“Learn to know yourself…to search realistically and regularly the processes of your own mind and feelings.” – Nelson Mandela

We can’t always accurately decipher whether those we give advice are holistically receptive or not, but in good intentions, “listen to yourself” may have left our lips several times. Usually this occurs in circumstances where we are unable to provide concise, specific, and/or detailed guidance. Let me assure that Eye am not, at all, condemning this line of council; Eye am solely highlighting that this isn’t the best course of action for those who have yet to learn their inner voice- Self- due to one or several blockages.

One of the primary blockages to learning Self is trauma. It has the power to not only silence our inner compass, but also foster within us the fear of taking the risk of stepping outside of its confines toward healing. When we are subjected to traumatic situations, our Limbic System (the emotional-visceral brain) takes a hit. The intimate relationship between our emotional and cognitive brains are a result of Limbic-Prefrontal lobe communications. In homeostasis, we are able to emotionally respond to things we cognitively innerstand, but when this harmony is disrupted by harsh circumstances, emotions override logic and leave us frantic and possibly plagued with psychosomatic illnesses. In such turmoil, endocrine organs release hormones that activate our protective autonomic responses and depending on the severity of said trauma to our Spirit, the degree of concentration of these hormones in our bloodstream can become our norm. It it then that our true Self has been submerged under our defence mechanisms and we operate on constant guard, aware of it or not.

Fear is a direct consequence of trauma and also blocks access to our inner compass. Our nervous system is consistently wired to the Gawdz and we lose our physiological definition of rest- even with a full night’s worth of sleep. All of our decisions are based on internal war tactics that rob us of enjoying experiences we normally would. We live in a mental and emotional bubble of “what-ifs” because we are still lost in the bottomless hormonal concoction our body has stirred for our safety. As time passes, we get older in body, but remain in child-like mental, emotional, and Spiritual dependency. Dependency on what? Literally anything that distracts us from the work required for healing. This work calls for conjure- a ruthless resurrection of all that brought us to a muted existence and replaced it by amplified internal torture and noise.

Needless to say, prior to listening to ourselves, we must ensure that we know ourselves; and to know ourselves, we must dig into the Soul ritualistically, intentionally, and without prejudice. We must acknowledge the chaos, accept it as part of our journey, and learn to quiet it through various forms of meditation. Unless we know ourselves, listening to our inner compass in the midst of Spiritual turmoil can direct us to making decisions that turn out detrimental to our path. Eye am not denying that even in our turmoil, we are “exactly where we are supposed to be,” but are we where it is BEST for us to be? Our alignment with our ordained purpose is a vital determining factor in whether listening to ourselves is ideal.

Know yourself, so you can be better equipped to listen to yourself.

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SN: If you are healing through and/or from trauma or working through fear, know that it is highly possible to grow from it all. You are capable and worthy of knowing yourself in the most intimate way, and this inner knowing will lead you to an existence of unwavering trust in yourself. That trust manifests Magick- the essence of your being. Stay patient with yourself. Stay loyal to your journey. Stay honest- tell the fuckin truth. Always. Hit me up if you need someone to talk to (all things will remain confidential). You are not alone.

Ase O!