I haven’t talked about it publicly, but I was extremely ill very early on this year with Covid. I am still on the slow road of recovery, I have good days and bad days. I have to constantly manage my energy expenditure very carefully so I don’t relapse again. It is not an exaggeration to say I thought I was going to die at a couple of points early on, I was that ill. But I didn’t and I count myself as one of the truly lucky ones! There are so many who did not make it through and my prayers are with them for their onward journey.
Throughout being ill, I have found that at my lowest points I have had to lean more and more on my spiritual alliances and friendships. It is through the grace and kindness of my spirits (including my helping Ancestors) and my relationships with them that I found the support and encouragement to keep going, to keep hope in my heart! I cannot begin express the magnitude of gratitude I feel towards them.
It made me think how I would have coped with, perceived & experienced being so ill without my shamanic animist path and support of my spirits & helping Ancestors? Walking this path made this experience and many other very challenging ones I have had in my life endurable, it gave me a resilience that I would not otherwise have had. I felt held at all times by my spirits, especially when I thought I would break & fold. Yet again it gave me context in which to frame my experience, so that my illness had purpose and would ultimately make me stronger in spirit and heart.
I believe that an animist approach / view of life and living is in fact our inherent natural human state. I watch my children grow and witness their instinctive animistic way of engaging with the world consistently arising spontaneously. It is our birthright, one which has unfortunately been stolen from many of us by modern culture and religion. We have had a spell of dis-enchantment cast upon us, one that disconnect us and dis-empowers us, but it does not have to stay this way.
I came to the realisation this year that my path is to inspire and help others engage with an animistic approach to their lives and to develop relationships with those spirits that love them and would help them walk their path and really thrive. I have quite a bit more to say, but will leave it there for the moment.
I wish you all many bright blessings on your path, good health and well-being as well as good relationships with your helping spirits.
Gabrielle
x
____
Prints now available: UK & Europe Print Store (RB) | USA & Worldwide Print Store (S6)
________
If you enjoy my work and would like to stay up to date with my latest studio news, please sign up to my newsletter here.
If you would like to show your support for my work in a small way and have access to my latest studio news then please consider subscribing to my Patreon blog here.