Greetings, Dear One.
It has been a while since I tuned in to the blog space here, and given the new alignment of the Virtual Temple, it felt only right to shift this space too. Welcome to Alabaster, a space of devotion that is lead by the heart - where spirit communes freely through each of us. I am merely the scribe.
Being in the Covid cocoon for the bast 6 days has afforded me a tremendous amount of time to be still and to listen and observe. So much has happened in the past few days that I am still integrating, but I know that changing the way I share here is a part of the upgrade I’ve received.
When my clients and students begin their journeys into deepening their spiritual practices, one of the first things they usually ask is “how do I know if something is a message from my guides/higher self and not just a thought I’m having?” To this question I rarely give a direct answer, as truly this aspect of discernment is something that spirit asks us to learn on our own.
The key is to become a clear vessel. What does this mean? It means doing your work. Practicing the rituals that bring you into alignment with yourself, grounding, keeping your own council, and learning to trust your emotions as a tool of discernment. When we tend to these things, we allow ourselves to truly become aware of the simple transmissions received from a shadow passing on the wall, a flower blooming, a synchronicity…spirit is speaking all around us if we give ourselves the space to receive it.
You cannot force receptivity. You have to open yourself to it. To be open to receiving.
But what if you don’t “hear” messages? Folks often get a little tripped up by the idea that a message has to be physically heard in order to be received…but at this point it is important to honor that listening does not come from the ears, it comes from the heart. So to hear a message may be a sensation of deep feeling, a vision flashing by, a butterfly dancing across the street…it may even just be a sudden rush of knowing.
My mentor, Emily Hamilton, once said “everyone is psychic.” But this doesn’t limit us to just Clairvoyance or Clairaudience. We may not see or hear transmissions, but our heart knows something.
So today I encourage you to practice listening. Journal any synchronicities that come up, any knowings that your heart presents. Are there guides who are trying to make their presence known? Are your ancestors trying to remind you that you aren’t in this alone? Be open to things you may not normally pay attention to. Spirit is in the smallest grain of sand.
And if learning to hone these tools is something that feels important to you right now, let’s connect. I have registration space open for my 1-on-1 mentorship program, Hierophant, and my group mentorship program Pathway of the High Priestess, where we learn the ways of interconnection, listening and receiving as we tend to the altars of the sacred.
I’d love to hear from you. Always feel free to reach out to me with inquiries at alexis@ocotillobotanica.com
In service & reverence,
Alexis Nichole Smith