These current times are definitely precarious ones. A lot of people are suffering right now; it feels like our entire society is in distress. In the last couple of weeks, we as a collective have begun to amplify stories of police brutality and murder throughout the country. We’ve done this to spread awareness and make demands for drastic change.

In addition to this, we’re mourning the needless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, and countless others.

Many of us have found ourselves needing to take breaks from the internet. I’m hella sensitive. It is heartbreaking to watch these videos. It hurts to accept these brutal facts. I know that I’m not alone in that.

It’s painful to face this reality, but I also know that to look away even for a moment is an immense privilege. For some of my family and friends who are black, this is life. There are no breaks. As an ally, I’m constantly looking to recognize and remember that. I’ve felt called to remember my own privileges as a white presenting Chicana, and I’ve also been thinking of ways to leverage that in my own spheres of influence, for example at my day-job.

As much as I desperately want to fix the world, I know that I’m of no use to anyone when I’m not also taking care of myself. Still, I feel that I owe it to future generations to keep my eyes open. I take little breaks, but then I try to keep sharing, keep signing, and keep donating what I can. I keep thinking of ways to help change the world, and looking for the ways that I help to shape it.

The basic conclusion that most people have come to is to keep doing what you can when you can, and to keep doing it again each day. This is how white people (and white-presenting people even if we don’t identify as white) need to stay engaged. This is how we can ensure that our energy for true equality and protection for black lives and black liberty doesn’t fizzle.

But what do we do when we feel like we should be doing more? How do we help? Beyond signing petitions, beyond writing letters to our representatives, and beyond voting in our local primaries, and giving money (money that not everyone has in the first place)?

The injustice that exists in our world feels like something that we cannot rest against. That’s what I’m feeling. This is why I’m thinking that beyond the calls to action that are provided to us, the next most important step is to do the inner work on ourselves.

We owe it to each other to heal ourselves, and that also means addressing the internalized racism that so many people try their damnedest to deny. It means acknowledging how we benefit from systemic racism, and considering how we might help to dismantle these systems.

Facing ourselves is a tremendous task, but how can we do better as a collective if we’re not accounting for ourselves as well? I have divided myself against racists in life and on social media, but I did not find the world free of them, unfortunately. As much as it stirs my anger, they’re still here, a part of and influencing society.

We can divide ourselves based on whichever ideology we’d like, but ultimately we are all together on this planet, and we are connected. This self healing may be the larger remedy for a situation that feels so much bigger than us. At the very least, it’s an important step toward peace.

I do believe that love is resonant, but even if we can’t heal others by healing ourselves, it would still serve another purpose. We need to raise our spirits so we have the energy that we’ll need to believe in and build a better future.

Oracle Reading

I decided to sit with my oracle deck and ask for some guidance. This is something that helps me when I’m feeling lost. If you’re looking for extra guidance, then this reading is for you, too. Take it as you will.

I pulled a single card from the Earth Warriors Oracle deck, which calls on earth spirits from all over the world to share their wisdom. For this reading, I asked for simple guidance for anyone feeling hopeless or helpless in the world today. I asked, “what can we do after we’ve exhausted our immediate options? How can we help from the point of feeling helpless.”

The card that I pulled provides the wisdom of Pono Pono, or the immeasurable power of the heart way. While there are multiple meanings to the word “pono,” I’ve understood this specific card to carry the loving energy of setting things right, or returning to order. This reading isn’t meant as an appropriation of Hawaiian culture, but rather to serve as a reminder of the universal medicine that is found in the old ways of earth-based spirituality.

This card invites us to remember the divinity at our heart center, where we each have all that we need to facilitate deeper healing. When we are faced with troubles that feel too big to tackle individually, we often turn to our intellect to push us forward, but the mind has its limits. It has its biases.

On the other hand, the heart can heal in ways that the mind cannot understand. Our heart is a gateway to the stillness and wisdom of the Divine. From this place, we hold the knowing that perfect peace, beauty, and fulfillment is the birthright of all living beings.

Even so, we often forget this. We find ourselves straying from the divine plan, stumbling onto a path of suffering, anger, and fear instead. We often forget to look to our hearts center for guidance, and instead find ourselves living out a story that is plagued by pain and suffering, and a lot of fear.

This disconnection from the spirit at our center can often cause us to act, speak, and think in ways that perpetuate even more suffering. All of this becomes a chain reaction. As the saying goes, “hurt people hurt people.”

This can become contagious, infecting other souls, with the poison of hate, anger and fear, and further separating our human collective from the beautiful grace that the Divine has intended for us. It then becomes difficult to use our free will with wisdom, and our spiritual disconnection can create far-reaching negative impact for others and the planet.”

Alana Fairchild / Isabel Bryna

This persists until we remember that we are intrinsically connected to the Divine, and that we can open our hearts up for guidance at any time.

The Pono Pono oracle card reminds us that the simple, spiritual action of returning to your hearts center is the way back to peace and prosperity on earth. Like that of fear, the vibration of love is highly contaigious.

This “return to order” is available to all of us, but this practice cannot be achieved using the mind. If you’ve ever tried to intellectualize your way out of a sad or angry mood, you know this. When we return to our heart’s center, we can make a more conscious decision about which energy we’ll choose to carry. Once we’ve activated this awareness, we can spread healing through our conscious words, thoughts, and actions.

The Pono Pono card comes with a suggested healing process to help us “return to order”, or to the divine wisdom at the center of our hearts. This is known as the Ho’oponopono technique, a love-based healing modality created by Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. When we find ourselves stumbling astray from our heart’s center, these four steps can help to show us the way back.

Ho’oponopono Healing

Adapted from Earth Warriors by Alana Fairchild

Harboring resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. The only antidote is to release it. Forgiveness is transmutation.

Start by choosing a person or situation to which you can offer healing. Place a hand on your heart and tap into its beauty. Your sense of compassion and goodwill comes from here. Let the healing energy of love ignite you.

When you feel it connected to your hearts center, complete these four steps with love and honesty. Feel the adjustment happening within you as you go through this process.

Step 1: I’m Sorry

Say: “I’ve created this situation. I feel so sorry for this.” Let your heart be in compassion as you feel through whatever emotions come up with this apology. Feel it. It’s OK.

Step 2: Please Forgive me

Ask for forgiveness. You don’t need to specify whom you are asking it of, just say: “Please forgive me.” When you say this, feel the remorse that you connected with in Step One. As you ask to be forgiven, release the energy and attachment to this story.

Step 3: Thank You

Say: “Thank you.” You still don’t need to specify whom or what you are thanking. Before you even say the words, you may already feel the gratitude that begins to pour through you. This will increase as you say the words. Repeat them.

Step 4: I love you

Allow this statement to evoke an outpouring of love. You might feel this energy in your heart or in your body, but even if you don’t trust that it is happening. Just go with the process and say: “I love you.” Let yourself feel love as you say the words.

Relax for a moment. You have completed this healing process.

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I think that healing our society begins with healing ourselves. This healing looks different for different people. Regardless of the approach that we take to attain it, we all deserve happiness and prosperity. This should not be limited to people who are white and wealthy.

In the world that we live in today, we need the full power of our hearts and minds to be engaged in order to imagine and create a future that is better for us all. We also need to strengthen our hearts and minds in order to better support those who will need us.

When we’ve run out of petitions to sign, and causes to donate to, and we’ve called all of our local reps on the matter, then the next place to turn is inward. We’ve all gotta do that work.

BLACKLIVESMATTER

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