In the U.S. December is considered a month of darkness. The days are short, the skies are often gray, and the warmth is ebbing. This is all going on in the external world, so we light candles, stoke the fire, and enjoy a cup of hot tea. Of course, these are also part of the external world, but something else can be happening within us. Our inner light can be shining brightly even in the darkest of times.
Author Angeles Arrien, in The Four-Fold Way: Walking the Paths of the Warrior, Teacher, Healer, and Visionary, reports how many native cultures believe that the heart is the bridge between Father Sky and Mother Earth. She identifies the inner world as four aspects of heart: full-, open-, clear-, and strong-hearted. Where we are not full-hearted we might feel as though we “should” do something we don’t want to do. Where we are not open-hearted, we become defensive trying to protect ourselves from possible hurt. Where we are not clear-hearted, we need to wait for clarity rather than force action. Where we are not strong-hearted we lack the courage to be authentic or to say what is true for us. Notice that these internal states affect your external relationship to the world, including and perhaps especially the power of your light.
When you’re in the sunlight, it’s easy, you rely on the external light.
But when you are in the darkness in a place of grief, of fear, of confusion,
your inner light is vital. ~ Aaron
When we understand that our inner light is vital, we do what we can to shine our light out into the world.
When walking from a bright room into a darker room, pause for just a few seconds and close your eyes momentarily so the transition will be less jarring. Transitions lenses contain special patented photochromic dyes that cause the lens to activate, or darken, when exposed to ultraviolet rays from sunlight. When the UV light diminishes, the lenses fade back. As light conditions change, the level of tint adjusts, offering the right tint at the right time. One of the downsides to Transitions lenses is that they change quickly when going out into the sunlight but they take longer to adjust going the other way.
When Aaron, as channeled by Barbara Brodsky, speaks of our being light in the world, he says:
This is the power you have, in these somewhat shaky times in the world, not knowing what the future will bring in your country. Aware of the increasing violence throughout the world, with the seeming increasing hatred in the world. I invite you to find the source of your power, which is not yours, but the power, of love. And remember that you are undefeatable when you rest in that power. But it is never a power that you can use for your own personal gain or to harm others. It is only the power that all beings have that speaks from the loving heart. And it’s such a joy to rest in that space.
“A million suns come forth with light when I rest firmly in that world.”
This is your birthright. Enjoy it and use it well.
Although most of those who have worked with us are familiar with the concept of channeling, the term may be new to some in spite of the many examples of it in the Bible and other religious literature. When the voice of God speaks to Moses from the burning bush, Moses is “channeling.” For a good description and a bit of skepticism, see Channeling. The concept of “spirit guides” and communicating with those in the spirit world—including God—is older than recorded history. While we can’t know for sure where the channeled information originates, most of those who channel claim the source is spiritual in nature. See How to Contact Your Spirit Guides. Whether you are aware of it or not, you have probably experienced it—a voice in your head saying “do something” or “don’t do something,” or even an unexplained warning sound when you are daydreaming and really should be paying attention.
While still an adolescent, Joel was driving north on US 101 in California, known to locals as “Bloody Bayshore,” a four-lane limited access highway with no separation between north- and south-bound traffic, known for nasty collisions. (It has long since been replaced by a modern freeway.) Joel was driving along at the speed limit while thinking about his upcoming date. He was brought back to reality by a loud honking of a horn. He looked up, saw that the traffic in front of him had come to a complete stop, and hit his brakes—hard. He managed to stop just inches before hitting the car in front. He looked around to see whom he might thank for the warning. Nobody was paying attention or otherwise gave any indication that they had been responsible for the warning. In retrospect, Joel thinks the honk must have been nonphysical, a message from “the other side.”
When Debra was 12 years old she had a near-death experience related to an automobile accident. She distinctly remembers floating above her body watching the doctor stitching up her forehead. Debra began keeping a journal close to 50 years ago partially as evidence that she was not hallucinating the prophetic knowings she was having. As she began doing energy work, her intuitive abilities were amplified.
Everyone receives intuitive guidance or extra-sensory messages, whether they recognize it or not. The most atheistic, cold-hearted, scientists come up with new and wonderful things and say that they “were inspired.” Indeed…. Some may stop to ponder the source of that inspiration. Some may say, “It’s all me. I thought of it.” Others will say, “I don’t know where that idea came from. It is a completely new approach….”
At some point you’ve probably heard the warning about hiding your light under a bushel. The core concept is that the world needs our combined light, especially in times of relative darkness. The Gospel song, This Little Light of Mine, has endured because it expresses a fundamental truth: We are at our best and doing the best for others when we let our light shine as brightly as we can.