Hi Michelle,

Thanks for sharing and being so open and honest. To hear you say you've lost "your spiritual wellies" brings tears to my eyes but I can't decide if that's in empathy or amusement or both - this image comes to mind of someone floundering in the mud of Glastonbury festival

Seriously though (and of course I'm in no way poking fun), I'm really glad you raised the issue because I know lots of people will be feeling that way at this time of year - how do I know? Well I can literally feel it through the field.

Of course it tends to be difficult at this time of year due to post festive blues - the anti-climatic let down from all that pre-festive hype and irrational exuberance. I feel it is much compounded this year however due to the underlying energetic shifts - we are rapidly moving into the era of consequences. Take a look at the mounting global debt crisis for example - it seems many consumers went on a last minute spending boom ahead of an anticipated recession (crazy isn't it? or am I being judgmental?). Of course relationship issues tend to be exacerbated at this time of year too.

So many people are likely to be feeling quite down and anyone who is remotely sensitive will be feeling it. For anyone who is empathic, the effect of course will be even more greatly magnified.

So what might be the way forwards through this?

Of course, as you quite rightly point out, we say in our film "Gateways of Light" the key is to attune to the lightness not the density or difficulty. But what does "attunement" really mean?

Well first and foremost it does not mean to avoid the density - not to try to cure depression for example (such as through meditation). In my view, if we try to do that, we are simply denying a naturally arising expression and thereby giving more energy to it.

We could also try to pretend we're not feeling miserable as many self help teaching and writings tend to suggest. Of course the trouble with this approach is they create identity - that which is avoiding the depression. If we are consciously on a path of Enlightenment this is counter to our natural direction of unfolding - which is to move to the place of non-identification with such feelings. All that we're really doing is sweeping the feelings under the proverbial rug which we're bound to trip over at some point again in the future.

So the first and foremost point about attuning to the light is not to avoid the dark. If feelings of depression arise they are arising for a reason. In which case my suggestion would be not to avoid them but to sink deeply into the feelings - go right to the centre of the feeling and allow it to wash through you. Seek not to change or deny.

Neither does it help to "beat ourselves up" about the feelings or feel that we're in some way not acceptable or inadequate for being this way - society tends to always want us to be well, to be perfect; seek instead to acknowledge where you're at and be awesomely accepting of that state.

If you consider yourself to be very spiritually connected but your depth of connection has temporarily waned, well try to remember that spirit exists in and through all things - 'wallowing in the mud' is also a spiritual experience! I often speak of becoming awesomely okay with the way things are - well this is exactly what I mean. If you feel depressed - be okay with that.

If you keep doing this and stay present with the feeling, then at some point you'll suddenly wake up to the fact that your actually watching the feeling and are beyond it. You'll suddenly find the key and open the doorway of the inner prison - it could be a word, a song lyric, a vision, an animal which synchronistically appears (providing you're watching for it). In that moment you become free from it. The fragment of your soul that has been identifying itself with the feeling is now liberated and reintegrates with the rest of your Soul Consciousness.

At that point, rather than having the feelings stuck within you, they can flow through and out.

Being as empathic as I know you are, you're still likely to feel the depression in the collective consciousness but no longer will there be identification with it. You'll be able to function more freely.

So in summary, my recommendation would be...

• stay with the feelings, whatever they may be
• go right into the centre of them and let them wash through you
• keep moving to the place of the Observer of yourself
• look for the key which reminds you who you really are
• watch for the moment you feel liberated from the drama
• feel the flow of the energy through you and out
• centre once more in the completeness of the soul

I don't know if it helps, but I was given to share this wonderful song with you by Crowded House...

Much love and empathy

Chris

Chris wrote: "To hear you say you've lost "your spiritual wellies" brings tears to my eyes but I can't decide if that's in empathy or amusement or both - this image comes to mind of someone floundering in the mud of Glastonbury festival :-)"

Hey! That's exactly what I was seeing images of when I read Michelle's initial post... We must be sharing thoughts again!

I was amused and would be delighted to leave behind all sensibilites and roll around in the mud with you dear Michelle!

You are in my heart. I was wondering why I was having such beautiful thoughts of you when I was squelching in the mud up around Glastonbury Tor earlier. It all makes sense now.

In Love and Light
Trin
x

Hahahahahahaa!

Last time I went to the festival I took a toboggan just in case it rained there yet again, camped at the top of a hill, and waited for the fun! Who needs snow when you have Glastonbury mud. Of course the universe decided I was getting too big for my wellies and gave us blazing sun the whole time!

Thanks both of you for your love and advice. Yes it makes sense that I'm picking everything up at the mo, and there I was wondering why I felt so bad, I should have learnt by now! It's kinda reassuring to know it's not entirely me. In moments of stress it's easy to forget we're not alone. I wonder if I was squelching in sussex mud at the same time as you Trin. I had 1 muddy dog to clean after today's walk.

Thanks Chris for saying exactly what I've been doing...fighting it, then getting cross with myself for not "overcoming" it. I'm going to mud bathe pig-like and wait to see what comes out of it.

That song comes from 1 of my fave albums of all time, Woodface, and I listen to it alot when I'm down, so thank you as the song has a special place in my heart.

Lastly I'm hoping this thread helps others, it would've been easy to just send you guys an email, but sometimes a little public discussion does the world some good.

With Love
Michelle x

"This is my depressed stance:
When you're depressed, it makes a lot of difference how you stand... The worst thing you can do is straighten up and hold your head high because then you'll start to feel better...
If you're going to get any joy out of being depressed,
you've got to stand like this."

Charlie Brown
Cartoon Character Created by Charles Schultz

Thanks Trin!

What a fab way of looking at it! I've been feeling better since I stopped fighting it, it just comes in waves now rather than the dull monotony.

With Love
Michelle x