Both light and shadow are the dance of Love.  ~Rumi

One day, a few months ago, while I was sitting outside at the water’s edge, having my morning conversation with Earth Mother, I found myself giving thanks for all that I was grateful for within myself.  I noticed that I was cherry picking all of my own “positive” traits, and letting my spiritual ego get the best of me, as I thought critically of those beings who engage in the darker side of all that is.  As one of these beings jeered at me, for how I shall continue to fall down off my high horse and suffer while I take only the parts of myself that I wanted and leave the rest behind, I understood that I can never integrate all of me if I don’t accept all the parts of me – the positive and the negative, the light and the dark, the good and the evil, the loving and the fearful.  Who can reject a single part of herself and still remain whole and complete?

Today’s guidance from the Divine Feminine is to practice full and complete embracing of yourself, and all your many parts.  Whatever it is, just Love it.  Be with all the parts of you – the part that feels afraid, give that part of you some Love.  The part of you that judges and negatively criticizes others, show up for that part of you, and give that part of you some Love and acceptance.  The part of you that has abandoned others in the past and left broken hearts in its wake, forgive that part of you and show that part of yourself what it feels like not to be abandoned.  The part of you that inflicts pain on others because your parents inflicted it on you when you were a child – accept that part of you that hurts, and Love it.  The shame you’ve hidden – dig it up and find it, bring it up to the light of day, where it can be Loved by you, by all.  The guilt you’ve swallowed that has poisoned your gut, let it out and Love it.  The weight your body carries to protect you from what hurts in this world, take your hands and fingertips and caress it, thank it, Love your body for keeping you alive.  The rage you buried, bring it.  The heart that broke, Love it.  The grief you carry, feel it.  Let it out.  Bless it all.  Take every part of you, and bless it all.  It is all Love.  It is all You.

Every negative, unwanted thing you have experienced has led you to where you are.  So bless it.  Bless also the Joy, the Gratitude, the Love.  Whatever it is, just Love it.  Today is a day for complete self acceptance and compassion and forgiveness.  Whatever you think you’ve done, forgive yourself.  Have compassion for you.  When we can truly let go our resistance to all the parts of us, when we can truly stop judging ourselves, stop rejecting parts of ourselves that we’ve been told not to like, when we can accept all parts of ourselves and have compassion for ourselves – then we can extend that to all others too.  Within all that is, there is Love.  Look for it inside every feeling, look for it within the fear.  Every belief you have made your own, that you weren’t enough, that you weren’t perfect, that you were selfish, that you were evil, that you were good and Loving and deserving and worthy – just let it all be OK.  Accept it all.  Embrace it all.  Bless it all.  You are You and there is no other.  You are perfect and one of a kind, and the human story doesn’t happen without you, so bless it all.  You are a miracle.  Bless You.