by Stephanie Leon Neal
Chapter Two
One Pagan
Under the Sea, most sponges, shells, and seaweed are used as a protective covering for their underworld inhabitants. As a hiding place to birth young and a home and filter to see their watery world, all good reasons to stay among the sponges and seaweed. But alas, the young fish grow up and know, instinctively, it is time to come out of their covering and explore a wider world and to embrace a wider vista that is theirs to claim. Just as the dragonfly, instinctively, knows to come out of her veil, emerge out of the protective water, and develop her wings, so that she may fly into the horizon. A dragonfly does not need to be taught to fly, nor a fish to swim, this is true for the Sea Priestess. Sea Priestesses only need to lay down all perceived outside powers, all external influences, for a time and remove all shells that are now a burden. All were good to be among, for a time, but have now outgrown their purpose. Come out of all seaweed tangled paths that lead you to everywhere, but you.
The main purpose for this lesson is to gently untangle you from all over complication.
Over complication is a time and joy thief, designed to rob you of your free-will, your divine thoughts, giving you permission or excuses to remain in the struggle. People have been trained that life and their "path" is one long awful struggle. That is only true if you live under that shell. It was a choice you made, long ago. It is not a good or bad choice, just a choice that needs to be re-examined, if you want to learn something new. Decide now if over complication is out dated or useful for your growth; only you can answer these questions. Consider quietly settling into your own presence, your own journey, your own heart, and your own thoughts, your own life. Some individuals do not know their own thoughts! They need to wait and find out what others are saying before speaking. Do not enter other people's drama, another's journeying, another's stories, another's purpose or another's thoughts for they only rob you of your own life.
As a Sea Priestess, you will see many personality types but know they are all just trying to find their way back home. As a Sea Priestess, you are a spiritual healer, a spiritual counselor, a Hevic healer to the Soul, a voyager, traveling all seas. Seeing problems from a new perspective, we now begin our untraining.
Untraining
We have been taught so-called truths will serve us well within our lives yet actually, they have been colossal blocks, veils, and strong sedatives to cause us not to live in our full potential. So-called truths designed to keep the waters muddy, so that we remain unmovable and unclear of our purpose; always trying to be one of them, over there. We are not over there and we are not them. A huge eye opener!
Some Personality Types
There are folks that desire to experience lessons through the veil of need and/or some form of pain. If this is how they believe then this is how they learn most of their lessons. Remembering it is us that design our life. There are other individuals that enjoy the veil of drama, if this is you, and have no desire to change, then enjoy that choice; know you will experience life and learn many valuable lessons through those veils, but know it is you whom selected your learning method. All methods are equally valuable. You will deal with people that think they see reality very clearly and will be glad to tell you all that they know, and tell you how they see your reality. Be patient with these sweet souls; after a while they run out of steam and look up to see the sublime of what is, and begin to experience what is. They want to impress people with all they know and all they do, in hopes people will look up to them. In reality, they are doing it backwards and by approaching people backwards, they are creating the very opposite results they are trying to achieve for themselves. Someday they will rest, not within their head knowledge, but within their own Being. They will see they are already fathomless love, as all of the above personalities highlighted so far. They will begin to ask wonderful questions; not about things outside themselves, but inside the soul.
Let us consider the person that desires everyone to admire them, through continual bragging these folks have selected the big ego veil from which to learn their lessons. The big ego is trying to be validated every waking moment. The truth is, they already are validated, and they just don’t see it yet.
Be aware, that some folks may enjoy wearing their veil. As an "Unteacher," you do not need to convince anyone to do anything. Remember you are a facilitator to un-teach people; it is they that do the work, not you. Many other personality types will be highlighted as examples, yet our main focus is you and what you need to remove from your life, so that your life sparkles under the noon day sun. I believe everyone, inherently, desires to be a true asset and genuinely wants to be the best person they can be. Some personalities are just trying to figure out how to show up in life.
Example: A person desires to become a leader. They think they need to put the spot light on themselves, essentially saying, "Look at me." Unteaching says put the spotlight on the students and say, "Look at you!" More individuals will listen to you if you first listen to them and acknowledge their gifts they bring to the table.
Words are not enough; all your actions convey that you are focused on others’ gifts.
Everyone desires to be magnificent, so let's begin to ask the tough questions.
Are you carrying an outgrown shell on your back? Are you lying immobile on a sea sponge, doing nothing? Are you tangled among the high seaweed, causing you to not see the Universes’ vast vistas? Today, before you read one more word, identify what is holding you back from what you want. If you want to do nothing and think nothing is holding you back from action, then excellent.
If you do want to see life differently, then ask yourself, "What are my shadows?”
You instinctively know what they are.
I told you this was going to be a bumpy ride.
Lay down everything you perceive as an over complication. Let us pretend that we only are given one life...ask yourself, "Am I living my life to the fullest!?" Am I helping others?" "Am I relying on others to tell me what my shadows are?" “Am I relying on outside things to tell me about me?!”
If the answers are difficult to answer, do not worry. That is why you are here to clear the waters, to make a path, and maybe end up a Sea Priestess; receiving instruction from the best life coach on earth, for you, you.
What's That on Your Head?
We think we see clearly when actually we see through a veil, or many veils. We think we know what reality is for ourselves and even for others; we do not. Some veils have been lovingly placed on us by our parents, some by our teachers, some by our friends, some by our culture, but most by our own hand. We think we have keen insight on other people's lives, interpreted not as they really are, but seen through veils on our own head. Some of us think our training and experience is superior to any other training or culture. We value or devalue others by our own shadow standards, which only causes people to move apart from each other, instead of moving closer to each other. We only need to focus on our shadows, while other people focus on their own shadows, bringing everyone back into the world ocean; all supporting and affecting each other as they cultivate their own water energy field. If we focus healing our shadows it will affect the entire world energy field.
We are rewarded when we work on our shadows. As we explore our shadows, our gifts automatically rise up to replace every shadow. Situations change around us, because we change. We find it easier to lay down physicality and replace it with Spirit, yet never losing focus on practicality. For it is important, as Sea Priestesses, to have one foot in both worlds.
Exploration beyond physicality brings all of us to a place where our focused thoughts become our reality, while realizing all realities are mutable. All physical realities, history, and concepts are all veils. To enter the portal of cosmic omnipresence is to look beyond our physicality, beyond our mentality; to run towards the limits of reality is to find none! Thus boundaries are eliminated. It is the ego centered mind that runs amuck, reminding us, ultimately, there is death there is an end, which is the biggest cosmic lie of all. The ego says we will "die." The Universe says, “How can consciousness die?” It cannot, thus we cannot die; it is an impossibility. As Westerners, we are too focused on the body and the ego conscious mind, thus our perceptions are tied to those very small aspects, instead of the larger, none linear systems.
We are all here learning and experiencing different lessons that we have pre-chosen before we popped into this reality plane. We choose to be here and to experience life to its fullest. For some, they go out of their way to do the opposite and not fully live. Due to our choices, and our own veils we all perceive our world as reality. Truthfully, it is not reality in its fullness; it is only a small part of the entire picture. Our limited minds cannot perceive all that is right here, right now, within the practical mundane plane. However, our Divine Mind can and is connected to all realities all multi-dimensional realities.
Open minded folks, not attached to the physical excel in this concept. Or should I say people that are willing to step out of their mundane minds and enter their Divine Mind through meditation, deep lucid dreaming, astral journeying, and/ or living life in complete fullness. Understanding individuals work on different life lessons, using different methods; no two people have the same reality, or the same consciousness. However, we all are able to clearly see and explore our Divine connection and see no one is apart from us. When we see we no one is lesser than anyone else, we see.
Some Realities that people Live By
The following list are just a few realities I have heard through the decades:
One Pagan
One Pagan said, "90% of Pagans are rebellious against other groups."
One Pagan said, "90% of Pagans are poly."
One Pagan said, "90% of Pagans are Playgans."
One Pagan said, "90% of Pagans are single."
One Pagan said, "90% of Pagans are negative."
One Pagan said, "90% of Pagans are spiritual."
One Pagan said "90% of Pagans are not spiritual."
One Pagan said, "90% of Pagans are talented, wonderful explorers!"
One Pagan said, “90% of Pagan groups do not last, by reason of blah,
blah, blah"
One Pagan said, "Most Pagans are positive."
One Pagan said, "Life is difficult, and then you die."
One Pagan said, “We learn mostly through pain and failure.”
One Pagan said “We learn through many methods, not just pain.”
One Pagan said, “We grow through balance.”
One Pagan said, “We grow through imbalance.”
One Pagan said, "Life is joy.”
One Pagan said, “Life is quiet peace.”
One Pagan said, “Life is a fight.”
One Pagan said, "Life is Drama."
One Pagan said, “Drama is foreign to me.”
One Pagan said, “Most people are against us, so we must build the bun-
kers thicker.”
One Pagan said, "There are many good non-Pagan people that respect
our choices.
One Pagan said, "All Pagan groups are political."
One Pagan said, “Many Pagan groups are doing well and have lasted for
decades."
One Pagan said, “When Priestesses get together they are catty.”
One Pagan said, “When Priestesses get together they are supportive lov-
ing humans.”
One Pagan said, “When Priests get together they gossip.”
One Pagan said, “When Priests get together they are non-judgmental.”
One Pagan said, "… there are always Witch wars."
One Pagan said, "I chose not to be involved with a Witch war."
One Pagan said, "All Pagans around here do not want to join a group."
One Pagan said, "Many Pagans want a group with which to fellowship."
One Pagan said, "Success comes easy."
One Pagan said, "Success is difficult to achieve."
One Pagan said, "You need to know your limitations."
One Pagan said, "You have no limitations, except the ones you place on
yourself."
One Pagan said, "I have no control of what happens to me."
One Pagan said, “I have created my life, by my own hands.”
One Pagan said, "It's necessary to struggle through life to experience
one's own conscious unfolding."
One Pagan said, "A person does not need to go through pain to become
enlightened."
One Pagan said, "A person needs to go through pain to become enlight-
ened."
One Pagan said, “People must focus on the Shadows to see their light.”
One Pagan said, “People can focus on the light to see their Shadows.”
One Pagan said, “What if I keep going through the same thing over and
over, learning the same lesson, time and again.” My
answer: “The second you learn the lesson this situation
will stop, so stop doing what you are doing so the
negativity that results from the situation will stop.”
One Pagan said, “I am a Pagan out of rebellion
One Pagan said, “Living as a Pagan is fulfilling.”
Every one of those quotes are “true,” only to that individual and those that selected to live that way. Many believe that everyone lives and experiences life somewhat like them. The truth is there are many ways to live. Depending on how you designed your story, will bring into your life the individuals and experiences that will affirm your believes. No statement made regarding “One Pagan said” is incorrect in the cosmic sense, because it is a truth to some individuals, none “bad or good;” only experiences and lessons to be learned by all those different types of personalities. No-one wrong, since each person was seeing their reality, through their own shadows, their own veils, through their own eyes. While pulling that reality into their lives, thinking everyone lives their way and they do not.
Everyone is unfolding their awareness in their own way. Everyone attracting the people working on the same shadow work, which only confirms for them that everyone is essentially thinking and experiencing what they are! Everyone is not approaching life the same way, which is a good thing. Life would be incredibly boring if we were all learning the same lessons, in the same manner.
There are times we need to take a closer look at what we are learning and ask, is it time to move on to our next lesson? Instead of learning the same lesson over and over. Moving on is identifying and removing distortions and filters we think are there protecting us when they are not. Thinking and behaving in such a way, that show ourselves we truly learned the lesson, so it does not need to be repeated again and again, unless we enjoy the lesson.
Be gentle with yourself when you ask the following questions.
Have you lived life to your fullest?
It is sad to say that some folks say "no."
Ask yourself the hard questions, i.e., “Why can't I attain what I desire?”
Examine all your excuses, but know there are no real excuses to hold you back for a life time. A person may have one or two excuses and they, indeed, can be valid. However, if a person shoots excuses out like a machine gun, then they are not ready to move forward into clear waters. This person needs to ask their self the dreaded question, “Why?” Your mind, with a small "m," has a zillion whys, ultimately, all the person’s excuses will find it difficult to remove their own veils, before they remove their excuses.
What restrictions are you placing on yourself? Who are you blaming? Blame is just an excuse dressed in a blame costume. Are you allowing your past to make your decisions for you? Are you allowing your fears to make decisions for you? There is not one excuse we can use that can stop us, not one. Even if the excuse is, "I have nothing." That is still not a valid reason to move forward, to achieve what you desire. You have everything you need; you just don't know it yet. Out of nothing, you can create something; this is magic.
It scares some people to think they are directly connected to everything now and everything is not what most people think everything is, thus it scares them to take on accountability and find answers for themselves. Once again, because we are so physically oriented, to time and space bound, all these become our veils; making us forget what we have learned in past lives, causing apathy for our very own lives! Thus fear and apathy become security blankets that we hold onto for dear life.
Since everything is but an apparition,
Perfect in being what it is,
Having nothing to do with good or bad,
Acceptance or rejection,
One may well burst out in laughter.
~ Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Long Chen Pa
Everyone knows deep within our soul that we are working on a much larger plan than any human behavior modality has ever fathomed. We are getting glimpses of how big we are. All our varied aspects of our development are, in fact, Deity developing through us. Divinity cannot be complete without us. Divinity cannot grow apart from us. We are Her hands, we are Her eyes, we are Her voice, and we are Her movement. She explores Herself through us. She unfolds Herself through us. She expands through us. As we expand through Her.