Spiritual Activism- An Introduction

After writing and rewriting this piece, I have realized that this is just the beginning of my musings. There are so many nuances to bring to the surface. This is sure to be a journey, but I believe it is important. Thanks for joining. 

Ever since my time in Berkeley in 2009, I have had a portion of my brain continuously spinning, shifting and sussing out the idea of Spiritual Activism. I bought a book or two by Andrew Harvey. They are sitting on one of my shelves. Since buying them, 7 or 8 year ago.

Dinner with Love Warriors in Berkeley

I have read portions here and there, along with snippets of thoughts and definitions written by others scattered across the internet. But I haven’t ventured any further than that- not in a concrete, academic, intellectual way- no journal articles, no history, no theory.

This was because after graduate school researching ANYTHING sounded excruciating, but more importantly I wanted my definition and understanding of spiritual activism to be mine. Spiritual Activism was something I instinctively understood, something that floated through my essence in shapes and colors and sounds, something that was part of me that only needed time to be put into words. I didn’t want to lose this important piece of me, this piece that guided my decisions, my hopes and my desires. I didn’t want it replaced by someone else’s voice that my brain deemed more respectable, more intelligent, more capable.Here is my voice. My words on paper. And placed with them is the hope that this process makes my beliefs more concrete and allows me to move closer towards embracing my calling, existing as a servant leader, whose well is full and life is abundant.

The bravery and passion of activists have always inspired me. Activists, people who push back against speech, policies, ideas and behaviors that they see as unjust. They recognize they have power and don’t allow others to take it from them. The firmly stand up and say, “No.” All activists have this in common, no matter their cause or beliefs, and this is admirable. Spiritual activism begins to differentiate itself as we dig deeper into understanding the power that activists possesses. An activist in the United States may feel that their power comes from the constitution and its first amendment, from large numbers of unified voices, or from knowledge- education and past experiences. For the Spiritual Activist, these things all enhance and strengthen their power, but the power itself comes simply from being alive and in human form.

A spiritual activist understands that they are spiritual being living in a physical body and that they are composed of more than the matter that can be seen by the human eye. We understand that we exist with a purpose, with talents and gifts that make us unique. We understand that we are connected to an energy larger than ourselves. Some call it God or Divine Energy, Allah, Jesus or even Zeus. I call it Love. Spiritual activists understand that we are unique, important and part of the greatest force ever known- the energy of a loving Universe. It is part of us as much as it is what surrounds us. We know this is true for us, as well as for everyone we meet.

Spiritual activist believe in dark and light, good and bad, wrong and right. We see injustice as the disregard for human life and the power, potential and prestige that each body holds. Spiritual activist do not think in terms of “us” and “them.” We see life. We see how it is affected by darkness: fear, pain, ignorance, and circumstance. We know that these things are able to contort, disfigure and change an individual. We know these elements bury and hold down the true essence of a human being- a being of Love. But we know that with a holistic approach we can begin to dig out and find that being of Love again. We know that healing and reformation are possible, and this is why there is no enemy for a spiritual activist, simply humans who need to heal.

We are not dreamers or overly romantic. We understand that Hitler would have to had a lot of muck shoveled and scraped from his essence, and perhaps it would never be clean. But we understand that the essence of being of Love was there, buried by the darkness he carried. Darkness needs contained where it cannot be healed. In extreme cases like that of Hitler, when an unjust person can not be brought back to a place where they honor and rejoice the essence of every living being, then they should be kept away from the rest of humanity. But because spiritual activists work to have the dignity of all life honored and protected, we can not condone any act of violence towards another.
Spiritual activists are angered and an intolerant of injustice in every form, but we do not fight to destroy it. We work to create spaces in communities and human hearts where justice can thrive and injustice can’t take root.

Illustraion by Leah Pearlman.
Check out more of her amazing work at Dharma Comics

Knowing that we all have unique skills and talents, we do not try to do it all. We understand that there is much building and healing work to be done, and that we are not built to work on every cause. Awareness is essential, and spiritual activists understand that we must pay attention to the work that is being done by our brothers and sister across the globe. Each of us can only touch so many hearts and cross so many miles of land, but with trust, awareness, reflection and connection to a loving Universe we know that our combined efforts will one day restore dignity, power and prestige to every individual.

The Work We Were Made For

Imagine if this was the world we lived in:

You woke up, stretched, looked in the mirror at your crazy bedhead, ran through a mental list of all of the hair products in your cabinet trying to decide what you could possibly do to make yourself presentable, figured it out, and then got ready for work. Your work is a job that you are skilled at and that fits well with your personality and interests. No matter what your job is, you are paid a living wage; what you do in one way or another benefits someone else.

You’re a barista? Great! Without you most of us would definitely fall back to sleep before noon! You’re a garbage man? Wonderful! Without you, our streets would smell and look a-mess, and what’s that? You’re looking into how to convince your supervisors to move further with recycling and compost. Perfect that IS your job! You are after all, a garbage man.Oh, you are a lawyer. That’s fantastic! You find making sense of the laws of the land thrilling and excel in putting together compelling, logical arguments. You help keep things from getting too chaotic and support others in times of stress. Thank you for your service!

What you are paid is based on your needs. A garbage man with a family of four? You make more than the barista who is living alone with her terrier, saving money for a trip to Spain. But she is still able to live comfortably and has enough in her savings to spend on an emergency and keep her travel fund in check. You are a lawyer living in New Hampshire with a husband and 3 kids? You are paid enough to consistently pay your student loans, save up half of a the cost of undergraduate tuition for both of your kids, have a decent emergency fund, and pay to keep your home warm and comfortable during those harsh New England winters. But you certainly are not paid any more that the female school counselor from Kentucky with a wife and two kids, who is taking care of her two elderly parents. Everyone is valued because everyone is important.

This world is beautiful, but having your basic human needs taken care of is not the most exciting part. No. What is really thrilling is that your job allows you to grow, expand and explore! It is perfectly compatible with your true essence and what you are trying to learn in this lifetime. Your job is perfectly fitted to help you understand yourself and to allow you to serve others as they follow their own path. This is what our soul aches for.

Figuring out how to revamp our current economic system in a way that will allow the abundance principle to work freely and support all of us will take some time. But we can all begin to live some version of this dream world here and now. I am not an expert, but I am an invested novice committed to self-knowledge, focusing on intention, and trusting spirit and myself; certain that there is a way to follow a career that syncs with my soul, allowing me to grow as I serve those around me.

I am fortunate to be able to speak directly with Spirit, to receive insight and guidance about who I am and where I am going. Unfortunately, my trust issues often make me a bad listener and cut me off from the reassuring, clarifying, and honest words Spirit sends. I am aware that I lack trust when it comes to my day-to-day planning and processing. I am a work in process.

However as I work on clearing my own path, my love for others and the belief that we exist in a supportive Universe allows me to share messages from Spirit with those who seek to know more about their true selves, their unique path of growth, and the significant contributions only they can make to our world. While I continue to improve on my journey- growing and learning to trust, I am pleased to help others bring light to segments of their path. I know that my work, is in part, sharing this gift of Spirit with those who seek it and are ready to integrate what comes of it. And if you are reading this- you’re ready.

To Be Heard

Today was a hard day. No matter if you were a Trump supporter or Clinton supporter, today was hard. Each of us had to go through the day with our eyes forcibly held open, we had no choice but to look out to see our nation horribly divided and flooded with fear. In fact, we watched this whole election grow and flourish, as it was fueled by fear.

I felt bullied throughout the primaries all the way until yesterday. I was obviously a Bernie supporter from the start. I found him genuine and refreshing. I felt like he led from his heart. Like so many Trump supporters- I am tired of our two party system. I am tired of political givens. I am tired of the huge gap between those who govern and the governed. Trump supporters, I understand you and accept your anger.

What I refuse to accept is the fear. The fear that leads us to labeling the entire religious group as terrorists. The fear that accepts the falsehood that all "Mexican's are rapists." The fear that forces us to objectify our daughters and female friends. I can't accept this.

I want to speak briefly on the fear that fuels this objectification of women. I am not Muslim nor am I Mexican, and therefore will not speak on behalf of either of these groups. But I am a woman. I am a woman that people are afraid of. I challenge the masculine understanding of power. I do not lead from above; I lead from within. Not only from within the community, but from within the hearts of others. I build my vision through empowerment. I support the inner work of everyone I meet. I help them heal, so that they can heal their neighbor. I focus on the future and use remedies that will last. I have a mother's instinct. I know that it is my duty to protect and cultivate the gifts that I bring into this world infinitely into the future, not just until the end of the day.

I carry the feminine tradition of leading from the heart. I acknowledge that emotions are not only real, but important and powerful.

Like Mother Nature, I know that the process is more important than the product. There is no product, just a constant cycle. I know that the most important things in any transaction are the people. There is no end to anything. Summer always roles into Fall.

I will not settle to please a man. I am not content with playing only the caretaker role. I can do it all, and will do it all. I find pleasure in taking care of those that I love, but I will not coddle them. I will challenge any man or woman that comes into my life. They will be forced to go deeper, to reflect on their thoughts and actions, to face that cognitive dissonance that runs deep in our American culture. I will create for you a mirror where you can not help but see yourself in the "bum on welfare" or "the pregnant black teenager." I will shatter your comfortable view of the world. And I will, feel magnificent doing it.

But then I will help you pull the pieces together, help you to toss away the fragments that were never really yours to begin with. Just lies and labels that were pasted upon you. I will not let you coast through your life or be fooled by the promise of the finish line of the rat race that doesn't exist. But I will never leave you to deal with the next steps all alone. This is why I am the most feared, why so many women are feared, because we know love is an ACTIVE force. That it tears apart falsehoods and provides solace all at once.

We won't even touch on the fact that I am a spirit-talker at this moment. But that amplifies the fear factor certainly.

This is why it is best for those who fear me to tear away at myself confidence. Make me believe that the way I look actually determines my worth. Train to me to believe that it is impolite to pull away from the unwanted touch of male acquaintances. Teach me that my natural state of curiosity, tenderness, connectivity, and sensuality is wrong. Make me afraid of myself. Make me still, so I can never challenge your world view.

Today, on this hard day. I decided to head back to this blog; I refuse to stay hidden.

Trump supporters did not destroy our world. They called out for help. They wanted to be heard.

I promise to listen to you, no one can deny you your humanity, and you are not allowed to deny the humanity of anyone else. Black, white, Mexican, Gay, Transgender. No one. No one is less than.

I make a promise to stay. I promise to take a lead in this healing process. But we all must agree as we work from heart to heart, to accept the Golden Rule: treat others as you wish to be treated.

Next Steps

I have been struggling with how to use this public space- this blog. I am a medium who talks with guides and masters and God/Love/Universe/Infinite Intelligence. I can easily channel words of wisdom. Words that are elegant and wise and beautiful. Like this:

For those who have forgotten, there is nothing to fear not even death. You are right where you are supposed to be. You have nothing to fear, nothing to lose, nothing to escape. You have everything to love, to cultivate and understand. You will find away to persevere. Your road may be more difficult than the roads others travel, but your heart and soul will always be unique and strong. Please understand that God has not closed his eyes. The Power of Love is a gentle and persevering parent, watching lovingly from afar because they know that you got this. Take this day, and everyday, to remember you are not forgotten and to seek the gifts of love and support that are before you, that you may have easily overlooked in everyday life. Love, Light and Peace. Be kind to one another, above all else.

But I am also a writer. I am a human being who has thoughts and ideas and exciting insights, even if they do come out a bit less eloquently. And yes, Spirit has made it very clear that She and I are One and therefore, any words that I am able to type through the gifts of clairaudience or automatic typing are just as much mine as they are Hers. But the writer in me, the human in me, feels like they come too easily. Channeling and listening are too easy! The words that come don’t have to be fought for or struggled with. Writers are supposed to find the act challenging, isolating, and trying! That’s what higher education and Wikipedia have taught me.

In typing those sentences, I figured out how to use this space…

I will be used to explore how complicated and hard we humans make this existence. Considering that sometimes this is helpful, while other times it is painful. I mean hard isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it brings a sense of accomplishment a sense of pride, as sense of contentment. And complicated isn’t necessarily bad either.The more complicated my thoughts and story lines become, the more often I find that they all end at a similar spot- where love and connection are important, where fear creates havoc and where people have the power to grow and shift and learn.

But sometime complicated can have bad results. Take this piece of NYS legislation, people don’t even know what they are signing. And hard can lead to hopelessness and giving up.

So, this will be a mixed medium of sorts. (Pun intended) Brilliant words from The Source itself. Simple words. And then my human brain full of complexity and with the urge to create and be a full fledge individual will add some commentary. Together we can see how the human experience is one of complexity and simplicity side-by-side. Together we can explore how we can celebrate the individual body that we have in this lifetime, and still stay in the flow of Spirit and Light.

Remember, Individuality is not bad and neither is Oneness. We were given the gifts of both. It’s all about balance.

And now some more eloquent words to close us out:

From time to time no corrections are not needed, sometime the most precious gift that the Universe can give, is the reassurance that you already know what’s going on. Good job! 

A Trustworthy Guide

My name is Brandi and I live in Rochester, NY. I am a spirit talker, youth advocate and a community builder. I see no separation between spirituality and service. Spirit is meant to be active. Not only are  we the mouth of God, we are also the ears, arms, legs and hands of God.  Like Gandhi, King and other practitioners of principled nonviolence, I believe that in order to change the world, we must first change ourselves.

I practice traditional mediumship, and am an active member of Plymouth Spiritualist Church in Rochester, NY, but my strongest messages are not traditional. Rather than identify as a medium who connects directly to the energies and spirits of past loved ones.  I identify with the title given to me by my guides: “Spiritual Guide Dog.”  It is my hope that the messages I bring unhinge and open society,s inner compass; providing the guidance, nurturing strength and intuition that lives in us all, but sometimes gets buried under life's distractions.

My passion in life is people and the communities that they create. I know that our communities are only as healthy as each individual. I have a Master in Community Development and Planning from Clark University in Worcester, MA. The classes I took talked about changing systems and shifting paradigms, but not about changing the paradigm of the heart, of Revolution of the Human Spirit. It is only when we shift within ourselves,and reclaim the truth that we all are a unique part of the light that is “God”, “Infinite Intelligence”, “Love” that we will be able to heal our world and build a true community foundation. My vision is to create and sustain systems and communities that give life that protect, and create safe spaces for our souls and bodies, to learn, to grow, to create and give.

My messages often reach to the very core of purpose, paths, and passion.  What are the lessons that many of have come to learn right here in this lifetime? What are the themes manifesting at this point in history? What are the unique skills and passions that are going to keep us on the path towards knowing ourselves, and therefore knowing God?

Messages come to me clariaudiently through my guides. These are protective forces who only allow messages through that are surrounded in the highest vibrational frequencies, those meant to connect us with our higher selves and move us toward our highest and best good.

Apart from my message work, I am a youth work professional who focuses on youth leadership, youth/adult partnerships, and asset development.  I am a strong supporter and advocate of the framework of the 40 Developmental Assets as set forth by the Search Institute. I believe that young people possess some of societies' most creative minds and believe that they should be at every planning table in every community. We should be creating a society with them that allows youth voice, choice and engagement.

I love doing message work for young people. Spiritual discovery and understanding is beneficial at any age, but can be especially helpful to youth who are beginning their journey of self awareness.I believe the sooner that we can help young people see their own divinity and beauty the better. Imagine the beauty and power of young people who are encouraged to reach out and claim the essence of God that flows through their mind, heart and body. It is my dream one day to be able to run a spiritually engaged summer camp for youth where service and self discovery are explored side-by-side.