Author: George Heckman

My Mom, aka Grandmother Shirley, taught me about the 9 Pathways of Human-Soul Growth and Evolution. I grew up with conversations about the ‘Big Questions’ such as, Who am I? Why am I here? And What am I to do?.

She and my god mother Jane seeded my consciousness with the importance of asking and exploring such deep questions at a young age. I’ve been doing so ever since. They taught me a soul mapping system that I have been using in my soul-coach practice for over 2 decades now.

In this video, I describe the 9 Pathways and reveal how this information can be relevant for YOU as well as those you desire to know and understand more fully.

Enjoy!

Do you feel you have a strong connection to a source of inner wisdom and guidance?

Throughout my adult life I have been blessed with the ability to deeply listen when I get nudges from that inner source, and over the years have cultivated methods for seeking out that wisdom and guidance. Teaching girls to access their own inner wisdom and guidance system has been foundational in the Maiden Spirit program. It is also now part of the curriculum within our BEAUTIFUL YOU: From Girl to Woman program for mothers and daughters.

A few nights ago, I received a very special text message from Jennifer, one of the mothers in Beautiful You. Last week’s “Wisdom Play” activity was for mothers to take their daughters on a guided inner journey to meet and communicate with the wise woman within. The purpose of this activity was to give girls a tangible and re-creatable experience of connection with their source of inner guidance and wisdom.

In her text Jennfier wrote this: “Hello my friend! Just had a beautiful moment with my daughter. We did the Wise Woman meditation yesterday. Eva has gone to her wise woman multiple times today. She just told me that her wise woman told Eva her name. It is Artemis!”

I’m so happy for Eva! I can only imagine what it must feel like for Jennifer to know that her daughter has this tool for consciously connecting with her inner wisdom any time, anywhere. There are so many decision crossroads ahead for Eva, and now she has a reliable tool to use to help her make wise and informed choices throughout her life.

I am absolutely certain the wise woman within has helped me to resolve so many of my dilemmas and problems, big and small, throughout this lifetime.

I remember being a young mother and single parent of my 3 year old son Brooks. We were walking along the street in Eugene, Oregon on our way to a park. My son was hungry and kept asking for apples, which I didn’t have to offer. As we were walking along our familiar path to the part, I suddenly had a strong feeling that I should turn around and take a different route. Fortunately for Brooks we did. Not far along the way we ran into an old friend. The first thing he did was ask my son if he would like an apple! His backpack was filled with apples!

Connection with the guidance flow helps me every day to know and to take the next step on a path that often only appears AS I take that next step. Although at times it takes a lot of work to clear the way to hear the guidance, it is always there.

Would you like to take a guided inner journey to connect with the wise woman or wise man in you? Find a quiet place and time for yourself and listen to the recording of the one that Ava took to meet Artemis. I’d love to hear about your experience!

Thank you for inspiring us Ava!!!

(Ava’s wisewoman within drawing)

WISE WOMAN (OR MAN) ACTIVATION RECORDING!!

[ca_audio url_mp3=”https://www.maidenspirit.com/wp-content/uploads/Audio/wisewoman-activation.mp3″ css_class=”codeart-google-mp3-player” autoplay=”false” download=”true” html5=”true” skin= “small”]

Almost 20 years ago I was given the vision of MAIDEN SPIRIT and began the journey of creative movement from conception to manifest reality in varieties of evolving forms. I’ve shared an intimate journey of awakening with many wise women mentors, girls, and their families. We’ve experienced Maiden Spirit together through many programs, spring equinox community gatherings, and year end closings. So much of my life! This year, for the first time, I will not help to organize or facilitate Maiden Spirit’s Portland Community June year-end celebration and I was okay with that. Or so I thought…

Recently I received a message from Spirit in the the form of 5 butterfly larva for me to tend and nurture inside a little in-door garden. Eventually my beautiful little friends emerged from the chrysalis. I continued to feed them sugar water on flowers every morning and wasn’t sure when to let them go…. watching them grow gave me so much pleasure!

Several days ago I noticed that my butterflies had stopped moving and I got really scared!!! Did I leave them inside their garden too long? Were they dead? I took them outside, carefully placing them on the grass. Their wings were tightly closed and there was no movement. Was I a terrible butterfly keeper who had not been tuned in enough to notice that it was time to set them free? I felt horrible!!

Eventually, after what seemed an eternity, I noticed one butterfly moving her little legs very slowly. I put out my finger and she crawled on. Slowly, slowly she gathered her strength, pushed opened her wings. We had a long conversation…maybe 30 minutes went by before she was ready and then she up and flew away. One by one each of the butterflies, in their own time, came alive and took flight. I felt ecstatic and a little sad to see them go. I also felt strangely empty for most of that day and into the next.

Like with my butterflies, I loved witnessing the beauty and shining light of the many, many faces of Maiden Spirit who grew wings and flew away during my active years with the program. Rivers of magical wisdom sharing and learning, creative expression and fostering contribution to the creation of a better world with the girls, were such an integral part of my life. I loved being there in person. My heart spills over with memories of this journey that culminated with the opportunity to mentor my own Granddaughter through a Maiden Spirit 1st year program last year, most likely the last time that I will ever work with girls in this way.

Through every step of the way, I was there, fully engaged – body, mind, heart, and soul. A very big part of me never wanted this to end. At the same time, for at least 5 years or more, I have been feeling a call to expand out into the world and blaze a trail for the Life Blessing Institute – for Maiden Spirit and other offerings on-line. Slowly we stopped offering Maiden Spirit and Peace Warrior Mentor trainings.

As the magic of life would have it, the morning I released my butterflies a dear friend and Maiden Spirit mentor Jodie and I had a conversation. She helped me to become conscious of repressed feelings and what those butterflies represented to me.

She helped me understand that, along with those butterflies, I was finally truly letting Maiden Spirit go, at least in the form I’ve known her. I realized I’ve been holding on and on, almost past the time when it was healthy to do so. I held on long enough for my granddaughter’s Maiden Spirit experience and now it is time to release this precious butterfly.

And then came the tears. Even as I write these words big splashing, heart opening, tears of love, sadness, and immense gratitude all rolled up into one river of tears are flowing down my cheeks. Tears of grief and joy, love, and acceptance of change.

If there is something you know you need to let go of but have been resisting…This is the secret of letting go my Maiden Spirit butterflies taught me and I offer it to you: Face the truth. Feel the loss. Trust in a future you cannot see, do what ever it takes to make your change. Something wonderful will come of it.

Maiden Spirt will continue on in my heart, in the lives of the maidens who have already flown away, and with maidens who will be tended and nurtured by the Maiden Spirit mentors carrying on into the future. Today, I will facilitate the first class of our first on-line training: “BEAUTIFUL YOU:From Girl to Woman”.

I think Maiden Spirit has found her new wings and so have I!

A few days ago. while walking in AWE along the rim of the Grand Canyon with my spirit sister-friend, Tracey Heartsun, I lost something precious to my heart!

The vast and intensely colored chasm of the canyon matched the swirl of emotion—loss, sadness, regret— flooding my body as I tried to retrace my steps to find my favorite magical wool scarf. Its brilliant saffron and vibrant pink flowered wool fabric was nowhere to be seen and it soon became clear that I had to let go and go on with our plan to drive to another location for dinner so we would have time to return to the rim for sunset.

Before leaving the site of my loss, I had a very quiet, quick intuitive flash of a woman holding my scarf, which my mind immediately determined as wishful thinking. I walked on down the path with Tracey feeling disturbed and strangely empty. Intellectually, I understood it was “just a scarf” but it still felt as though a part of me was being left behind. Has something like this ever happened to you? 

As we continued to walk to the car, Tracey shared her thoughts and feelings about a recent adventure in Taos, New Mexico where she met up with two ‘spirit sisters ‘ in person for the first time. Distracted by my loss, I did my best to bring my attention back to the present and take in her story.

She told me about a powerful equinox ritual she co-created with her New Mexico sisters. The ceremony included an intention setting exercise–the planting of sunflower seeds that came from a women’s circle that she and I co-facilitated together. As Tracey and I continued to talk about the power of spiritual sisterhood, my feelings of loss and sadness dissolved in the love light of our sisterhood and shared dedication to discovering the deeper, soul level, truth in our experiences.

After dinner, an hour and a half later, we drove back to the rim. Even though I truly had ‘let go’ of finding my scarf, once again I felt a very strong inner nudge to keep my eyes open for its colors. I saw glimpses in peoples clothing here and there.

Then I saw those brilliant saffron and pink colors. In the blink of an eye my body shot out and climbed down onto a rock outcropping where a beautiful woman was indeed holding my magical scarf! I asked the woman, “Did you find that scarf?” She answered “YES” and reverently, joyfully handed it to me. Then she did the thing that a sister of mine might do in a moment like that: she put her hands together in Namaste prayer and bowed to me.

I remembered that fast, quiet flash of a woman wearing my scarf that I’d experienced at the moment I ‘let go’.  Once again I felt the joy of recognizing the coherent thread of consciousness that flows through all experience.

What I realized is this: the love light of sisterhood is a huge support on the journey of life’s ups and downs and most importantly, to find my deeper truth. I felt this from my soul as I wrapped myself up in the joy of my magical scarf that I thought was lost forever.

I possess the ability to give and receive everything that my scarf represented to me: security, warmth, comfort, care, and beauty AND sometimes I need the spiritual support of sister friends to help me remember that.

I wonder what deeper truth might open up if you were to reach out and share the love light of spiritual friendship with one of your sisters today? Make a phone call, say a prayer, send an unexpected gift in the mail, make a date! Above all, teach the girls in your life the value of intentional, spiritual sisterhood. It’s one of the greatest resources for navigating life’s ups and downs that you can possibly give!

Do you remember working hard to prepare for a test, maybe even cramming until the early morning hours and then showing up to take the exam filled with anxiety because you really didn’t think you would remember any of it and were so afraid of failing? This happened to me almost every time. Until my pencil hit the page and then I usually did know and often did very well on the test.

That is THE MOMENT. Right before I start taking the test or writing those first words, right before I move into action. This is the moment where I, all too often, pull back and wait.I wait for the total confidence, the knowledge, a clear plan for the future, the money, the perfect words… the list goes on and on.  While waiting the mind swirls in confusion and the longer I wait the more stuck or confused I feel.

I experience this every time I sit down to write to you, I experience a moment of paralysis because I don’t know what to say or I’m afraid of failing somehow. Why am I sharing this with you? If you are sitting in that stuck energy of waiting, just know that you will never get the clarity you think you need until you actually take the leap of faith, make a decision, immediately move into some kind of action and trust yourself to problem solve along the way of each next inspired action.

AND, March is International Women’s History month. I want to honor all the women, and amazing men, who have taken bold actions beyond their comfort zones to work for the freedoms that women in this country have today. I want to share with you my secret technique to help me get through that paralyzing moment.

MY SECRET:

Try this when you need to ignite your inner resolve to jump out of the nest and ‘just do it’.

The next time you want to make a decision but are in the ‘stuck place’, close your eyes and expand your awareness to include all the courageous souls and pioneers of the past, present and future who have made that leap.  See them leaping right along with you!

Gather up all that combined power and strength into your body and being, make your decision to take that next step and get your creative energy ball rolling through taking action right away.

And remember, LIFE IS NOT A TEST and no one is grading the outcome. Every decision is an A+ no matter what, as long as we learn from it and allow what we learn to inform our next choice and inspired action.

If you are a parent, know that your kids will see this and be much more likely to take the small risks necessary to expand into new realms of possibility in their lives too.

LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE OF TRUSTING

Learn to trust yourself to tap into your inner knowing and to make intelligent decisions fast. Trust yourself to be able to problem solve through anything that comes up as you take each inspired step into the unknown. TRUST Life to rise up and meet your courageous action with complete support of your next step, tiny or huge, today!!! There is a reason they call it a Leap of Faith.

P.S. If you are a Mom with a daughter interested in training to prepare yourself and your daughter for an empowered journey into womanhood OR a Woman with a calling to facilitate mother and girl empowerment courses in your community but have been WAITING to take an inspired action to make this dream come true. I ‘love dare’ you to ACT NOW.. Contact me (Georgette Star) to find out about our Beautiful You: From Girl to Woman trainings. gettestar@maidenspirit.com !!!

 

My precious Mom (aka Mother Love) just turned 85. I love her so much. Our mother-daughter bond is the foundation of my inspiration and motivation to support mothers with daughters through Maiden Spirit programs.  Our simple moments sharing our lives and our love are deeply fulfilling, most of the time.  However, there are times when we trigger each other.

Experiences like that are so painful because the unprocessed trigger causes a contraction in the open flow of energy between us. It’s a real challenge not to pull away and it takes effort and commitment to re-open the flow. To read more hop over to the blog page.

Recently, just after one of those tough processing conversations, on the way to a better understanding of ourselves and each other, I came across a card she had given to me when going through a challenging time in 2002. It meant so much, that I saved and kept it all these years. The first time I actually looked inside and read it again was just a couple of days ago.  Inside the card there is a quote that reads:

” Well, now that we have seen each other, “said the Unicorn, “if you believe in me, I’ll believe in you. Is that a bargain?”

Lewis Carol, Through the Looking Glass

And this is what she wrote:

I predict you will continue to be a great and wonderful healer of people’s minds, emotions, bodies and spirits. Goodness in all forms will start flowing in like a bubbling fountain, always more coming in. You are worthy and deserve the best life can give, in every way,  

Love, Mom

What we do know for sure, what makes it possible to stay present and work through whatever comes up, is that we believe in each other. We have learned to trust the fundamental bond between us.  My Mom believed in me when I couldn’t do it for myself and she still does from time to time! I also have friends who hold that space for me too. I know I am able to give the gift of Mother Love to many in my life.

If you are a parent, you know how important it is to encourage your children to believe in themselves and the goodness of life. I wonder if you know just how much of a difference your validation and believing makes? It’s HUGE!!!!

During those moments when you are ‘triggered’ and a part of you wants to pull away, think about me and my Mom hanging in there with each other and cultivating our mother – daughter bond for almost 56 years now. Although, not everyone has this opportunity with parents, or even children in some situations, if it is possible, it’s SO worth it!

Have you ever or do you still have a fear of the dark?  Do you have children that fear monsters under their bed or in their closet?Last night I arrived home later than usual after an exhausting day of dealing with my own “monsters”.  This really scared me, and trust me, I do not scare easily.  I cannot give an exact account of the events that transpired out of respect of other’s privacy.  Needless to say, it was a threatening situation that shook me to my core.Fortunately, after taking the appropriate steps, the immediate real danger was over.  However, my fear based thinking and reptilian brain was fully engaged even after the “monster” was gone.  Instinctive survival fear and the attack or hide response all originate from our reptilian brain.  This part of our brain deals with perceived threats and does not distinguish between what is reality and what is imagination.

While dealing with the aforementioned situation, the fear that captivated my very being began to consume me.  It was in fact, the same fear I felt as a child when I had to navigate down the long, dark hallway by myself to the laundry room of my childhood home.  Last night as I faced this challenge, I was standing again in that hallway.

As a child, I remember summoning up all of my little girl courage, making a decision to face my fear, and finally running full speed through the darkness to get to the laundry room and turn on the light!  I felt so brave, empowered, and triumphant for facing my fear! Can you remember a moment like this? A moment when you made a decision to do something that your were afraid of and ran directly into it? Do you remember how amazing that felt?  

After the intense day I experienced, I sat parked in front of my home, afraid to enter due to the still-present fear within me.  While contemplating my next move, I made the conscious decision to once again summon the Spiritual Power of the little girl from long ago, and break free of the gripping fear that I was facing.

The first thing I did was call my Mom! Yes, at 55 I still call my Mom when I’m scared! She was amazing. She called on angels to surround the part of me that was in fear and her love strengthened me.  After our prayer together, I still had to face the perceived fear alone. I got out of the car and instead of running for the front door, I intentionally looked up at the stars and took a deep breath. I filled my body and mind with the magnificent, fragrant scent of Cedar from the forest around my home. I proclaimed myself as safe. I walked slowly to the front door and was soon mesmerized by the evening’s activities, which brought myself back to a peaceful state.

I now offer this to you;  If fear is holding you back from something you want, consider following these steps to break free like I did last night and will continue to practice when needed.

• Acknowledge the fear to yourself
• Reach out to someone you trust. Acknowledge your fear to them as you prepare to run through your “dark hallway”.
• Ask yourself what IS true.  In brain speak, asking a question activates the higher reasoning centers of the brain and forces the reptilian brain to back down causing the mind to open. Reach in to connect with your Spiritual Source in whatever way is right for you. Ask for help.
• Make the decision to move through this fear. Proclaim yourself safe, even if you feel the opposite.
• Take the action – do the thing that you’ve been afraid of
• Afterwards, acknowledge your bravery
• Bask in the light of your empowerment

These steps work regardless of whether you are facing a real life threat, for example a health issue, or simply cannot break free of fears that hold you back from manifesting a long time dream you KNOW is necessary for you to live life fully.  This process is also a wonderful tool for helping a child tame the monsters under the bed.

KID VERSION: I asked my Mom how she helped me through my fear of monsters under my bed when I was a child. This is what she did:  She held me close and encouraged me to tell her all about the “monsters”.  She engaged my imagination by giving me a tool to destroy the monsters, such as a Love Lazer that would dissolve the monsters into pure love. She stayed with me until my little body was relaxed and I could sleep. Thank You Mom!!

 

Last night at the movies I saw this advertisement for That Awkward Moment with this tag line: That awkward moment when you realize you’re eating your feelings, (this is not a movie recommendation). It’s always an awkward moment when I witness myself do something, anything, to avoid feeling the very emotion I most need to feel in order to grow.

We all swim in a culture that teaches us to avoid discomfort at all costs, stay in control and safely inside our comfort zones. It’s human nature and habitual behavior to protect ourselves and others from experiencing pain when we are struggling to move beyond our current limitations.

This is true whether we are suffering from injury, recovering from emotional pain or on a purposeful journey of personal discovery. But sometimes these avoidance reactions can get in the way of what we want most. With the best of intentions we disempower ourselves and others from taking the risks required to move out of our comfort zones, into the unknown and new realms of possibility.

Michael Singer In his insightful book The Untethered Soul writes, “One of the essential requirements of true spiritual growth and personal transformation is coming to peace with pain. No expansion or evolution can take place without change, and periods of change are not always comfortable. Change involves challenging what is familiar to us and daring to question our traditional needs for safety, comfort and control.”

As strange as it sounds, allowing ourselves and others to consciously feel ALL of our emotions on purpose is a path to freedom!

As I practice conscious emotional presence, I’ve noticed that it is most challenging to do so with those whom I’m most intimate with. I’ve discovered that sometimes my attempts to ‘help’ my loved ones can be a  way of protecting myself from experiencing my own feelings of fear or helplessness when I witness their struggle and pain. Do you ever do this?

During such times, I make the best effort I can to stay in my body and painful feelings until the energy moves. As this capacity increases, I gain more power to experience myself and my family as capable, powerful spirits, on a purposeful path of growth no matter what challenging conditions we are moving through. I want this for you too!

We humans are so creative and can come up with a zillion good reasons to avoid feelings to remain tucked into our limitations. I know I can. So, I ask YOU, the next time you arrive at one of those awkward moments when you are about to do something to avoid feeling uncomfortable but catch yourself, what is a different choice you might make?

Want to stretch beyond your comfort zone? My coach recently shared an avoidance clearing process that I find helps me move through my fears, beyond my comfort zone and into the flow of the empowered creativity. I invite you to try this simple but POWERFUL breakthrough writing practice. I promise you, your life will absolutely change for the better!

Emotions Check In & Avoidance Clearing Process:

1. Get quiet and center yourself. If right for you, pray to connect.
2. Write down a list of what you are avoiding.
3. Ask for inner guidance to feel and understand the emotion and identify the fear that is underneath each avoidance item.
4. Ask for inner guidance about the action steps and write that down.
5. Give Thanks.
6. Take the actions immediately, schedule in your calendar, or delegate.