Goddess Shines: Madonna

December Goddess: The Madonna/Mother Mary
December 27th, Friday 6:30pm $10
Church of Spiritual Light 1939 Park Meadows Dr. #1, Fort Myers, FL 33907

Join us as we celebrate the holi-day season and the winter solstice with the honoring of The Madonna.

The process of purification is seldom easy, but this is the great work required in all mystery schools, which Mary had long since accomplished beyond that attained by the many. For she had come as all persons do, through many lifetimes of sorrow, hardship, work, play and experience, but had been able to arrive at a greater place within her true Self. That is, she had received God-Realization.

Mary, or Mare, is interpreted by the Spanish as "The Star of the Sea." Esoterically, the sea is the desire nature, and the star is the spirit which rises above the lower nature, even as Grecian mythology portrays Venus, the goddess of love, rising star- crowned from the sea, being symbolical of the separation of love from passion.

Many interpretations have been given the name Mary, so common to women in the gospels, never used before in the Scriptures unless it is a diminutive of the Hebrew Miryam, the sister of Moses. The meaning of Mary is sometimes given as "bitter," sometimes "exalted of the Lord," but the most simply correct is said to be "My Lady." Indeed, that sounds most like her -- Madonna, as one who was high-born and blessed.

The Firstborn of God should open the womb from within outward, having been conceived on the inner realm. It could not receive seed from the outside to be built upon and then emerge again having an earth foundation. The seed was received and developed inside to show that the Christ can only be born within us, and cannot enter from without to be born.

God took a rib from Adam's side to make woman, who became imperfect; then He brought forth from the perfected woman's womb a perfect man. Having first created man alone, at Creation's dawn, God now worked with woman alone, with Mary, (though He eventually gave to each a partner). From the substance of her body was fashioned the mold which would receive the Spirit of the Son.


Mother Mary - Madonna
No other woman in the world reveals the truth as deeply and dramatically as the Virgin Mary for the template of how to be in the world, but not of it. She is so profoundly inextricably tied to the raising of the Messiah that it is all but impossible to think of one without the other. This is by design.

Madonna says...
I am the embodiment of the purest essence of the divine mother that resides within each of you. Within your heart and soul there is a woman, a mother, a perfect mother who has never left you and can never leave you. You have only to call for her and to receive her blessings, her love and her nurturing.

Inside of each of you is the babe, the orphaned child, born apparently and physically fatherless. And in order for you to find your father, you must first allow your mother's embrace to comfort and protect you. She loves you so much. I, says the Madonna, am the eternal emblem for the almighty power of mother and child. My child, my fatherless child, raised the Messiah within and reached the crowning achievement of ascended consciousness and re-united with his heavenly father.

This is your template. This is your design. You and he are one and the same. He showed the way, now you must follow. You must not be afraid, for I am here. Please accept my loving embrace. Do not allow the hurt you have experienced at the hands of impure hearts, including your own, to affect your ability to connect with me. I am your salvation. I am the one who can lead you to the Messiah, to the one within who is your savior.

The savior is you. He sits in the middle of your body, in your solar plexis at the seat of your soul and he guides you endlessly with radiant light, raw instinct, ancient memories and divine purpose. The christ consciousness must be allowed to infiltrate your entire body. You must allow it to move from your head, down into your heart.This is what will bring you to the place of divinely guided action. This is what will bring you to your absolute genius and help you deliver your gift to the world.

I am your blessed mother. I purified and purified my being to bring the Savior into the physical. My vessel is not unclean, my energy is clear, my conscience is intact. I do not wallow in denial. My body is a powerful channel for divine love. My body is your body.

We are all one. All of us are within you, moving through you, moving you. We are the unseen forces at work bringing you to your ultimate purpose, your ultimate salvation.

Your mother loves you. You father is waiting for you to recognize him. He sits within you, brilliant and blazing. She cups Her hands and shields you from his fiery countenance, so that one day, when you are ready, you will be strong enough to turn you gaze on the brilliance of the unknowable, unfathomable magnificence of all that you are. The Trinity is within thee.

Shine my star, shine!

Madonna Affirmations

I am the mother and the mother is in me.
Women are kind. I am kind.
I see the divine mother and call to her to be with me.
I allow myself to experience the pleasure of beauty and truth.
I activate the Savior within.
I carry the imprint of the Messiah within my blood, bones and breath.
The mother and the father and I are one.
I am that I am.
All that I am, you are.
I am a healer of the earth.
I nurture and care for my body, mind and soul.
I allow my heart to open and expand into divine love.
I receive agape now.
I am filled with the love and light of our creator.
I am my brother's keeper.
I am the greatest realization of my Father.
I work for the greater good of all humanity.

Christmas Eve Silent Night Ceremony

Silent Night, Holy Night Christmas Eve Ceremony, Tuesday, December 24th 7pm at Church of Spiritual Light 1939 Park Meadows Dr. #1, Fort Myers, FL 33907

Mystic Midnight Sun is a time for the potential of Great and Silent Spiritual Awakening. Through the powers of the intensified celestial light the dense debris of our karmic release, confusion, distortion, trauma, pain and suffering have the potential to be transmuted into spiritual gold. At this point the astral plane and the angelic hierarchy begin to open the floodgates to infuse the earth with the angelic power. This flood of energy reaches its highest point on midnight of Christmas Eve.

Our ceremony which begins at 7pm will be a silent vigil of candlelight and sacred communion with the gathering angelic forces. We will culminate at midnight, as those who are so inclined will car pool to attend the Midnight Mass at 11:30 PM at St. Luke's Episcopal Church. There is the Music of Christmas followed by Blessing of the Creche & Solemn Midnight Mass.

Winter Solstice Holiday Ceremony

You are cordially invited to the Winter Solstice Holiday Ceremony on Saturday, December 21st at 6:30pm at Church of Spiritual Light.

This festivity brings a time to celebrate the season and really take in the heavenly energies that are closest to the earth. In honor of this we will be paying homage to the beauty of the inner masculine and feminine forces of light within each of us with a dance. To honor this union, Deb and David Martin will be dancing the Tango in our ceremony. Possibly one of the most romantic and beautiful dances of all time. The ceremony will also include some very enlightening information about your own astrological sign as it pertains to the energy of the season, as well as, rituals to help you gather your energy and focus for the coming year. Refreshment will be served.

The ceremony will be hosted by Rev. Renee Bledsoe, Rev. Miriam Lynne Pietrzyk and Melissa Leblanc.
Church of Spirituial Light, 1939 Park Meadows Dr. #1, Ft. Myers, FL 33907. The donation is $20.

Devotion: Rebirth of Divinity

“In your light I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance inside my chest where no-one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art." - Rumi

What is devotion? And how is devotion different from attachment, obsession or addictions?

The dictionary definition of devotion is depicted as love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause. Fair enough.. but this definition leaves something out that is all important to this understanding and has everything to do with qualifying this process. For it is not the love, the loyalty or the enthusiasm that creates devotion... it is the why behind those things that tell the tale.

Devotion also has an inherent sidenote of exclusivity. We've often heard the phrase, "you cannot serve two masters". And while this is certainly true, when there is devotion, it's not that there is no other. Quite to the contrary, for in that devotion lives the All... and the passageway to the door of everything... a way in the depths of understanding required to unlock our heart of hearts. True devotion is complete in and of itself, and takes not away from anything else, nor adds to it. It is timeless, and eternal.

Before devotion, we are as scattered seeds... floating, falling, landing... here, there and anywhere... everywhere... looking for love in all the wrong places. Be-longing our existence. This is by design. For devotion is an electro-magnetic force that calls us into a higher order of being and helps us to find our place in the galaxy. The faint memory of this cohesion lingers, haunts and propels us forward, seeking, reaching and expanding.

The shadow side of devotion is addiction, obsession, codependency and attachment. These are the seeds of devotion, and the responses of the mind or body thinking and feeling its way to love, inching along in lack and control in search of a connection that has been veiled, but far from forgotten.

Devotion does not offer a solution, it is the blackhole that consumes us and when it comes it brings an opportunity to give unconditional love. And in the absolute abundance of that giving, all is received.

Even in the shadow of addiction and attachment this process gives back all, as it takes everything. Yet, devotion lacks the hallmark of addiction, namely a price that can never be paid in full... in a deal with the devil. For it is a deal with an angel, the angel that overlights life and the eternal will to good, and it never takes the light from our eyes or our soul.

Devotion gives life, like breathing.Within the  cocoon of devotion there is an in breath and an out breath. Unlike our addiction to love, devotion is alive, filled with the energy that sustains life.. and the full undivided attention of the divine presence within. It takes nothing real, and gives everything essence. It takes everything false, and breathes flesh to its bones.

The price of devotion is inherent in the devotion itself, and requires no external motivation, as it appears only through the free will of our attention, appreciation and awareness, which becomes the devotion itself. Devotion cannot be attended fully without inner vision and spiritual sight. For in devotion we are called and carried into the sea of our devotion to depths and heights not able to be accessed in physical realms alone, nor in spiritual realms alone. Devotion will not suffer ignorance on either side.

Devotion is at once simple and complex in its subtleties. The beauty we receive compares in no way to what is merely seen. True devotion takes us beyond good and bad, beyond our preferences. It takes us to a new land of day, even in the darkest night of our soul. Devotion is the synergy, the third thing that arises from true love. Having a life of its own, it calls us forward into a world that was barely accessible to us. With devotion, the deepest, highest, quietest and largest levels of love are revealed.

Devotion is the opposite of attraction, addiction and attachment. It is a love so complete that we die the ego death every day willingly, just to stay attuned. For devotion opens our palms and lets fall out of our hands the need or desire to control. The wait for what comes next is breathless, inspiring, inspired and pregnant with unimaginable possibility. In devotion, the last thing you would ever want to do is change a hair on the head of the beloved... whomever or whatever or however that applies.

Devotion is love in action... wringing a response from the depths of our being. To not respond, even in inward movement and leaping heart, or silent reprieve is not an option. Not because it demands it, but because it is it. It simply is... and has no meaning, beyond a deeper understanding that is ineffable, often wordless, nameless and still.

Devotion makes us content to sit, stand, move, run, jump, or kneel. It makes our whole life a prayer, and in that sacrament all action is sacred. And when there is someone or something eternal that draws us into this space, then we will know God. When we can take that devotion all the way, go all the way down into it, it will always bring us home to ourselves.

When we serve in the light of devotion we are not excluding anything else... for in that devotion all is served, all is included. It brings us to the wholeness of our freedom to choose. And in the absence of self and devotion to this external God, if we remain humble teachable, receptive and giving to the All... there is no way that we will not find ourselves standing at the temple door of our soul.. to worship the divine within each of us...and all around.

And when we reach the shores of our own soul... all the souls are there... we can hear them... see them... sense them... listening... exquisite... now the single point of God is revealed in this moment of eternity that is ever expanding in our mind, in our heart... and if we can allow... our body... and every single thing that we see, touch, taste, hear and smell... every sensory.. both physical and meta translates the bliss of our devotion.

This is how Divine identity... divinity is brought forth and birthed... through our devotion. The act of true devotion  is the operation that leads us to the light of our own soul. Leading us to the treasure of our own soul... and to the oversoul of this entire creation. The way out is through, and once we make it through the path of true love and devotion we find that there is no place we'd rather be, for we have found our home.

How do you find your devotion?...Beyond good and bad, beyond your preferences, your likes and dislikes.... what else is there?

"If you bring forth what is within you What you bring forth will save you If you do not bring forth what is within you, What you do not bring forth will destroy you". - Jesus (The Gospel of Thomas)

be; Rev. Renee Bledsoe

Divine Union and the Devotion of Her

Rumi on Devotion
“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

 “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing  and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass the world is too full to talk about.”

“The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along.”

“What you seek is seeking you.”

“Words are a pretext. It is the inner bond that draws one person to another, not words.”

“A thousand half-loves must be forsaken to take one whole heart home.”

“People want you to be happy. Don't keep serving them your pain! If you could untie your wings and free your soul of jealousy, you and everyone around you would fly up like doves.”

“I have lived on the lip of insanity, wanting to know reasons, knocking on a door. It opens. I've been knocking from the inside.”

“Take someone who doesn't keep score, who's not looking to be richer, or afraid of losing, who has not the slightest interest even in his own personality: he's free.”

“Knock, And He'll open the door Vanish, And He'll make you shine like the sun Fall, And He'll raise you to the heavens Become nothing, And He'll turn you into everything.”


1st Corinthians
If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

DECEMBER 2013: Divine Light

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.” - Albus Dumbledore

In theology, divine light (also called divine radiance or divine refulgence) is an aspect of divine presence, specifically an unknown and mysterious ability of God, angels, or human beings to express themselves communicatively through spiritual means, rather than through physical capacities. Spiritual light or divine light is often used as a metaphor for the Truth, as in seeing the light. However, spiritual light is a very real phenomenon that has a profound effect upon the earth and her inhabitants on many levels of being.

“Whoever lives the truth comes into the light.” (John 3:21)

Bringing in more divine light is accomplished slowly and over time, as we remove layers of denial and awaken to ever deepening understanding of the true nature of our being. Truth is revealed, this allows enlightenment to occur.. meaning darkness and confusion are brought to order. This order, at first can feel a little austere, and a kind of emptiness can occur, especially if the segueway into our purpose is not quite in step with the dance of our new beginnings. Yet, this stage of enlightenment is not to be feared. There is a definitive point in time where we are claiming the truth of our free will and going to places of greater responsibility with our free will.

At first when the full weight of that is felt, acknowledged and understood, it can press upon us and feel quite overwhelming. This is why the process of enlightenment, while in it's initial stages often entails a great deal of clearing and letting go of belief systems that do not serve free will, is ultimately leading us to the realization of our freedom to create our life, to live out our destiny in the highest, most ingenious ways we can imagine. Navigating in the emptiness of our own divine identity as it is coming to light is a time when our true selves are literally coming alive or coming online. It truly is an awakening and an unfolding of the great mystery within.

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” ― Plato

As we begin the process of unfolding, much like a flower that opens its petals to the sun, we continue to bring in more and more light. It becomes important for us to consciously work with light. We do this by continuing practices which help us to raise and maintain higher levels of awareness and mindfulness. some of that freedom we have earned includes the propensity to tell the truth.... regularly and even at cost to what was before. When this is faithfully done, we start to see the perfection of this existence in greater detail. This brings us into a deep appreciation for our life and for all life. This appreciation and gratitude becomes a way of being, and not just a list that we rustle up when we need a reminder to pull us out of the doldrums.

Often we will hear teachers remind us of the power of our shadow and going into our own darkness. While these teachings are helpful for sure, ultimately if you look at darkness or chaos as a part of creation, or the void of creation to be more specific, then you will understand that journeying through a measure of darkness is a valid part of the process of creating our lives, and our divine identity. But just as the physical birth process and our time in the womb and passage through the birth canal is not the whole of our life experience, but in reality only the beginning, for our divinity is born through the passage through the valley of the shadow of darkness into the light in much the same way. Notice that it says the shadow of darkness. This could be interpreted as saying that when we are in the void or the unknown aspects of creation that if we are suffering, in pain or afraid that we may be in the shadow of darkness. As we ascribe our fears to this part of the creative process, it could quite possibly be reminding us that we are to bring light into the darkness in order to release the lie of the shadow.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”  ― Martin Luther King Jr

Divine Light has the power to heal and empower our lives in ways that we may barely be able to comprehend. Lightworkers the world over are essentially truth workers, who by facing their own darkness, bravely shine the light and are willing to die the little ego deaths of negativity and distorted belief systems in order to be reborn into the light. This has a visceral effect on all life. For bringing in divine light is much more than a metaphor for the truth, though it is always brought forth through the vehicle of Truth. Spiritual Light is here for us to resource ourselves and remember ourselves in due course. It is a real and vital substance that we must learn how to summon and direct for the greater good of all. We must do this regularly and routinely in order to strengthen and awaken to the light of truth. Truth brings healing and redemption. Our task is to learn to trust in the process of creation.

“The Light is more than some abstract, unknowable energy force. Light is Truth. If Light is truth, then darkness must be lies. Each and every lie we tell to ourselves and others casts the shadow of separation upon us. Every time even the most minor deception is revealed and the truth is made known we are re-united with the Light. So, Let there be Light. Those are the words by which you can create your own magnificent world.” - Renee Bledsoe

Sunday Talks with Rev. Renee Bledsoe
December 01 - Divine Light: Fiat Luxe
December 08 - Devotion: The Rebirth of Divinity
December 15 - White Magic: Purity of Heart
December 22 - Winter Solstice Christmas - Sacred Altar Church in Circle
December 29 - Creating with Celestial Light

Divine Light Affirmations
I am a being of pure light..
Where I once created my life in darkness, I now turn everything into the light.
I refine my ability to create from love.
I create my life because of love.
I look for ever deepening enlightened expressions of  love.
I create and express the light of my soul.
I allow the light of my soul to be my guiding light.
I enter the darkness, knowing that all that lies outside of what is known to me is there.
Magic and miracles live in the unknown.
I courageously enter the mystery void of creation.
I reveal the light in all my dealings.
The truth will set me free.
The light resources me and gives me strength.
I turn the karma of my ancestral path into the light.
I heal and empower myself with the light of truth.
I am devoted to the Light.
Spiritual Light activates my soul.
My spirit is reborn in the flesh.
The divine mother within carefully tends my soul.
My mind is in service to my soul.
There is a saviour being born within me.
Moments of truth clarify my connection to my divinity.
I allow my divinity to be revealed.
The light of my soul reveals the purity of my heart.
I accept the light for my highest good.
I receive and activate the great spiritual light of the holy days.
I am conscious of greater depths of love.
My spiritual strength comes from the light of the creator.
Where there is truth, there is light. Where there is light, there is God.

Thanksgiving Feast & Giveaway Ceremony 2013

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

Join us for our Thanksgiving Feast and Giveaway Ceremony on Thursday, November 28th, 2013
Thanksgiving Day - 4-7pm

Church of Spiritual Light presents the 2013 Thanksgiving Feast and Giveaway Ceremony. Please bring your favorite holiday dish to share, as well as a small gift which will be given away to honor a very special sacred ancient ritual to show gratitude for our blessings. The gift can be anything that has meaning to you, including feathers, stones, figurines or sacred objects. In order to honor the energy it should be something that you love and not a cast off item.

Help us coordinate our feast and call Rev. Renee at 239-560-6314. Everyone is welcome!

Church of Spiritual Light, 1939 Park Meadows Dr. #1, Fort Myers, FL 33907

November 2013: Gateway to Grace

“Your soul knows the geography of your destiny. Your soul alone has the map of your future, therefore you can trust this indirect, oblique side of yourself. If you do, it will take you where you need to go, but more important it will teach you a kindness of rhythm in your journey.” ― John O'Donohue

We hear much talk about gratitude and being grateful, especially during times devoted to thanksgiving, abundance and generosity. Yet, true gratitude cannot be demanded. One can logically understand when it is appropriate to feel grateful, especially if a gift is openly being given. However, it gets a bit trickier, when the gift is hidden in the silver lining of a storm cloud. Yet it is in those gifts that the seeds of our greatest gifts lie dormant. For all gratitude stems from one thing and one thing only; the potential for the reunification of God, to Love.

We are willing to experience anything to get back to God consciousness. This is our core drive, the need that fuels every single decision we make, know it or not. In fact, so badly do we seek this reunification, that we are willing to walk through a simulation, an illusion that thoroughly convinces us that we do not have free will, in order to claim that free will with consciousness, so that we can be together and free to love! We must come to the altar of every single thing we believe, lower levels of programming such as religious, family or cultural belief systems, upper level programming such as health, gender and even life and death itself, in order to fully claim our free will. No stone can be left unturned. For under any given rock lies an unchallenged belief system that holds our vibration down, and keeps you away from love.

“When love awakens in your life, in the night of your heart, it is like the dawn breaking within you. Where before there was anonymity, now there is intimacy; where before there was fear, now there is courage; where before in your life there was awkwardness, now there is a rhythm of grace and gracefulness; where before you used to be jagged, now you are elegant and in rhythm with your self. When love awakens in your life, it is like a rebirth, a new beginning.” ― John O'Donohue

We are so encoded to re-unify in the flesh and to take up form that we have endured billions of years of evolution to do so. That we stand on the brink of being able to make the final walk over the abyss of our lower levels of consciousness and step fully into free will brings us to the altar of a kind of gratitude that defies gravity. It is in this space that we defy gravity for in the defiance of gravity, we remember our god selves and never find it sweeter to be able to stand upon this holy, sacred ground.

“Once the soul awakens, the search begins and you can never go back. From then on, you are inflamed with a special longing that will never again let you linger in the lowlands of complacency and partial fulfillment. The eternal makes you urgent. You are loath to let compromise or the threat of danger hold you back from striving toward the summit of fulfillment.” ― John O'Donohue

To stand here on the shoulders of all that has come before and grab the golden ring requires us to take the great sacrifices of our ancestors and go for it. But we must never think that we do this just for ourselves alone. The truth be told, if we think that, then we are not totally in free will, yet. For free will understands that all that has come before is a part of us, as well as those who stand now who are not yet awake. For as we re-enter the garden as mature, free-willed, self-realized creator gods and goddesses, we are making the winning touchdown for the whole of creation.

Now entering the garden sounds fine and romantic. For sure it is, but not in the ways that the unawakened would appreciate. Most of all, what it represents is our ability to live with each other, with other creator gods who have gone all the way within their own spirit, feel the strength of their own sphere of influence, touched their own divinity, and forged the will to love and live in peace with their kin. It could be said that there is no greater bliss than to meet your true kin. Kindred Spirits are not just your family, but are the people, animals, and places that speak to your heart, in such a way as to help you remember all that you have been, all that you are... and hints at what is to come.

“Real friendship or love is not manufactured or achieved by an act of will or intention. Friendship is always an act of recognition.” ― John O'Donohue

The soul group is the final stage to the reunification of God/dess in the flesh. This is not something that can be spoken of, nor understood in a logical way. For when you begin to come together with your soul group, you are moving out of the path of suffering and into deeper aspects of yourself, the parts of you that are longing for a higher vibration so that the anguish of the separated self can be relieved of it's cosmic loneliness. Yet, it is not just a mental loneliness, or even sheerly emotional. It is intuitive and knowing that exceeds the physical senses. It is complete empathy, synthesis and cooperation for the glory of God... the glory of the people and this creation. For the Gift of this Earthwalk, the Gift of God is our Free Will... and the Gift of Free Will gives us the one thing of the great work; the freedom to Love.

“One of the tasks of true friendship is to listen compassionately and creatively to the hidden silences. Often secrets are not revealed in words, they lie concealed in the silence between the words or in the depth of what is unsayable between two people.” ― John O'Donohue

Your only question here today is, Where am I not free to love? In a nation of gods in the making who were bound to experience the pillars of severity and mercy, science and art, yes's ad no's, right and wrong, good and bad, hot and cold, hard and soft, joy and sorrow.. will you come to understand your true nature, realize that you are at the top of the tree and that it is finally time to decide... Do you choose the middle path? Do you need the rod and the staff to prod you along? And if so, how hard do you want to be whacked with the stick? Or are you ready to listen to gentle voice of the beautiful mother within? Your own soul's whisperings that all beauty, joy, creativity, splendor and bliss is available to you here and now?

“Your noble friend will not accept pretension but will gently and very firmly confront you with your own blindness. Such friendship is creative and critical; it is willing to negotiate awkward and uneven territories of contradiction and woundedness.” ― John O'Donohue

The choice is not yours, until you say so. You are not wrong. Thy will be done. So it is up to you to decide your world's fate. How do you choose to be in the world? Don't choose love and then continue to suffer. Realize that you need to go to the root of the cause and get right with the choice to choose. If you believe in free will, then you can open the doors to a whole new world. If you do not, then knowing this is a point of power. These are not simple choices. Your entire life experience is designed to help you remember who you are. Keep listening, allow yourself to experience the proof of life. One day you will decide to choose another way. In that moment your gratitude will come into its fullest measure of abundance within you. That is the day when you are truly abundance, for that is the day that you are fully free to love.

"An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break. May you be open to each thread that comes into your life, the golden ones and the course ones, and may you weaves them into a brilliant and beautiful life." - Chinese Proverb

Sunday Talks with Rev. Renee Bledsoe
November 03 - Destiny: Gateway to Grace
November 10 - Soul Elevation: Releasing the Victim
November 17 - Evolution of a Community: Getting Used to Good
November 24 - Thanksgiving - Sacred Altar Sunday - Church in Circle

Gateway to Grace Affirmations

I honor my power of choice.
I fully claim my free will.
I notice where I am not free and open to more love.
I ask what would love see, what would love do?
Help me see through the eyes of love.
There is always a story behind the story.
Soul friends and beloveds are part of my god self.
As I move closer to my higher self, I reunite with my soul group.
My soul group is here for me in ways I cannot imagine.
Love is an action, resulting in more love.
Love moves my soul to greater creativity.
As I seek to express my soul, my communication improves.
As my communication improves, what I saw heals myself and others.
My words and creativity inspire other souls to express.
Love is the highest art form.
Light is my canvas, love is my paint.
I paint my life with love and make a masterpiece.
My kindreds are my chosen family.
I recognize the divinity of my kin, and my soul friends.
Through my kinship with my soul friends, I heal my relationships with my family.
My family is healed and restored to dignity and honor.
Any deep family wounds are brought to a place of at-one-ment within my being.
I honor the sacrifice of my family in our spiritual partnership, and elevate this relationship into a higher vibration.
My life is a response to the prayers of my ancestors.
God and Goddess now live within me.
I manifest the Mother and Father God force within me for the greater good of my kindred.
Humanity is the Living God.
I am connected to the Light of Creation.
I love myself and I love others.
Love one another.

October 2013: Spiritual Alchemy

“The Great Work is a Spiritual Process. The One thing is the birth of your soul." Hermetica

Our human journey is a study in spiritual alchemy. Alchemy is the art and science of transformation, which follows a very specific and predictable set of protocols. Initially it was couched in secret, scientific encoded writings. However, many mystics have since revealed the code and applied it to the most powerful alchemical laboratory of all: the human being. As we evolve it is apparent that we are turning our base, instinctually driven nature into a fully free willed creator God... the pauper into the King or Queen... the lead of our mortal existence into the "gold" of our immortality... our body into our Soul.

“You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.” - C.S. Lewis

We are always changing, yet we haven't always understood, nor recognized our changes and have even feared change.  In the past, time had been slowed and attuned by the current state of human consciousness, sometimes not allowing us to see the cause of effects enough to truly link up the truth of cause and effect. This was so for many reasons, not the least of which was to give us the gift of time so that we could discern our existence with free will, and learn, discover and grow more into the fullness of our human potential, and our powers to manifest.

“Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.” - Oscar Wilde

Time is key here as we delve into the alchemical marriage of our body/mind/soul and spirit. For it is time that draws us upward on the vertical axis of the path and subjects us to the process of spiritual alchemy. Yet, as we become more fifth dimensional, stepping outside of linear time and space, it becomes imperative to engage with time in a new way. We must have a way to routinely take stock of ourselves as we become increasingly non-linear and more holistic. The medicine wheel with it's ouroborous effect is the complete package that allows us to not only take stock, but setup milemarkers to chart and direct our own progression.

Most of our growth has come through a painful rending of old belief systems, which also tend to show up as a letting go of relationships, careers and other physical manifestations, as well as, dreams, ideas, fantasies and karmic contracts. Without knowledge of spiritual alchemy, these things might appear to make no sense, and serve to further dig us into the roles of victim and perpetrator. But once this most predictable process is realized and we see that we are literally experiencing a kind of spiritual procedure through our own crisis, we have a chance of lifting ourselves into another mode and way of being. While understanding this process from a more cosmic and spiritual evolutionary perspective might not make it immediately less painful, it can relieve any undue suffering from our misunderstanding, internalizing or confusion. Much like a midwife's job is to bring comfort to the birthing mother, by truly understanding spiritual alchemy we can comfort and prepare ourselves for what is to come.

"Where there is fear, there is power. Even fear is a friend. Transcend."  - Cora Flora

It is through the process of alchemy that our soul emerges and integrates the body and the spirit in the flesh. It is how we become like God. Yet, as we let go of our notions of who and what God is... and turn more toward our own inward journey and allowing that transformation to outwardly manifest, we come to truly know the complexities of the creator, through the gift of our Higher Self... our Holy Guardian Angel. As we entertain greater levels of freedom, we find that we are the captain of our destiny. This can seem like an overwhelming responsibility unless we are aware of the alchemical process by having a system which helps us to keep the lines of communication open between all our aspects. Containers such as meditation, medicine wheel  and Kabbalah helps us to do just that. Ultimately we do not need blind faith to proceed, for we can develop the spiritual eyes to see and the ears to hear the whisperings of our soul.

“Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see” - William Newton Clarke

We are evolving. Humanity has enough time into this process now, and the ability to communicate and compare notes, which is a part of that process itself. For as we observe ourselves and become more and more consciously aware of the depth of our own existence, we then can realize our own tempering into compassionate and loving beings of light, with great powers of healing and creativity which will allow us to fully step into our free will and choose the kind of world we will make real. We can choose heaven or hell. The power is within our hands.

“This is the ultimate end of man, to find the One which is in him; which is his truth, which is his soul; the key with which he opens the gate of the spiritual life, the heavenly kingdom.” - Rabindranath Tagore

Conversely enough, there is a divine plan however, that was agreed upon by our GodSelf to elevate humanity back to a state of re-unification in God Consciousness. The truth is that we cannot fail. Because just because we do not remember our GodSelf and our master purpose, doesn't mean that our soul doesn't remember. And this process of alchemy will birth our soul, one way or another. And when the soul comes stalking, the things we need to experience to awaken will happen.

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.” - Henry Ward Beecher

It is our work here to awaken the GodSelf within through love and awareness, and proactive midwiving of the soul's emergence. This is why our power to communicate is so important. Messengers are being sent to tell us that it does not have to be difficult. Great sacrafices have been made to ensure that each wave of souls successively has an easier birth. So we must take this great gift, awaken now and receive the grace of our existence in this moment. Let love live through us, allow our souls to emerge and heaven on earth to end the war between fear and love.

“We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” - Joseph Campbell 


Sunday Talks with Rev. Renee Bledsoe
October 06 - Understanding Spiritual Alchemy
October 13 - Your Holy Guardian Angel
October 20 - Rev. Lureen Slater/Rev. Miriam Lynne Pietrzyk
October 27 - Rev. Lureen Slater

October Affirmations

My Soul is preparing me to meet my Higher Self.
I am becoming my Soul.
I am inspired with the Light of the Creator to open to my full potential.
I am free to choose life.
I am free to choose love.
True freedom means free to be in the presence of the divine.
My freedom allows me to be more devoted and committed to the Light and Love of this creation.
My Spirit informs my soul every day.
I take the time to care for my soul, as I care for my body.
I honor all aspects of my being.
I am in conscious contact with my Higher Self.
I an reunited with my soul group.
I understand the great powers of a working with my soul group.
A soul group allows for the constant reflection of God/dess to be made manifest.
My soul group allows me to refine my divinity, my divine identity.
I accept my God Self.
I am loving and compassionate for this journey of becoming.
Through spiritual alchemy my soul emerges.
I am tempered through this alchemical process into a loving super-being of light.
My love is my shield and my guide.
I accept the alchemy of my addictions as part of growing and evolving.
Addictions and attachments are breaking me open and allowing me to rebirth myself.
Illness and disease calls for the awakening of the physician within.
My inner physician is activated.
I heal and inspire myself and others from the depths of my soul and heights of my spirit.
I prepare my body as a temple of God's love.
I am disciplined with  my self and soul care.
I continue to expand as a healer and lightworker.
I ground and anchor my spiritual experiences into the manifested reality.
I receive the proper support, as well as give it to others.
I release all codependent patterns.
My divinity is the Holy Grail.
My Higher Self is my Holy Guardian Angel.

September 2013: Be Fruitful and Multiply

“And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.” Bible

 Be fruitful and multiply. No matter how this is interpreted, this seems to be a very pointed bid from our maker to actively engage in life, participate in the creation of our world, and be a good steward of what is already here. At first glance it seems like a no-brainer, so why would something that seems so obvious need to be said? Perhaps because there is more to it than meets the eye.

Upon closer review we might find a much deeper hidden message. Ironically, this seems to be an expanding evolving message, about expansive evolution. Perhaps this just might be the actual command that ultimately ejected us from the garden. Obviously this is about so much more than simply pro-creating. This is clearly an admonishment against inertia and remaining in the status quo, as much as it is a bid for the expansion, growth,  risk, progress and the evolution of humanity.

"Progress is the product of human agency. Things get better because we make them better. Things go wrong when we get too comfortable, when we fail to take risks or seize opportunities." -Susan Rice

Many of us have endured tremendous suffering as a result of our creations, even as we were doing our best to answer this bidding.  Yet, we were not born to suffer eternally, though obviously it has been part of our path to dive in, dig in and bite into life! After all, how else could we actually claim our divinity? We've been very courageous. Obviously, this verse is alluding to "no guts - no glory".  For we were born to manifest the glory of our fullest human potential, both individually and collectively. In our quest for the claiming of our free will, with each crossroads that we have stood upon, and each choice that we have made truly of our own accord, we have been on a two pronged journey; to find out what our heart's desires truly are, and to see where we are not free.

“The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark. - Barbara Hall

As we have traversed the tree, sitting upon each branch we have experienced the fruits of the tree of knowledge. Partaking of the dualities and experiencing the two poles of existence has left us at any given time exhilarated and exultant, as easily as exhausted and humbled. The ups and downs of life, the valleys and the peaks, the sorrows and the joys are all converging now at this particular time in human history to do the thing we have all been waiting for: synergize and equalize!

“Love is the expansion of two natures in such fashion that each include the other, each is enriched by the other.” - Felix Adler

The alchemy has done its magic and continues to bring forth the miracle of the creationary evolution of humanity. Simply put as humanity as a whole has swung left, then swung right the pendulum is now slowing down, even as time is speeding up... and we are about to hit our stride. This is a microcosmic process, happening on the individual inner planes, as well as a macrocosmic process, happening for humanity as a whole. Our world, our earth is changing. Although it might not seem like it to some, truthfully it cannot be denied that never before have so many people been able to globally communicate, collaborate and compare notes. This single factor has changed everything, for it has advanced our prime directive by light years: the reunification of Mother/Father God.

“If you think of yourself only, you cannot develop because you are choking the source of development, which is spiritual expansion through thought for others."  - Charles William Eliot

We have finally experienced the ancient mystery teachings on a mass scale: As Above, So Below, As Within, So Without. As we have understood at ever deepening levels that we are the ones creating our own reality, never before have we been able to truly be so fruitful and expansive, so rapidly... AND actually want what we have created! Through our explorations on the tree, we have become wise to the wants of our own soul . And as we become our soul and answer the calls of our soul, life seems to get at once simpler.... and deeper. For in our wanderings we have discovered the power of going deep and not just wide. And with this drilling down we have hit spiritual gold, and our abundance takes many forms now.

This kind of abundance runs far deeper than economical advantage, yet if there is spiritual abundance, its earthly counterparts are sure to materialize. For this is how creation works. Those in the know have come to realize that the divine template for first abundance is life force energy, holy spirit, chi, prana or however you think of the animating substance that fuels our functioning. With it, we are abundant in heath, wealth and happiness. Without it we suffer and ultimately die. This simple, sacred knowledge is truly the key to all fruitfulness. It is the secret behind the secret. For without life force energy the ability to manifest "things' means little, and our fruits will be loveless and empty.

“Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb." - Sir Winston Churchill

Our true fruitfulness has come from the paring down to essential source. And in this state we come to learn that fruitfulness doesn't just mean more... what it really means is to be devoted to what we love, and to share with others in expansive ways. And so we understand now that if our abundance isn't leading us to more love and unification, then it isn't very fruitful or expansive. Energy work helps us open and free ourselves to love more, deeper, higher, finer and better. Love is what will create the fruitfulness of the golden age that is upon us. Love is the currency that truly creates abundance. Sharing love is how it multiples.

"Don't you know yet? It is your Light that lights the world." - Rumi

Sunday Talks with Rev. Renee Bledsoe
September 01 - Be Fruitful & Multiply
September 08 - Children of the Law of One
September 15 - Leap of Faith
September 22 - Sacred Circle: Fall Equinox - Second Harvest
September 29 - Unselfish Love

September Affirmations
I create my world.
I am in step with the flow of evolution for the greater good.
I keep my creative energy flowing.
My creations help and heal the world.
I am eternally learning and experiencing life through my creations.
I am a good steward of the earth.
I am socially conscious, bringing awareness and accountability to my work.
I consider and balance the needs of one and all in my dealings.
I see the earth healed and thriving.
The earth is my home.
My security comes from my love.
I am constantly giving and receiving the love of all that is.
I am opening to greater levels of love.
I freely share my gifts with others.
I collaborate with others and share creative ideas.
I take emotional risks and step outside my creative comfort zone.
My creations are a reflection of my love.
I am inspired by nature, people and my spiritual guides to create.
I receive the bounty of this creation.
I open to the creativity of other people.
I am  infused with creative energy.
I expand my offerings to the world.
I empower others to reveal their greatness.
It is safe to be vulnerable in my creations.
I openly reveal my creative process and share with others.
If I want to see something in the world, I take steps myself to bring it in.
I take responsibility for creating beauty.
I take the time to make things beautiful in my life.
My definition of beauty is expanding.
I go deep into my devotion for life.
I am devoted to unselfishly loving.
I treasure my existence, and make nurturing and life sustaining choices.
I rreate harmony within myself with peaceful practice and energy work.
My love is enduring and abiding in all that I touch.
I am a creator god or goddess in the making.
I am consciously co-creating my life.
Love is the currency that creates abundance.
Sharing love is how it multiples.

Children of the Law of One

The Temple of Luxor Blue Star Mystery School is now open. We will be screening for admissions through the study of Children of the Law of One, which is open to the public.

Facilitated by Rev. Renee Bledsoe
Donation to Temple $20 - Meets 3rd Thursday 6:30pm
Contact Rev. Renee Bledsoe 239-560-6314
www.churchofspirituallight.org

Book Ordering Info:
The Children of The Law of One & The Lost Teachings of Atlantis 
by Jon Peniel 
Link: http://amzn.com/0966001508

Chakra Intensive Series

This series of classes is designed for both emerging energy healers, and anyone interested in learning more about chakras and their own energy field and systems. This class is also a requirement for entry into the Blue Star Monastery.

You will learn about the chakras in a way that draws in real world experiences, in explainable terms to help those who are new to working with chakras to have a better understanding, as well as to broaden and deepen the wisdom of those who are already engaged in working with energy medicine. This far exceeds book learning and brings us into the world of intuition and channeling, as well as a metaphysical activation of each chakra as we work with their energies. The activation of the chakras will prepare you for higher learning and greater receptivity and grounding of mystery teachngs.

We will discuss the powers and concerns of each energy center, and will focus on a different chakra in each session starting with the root chakra. There will be 7 classes in this series. You may join in at anytime and should complete the series once all 7 chakras are complete. The class will be ran perpetually so that you will have the opportunity to learn about and work with each chakra. Each class is open to the public. You will learn how to work with a pendulum and affirmations to attune your own chakras daily, archetypes, angels as it relates to the chakra system, and much more.

Meets 2nd Saturday each month at 4-6pm
For more info or to rsvp contact Rev. Renee Bledsoe 239-560-6314 or send email to renee@weavestheweb.com
Facilitator: Rev. Renee Bledsoe, Usui ReikiMaster/Teacher
Location: Church of Spiritual Light 1939 Park Meadows Dr. #1, Fort Myers, FL 33907
Cost: $35

I AM Poetry JAM

Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance. 

-Carl Sandburg

Join us for the I AM Poetry Jam,... Where the Watcher and the Watched Become One.

It's time to share your secrets, the longings of your heart and soul, the memories of times gone past or yet to come, the spoken word, rap, poem, or song... stories from a sacred place.

All poets, artists, performance artists, songsters, storytellers, muses, bards and other cool misfits are welcome!

2nd Friday of every month. $5
Church of Spiritual Light 1939 Park Meadows Dr. #1 Fort Myers, FL 33907

Sekhmet Goddess Gathering

Sekhmet Goddess Gathering - August 22, 2013 6:30 pm $10

Church of Spiritual Light 1939 Park Meadows Dr. #1, Ft. Myers, Fl 33907

Join us as we explore the myth and mystery of the Egyptian Lion-headed Goddess Sekhmet. The energy of the Solar Feminine is ex-pressed in the ancient Egyptian myth of the Solar Goddesses Sekhmet and Hathor. Since this energy is so much a part of the Divine Feminine, many people are experiencing the shamanic journey of disintegration and renewal that is related through this mythology. Sekhmet and Hathor truly are two dimensions of the same Goddess. Though Sekhmet and Hathor are both great Goddesses of power to be respected and held in awe I wish to dispel some of the fear surrounding particularly Sekhmet as a result of her mythology.

Many may be familiar with the myth of the children of Ra who became immoral and disrespectful to the God Ra. It is said that He sent forth Sekhmet the "Eye of Ra" to eradicate this corrupt element within the children of Ra. The story goes on to say that Sekhmet went on a killing spree slaughtering entire populations. It is said that to the horror of the Gods, Ra included, that Sekhmet's appetite could not be satiated until Ra called upon the Lord Thoth or Tehuti to intervene. Red dye was mixed with beer and poured upon the desert near Sekhmet's most recent activity. As she lapped up the red beer she became inebriated and passed out. As a result of this altered state, when she came to she was transformed into Hathor, the Solar Goddess of Joy; a fiery Goddess also expressed in her manifestation as the Cobra Goddess who protects the crown and the vision the Pharaoh.

What this myth is telling us however, is not a story of unpredictable wild rage of the divine feminine that must be appeased in some way. Sandra Ingerman, author of "Medicine for the Earth" discusses in her book a shamanistic state reminiscent of the destructive elements of Sekhmet in this myth. This phenomenon is experienced cross-culturally in what Ingerman refers to as the shamanistic journey into "Dismemberment". She devotes an entire chapter to her experiences with this form of shamanistic healing and transformation and how many of her students have experienced this quite spontaneously even before any prior formal training or study in shamanic healing.

This is what I feel Sekhmet is trying to tell us and demonstrate in her myth as one and the same as shamanistic dismemberment. Ingerman says that in "dismemberment" journeys, people often experience being torn limb from limb by an animal for example or find themselves reduced to bare bone in some way. The process of dismembering the physical body is symbolic of our need to let go and become unburdened by any and all hindrances in ourselves, our lives and our psyche to experience and merge with the light of the Creator in the purest sense. It is a journey of surrendering our fear in order to experience total connection and union with the divine. We carry attachments and burdens at so many levels; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Sekhmet is the Goddess of Purgation according to Egyptologist Rosemary Clark, and in keeping with the cross-cultural shamanic experience of dismemberment, Sekhmet is facilitating total annihilation of those self sabotaging energies, behaviors and consciousness we are consciously or unconsciously carrying around. These very perceptions and false beliefs about who we are distract us from conscious connection with the divine in body, the Light as symbolized in the God Ra, or Isis the Female Ra. This powerful, pervasive radiance is what Diane Stein calls in her book "Reliance on the Light" the 'Light beyond the Goddess'; it is the pure light of creation. When we merge there, egoic labels and perceptions fall away. In such radiance they are no longer necessary. We become pure as children again in the respect that we no longer are concerned with what others think of us, we just move into the Divine Feminine consciousness and state of "being".

The transition from Sekhmet to the personae of Hathor in the myth exemplifies what we as individuals achieve when we unburden ourselves of all the baggage and self contempt of the negative ego. Hathor will not let us become "Joy" or "Light" until we leave all those burdens, impure energies and incorrect beliefs of the self behind and surrendered totally. This however is not an easy process. Some refer to inner turmoil as "battling with their demons" and "the dark night of the soul". This is the Goddess Sekhmet taking us through the process of purification that we may return to the truth of who we are. That is what the light of Ra and the Joy of Hathor symbolizes; the truth of our own divine nature that we have some how strayed from and forgotten.

This then is the double face of the powerful healing of the Goddess Sekhmet/Hathor. It is what makes them inseparable in terms of healing. Both their energies of purifying, clearing the way for new consciousness (Sekhmet's function) and the infusion of it whose nature we experience as joy (Hathor's function) are required for total transformation and healing.

Source: Nancy Fanara-Berrian

Chi Gung Class

Chi Gung is both an art and a science, and it can be adapted, directed, and used for any goal you desire. It is not a new path, but rather a means of going more deeply into whatever path you already walk. In this ongoing meditative, sacred and fun class we will learn to better generate, harness, and direct the natural energies of the mind, body, and soul, the goal of which is ultimately Freedom (enlightenment).

The practice of Chi Gung means energy work. There is some focus on the health of the physical body, but with the intention to exercise the mind's control over the body. It is, ultimately, an exercise for the mind, so as a side effect of the practice, one's health, vitality, longevity, and energy levels are drastically increased. Not only physical energy levels but more importantly mental and emotional energy levels are addressed getting to the root source of energetics of the body.

While each class is likely to involve some easy breathing exercises, gentle stretching, and moving meditation, no two classes will ever be exactly the same. The classes will be informative, and educational so that we may all learn ways to adapt the practice to our own specific goals. The discipline is meant to be practiced with love and reverence, and we will come to understand that how we practice is more important than what we practice. You will find the practice very restorative.

The instructor, Cory Hess, began practicing martial arts at an early age where he was introduced to Chi Gung, meditation, and Eastern philosophy. He is a Reiki Master/teacher and massage therapist who has taught yoga and tai chi for the past 12 years.
　
Chi Gung is far too deep to describe in the course of a short flyer, so please don't hesitate to call Cory with any questions: (239) 489-3494.

Location: Church of Spiritual Light, 1939 Park Meadows Dr. #1, Fort Myers, FL 33907
Date/Time: Every Tuesday 10am
Offering: $10 per class

This class is part of the People Shine Project.

August 2013: Shine On

We came here to shine our light. But first we have had to master this high and fine art to allow for the temperance of such brilliance so that we could learn how to work together. For we find here that shining our light to blind, exclude or compete with others is not what we came for. In other words, before we could really shine our light, we have had to experience the loneliness of our own omnipotence, in favor of taking a stand for our own unique desires and destiny, and looking at the power of going deep versus wide to express our own soul's purpose. Ironically, as we step outside of reductionist, linear time and thought, and into the fullness of fractal time and the realm of soul and spirit, we start to fully understand the gift of this physical world, and our embodiment takes on a whole new meaning.

The darkness of our world awaits you -- not to engulf you, but to be transformed by you. ~ Neale Donald Walsch

We are all feeling it. The possibilities of an age of peace, enlightenment, artistry, creativity, unity in diversity, true appreciation for the earth and for the human condition can feel a bit like a fairy tale come true. Some of us are finally seeing how it is even possible to enjoy the journey, and not focus on the destination.  Can you imagine how sad we must have been to have to compete and bump up against each each other in order to reveal our unique soul's purpose to ourselves? We had to individuate, as this was and is our fate, but our true destiny is to re-unite and bring our great I AM presence back to the whole to honor each other. Humanity has finally "earned" through its own innovations, creations and evolution to come back into the garden.... and the garden is right here and right now ... on earth... with each other.

Truth be told, more people than ever before in the history of the world have the ability to find their tribe... to find their kindred spirits and to become empowered spheres of influence in their own right. This is the legacy of creators gods and goddesses in the making. It is our birthright to step into the glory of the work of a true creator. Like our maker who was so patient with this work in progress called humanity, we must also extend this grace to ourselves, as we continue to emerge and evolve our higher selves into being. Could it just be that this new era of social consciousness is both too good and true?

"You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestation of your own blessings." - Unknown

Akthough these new sensories, skills and ways of being are not without their own set of new rules and potentials, as well as pitfalls, the vast majority of the way has been cleared for both lift off and a grounding of this new energy. The antidote for any discomfort as we acclimate is to continue to do our clearing and recovery work so that we can come into complete integrity with ourselves and others. This transparency that is phasing in, after all, is what we've wanted all along. For true intimacy and co-creation requires a measure of vulnerability that we may not have felt safe enough to express. To truly be seen we must reveal what is in our hearts. We must be strong within ourselves to reveal our tender hearts to each other and to the world. In the new earth, our love is our boundaries and our protection is our love.... and the artful expression of our life's purpose... whatever that may look like, even as it changes and grows.

“It is now your responsibility to nourish the qualities that are in you to create the luminous and glorious life that you desire. From your heart, radiate all this Love for humanity. Share your Joy.” - Sai Maa

A new age of originality and creativity is upon us, a renaissance of the highest order, giving license to the individual to shine on the world stage right in the comfort of our own hometown. Now we live locally, but think globally. Literally, the world is our oyster. We can have the best of both worlds and find that this duality is merging to form a synergistic blend of all that is good and right. The eternal will to good makes manifest delight and joy in our lives now. We must move forward now, even as some still suffer. For we truly know that misery loves company, which means that any subscription to that channel keeps it alive. This does not mean that we ignore the suffering of others, and the systems that are up for change. On the contrary, our creative solutions have never been more necessary. For this new earth won't respond to force. It is our power that we must source to create heaven on earth by our own action.

So let your light shine, for yourself, for your family, for your tribe and for the world. After all...It's what we came for.

"An anthropologist proposed a game to children in an African tribe. He put a basket full of fruit near a tree and told the children that whoever got there first won the sweet fruits. When he told them to run, they all took each others hands and ran together, then sat together enjoying their treats.

When he asked them why they had run like that when one could have had all the fruits for himself, they said, ‘UBUNTU, how can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?’ (‘UBUNTU’ in the Xhosa culture means: ‘I am because we are.)"

Sunday Talks with Rev. Renee Bledsoe
August 04 - Shine On: The Solar Initiation
August 11 - The Art of Creation
August 18 - Time, Talent and Purpose
August 25 - Sacred Circle Sunday

Shine On Affirmations
I am a light unto the world.
I let love live through me.
It is my responsibility to participate in the manifestation of my blessings.
It is my joy to create my life in conscious awareness of the I AM Presence within me.
I feel, see and sense the divine in all that is.
I apprehend the beauty of this world on levels beyond the ordinary senses.
I divine, sacred love in the flesh.
I focus my desires and align them with my higher self.
My higher self imagines me to Be.
The love of the creator has gathered my soul and made me whole.
I explore my talents and skills to deepen the glory of my great work.
I am the living embodiment of all that I believe.
The solar initiation is the path of a creator god and goddess in the making.
I release the fate of cosmic loneliness, as I find expression in my tribe.
All is my relative.
I am in relationship with all that I see.
I take responsibility for how I am in relationship to everything in existence.
I see the unity and social consciousness into being.
I practice social consciousness to bring in the new earth energies.
I hone may art and my craft in whatever my chosen path of endeavor to expand our experience of heaven on earth.
I have new respect and insight in the use of linear time to benefit my creations.
I step outside of time and space to receive inspiration from above and manifest miracles on the ground.
I work with the medicine wheel to step outside of time and space while consciously co-creating my world.
I seek to learn the languages of love that include sound, color and light.
My heart is free to love.
I now know what love is.
Freedom is only serving me if it is leading me to greater realization of love.
Love is more than a feeling, thought, or touch...it is a catalyst for creation.
Love is the synergy that happens within when I give my time, attention and actions freely and without thought of return.
True love is always returned, immediately and from within.
Receiving affirmations of love are a mirrored reflection of the love within.
I slow down to spread joy all around.
I believe in calling forth the purest essence of life, truth, beauty and love.
I seek to bring the honor of all that I AM as an offering of love to all that is.
I am because we are.

July Goddess Gathering: ATHENA

July Goddess: ATHENA

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ― Lao Tzu

Join us for our monthly gathering of the Goddesses for an evening of festivity and celebration of the divine feminine. These events are always guided by the Goddess we invoke and this evening we will be communing with Athena, the Grecian Goddess of Wisdom and War.

Athena is a force to be reckoned with, strong, wise and capable, helping us to choose wisely when to take a stand. Yet, this façade of strength can often create a well of loneliness within her soul. Athena-inspired women know no fear, or at least that's the face they present to the world. Rest assured, Athena;s can be tough, independent, clever and resourceful women. However, the soul call, now that the skills of strength and wisdom have been honed, is to go back and take adventure in the exploration of her weaknesses. For it is often in her very “weaknesses” that the seeds of her true greatness lies dormant. Athena needs to learn how to trust her incredible strength, enough to become truly vulnerable. For in fact, it takes great strength to reveal such tenderness. And it is this display of tenderness that will balance her outer shell of perfection and bring her into her own.

Athena is truly the last step for the Goddess becoming in each of us. She has proven that she can succeed. She has the strength, the wisdom and the courage.  Now all she has to do is trust it and let go! Dare to fail! Dare to feel foolish! Dare to make a mistake! Understand that mistakes are actually a part of every creation and are always a pivotal point to even more successful outcomes. Athena reminds us to open up to our softer side. She reminds to kick-butt and take names.....WITH LOVE. She wants us to know that we are creator Goddesses and that we are the embodiment of the divine feminine!

Come and celebrate being a woman. Dress as befitting a Goddess. Working with the energy of the Divine Feminine is a powerful way to bring great powers of love into your life. Discover who you really are...

4th Thursday of the month (beginning on June 27) 6:30pm  $10

Facilitated by Samantha Banks and Rev. Renee Bledsoe
Hosted at Church of Spiritual Light, 1939 Park Meadows Drive #1, Ft Myers, Fl 33907
A program of the People Shine Project (www.peopleshineproject.org)

Artwork courtesy of Fine Artist: Bryan Larsen  More of his amazing artwork can be found at  www.bryanlarsenfineart.com and www.cordair.com This work is copyrighted by Bryan Larsen and is used with permission. Thank you. Bryan!