a year ago I released a podcast episode on Echinacea. My experience with Echinacea was not what I expected when I planted the seeds in my garden. I invite you to go back and listen to that episode if you haven't already. Back when I started, I was recording my podcast outside. I love how you can hear the sounds of nature all around while I'm sharing the wisdom I received. In the case of that particular episode, though, I felt like we could do with a quality upgrade. So today I'll share the original message of Echinacea with you again. The depth of this message is still landing for me. There is so much wisdom here and I can't wait to explore it with you today.
After I call in my source, my angels spirit guides and the spirit of Echinacea purpurea, I begin.
"Echinacea! It has been a surprise and an honor to get to witness you growing. Thank you for coming to my garden. When I see your blooms. I think of a woman leaned back with head back so that her heart is open
and on full display. The phrase that comes to mind here is laid bare. I sense release, openness, wanton abandon. It feels as though you're saying here I am. Fully open and exposed. Yet this heart you offer up is protected. The cone at your center is prickly not soft. It's as though you're saying, take what you need. While beautifully protecting yourself from being gobbled up.
Echinacea responds,
"I don't need to curl up with her or hide in order to protect myself. I have a proper shield in place. The ones who can live in harmony with me. Not taking too much are free to come in and take what I offer. The ones who would come in too fast or try to take more than I am offering, will learn quickly that has a prickly outcome.
My shield is not overly aggressive or defensive. It is just what I need to protect me. While also letting the right ones in. Knowing and trusting this protection. I can lay myself bare. I can offer my medicine freely because only those who respect my existence. We'll be able to take that medicine. I can offer sustenance to others.
And no, I am protected from depletion or from those who do not respect my offer or my existence.
I'm free to be me, and share of my essence because I protect myself. My protection isn't opaque. It's permeable. I let in what works while keeping out what doesn't. My protection is part of who I am. There is no way for me to separate from it and still be me. And I'm not asked to separate from it.
I'm valued because of it. Could you integrate your heart shield in such a way that it becomes part of you? That you are admired because you wear it so unapologetically that it becomes sacred adornment?
Could you construct it in such a way that the right ones could still have access to you? The ones who can't or won't deplete you because they enter with respect and awareness. Because they recognize that shield as a sign of your divinity. As a sign that they must respect and cherish you.
I can help. If you decide you want it."
"Oh, thank you." I say. "I would be honored to have you show me how to build my heart shield. What is the best way for us to work together for this purpose?"
Echinacea replies, " make a flower essence. You can also make a tincture of my flowers and leaves. Spend time with me envisioning your heart shield. We'll create it together. And I'll help you learn to trust it's power."
What a beautiful offering from Echinacea. Something that became clear early on after receiving this message, was that a strong and functional heart shield, like what Is offering to help us build, originates in the solar plexus. We need to experience balance in this energy center in order to power this shield properly.
Now just because that realization came early on. Don't be fooled. After spending so much time in the solar plexus lately, I am experiencing an even deeper level of understanding around all of this.
Let's pause here. Zoom out. And look at what's going on in the chakras. So in the root chakra, we are establishing our primal existence. I am.
The life force energy that everything is made of is individuating in this chakra. Then in the sacral chakra. We expand on that 'I am' energy. We start to experience creativity. This is where I feel that the relationship to self really takes place.
So I know who I am. I am exploring what I like, how I create, what brings me pleasure. Then we move into the solar plexus. How will I show up in the world? How will I project this essence of me out into the world? And then in the heart, compassion, connection to those around me, relating in the truest sense of the word.
For me, the energy Echinacea is offering lands right between the solar plexus and the heart. It is as though she is helping us to project that light of who we are and how we want to be treated. Like a filter. Over and around the heart chakra.
The deeper understanding I mentioned is coming in strong, after spending so much time in the solar plexus lately. As dandelion and Sunstone have been guiding me deeper into this area. I've realized, this is where I created all the masks I've worn for years. This is where I internalized society's messages about being nice and agreeable never too much or too different.
Just fit in and make others happy.
Side note here. This is a bit of an over-simplification. We know this programming affects all of our chakras and our energy body as a whole. So while I zoom in here, Please understand there is as always, nuance. Okay. Now back to the discussion.
It has just become so clear to me that all the stuffing down of emotions and the compartmentalizing the facets of my personality have been in effort to control how I project my essence to the world. All that extra effort of masking in different ways made it nearly impossible for me to craft an effective, let alone sacred, heart shield.
I've been putting so much energy into being. Preemptively defensive. From that position, there is no ownership. No power.
As I strip away the compartments. As I experience and release all the emotions. I'm creating space and capacity for crafting this sacred heart shield. When I embrace the fullness of who I am. And recognize that holding any part of that back. Is a waste of energy. I begin to reframe the whole notion of protecting myself in the first place.
Now it is no longer: 'only show them what they want to see,' 'don't be too much,' 'make sure they're happy.' It becomes. 'I know and love myself. I deserve to be treated with respect. There is no reason to accept harmful relationships. Or to play small.'
When I embrace who I am. And show up with the confidence and self-love that come from that acceptance. I am actually sending the message that. I deserve love and respect.
Dear listener, this is sounding a whole lot, like. Boundaries. As someone who has never had a handle on boundaries. I'm pretty excited about this. Oh, so you mean, all I have to do is figure out how to respect and love myself. In a way that feels good to me. Then just model that. Well, That seems way easier than whatever nonsense I've been doing for my entire life.
And the best part here is, this is not a particularly aggressive or confrontational way to hold a boundary. This is all within my control. The work here is exploring what feels right to me. Devoting time and space to my acceptance. Is way easier than trying to figure out how I'm going to get all the bullies out there to do what I say or else.
And as I dig in here, I'm gaining a sense of calm that truly feels like the embodiment of wisdom.
The clearer I get on who I am and how I show up authentically. The more, I notice people mirroring that back to me. Treating me with respect. Even relationships where that dynamic has not been the norm, are shifting. There's no fighting or fussing. The energy is shifting. I am modeling self-love.
The people around me who love me. Are picking up on the change. It's almost like they are able to be energetically more at ease around me
because there isn't this chaotic energy of me trying to figure out who to be in order to deserve or gain love. The tizzy of constantly rummaging through my collection to find the perfect mask is done.
In its wake, is a calm that is inviting.
Hm. I guess I should clarify there though. It is inviting to the right ones. On the flip side of this coin is the very real experience of people just kind of gently avoiding me. I can sense it in a crowd, those people who used to just make me cringe because we clashed in so many ways. And I couldn't seem to find the right mask to make things work. Those people just kind of keep on moving now. We can speak pleasantly, but it's just so much easier to gently glide away. Neither of us is bothered. There's not really that awkwardness that there was before.
It's so subtle, but I have to admit that when I do notice it, I chuckle to myself. This is some real Jedi stuff right here. Y'all. And I love it.
To sum up my reflection: over the past year, I've gone from receiving wisdom and offered to help me integrate my heart shield. To actually doing the work in the solar plexus. And getting to a place where I can integrate my heart shield. And as I come back to this original message. I'm overcome with the beauty and the power that Echinacea offers.
So, let me echo the question Echinacea asks.
Could you integrate your heart shield? In such a way that it becomes part of you. That you are admired because you wear it so unapologetically. That it becomes sacred adornment. Could you construct it in such a way that the right ones could still have access to you?
When you are ready, Echinacea can help. This flower essence is potent. All the work we are doing to clear and balance our chakras is powerful.
I am here and ready to help you go deeper whenever you are ready.
You deserve to be respected. You deserve to be cherished.
I believe in you, my friend.