Follow your highest intention. Set your compass on love. Something in you knows this is always the way.
Jack Kornfield
Co-Creative Mandalas have a vibration that
anchors, activates specific qualities, and
represents something about ourselves,
the natural world, and the energy in the Universe
at a particular time. This year the mandalas support Choosing Love’s Presence within,
with the rhythms in nature,
and with the Great Mandala.
The mandala archetype for this month is Clarity.
It's been fun, illuminating, and surprising to explore Clarity and all the ways it supports
Choosing Love’s Presence.
Love’s Presence within mind, body, and spirit is seen, felt, and experienced by listening to
your inner guidance
and finding joy, peace, and wonder.
How is Clarity calling you to embrace
Choosing Love’s Presence?
This Co-Creative Mandala—Clarity—is from a photograph of a glad (symbolizes clarity) and zinnia (symbolizes deep connection) and is associated with the root, solar plexus, heart, throat, and crown chakras. It reminds us that sometimes we think clarity arrives first. But often clarity shows up after movement, after we take action. After experimenting. After allowing a messy beginning. After trying...maybe failing...maybe succeeding. After following a small creative urge that doesn’t fully make sense yet. Release the need to know. This is the time to stay in curiosity and acceptance. Open to and trust the next small steps.
I’m late with writing my May blog post. Aaargh! Even though I’ve been reflecting on what Clarity actually means, I’m finding it amusing and frustrating that I can’t get clear about writing about clarity. According to an AI search, my dilemma isn’t uncommon.
Writing about clarity is notoriously tricky—it’s the classic "meta" problem. It's like trying to bite your own teeth or see your own eyes without a mirror.
Okie, dokie, artichokie...that explanation feels on target with how I’m feeling. And, somehow comforting.
Ms. Chat also suggested that I start with what Clarity isn’t, i.e., it’s not big words or man splaining. Okay, got it.
Second, present what I want to say as if the reader is a 5 year old. Well, that’s insulting, right? But maybe she’s on to something, so here goes.
So, what is Clarity? I have come to realize that Clarity is an awareness of our true nature, our Wholeness. While co-creating the Sacred Mandalas: Mandala Messages for Aligning with Inner, Nature, and Universal Wisdom oracle card deck and guidebook, I had a felt sense of Clarity. I embodied my soul-guided purpose. I knew I was meant to steward the deck into the world. I realized the truth of my being and all beings—we are all connected. Clarity is one of the aspects, one of the qualities, of Love’s Presence. And, it's also the path to choosing Love's Presence. Those insights were profound and life changing.
And, sometimes I lose sight of that Clarity. Lately, that’s been an overarching feeling.
From what I’m hearing from clients and seeing in the world, I’m in good company. Misery loves company, right?
We’re in a transition time...individually and collectively. We know change is the norm these days, but don’t know what the change(s) will bring. Our go-to strategies no longer serve us. Love’s Presence can feel distant. Self-judgment may grow louder. Relationships may feel strained. We lose touch with the warmth and aliveness of our own hearts, with out soul-guided purpose.
Without Clarity, we can feel adrift.
Even though this is the season (metaphorically and in nature) for embarking on a different path in life or perhaps stepping into a new era, one where you can do things differently than you have in the past—a new path hasn’t revealed itself, yet.
The future isn’t visible. This time gives us an opportunity to step into our dreams, our vision...surrender to the unknown and trust the unfolding of something new. We are asked to give ourselves the gift of not knowing, even if the uncertainty is uncomfortable.
I’ve come to see Clarity as something quite simple and immediate. It’s the willingness to turn inward, moment by moment, and ask ourselves one essential, compassionate question:
What do I need?
The interesting thing is that the answer is not always the same. But it will always bring Clarity.
Clarity has a way of revealing the path while we’re walking it. Clarity comes when we stay in conversation with Wisdom...inner, nature, and the Universe.
Different moments require different forms of Clarity.
Sometimes the most helpful response is to turn toward the uncertainty. And say, with gentle compassion, “I don’t know”. And, then stay with the discomfort to help us learn that uncertainty is tolerable.
Often choosing Love’s Presence with compassion involves learning how to be with emotional discomfort directly, without trying to make it go away.
But compassion isn't one-size-fits-all.
Sometimes staying present with the feelings of discomfort doesn’t work for our nervous system in that moment. We might need to move our attention away from feelings of uncertainty and fear altogether, particularly when we’re feeling overwhelmed.
What is needed isn’t deeper presence with the difficult feelings, but grounding.
Grounding comes in many forms: Breath work; scanning our environment; meditation; Yoga; gardening; time in nature...just to name a few.
Early in May in the Sacred Mandalas Oracle Card Reading for the Collective, we offered a simple, grounded way to use oracle cards to quiet the noise and gain real Clarity about where you are right now by revealing the influences that limit and expand Clarity. The foundational belief behind the reading, i.e., you are your own oracle supports you in reconnecting with your inner guidance so that you can shift out of overwhelm into a greater sense of steadiness and trust.
The three card reading practice i.e., what you need to cultivate (Inner Wisdom—the Chakras), what guidance you are ready to receive (Universal Wisdom—Archangels), and a possible future (Nature Wisdom—the Seasons) you learn how to receive insight, inspiration, and Clarity in a way that feels authentic, supportive, and immediately applicable to your life journey.
This is why I think Clarity and asking the question “What do I need?” is so important.
Sometimes Love’s Presence asks us to bravely stay with difficult emotions.
Sometimes Love’s Presence asks us to ground, orient, stabilize, and care for ourselves by stepping back from difficult feelings.
Choosing Love’s Presence and finding Clarity isn’t about following one rigid formula. It’s about learning to listen wisely and compassionately to our mind, body, and spirit.
It’s not about transformation...it’s about emergence.
When I was seeking clarity about Clarity. I found this website. I appreciate her simple, straight forward and profound approach toward finding and living spiritual Clarity. Maybe you'll find it helpful, too.
As we move through the various life challenges we will inevitably encounter, my hope is that we can all pause, moment by moment, and ask ourselves the quintessential compassionate question:
What do I need to emerge into my most expansive self?
May you find Clarity in the midst of uncertainty.
Blessings,
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