and which side deals in ignorance/fear. Little successes.
Anyway, I hope this exchange is as encouraging to those reading it as it is for me now.
Vida. These are wise, powerful, comforting words. They come from the heart of human wisdom and compassion. They may sound Buddhist and they are but they are also at the heart of almost all spiritual traditions-- Native American, Hindu, Taoist, most indigenous traditions and true Christianity to name a few. Â
When you want to throw a grenade at anyone (and I can guess who you have in mind lol) , it hurts you and does little to change those people. I know from your wisdom that you know this, but it feels good to affirm it here.
 In fact if they can feel the hatred coming at them, they are likely to dig in deeper with their belief that they are not safe in the world which is what drives their destructive actions.
I too struggle with anger at them. I've probably posted some anger on this website during a moment of weakness and poor judgement. Â It's natural to get angry but it hurts us.Â
I know in my heart that if I'm to direct any  energy towards them and have my effort do any good for us all, I can do the most good by praying that they feel safer in their lives and that they feel connected to the whole of humanity and the earth.Â
They are wounded people and although I wish we could just get rid of them, I know their greed and fear on a lessor level flows through us all. I also know that we are all connected and so there is no getting rid of anyone. Â
Again I know you know this. Thank you for posting. I am so grateful to have your words on this website.Â
Read your post twice and it strikes a chord. I am reminded of my mother's stories from the Great Depression. As hard as times were for everyone, life went on, people pulled together in new ways, and there were many good times to be had (even if you didn't have any money in your pocket). Thanks for the post.
Jeanne: thank you so much for your own wise words. It's sort of interesting to have made it this far into adulthood only to have current events throw me into what feels like a state of spiritual adolescence.  It's SO hard to put these concepts into practice when it's so much easier to just assign blame, complain, and direct ill wishes. But every time I flail at the universe for a sign of what to do, in one way or another, I am pointed back toward compassionate activism. The automatic writing session was probably the most explicit message I'd received on that count.
I love the way you've expanded on these ideas, especially here:Â
I know in my heart that if I'm to direct any  energy towards them and have my effort do any good for us all, I can do the most good by praying that they feel safer in their lives and that they feel connected to the whole of humanity and the earth.Â
I need to put that on a post-it note and stick it to my monitor, because that is precisely the lens I should look through. Thank you so much for all your insights; even if, deep down, I already know these things, it's another thing altogether to integrate them into my consciousness.
My grandmother was an extremely talented seer. She even saw the man I was going to marry a decade before I would meet him myself. She left us well before the world began to change, and my sister and I miss terribly the love and security we had in knowing that she could sense what was ahead and still saw everything turning out okay. I think perhaps it was her guiding hand that led me to this community, where I could see if I could further my own psychic reach and learn from the wisdom of the dear souls that visit here as well.
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Paul: I'm so glad my post resonated with you. It's amazing what sorts of atrocities humans not only live through, but find it possible to find joy in. I recently finished reading an amazing book called The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World which chronicles a week spent with the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu in Darhamsala as they spoke about finding and cultivating joy in the wake of the terrible things that happen around us. Considering the origins of both these men - one surviving exile from Tibet and the other living through the horrors of Apartheid - it's astounding how lighthearted and happy they are. They are the subject matter experts on how to live joyfully and make positive change when the world is coming apart at the seams. Totally recommend it.  Â
Hello Vida, Thank you so much for your beautifully written insights. You couldn't have worded this more clearly. I am basically a positive person. I choose to find the best, even when circumstances are dire. I choose not to feel anger, as that only drains me. If anything, this whole experience has made me feel more connected to our world then ever before. Just plugging along every day, doing nothing important but trying to connect with that one glimmer of light. It's what gets me through the day! I especially love the answer to your first question. Yes, we are all one and we all heal together. Thank you again. This is just what we needed!
Vida, thank you for this. I'm so angry and frustrated with the state of the world today, it's hard to deal with. I'm currently working on my college degree, going back to school at 38, dependent on the government for both school and health insurance. This was after getting laid off from my job, the second lay off in five years. I first worked at a newspaper, and they were downsizing, so I was on the chopping block there. The second job was at a manufacturer's plant, a job I got as my unemployment ran out, then laid off as the plant closed down to relocate operations in Texas.
I'm on Medicaid currently and the new budget really terrifies me. Also had to cut ties with "friends" who smiled to my face, then complained on Facebook about "people on the take."
I have written by Representatives in Congress no less than 55 times and counting. Looking into local politics where I live, to see what I can do to help. I helped get a Democratic senator into our state Senate, by calling voters. But I still feel helpless and powerless.
No telling what I'll do with my degree, once I get it, and scared about the job market, but really trying hard to see what services the university has and make use of them.
Sorry for the rant. It helps to hear what I can and should focus on, and what's a waste of energy.Â
Thank you again.
Warriorwitch, reading the above is hard. I am so so sorry that you have to go through this. The cruelty of people who think that no one should ever get any help. The ironic twist in this is that those same people will probably need help themselves in coming years, maybe that will teach them. What you described is very similar to what I went through myself some years ago when I was trying to complete my degree in Montreal Canada. I was stuck in a bureaucratic nightmare whereby my student loans were delayed by six months and for most of that time I wasn't even sure in between having to dig up and submit endless documents whether I would get student loans at all. And because I was applying for student loans I couldn't apply for welfare when I lost my job. My french wasn't strong enough for me to find another job easily, so I spent months on the edge, borrowing money from friends and desperately trying to survive. I want to say to you, that it gets better. Sometimes you think you can't sink any lower, but believe me there will be an upswing, it will get better. The practical things I can say about the current situation is that this is 2017, not 2018, so we all have time to prepare for what's coming. Right now the gig economy exists which allows us to make extra money if necessary. Everything from being an uber driver, to selling your skills on fiverr. The internet is a great place to find extra work, it just takes a bit of research.Â
I think right now we are all asked to live with faith, tell yourself everyday that your needs will be met. And focus your energy on what you can control. Never think you are all alone, you will be surprised how many people will help you if you just let them, sometimes in unexpected ways. During my time in Montreal the kindness of strangers blew me away. That kindness exists everywhere, its just not always very visible. We are with you, you are not alone, and your political activism is very important for the future, so keep it up.Â
With love
Natalie
WarriorWitch, I am so sorry you are having to be on the cutting edge of all the nonsense. I don't know where you live, but look into local chapters of Indivisible, ACLU, She Should Run and Emily's List. Pick the one that sparks the most passion. Volunteer as much as you can, and you never know, it might help you network into a paying job. Also consider looking into your local Unitarian Universalist church - we are a faith that welcomes all belief systems, in fact, Pagans are especially welcome (presuming from your screen name, apologies if I'm incorrect). Not only do UU congregations participate actively in social justice, we do prop each other up when needed. Again, more networking that might help you, and if things get dire, you'd have a community to turn to for help. Just my 10 cents. You can find your local UUs at www.uua.org. Much peace, love and light to you.
Thank you Natalie and Laura F., for the kind words. I've joined Emily's List already and there's a UU in my area about 40 minutes away. I'll look into it. Yes, Laura, I'm Pagan, you guessed correctly.