Stacey L.L. Couch's Blog, page 14
February 13, 2015
How to: Setting Intentions
Now that we have explored the question of What is Intention?and the similarities and differences between intention and prayer, we move on to understanding the nature of each. It is important to understandwhat makes a powerful prayer when learning about setting intentions.
Learning AboutPrayer
As a late comer to prayer, I have been exploring the nature of prayer itself. What I find in conversations with my teachers,friends and clients as well as in the printed words of renownedmystics are widely...
January 30, 2015
What is Intention?
In our spiritual work, we so often utilizethe words “intention” and “intent”. We set an intent for what we’d like to heal. We carry an intentionfor something in our lives to change. We decide what we’d like to manifest (such as a new job or a new house) and set an intent around that.
I’ve used the words myself for years and years. I usethe words casually. I unconsciously weave them into my inner conversations and my conversations with clients. I never question the merit of or motivation behind...
January 24, 2015
Spirit Animals: RACCOON the BANDIT
He sneaks about in the darkness looking for the slightest opportunity. Any tidbit hidden in a crevasse becomes a jewel in his hands. He is at home in the city or the country. No matter where we find raccoon spirit animal we will find a dose of both good humor and good conscience. Who thought such a common animal could bring such luck?
These little bandits are ubiquitous across the whole of the North American continent. Found in swamps and marshes, on the banks of lakes, ponds, rivers and strea...
January 23, 2015
Spirit Animals: BUFFALO ABUNDANCE
In the midst of the lowing of the herd, he takes a break from munching grass and saunters over to a bare patch of earth. The sun is rising and his breath is made visible by the steam that drifts from his nostrils like tendrils of smoke. His head sways ever so slightly as he walks, the bulk of his shoulders clearing the way as members of the herd part to allow passage. At the wallow he comes down to his front knees and the rest of his mass falls with a “thud” into the dirt. He rolls to one sid...
January 11, 2015
Spirit Animals: ANCIENT ALLIGATOR
She slips slowly off the shore entering the water without a sound or splash. The ripples of her wake split away from her tough scales. She is cool, calm, calculated, but not without care. Underwater she is graceful, tucking her legs back and moving forward via the propulsion of her big, thick tail. She climbs back to the surface of the marsh to let her eyes and nose rest on the barrier of the water. This has been her life since she can remember and the life of her kind for millennia.
The meani...
December 11, 2014
Spirit Animals: BARN OWL
mA ghost in the shadows, he comes from behind scooping up the quiet mouse no one ever saw and only he heard. On white wings he travels off silently caring death in his talons. There is no remorse, only absolute recognition of the cleverness in him that reflects the genius of the Divine. He finds a fence post on which to perch and brings his claw adeptly up to his beak. This is his sixth meal of the night and he is no rush to fill his belly. Instead, he snaps the neck of the mouse and sits sto...
December 7, 2014
The Shamanic Journey & Hero’s Journey Pt. 3
So far we have seen that a person embarking on a shamanic journey follows the path of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. In this last stage, the parallels remain. You may have noticed that we moved from a basic shamanic journey in Part 1 where any traveler or adventurer begins with the call, finding assistance from guides, and experiencing the road of trials, to a shamanic journey undertaken by an initiate in Part 2 who is on a healing journey to recover a soul par...
December 3, 2014
Love Her is What I Still Do
Publishing a memoir has paradoxically pushed my personal life more inward as if somehow I can counteract the effect of my innermost thoughts being so public by making my current motivations hidden. It is challenging to meet people for the first time and know they’ve had access to some of the most raw moments of my life. I hold my realtime vulnerabilities closer. They are more precious to me now. On the other hand,I know it is my candor, my willingness to show my imperfection, that helps peopl...
Turning Fear Around Into Fun
Publishing a memoir has paradoxically pushed my personal life more inward as if somehow I can counteract the effect of my innermost thoughts being so public by making my current motivations hidden. It is challenging to meet people for the first time and know they’ve had access to some of the most raw moments of my life. I hold my realtime vulnerabilities closer. They are more precious to me now. On the other hand,I know it is my candor, my willingness to show my imperfection, that helps peopl...
November 20, 2014
Spirit Animals: THANKFUL TURKEY
How perfect it is that during this season when we are taking stockof our harvest and practicing gratitude that we have as a mascot in our endeavor the humble turkey? The meaning of turkey spiritanimal reflects service and sacrifice teaching us to balance receiving with giving. There are many aspects to the turkey’s life that we can relate to directly as we gather ’round with family and remember who we are in the group.
Turkeys are communal and socialbirds that travel in large flocks. They fly...
