The Question Spiral #7
What Insights have you gained from this shamanic journey, blended with your own Life Experiences. Which Labyrinth journey do you intuitively feel the Soul has chosen for you?
The Question Spiral - An Experiment from Joe Nichols
A Collaborative Writing Series for the Incurably Curious …
Welcome to a six-week writing experiment built on wonder, not answers. In the Question Spiral, writers will take turns exploring big, unsettling, beautifully human questions, each one sparked by the last. There are no prompts, no blueprints, no neat conclusions. Just a living chain of curiosity, where each essay responds, provokes, and invites the next. It's not a ladder. It's a spiral. And we're writing our way through it.
☆ If you’d like to follow the trail from the beginning, start here
Hello Substack! I am honored to be invited to participate in The Question Spiral. Thank you Joe Nichols, I’ve so enjoyed following, reading, and contemplating all of these questions. Frankly I was much more intimidated by having to come up with a Question, than I was having to answer one. But the Question for Craig Sefa revealed itself right at the end! (😁Trust the process, right Joe?😉)
Here’s a quick introduction to those of you who may not know me yet.
I’m MJ, and welcome to The Southern Copywriter blog! But don’t let the name fool ya—most of what you’ll see on my blog is my passion for the Personal Essay, with a splash of Fiction. Unless of course you’re looking for a side gig, if so check out my Newspaper to Substack series! And here’s a link to one of my recent essays that I think will provide more of an introduction, I’m Different.
Now without further adieu, everyone settle in for Question Spiral #7!
In Question Spiral #6, Vivienne Helen asked me-
What Insights have you gained from this shamanic journey, blended with your own Life Experiences. Which Labyrinth journey do you intuitively feel the Soul has chosen for you - in the Light or in the Dark, and how may these learnings and insights change the way you move forward in life?
I am the Light.
Or at least, I am striving to be the Light—not only through my writing, but also in person.
I’m not sure I even know what a Shamanic Journey is, but it sounds radical. Let’s go! I keep a 5-minute bag ready at all times—my passport stays in my wallet, and I can remove the blade from my knife with just a screwdriver. 😉 Which TSA has gladly provided more than once…
I’ve seen the world bend, what lies beneath the surface🤪with the help of Psilocybin mushrooms.
Not everyone can handle Shrooms—my sweetheart for instance, just cannot allow herself to surrender to it. So for her, it’s hours of chaos and anxiety. Now I’m a pretty good guide, but the thing is if you can’t let go, it can be a terrifying experience—just like Life. If you hold on too tight, the anxiety of the future can be overwhelming.
Well it doesn’t have to be that way. I’m no guide to living Life, but by spreading the Light of Love through compassion and understanding, I am attempting to be an example to others. So in essence I’m the Light itself—as are you, and everyone else that is fighting the good fight.
Paulo Choelo calls us, The Warriors of the Light.
A Warrior of the Light is someone who embraces positivity, hope, and the pursuit of good in the face of adversity, darkness, or negativity.
In Paulo’s own words, “A Warrior of the Light knows his own faults. But he also knows his qualities. He always checks that he carries three things with him: Faith, Hope, and Love.”
For me, the Tree in the Shamanic Journey represents Life. The Darkness represents distractions pulling from every direction, tearing at our peace, trying their best to force us off of our path. The Child with the mandolin is Hope. And the Beads represent the Light of Love, which manifests itself in connection with others and hopefully, eventually within ourselves. I think that Faith is the courage it takes to follow the sound of the mandolin into the Darkness.
🤔I wonder if I was in the wrong Labyrinth for much of my life, and that’s why I had to have the major reset? I was shown the Light during said reset. And now I’m seeking to be a beacon for all those who are also struggling along on the wrong path.
Or maybe the child is Knowledge, which can provide Hope through the pursuit of Wisdom? That would make sense, it’s as if the Child is illuminating the path, my path—showing me the way, so that others may have Hope that their own true path is obtainable.
In one of the books I often recommend, Approaching the Buddhist Path, the Dalai Lama says,
“We all are part of the human community and have the responsibility to benefit that community. We should take a more active role in helping society by employing whatever talents and abilities we possess to help others. For if the human community is happy and at peace, we all benefit.” -Bhiksu Tenzin Gyatso the 14th Dalai Lama
And by sharing my Life Experience through my writing, I am answering the Dalai Lama’s call.
If you’ve read my essays in the past—you know I like quotes, and I like mantras or prayers. I use many throughout my days, but there are three in particular that I write, as I close my journal each morning. These three mantras keep me focused on the Now, and remind me of my, Why—they are:
I am more than I appear to be, all the earth’s power and energy are in me.
I am a gifted and talented writer.
There is a divine plan for both me, and my work.
So to Vivienne Helen’s question, “What Insights have you gained from this Shamanic Journey, blended with your own Life Experiences. Which Labyrinth journey do you intuitively feel the Soul has chosen for you—in the Light or in the Dark, and how may these learnings and insights change the way you move forward in life?”
My answer is, maybe what you saw was My Journey. Maybe this question has been waiting for me, or has been asked and what you saw is my answer manifested…
I am in essence the Light itself, as are you, and everyone else that is seeking it. We are The Warriors of the Light.
Now I’m not saying that I’m special, or that I have it all figured out. By shining my Light I’m showing those who may be in the midst of their own darkness that there is a Light at the end of the tunnel—that I found my Light in Philosophy, in the pursuit of Wisdom. And that the next time the darkness descends, I’ll be more prepared. I’ll at the very least have a torch at hand to help me along the way.
My question for Craig Sefa is- What’s your torch?
What do you lean on, or turn to when the darkness descends? And how does that shape your daily life?
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it and clicking that ❤ button, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. What’s your torch?
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You have no idea how much all of this, and especially your question, is resonating and intersecting with so many different parts of my life even in the past 24 hours. I'm excited to pick up the torch in this spiral / labyrinth in the next few days.
We have very different faith journeys, but share a deep commitment to peace and flourishing for all of humanity. It is always a beautiful thing to see the light of love shining across the artificial boundaries we so often build between us. Thank you for sharing your journey and for being a light.
Hey MJ.
Thankyou for your deep reflections.
I too feel we are all here to bring Light to the world...some on the Light path and some on the Dark path.
Either way, I feel each path has something to show us as humanity.
I have, for a long time, struggled with the concept of Light and Dark.
I feel perhaps it is primarily due to how media has portrayed Dark as bad and Light as good.
Many recent shamanic journeys I have undertaken are highlighting that the power is in fusion of Light and Dark both needing each other for growth and expansion.
Love your next question too.
I will muse on that.🩵🩵🩵