Moving into the new year following the Divine spark— purposely entering into that flow— savoring it. Today I’ll be talking about a practice that will help you do just that. A practice that incidentally may very well not only add richness and goodness into your life, moor you to a connection that you long for, but also decrease depression and anxiety and help you to thrive. All on the Own Your Intuition Show.
Show Notes
The Herbal Astrology Oracle by Adriana Ayales (and illustrator Josephine Klerks)
“The Spiritual Child” book by Dr. Lisa Miller
Two-Way Prayer Practice via 12 Steps
“Conversations with God, Book 1: An Uncommon Dialogue” by Neale Donald Walsch
“The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” book by Julia Cameron
Yes, tell me! How the heck do I tell the difference between the voice of my intuition and my “fear-based” ideas? Download the free audio here.
Empath Core Tools On-Demand Program: www.AimeeCartier.com/ect.
For more about Aimée, her work, readings, speaking, or classes visit www.AimeeCartier.com.
Moving into the new year following the Divine spark— purposely entering into that flow— savoring it. Today I’ll be talking about a practice that will help you do just that. A practice that incidentally may very well not only add richness and goodness into your life, moor you to a connection that you long for, but also decrease depression and anxiety and help you to thrive. All on the Own Your Intuition Show.
Show Notes
The Herbal Astrology Oracle by Adriana Ayales (and illustrator Josephine Klerks)
“The Spiritual Child” book by Dr. Lisa Miller
Two-Way Prayer Practice via 12 Steps
“Conversations with God, Book 1: An Uncommon Dialogue” by Neale Donald Walsch
“The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” book by Julia Cameron
Yes, tell me! How the heck do I tell the difference between the voice of my intuition and my “fear-based” ideas? Download the free audio here.
Empath Core Tools On-Demand Program: www.AimeeCartier.com/ect.
For more about Aimée, her work, readings, speaking, or classes visit www.AimeeCartier.com.
Moving into the new year following the Divine spark— purposely entering into that flow— savoring it. Today I’ll be talking about a practice that will help you do just that. A practice that incidentally may very well not only add richness and goodness into your life, moor you to a connection that you long for, and also decrease depression and anxiety and help you to thrive. All on the Own Your Intuition Show.
MUSIC **Ayla Nereo, "All of this" song clip**
***
Do you crave clarity and insight? Do you sense that your intuition is trying to tell you important things, but you have a hard time trusting it? Do you want access to your own internal wisdom, and to understand how it operates so that you can guide your life in ways that are meaningful and satisfying?
Well then, welcome, I’m glad you are here.
I’m your host, Aimée Cartier. I’ve been a professional psychic, since around 2007. I’m the author of the book, “Getting Answers: Using Your Intuition to Discover Your Best Life.” I’ve been teaching others to understand and use their own intuitive and empathic abilities for more than a decade.
Join me each week for true stories and tools that will inspire you to take seriously, your own inner knowing—that internal sense that you have uniquely tailored to YOU and designed to not only set you on the roads that are best for you but also help you avoid the ones that are treacherous.
It’s time for you to OWN YOUR INTUITION.
***
Hi, Welcome.
So, you’ve been hearing me talk about how I took the month of December to hibernate right? And you can probably see that I took a couple of weeks off of making hot-of-the-presses podcasts. This year, well, technically last year I hibernated during the month of December. I had all of my Christmas shopping done by December 2nd. When my husband told me in the middle of the month he was hoping to see a new pair of crocs under the tree for himself internally I sighed and thought– “Nope. You won’t be getting that. The present ship has already sailed. You’ll have to get them yourself in January.” When we were invited out to different holiday events, I sent my family without me on several occasions. I tucked in—to our living room, and my studio. I knit a bunch—I’m making new hats for my nieces—in their favorite colors. I played games with my kids by the fire. I watched movies. Read. Etc.!
Somewhere last fall—I think around the month of November I started to feel this call to go deeper within myself. Maybe it was the season—you’ve heard me mention how I love the dark of winter because it’s such a rich time for inner visioning. With nothing to distract, and no place to be, I find my creative urges just stream right out!
All this hibernation really gave me a blank slate to work from. As I cleared commitments from the schedule, and left space for – nothing. Slowly, I also began to drop more deeply into myself. Over holiday break while my husband, children and I were all home together I spent hours alone in my studio—sketching images that popped into my mind, day-dreaming, letting ideas coalesce and make themselves known. Journaling and following the threads.
During that time I followed an idea that had surfaced strongly this fall about a class to teach. As you know if you’ve listened to some of my other podcasts, I’ve been ruminating a lot on what scientist Dr. Lisa Miller mentions as a deficit of understanding our inherent spiritual nature. She has scientifically proven that humans are hard-wired to this and that when we are not using what she would call “all of our brain” which includes pieces like – intuition, mystic knowing, recognition of synchronicities, we are using half a brain. Furthermore, this deficit is linked with anxiety, depression, and substance abuse in young people to name a few of the setbacks from ignoring it.
What she also discovered is that, and I quote,
“When you build a strong spiritual core, that very same person is 75% less likely to have a deep depression in the next 10 years. And that goes up to 90% in people who face the most grueling circumstances. Spirituality is 90% protective against a reoccurrence of major depression. The bottom line is that a strong spiritual core is like the hub of the wheel for a whole, healthy person and that could be with or without religion, that could be from any of our rich faith traditions that could be spiritual, but not religious. A strong spiritual core stabilizes the wheel of the whole person—that’s simply what the science says—whether we are talking about resilience against mental health– addiction, and depression, or the character strengths and virtues: optimism, grit, forgiveness, relational values.”
That was from Dr. Lisa Miller.
I’ve also found that in my own work—people, we each, long for connection, we long for, not only connection with other people—but also to and with something deeper. We long for meaning and a richness, and a connection that we often can’t define—but I feel, like Dr. Miller has proven, we are hard wired to.
It belongs to us—and that is why we are always searching for it when we don’t see it—why we sense it’s lack.
When I teach the tools I teach in my Own Your Intuition or Empath classes, ones that give you a practice for tuning into your own wise knowing, I’ve had many students over the years successfully go off their medications. Of course, I don’t ever promise that—but what I can tell you is that the practice of understanding your own intuitive nature, understanding your own capacity to receive information about whatever it is you need to know about your life, and having practices that work that also show you how powerful you are —is a healing balm for most – all, really. Suffering is alleviated. You understand you are not alone—the Universe, Higher Power, however you refer to it— is in conversation with you, and does in fact, have your back.
That’s what I teach—how to be in—how you are in already that conversation, and how with a few techniques and attention you can notice it loud and clear. For years in my classes I’ve taught women to understand that not only is that connection available to us—but furthermore that you ALREADY have everything you need to feel it and allow it to blossom. You may have just been looking in the other direction—or thinking it was going to be more sparkly or sci-fi than it really is.
But in this modern day, unless you go to church/synagogue/or mosque, or you are in a 12-step program (and I’ll make that reference clear in a bit), there aren’t a lot of avenues that help a person understand how to listen to, make time and space, or deepen this connection.
It’s been weighing on me a bit—or better to say—it’s been in my periphery for a bit—how more people need just some basic guidance about aligning with their own inner knowing and inherently mystical human self. A connection, I will point out, that was woven into the basic tenants of most (maybe all) indigenous cultures, in times past.
So, I thought I was planning a class to teach. I was planning a class to teach—it’s images and content were emerging during my hibernation. I had been at it for hours in my studio—the place I think of as my visioning place. Giant pad of paper on hand and so many various pen colors and paper sizes. Planning it all out. Down to what items I would need to have on hand, what gifts/supports I would have for my students. The whole class, was coming into me hot and heavy—just dropping in from the ethers. I would see it all—write it down or sketch it out, then sometimes discover the pieces I had seen in my mind had more significance than I even knew.
For example, when I teach this class in person, I felt that every class packet should include a sprig of rosemary. Afterward, I looked up the significance of Rosemary in one of my favorite herbal oracles by Adriana Ayales and found it meant, “ancient wisdom,” exactly what the class was about tapping into.
For the last few months, I’ve been in a slow movement back to be guided totally by Source. At first it was a very internal shift. I heard it calling me. I meditated more. I carved out time in my schedule for sacred pauses—more meditation, more journaling by candlelight, more silence, more making time for connection with Self.
During this time in December, in my movement of turning things over to Source more and more, and my commitment to actively following that flow– I was just adding to a document I give my Own Your Intuition Program students when it took a 40 page detour. I was already nearing adding page 30 before I realized that THESE words had a life of their own. They weren’t just the Own Your Intuition program update on “Guides.” They were their own thing entirely. A few days later, I realized that they had friends. Their friends were the ideas of a constellation of topics I had been having the idea/vision to put together for a new course. A new constellation created from a particular formation of topics that I had been teaching for quite a while—but that I felt collectively as a unit would answer the call—would create a practical outline for getting in touch with our sacred knowing—for helping us use our “whole brain” and birthright as scientist Dr. Lisa Miller might say.
I went for a walk. I was walking down the road listening to Lorena McKennit’s “Ancient Muse” album— still letting everything stew and reveal itself when— a book was born. I realized, this wasn’t a class—well this was a class, but FIRST, FIRST, it was a book. It dropped in like everything else had—all of the work I had been doing, from the updating of various text I already gave my students to the planning of the teaching of it. I pulled over to the side of the road (on my feet! I was walking!) and outlined the introduction as I saw it come together in my head—tapping in out with my thumb on the Notes app on my phone!
I turned to walk the forest path home. On my way through I heard a shrill bird call. I wasn’t sure what kind of bird it was but I sensed the presence of a big bird near so I stopped to look up thinking it might be an eagle. There was no eagle. There was just this medium sized bird squawking away. “That’s strange, I thought for sure there was a big bird up there,” I thought to myself. I stood there watching the bird talk. Then, I noticed a big nest in the tree I was standing under. “Hmmm, I wonder what kind of nest that is?” I shifted my weight to get a better view. As I did so I moved slightly to the left— and then gasped. Just above me, on that same tree, perched on a branch on the lefthand side that was just far enough back I hadn’t seen it until I shifted my weight, was a bard owl staring right at me.
A sign of confirmation from my guides and the ancestors watching—and approving apparently.
So, I’ve been BUSY tap, tap, tapping away in my studio. I have zero details to mention right now regarding that—but I will let you know when there is something to know, or something to hold in your hands, as the case will be!
For today, as a part of what I offer you, I’m telling you about this because I am hoping to inspire your own mystic journey. Maybe (well, certainly, if you can) inspire time for hibernating—day dreaming, sketching, meditating—walks outside. Wear your rain gear—or your snow boots, depending on where you are. But I’d also like to offer you a simple practice that I have been using often as a part of my tuning in.
I was first inspired to try it after I heard an interview with author Elizabeth Gilbert on Glennon
Glennon Doyle’s, “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast. (I’ll put a link in the show notes.) And I understood from that conversation it is a part of 12 Step programs—one of my students told me it is called, “Two-Way Prayer.”
It’s a perfect practice and place to start if you find yourself angling toward a craving of a deeper connection with the ALL.
It’s so simple, I intend to teach it to my kids. If this scientist, (Dr. Lisa Miller) is saying, (and she is—in her book called “The Spiritual Child”) that the best thing we can do to foster happiness, reliance, thriving and success in our children is teach them that they are in communication with and have the support of the Benevolent Divine—then man I’m going to do that. (And/or increase the ways in which I already do, in my case.)
I can also tell you 1000% that upping my—looking and taking time to actively foster this connection has moored me profoundly in this rich soul-deep satisfaction over the last month. I don’t mean to imply that hard moments don’t arise. They arise from time to time—but what I do mean to imply is that the goodness anchors it all.
So the following is my depiction of what Liz Gilbert described and what I have been doing myself.
First, take some time to define Divine Source for yourself. Obviously, you use whatever name works for you. I frequently use, Divine Benevolent Source— God, Universe, Goddess, Great Spirit—you choose whatever you would like to call it.
Then, what does that Source look or feel like to you? What are its qualities? For example, mine is feminine in nature. I don’t feel as though I am praying to a male god. Again, YOU get to choose. In my opinion, Source doesn’t mind what you call it. Take some time to figure out what qualities yours has—you can tell from my name, Divine Benevolent Source, I also feel there is a benevolence about this Power—like it has my Highest Good (and the well-being of all) in mind/at heart. So that is one of the defining qualities of who or the essence of what I am addressing.
After this the practice is simple. My student, Natalie, (Thanks Natalie!) sent me a link to review it, so that I had a good overview for you. So this is a combination of what I do and what is recommended in the “Two-Way Prayer” practice.
First you get a notebook. It doesn’t have to be fancy—just a place you can do your practice. I’ve heard several people mention that they use a notebook that is dedicated solely to this practice.
Next, carve out time. Meaning, don’t do this when your kids are awake and asking you for things—unless you can shut yourself in a room where you won’t be disturbed. For me, silence and space is necessary. You are not going to do this in a moment when you are in demand. Interestingly enough, it also recommended is that you pick a spot and do it there everyday—essentially carve out a sacred space for yourself: a special chair that you sit in just for this, etc. What is interesting to me about this was that when I was learning to meditate—this was also a practice recommended by my mediation lineage. Create a space just for your meditation where you return again and again to meditate.
Start with a few deep breaths. (breath, breath, breath into mic)
I light a beeswax candle. You don’t have to do this. It’s a part of my practice. My candle signifies to me that I am entering into communication with Higher Power or signifies and entrance to and aligning with sacred space to me. Sometimes I just watch the yellow/orange of the flame dance for a bit.
The next piece is spending a few minutes reading sacred text. If you are religious—then you would obviously start with the texts that are sacred in your tradition. But it can be anything that moves you. Liz Gilbert described how she starts by reading a poem from Walt Whitman- because his words just help her enter into that altered, present space. I sometimes use the poetry of Mary Oliver— because her poetry does that for me: it connects me with something that I feel is Essential. And I’ll close our time today by reading you one of her poems.
Then, in your journal you write out a question to the Divine. You can address the Divine with whatever words suit you: Mother Goddess, Great Spirit etc. Liz Gilbert uses, “Love.”
Just a side note here—when I was researching this exact process I was also struck by the similarities in this step with what my whole entire “Getting Answers” book is about! In fact, the first time I ever gave a talk on this process, as I was writing my book, a person from the audience came up to me afterward and said, “Are you a friend of Bill?” I was like, “Bill who?” Then he told me that a man named Bill Wilson was one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous and he was wondering if I also knew the 12 Steps. I didn’t—but apparently my process reminded him of it. I’ve always said about the process in my book– I didn’t invent it– it's something Seers like myself have known intuitively for ages—I just put it on the page so others could also know how EASY it was to get answers to the questions of your life.
Okay, so back to Two-Way Prayer. In this step, you start by defining, naming Source (again the first step in my GA book!), then you ask a question. If you have something that you are wondering about—if you have some circumstance in your life that is rubbing, so to speak, not going smoothly, something that has some friction, something that you are not sure how to solve or what to do—then you can start there.
Divine Benevolent Source— how can I solve this tension between….
Or
Great Spirit— how do I best navigate…. (you fill in the blank).
Those are examples—you make your own question.
You can also ask something simple like, “Divine Source, what would you have me know today?” Or “Mother Goddess, what do you wish to tell me now?”
After your question you follow it with an endearment—this is how Source refers to you—whatever comes to you, “My dear child,” “My beloved daughter,” “Sweet one.” Etc.
Then you start writing the response. The man I watched online describing this process in a video (I’ll put the link in the notes) said this beautiful thing. He said sometimes people worry—"Is this really source responding—or is this me?” And he said, don’t worry about it—use your imagination. (Or as my students hear me say all the time, “the tool of your mind.” But he said, “Even if it is you—it’s the BEST of you that is responding.” So, not to worry, it’s okay to use your imagination as you begin. You’ll likely find as you go along, that some things surprise you as you are writing—words or thoughts that you wouldn’t have really thought of arise. The writing of your response takes a few minutes—you know like 3-10 (there is no exact timing—I’m just giving you an estimate.) Usually, you know when you are done.
Then you take a moment of many to revel in the feeling of this connection with Source. I frequently do my meditation practice afterward. I find that the process already has me naturally moving toward a meditative mind. So shutting my eyes and going within is an obvious next step for me. (I do it in the same chair that I use to meditate).
That’s it! Done.
It is recommended as a morning practice. Giving yourself the 10-15 minutes to do this practice DAILY, is touted by ALL who do it as absolutely positively life changing and enhancing. Essentail even.
After looking into this specific practice of two-way prayer outlined by the 12-step process. I believe it is step 11, though according to some it has become less prominent – though some of AA’s founding members said that meditation and kjkl was more important than all the other steps. I can totally see why that guy asked me if I was a friend of Bill that day!
The process in my book is so similar. I already mentioned I never flet like I invented what I wrote in my book. It’s something MANY others have known throughout time—that if you ask questions, you WILL get a response. In my book, I speak about the myriad of ways that Life (capital L) will answer you. This process of Two-Way Prayer is similar and it also gives you a practice for establishing a connection and two-way communication with Great Power/Divine Benevolent Source.
When I first had a discussion of this process with my student Natalie. It reminded me so much of a book I came across years ago called, “Conversations with God, Book 1: An Uncommon Dialogue” by Neale Donald Walsch. He published a whole book, several actually, with his conversations with God. It became a publishing phenomenon. The first book was published in 1995. I loved them when I discovered them. If you are in need of a Sacred Source to start your practice look that one up—get it at the library so you can see if it is right for you—before you jump in with both feet.
As I contemplated this podcast and outlining this skill for you, I also remembered that it was similar to something put out by Julia Cameron—in the book, “The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity”—which if you don’t know is a book with a devoted following – even 30 after its publication in 1992. I think it’s relevant because in it, to my memory at least—(I actually haven’t seen the book in ages) she talks about turning your creative process over to the Divine. To me it feels more like following than leading—discovering what Source would have you create.
Which by the way is how this podcast (and the book I am writing) came to and will come to you. I’m following the lead of Divine Wisdom—putting my stakes in the ground (or chapters in the book) only after I understand and have sourced what is wanted there.
What Julia Cameron seemed to be saying, what Neale Donald Walsch seemed to be saying, what Liz Gilbert was saying, what 12 Step programs are saying, what scientist Dr. Lisa Miller is saying, what I have been saying to my students (and writing) for years— is YOU ARE IN COMMUNICATION WITH DIVINE SOURCE. THAT IT IS POSSIBLE AND FURTHERMORE NECESSARY (according to Dr. Miller) for your own well-being AND sanity that you enter into the dialogue. You don’t need an interpreter. Your human DNA is actually hard-wired and absolutely receptive to this channel. Devoting a little bit of time and attention there on the regular opens a whole new world for you.
So– I hope this has been useful!
This upping of sacred practice is certainly how I am feeling my way into the year. It’s a conversation that I expect to continue throughout 2023. In fact, it’s THE WAY I’m moving into what lies ahead. And it turns out, from what I’ve seen so far—it’s also creating my business plan and the content for you here!
As I said, I’m even going to try it with my kids. It seems like THE SIMPLEST WAY to start a practice that helps you understand fundamentally in your bones—you are not alone—you’ve got the support and guidance of the Divine, each step of the way. I intend to get them each an unlined notebook (because they MAY want to draw), and their own beeswax candle, and carve out some time and space for their own communication with the ALL. If you do it with your kids let me know how it goes. Heck, if you do it with yourself, tell me how it goes! As always you can reach me via sending a message through my website: www.AimeeCartier.com . I’m also on Instagram and Facebook. And you can get on my mailing list (through my website) so you don’t miss an Own Your Intuition podcast episode AND you can find out about what classes I have coming up. As I said, I’ve got some juicy ones unfolding—equipped with rosemary sprigs and all!
So, I said I would finish with a Mary Oliver poem—because I simply find them divine.
Here is the one I opened to today. It’s called, “While I am Writing A Poem To Celebrate Summer, The Meadowlark Begins To Sing.” It’s in her book called “Devotions.”
Sixty-seven years, oh Lord, to look at the clouds,
The trees in deep, moist summer,
daisies and morning glories
opening every morning
their small, ecstatic faces–
Or maybe I should just say
how I wish I had a voice
like the meadowlark’s,
sweet, clear, and reliably
slurring all day long
from the fencepost, or the long grass
where it lives
in a tiny buy adequate grass hut
beside the mullein and the everlasting,
the faint-pink roses
that have never been improved, but come to bud
then open like little soft sighs
under the meadowlark’s whistle, its breath-praise,
its thrill-song, its anthem, its thanks, its
alleluia. Alleluia, oh Lord.
***
This is Aimée Cartier and you have been listening to the Own Your Intuition show.
I am wishing you so much goodness as you start— or continue your conversation with the Divine. If you loved what you heard—I’d love it if you took a few seconds to 5 star this podcast or share it with those you love. It’s a little thing, but it makes a big difference. As always, if you feel inspired right now to harness more of your own intuition, I’ve got a free audio for you entitled, “What is intuition? How to tell the difference between the voice of your intuition and your "fear-based" ideas.” You can find the link to download it in the show notes.
If you’re empathic, I’ve been guiding empaths FOR YEARS. I’ve got some freebies (and an Empath Core Tools On Demand program) for you as well. I’ll put the links in the show notes!
See ya soon!