This episode is a call to action. Spiritual author Marianne Williamson speaks the current suffering of the world and how we can help bring it to life as spiritual people. This is a thought-provoking episode that may trigger some aspects of you so let yourself sink into what shows up and see what arises. Whatever your beliefs are, we can all agree the importance of us taking action to co-create a better reality.
Being part of a conscious online community is more important than ever before. Leave your anxiety behind and get the support, connection and inspiration your soul has been craving in Rose Gold Goddesses, the sacred sisterhood all about becoming your highest self. Doors open now at rosegoldgoddesses.com
Are you ready to LIBERATE yourself from the expectation of others, regain touch with your DIVINE FEMININE essence and finally understand the TRUTH of who you are? Then I invite you to join me in my Kali Ma Goddess Circle! Click Here To Register Now: rosegoldgoddesses.com/kalima-podcast
Get 35% off your order of Youveda supplements at youveda.com with code “sahara”
Download Best Fiends on the Apple Store and let me know what level you’re on
Get 20% off your Organifi Green Juice + Adaptogenic Superfood blends at organifi.com with coupon code “sahara”
Intro + Outro Music: Silent Ganges by Maneesh de Moor
Discover Your Dosha (Mind-Body Type) with my free quiz: iamsahararose.com
Connect with me for daily Ayurvedic and modern spiritual wisdom at Instagram: @iamsahararose Facebook.com/iamsahararose Twitter.com/iamsahararose
Order Eat Feel Fresh: A Contemporary Plant-Based Ayurvedic Cookbook and receive my Essential Oils for Your Doshas E-book FREE here: eatfeelfresh.com/book
Learn more in my best-selling book Idiot’s Guide to Ayurveda: https://www.amazon.com/Idiots-Guides-…
Available wherever books are sold!
Subscribe to the Highest Self Podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/h...
https://soundcloud.com/highestselfpod...
By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Sahara Rose, or used by Sahara Rose with permission, and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission or editing, of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of the Sahara Rose, which may be requested by contacting [email protected].
This podcast is for educational purposes only. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.
Transcript
Episode 282: Rising Up From The Corona Virus Challenge with Marianne Williamson
By Sahara Rose
Namaste. It’s Sahara Rose and welcome back to The Highest Self Podcast, a place where we discuss what makes you, your soul’s highest evolvement.
We are all facing a lot with this Corona Virus Challenge, there are so many different voices, so many different perspectives, we could get lost in all of them, and I am really committed to bringing you guys voices that are inspiring to me, to this Podcast. You know, a lot of what we’ve been talking about recently is what is happening in the world today because I believe that we can’t spiritually bypass it, that we do have to go into it, we do have to talk about what’s happening, that that does not mean we don’t find our Light (I did an entire podcast episode, three weeks ago, all about that) but also to go into the shadows, and to go into the collective pain, and the struggles, and the obstacles, and the duality. Because the truth is we live in a dualistic world, and as much as there is beauty and light, there is pain and darkness. And that doesn’t mean we have to stay there, but I do think, as conscious citizens, especially as spiritual beings, it is important for us to be aware of both sides. And there really isn’t anyone who’s leading the conversation of this in the way that Marianne Williamson is.
So, I really came to discover Marianne Williamson and follow her work about four years ago. I was at a conference and she spoke, I had heard of her before but I didn’t really know much about her, and she lit a fire under my ass. She was calling us out as spiritual people who were staying in our own circles where everything is good, and happy, and cozy, and we’re manifesting everything that we want and not going out into the world and doing something about it. And I felt very deeply inspired by that because if you guys don’t know my story, I actually spent my whole life doing humanitarian work. I’ve been volunteering in so many countries from Zimbabwe to Vietnam, to just the inner city, and I went to school to become an International Human Rights Lawyer and that was always the path that I thought I would be on and because I had health issues while volunteering in India, teaching health and sanitation in the slums, I discovered Ayurveda which brought me onto the path of learning about Ayurveda, teaching Ayurveda, writing books about Ayurveda, all the spiritual consciousness uprising that came with that. So, I maneuvered, though my work still is to help people. And I’ve loved how Marianne Williamson really combines Spirituality and Activism. And she really has a no-bullshit way about her. You know, she, if you don’t know who she is, she is a long-time (30+ years) spiritual author, teacher, Activist, and she’s most known for running for President this past election – this election that we’re still a part of right now. But she actually played all-out, played real big and ran for President as a spiritual teacher, bringing conversations like meditation and nutrition, and peace, and making those our agendas and our political arena. And even though she unfortunately is no longer running, she is still a very active voice in the political arena bringing spirituality into it, and frankly the only person out there doing this.
So, she has a very unique perspective to this and she is really calling us out to be in the trenches. She is calling us out as spiritual beings to rise up; to not step away from the sadness and essentially depressingness of this situation, but to really look into it, because when we look into it we feel inspired to take action.
Now, a lot of what she says in this Podcast might be triggering for you. A lot of what she says may not be what you believe personally, but I think it’s important for us to be open to other perspectives so we’re aware that we are living in this dualistic world where there are so many different perspectives. So, I talk to her about a lot of hesitations that us, “spiritual people” have (everyone’s a spiritual person, but those who identify as being on a spiritual journey); how a lot of us are a bit overwhelmed by the situation and are afraid of giving into the fear and I asked her about Law of Attraction and her perspective on it. Of, if we give into fear – is that what’s going to show up into our lives? And different terminologies people say like “I’m looking at this from a non-dualistic lens so I’m not saying kind of right or wrong and I know Earth’s going to provide. So I asked her these questions, these conversations that I see because I have friends from completely in the 3D to completely in the 5D and every spectrum in between, so I’m kind of privy to a lot of conversations. And she went there; she called us out. And again, you don’t have to necessarily agree, you don’t have to leave everything you do and get into politics, and I think really what her suggestion to us is just to educate ourselves and to use this time wisely. But what I believe that she was kind of intuitively telling us is we are at the brink of essentially a revolution; we are at the brink of a huge change in our Government, in our Society, in our Economy, and it is important for us to be aware of how these things have happened in the past. That’s why she suggests to us to read the works of Martin Luther King and Gandhi, and different people who were spiritual, political activists so we can be aware what was their mindset and how were they kind of interlinking spirituality and politics. And I think it’s an important conversation for us, because again, regardless of your political views, I think that we could all agree that politics do play such a large role in our lives. You know, right now, even though that this is a virus; we are experiencing the effect of government, here. We’re experiencing that different States are handling it in different ways and maybe we like how the President is treating this, maybe we don’t like it; I don’t think anyone is on a 100% side either way. But we’re seeing how much control our Government really has in terms of the stimulus package and how people are being supported etc. So, politics is affecting our lives; we can’t really just say “Oh, I’m not a political person” when we’re living in a world that is run by politics whether we like it or not. So, if we want to change that and if we want to be part of the conversation, if we want to our voices to be heard, then it is important for us to be at least aware; at least voting; at least tapping into what the conversation is, that doesn’t mean losing yourself on CNN; that doesn’t even mean checking it all the time. But I think, what it really means, is to look at what politics truly are and how we have such a negative connotation of politics because of the political leaders who are presently in it; and the fact that our voices are not being heard for the most part, and the fact that money and corruption is such a large part of it, but that’s not the essence of what Government is supposed to be about. Government is supposed to be about protecting people. Our Government actually works for us, but most of us have a relationship that we’re like “Screw the Government, you’re trying to knock me down” right? Myself included, I’m not speaking this like I’m running for President here. But I think it’s important for us to realize politics is going to affect our lives in so many ways. I mean, we’ve seen that they’ve taken away the rights to female bodies, to control what happens to your bodies; who you can marry, even things like Slavery were instituted by the Government at one point. So, we can shift these things by being involved. And what Marianne really calls us out for is, us spiritual people, are the people throughout history that actually have led a lot of these more humanitarian revolutions, whether it was the Abolition Movement or the Women’s Suffrage Movement etc., those were actually led by Quakers, Spiritual People etc.
So, this is a different type of Podcast that we normally have on here. This one, she is obviously very grounded into what is happening in our present-day reality and I think we have different voices for different things, and this voice is one that’s calls to action. And this voice is a call to getting in the trenches and getting real about what part we have in all of this and how we can create a better future, not wait for a better future, not sit back and hope someone else makes a better future, but for us to become active participants in it. And I think that we can all agree that we do all play a role, and some of the examples that she gives are really profound.
So, I just kind of wanted to preface this conversation because it is a very different one than we have on the Podcast, and I think it’s an important voice because Marianne Williamson is of course, I think most of you know her, an extremely through-provoking and interesting and intelligent person. So, I think you’re going to be in for a real treat in this conversation.
So, Marianne Williamson, where do I begin? Political leader, Activist, Meditation teacher and so much more.
So, let’s welcome her to The Highest Self Podcast.
Advertisement:
And before we get started, I’d love to share with you this special offer.
Are you craving a deeper experience to sit in ceremony with your sacred sisters; liberate yourself from the expectation of others; regain touch with your divine feminine essence and finally understand the truth of who you are? Then, I invite you to join my Goddess Kali Ma circle. We are in the midst of the greatest Awakening in humanity and Kali Ma is the Primordial Goddess who has the power to destroy the world, returning us into the dark void; the sacred womb; the space of limitless potential so we can be radically reborn. A lot of us are in the beginning of new shifts right now and Kali Ma is the Goddess to tap into at this pivotal time to sweep away any limiting beliefs, stagnant energy or timelines that do not serve you.
So, you can truly make 2020 the decade of your 2020 vision. You see, we must clear away the old to make space for the new and this is exactly what my Kali Ma Goddess circle will provide you with.
So, I’m taking my 2-hour workshop which includes my womb meditation, drumming, teaching you all about Kali Ma, her message, working with her archetype, my shamanic shaking ritual EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping for more freedom, bliss and radiance in your life. I then guide you through journal prompts to apply into your life for more personal expression, transformation and bliss. We also end with affirmations, poetry and a Q&A to dive deeper into this significant time and how to work with Kali Ma to allow us to elevate into the embodying radiant goddesses that we were born to be.
So, if you’ve been waiting to join Rose Gold Goddesses and desire a taste with just one workshop, this is your time to join us. So, head over to my show notes, you can find it on your phone by just looking at this Podcast and you’ll be able to see the link to guide you exactly to receive the Kali Ma workshop and I’m so excited to see you inside.
_________
So, you may have heard me talk about how much I love You-Vedas Mood Formulas, but they have now just come out with new mood essential oil roller. It contains a blend of Ayurvedic herbs including Jatamansi, Calamus Ashwaganda, Percopa, Centella, Rose and Tulsi (which is Holy Basil). It works to support mental clarity, reduce stress and produce feelings of calmness. I love putting in on my temples and soles of my feet to absorb it straight into my bloodstream, and best of all, it’s a 100% therapeutic-grain, vegan and cruelty free. It balances all three Doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) so it works for anyone because we could all use a little bit more help with the stress in our lives.
So you can head over to youveda.com and use coupon code ‘Sahara’ for 35% off their kits and 10% off their oils. That’s youveda.com.
End of Advertisement
Sahara:
Welcome Marianne to The Highest Self Podcast, it’s so great to have you here.
Marianne:
Well thank you very much for having me on.
Sahara:
The first question I would love to ask you is what makes you your highest self?
Marianne:
I think God makes us our highest self because our highest self is the aspect of us which is the only real aspect of us, which is God’s creation. I didn’t make it, you didn’t make it, I think that’s the whole point, it’s that that was created by a Power higher than ourselves.
Sahara:
So beautifully said. So you have been putting out such incredible meditations and reflections on getting through this moment that we are all in as a collective and I think a lot of us, especially people who identify as spiritual, are having a difficult time kind of balancing the very 3D of what’s happening in the pain and the suffering with staying in our hearts and staying in the light.
So, what recommendations and suggestions do you have for us for being both in the world and also able to bring forth the higher perspective?
Marianne:
This situation is rocking us to the core, no matter what community you’re involved in. In a way it’s rocking humanity to the core. But here, in America, it’s certainly rocking us to the core because we had so many illusions that turned to be actual delusions of invulnerability.
As far as the spiritual crowd is concerned (and this is something I’ve been saying for a very long time) – you say we’re struggling to stay in our hearts – were we in our hearts before entirely? Because we (I’m generalizing here with the big ‘WE’, I’m not saying this is two of every individual) – But I think as a community, there was a lot of: isn’t it wonderful here in LALA Land?; there was a lot of actual use of pseudo-spirituality to justify not looking, it’s some of the very issues which, had we looked up on, would certainly be helpful today. We have been distracted at best and in denial at worst about political, social and economic issues in such a way that today the absence of intentional conscious attention to those things causes catastrophic results that did not have to be, that did not have to occur. And in many ways, it’s been because the spiritual community has felt “Well, it’s hard for me to stay in my heart if I’m looking at that.” That’s just childish, that’s just childish! There’s nothing transcendent about that, that’s denial, that’s not transcendence, and that’s not what grown-ups do.
You know, in every serious spiritual path, the issue of suffering is core. Before the Resurrection there was the Crucifixion; before there was the journey to the Promised Land there was Slavery in Egypt – in all the Great Religions, there is the Creator and there is the Destroyer. Buddha saw suffering; if Buddha had not seen suffering and death for the first time, he would not have begun his journey to Enlightenment. But there is this sort of new-fangled of Spirituality – once you skip the Crucifixion, go right to the Resurrection, that wants to conveniently put aside Buddha’s focus on suffering. He said “Life is suffering” so being unused to addressing (even the suffering within ourselves) as deeply as you might; and part of the way we have distracted ourselves from addressing our suffering in a deeper way is by taking on over the last few decades in this country, this cheap yellow smiley face that we pour it on everything. Be happy, be happy; and if you’re not happy, you’re supposed to pretend you’re happy, and also the way we have made it in our country as though there’s something wrong with being sad – that’s what my book “Tears to Triumph” was about. You know, even the happiest life, until we’re Light Masters, even the happiest life has some sad days, and it takes a certain kind of emotional and psychological musculature to be able to navigate sadness. And those of us who had, this is why I often quote online from Rocca “Let me not squander the hours of my pain” because, that song, you know that Simon and Garfunkel “Hello Darkness My Old Friend Come to Talk to You Again.”
If you have some working knowledge of sadness rather than complete freak-out every time it comes and buying into the modern pathological delusion that it’s something that has to be dealt with other than experience fully and learn from, then you lack the kind of inoculation that’s very helpful at a time like this. This is sad. This is depressing. This is a multi-dimensional horror show. This is big. You know, there is an old-fashioned thing in parenting where “Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about” – we’ve suppressed our tears too much, and now, you couldn’t suppress them even if you wanted to. And, so, I think for some people, it’s even more over-whelming because it is so – sad times are such a stranger to be periferized and kept at bay at all costs. But, all forms of sadness do represent a situation about which it can be said “This too shall pass.” And there is something about hunkering down, you know, just like people are saying you have to stay in your house and hunker down – we have to hunker down emotionally; we have to hunker down psychologically, that means sometimes we do cry, it means being careful monitoring how much news you watch and at what point do I just turn it off because it’s not helping. You have to know enough to be informed but not so much that it’s going to; you can just feel it sending you spiraling down; meditation; checking-in on other people; checking in particular older people who are alone (very few of us are not hit financially by this) but we all know people who are being hit financially even worse than we are. We had 40% of Americans who even before this could not handle a $400 unexpected expenditure; so, this is showing America’s undervalue on such level, because in the richest country in the world, that should never have even been the case. It’s calling us, when you talk about a spiritual community, it’s calling us to a much greater intellectual maturity and political maturity like “What was going on in this country that we would be so vulnerable?” We all had this idea “Well you know, there are people in Washington and they handle these things” – clearly they were not. There is a book called “The Fifth Risk” by a man named Michael Lewis, talking about how there has been this withdrawal of resources that invests in things that keep Americans safe and God forbid if something happens.
So, when you say how does the spiritual community stay in your heart? – I think if you stay in your heart right now, that doesn’t mean you won’t cry. Do you really know, in your heart right now, you do cry, but I think the key is to know, unless you’re in the hospital yourself; unless you are dealing with a loved one in the hospital, you’re crying for other people. Those doctors, those nurses, I don’t know if you’ve seen what they’ve done in countries like England where they took a time and the whole country clapped? The key to going through this is going through this with our hearts open to everyone else who is going through this.
Sahara:
So beautifully said. And I think a lot of us are afraid of going into the sadness because we’ve read so many Law of Attraction books and we’re afraid of “Well, if I go there, then I’m going to be manifesting more of that.” So what do you say to that?
Marianne:
It’s time to see that for the bullshit that it is. What a cool attitude. First of all, how can you say whatever you focus on expands? Say that to an oncologist. Say that to someone who has stage four cancer. Are you saying “Well let’s not look at it because if we look at it and treat it, it will expand?” Some things expand because you don’t focus on them.
If you see a child who is being beaten by their parents next door, do you say “Well, I don’t want to focus on because it will expand” – No! You focus on it and call the police. What is this? This is such a, like a new-fangled – I don’t know. Anyways, not helpful, time to throw that one out. People call it like it’s written in the back of IKEA or something.
Sahara:
You’re so funny. Yeah, I think a lot of us are having a hard time because that school of thought has been so influential in kind of this modern spiritual movement. So, we are having a hard time with looking at the thing that we feel we can’t control, and then the fact that we can’t control them sends us into this spiral.
Marianne:
Okay, so I think this is a good time; you know, this is a moment where we’re being invited and challenged to uncover every rock and turn it over and look at it. So, you just said in the modern spiritual movement – really? Because in the movement that you are talking about we rarely hear about God, we rarely hear about Higher Power, we rarely hear about surrender; you hear about making things happen – what’s spiritual about that?
So, in the Course on Miracles, they talk about the difference between Magic and Miracles. It’s a modern magic movement but magic is not always spiritual because magic can be positive or negative; magic is when you try to use metaphysical tools to try to get what you want. Miracles is when you surrender who and what you are that love might work through you – that’s spiritual.
Sahara:
That makes so much sense and I think a lot of us don’t have the distinction between the two. And I totally agree, so much of this modern manifestation movement is for material gains or getting that partner, or getting something, which is essentially playing the same game.
Marianne:
I don’t really have a judgment on it but can we please not call that spiritual.
Sahara:
Yes.
Marianne:
Might be all lavender and everything.
Sahara:
So what is your perspective on seeing what is happening right now as part of the Great Spiritual Awakening that’s taking place around the world?
Marianne:
We, in order to survive and thrive as a species, we must evolve beyond an economic organizing principle to a humanitarian organizing principle, put no Gods before me. It means, among other things, do not put money before love, that’s ideology. So, the virus demonstrates a perspective of humanity as one. This virus doesn’t care Black, White, Brown, Democrat, Republican, Jew, Muslim, Christian, Atheist, Asian, African, European, American, it’s just Humanity, that’s how we have to become. And we all learned in school (Evolution101) if a species is behaving in a way that is maladaptive for its survival, then that species will either mutate or it will go extinct. And we as a species behave in ways that are maladaptive for our survival. We fight too much with weapons of such force, that most of us, rarely, if ever, allow ourselves to contemplate. We as a species are actively involved in the destruction of our own habitat and more. And one of the reasons this situation is so profound is because if we are protecting an honest look, we realize this could have been anything. It happened to be a pandemic, it could have been a nuclear catastrophe; it could have been a bio-weapon; it could have been a weather catastrophe. We have been so reckless and so irresponsible on so many levels, and what this demonstrates, for us, particularly Americans, is if you think you have the systems in place to handle any of those things – wake up now! So, you know, this is a coming of age event for us in ways that most generations alive at this time thought they had been able to avoid. This is the war, just like my parents experienced, and there have been way too many and I think when you talk about the spiritual enigma Sahara, I think that, you know, I felt for a long time, even in the higher consciousness community, too many women being little girls; too many men being little boys. A lack of maturity, a kind of infantilization that this sort of magic LALA Land thing gave us. When in fact, we should be the biggest grown-ups in the room. We’re the last people who should be sitting out the big questions because if you have a deeper contemplation which we do – of cause and effect – a recognition that if there is a cause, there will be an effect – we’re the last people who should be withholding that information. But on the other hand, if we look at the fact, it’s been very convenient for us to be over here to be in our little capitalist bubble; there was money to be made and the fact that the mainstream culture ignored us was convenient. So, a lot to look at there.
Sahara:
And one of the speeches you gave a couple of years ago talking about this, super just put a fire under my own belly to get moving and to get active, and to use my platform to actually talk about things. And I think a lot of us have this almost, maybe, you could call it Non-Dual perspective of ‘everything’s going to be taken care of; Earth is going to provide, we can step back and let things happen.’ So, how do you kind of balance this Non-Duality with Duality?
Marianne:
By pointing out how irresponsible it is. First of all, everything will take care of itself – in time, yes. But time could be thousands and thousands of years and at the expense of immense human suffering. Yes, the Earth is going to take care of itself, you’re absolutely right, however, if we continue acting in the way we have been acting, the way that Earth will have to take care of itself is by kicking us off the Planet, and that will involve levels of suffering beyond anything any of us should find tolerable, if at all avoidable. Tell people in Germany in the 1930s if they could just sit back and let it happen, everything was going to be okay. The Holocaust happened because too many people assumed it would be okay. I mean it’s just an infantile perspective to (and then what you just said is exactly what I’m talking about here) to label it Non-Dualistic, like it’s something smart.
Sahara:
Aha, so funny. You know, because I think a lot of us, in a way, it kind of takes a load off our back, right?
Marianne:
Exactly, how convenient.
Sahara:
Yeah.
Advertisement:
We’ll take a quick break so I can give a shout-out to our sponsors.
So, I am all about activating my brain (I need it for a lot of things) and I also love to play and have fun. So, I recently came across a game called Best Fiends which you can just download on your phone, and it is so much fun!
So basically, you are the bugs and you are here to defeat the slugs, but you’re doing it through puzzles. So, though it looks like this beautiful, colorful kid’s game, it’s actually made for adults, and it’s helping you use your brain in new ways. Every month they change the levels, they change the events so it never gets old, and it doesn’t require any internet to play. So, when I was stuck on my flight I was playing it the whole time. I love the cute characters and it’s such a good game to get you out of your busy, hectic, pet-space, and sometimes playing a game is the ultimate act of self-care that you really need.
So, you can download it on the App Store, it’s called Best Fiends, and let me know what level you’re on (I’m on level 7).
____________
A lot of us don’t feel comfortable going to supermarkets right now. And cafés are closed, which means we aren’t picking up green juices or even buying fresh produce as often. But right now, it is more important than ever before, to keep our immune systems high, especially with greens and super-foods.
I’ve been drinking “Organifi Green” every single day, and it’s been a Goddess send. It contains immune-boosting ingredients like Moringa, Chorella, Spirulina, Wheat Grass, Ashwagandha, Turmeric, Lemon, Mint and so much more.
It takes only one minute to add into my water and I feel so good knowing that at least I got my greens in for that day, which frankly I may not have had otherwise.
I’ve also sent it to my family members to keep them healthy at this time too. You can receive 20% off your Organifi at organifi.com using coupon code Sahara. Again, that’s organifi.com using coupon code Sahara, and that link is in the show notes.
End of Advertisement
Sahara:
You know, I think where we all get stuck is you know, “Right now, what can we be doing with our time?” We feel confined, we feel like we can’t protest, we feel like there’s so much noise on social media. So what can we do as citizens at this time?
Marianne:
Read good books, teach yourself things you don’t know anything about. You know, I’ve long felt in the spiritual community, I’ve often said there are more books than just self-help books. And when I wrote a book, I’ve written a couple of books, where they’re about the intersection of spirituality and politics, one was called “Peeling the Soul of America” another was called “Politics of Love.” So, I have sought to present political issues in a way that those of us who are spiritual seek groups can contextualize, so, I recommend those for anyone who is interested in theat. Also if you read any of the writings of Martin Luther King, there is a book called “Testament of Hope” which is collected writings; any of the writings of Gandhi. If you are a spiritual seeker, you start recognizing how those themes work. I think there are a lot of people in the spiritual community who know (they’re awake enough now to know) – “Wow, I really do need to get involved” but kind of don’t know how and where to enter. It’s kind of like a soap opera, you haven’t been watching it, and the first time you look at it (you don’t know the characters, you don’t know what’s it about) but after about three or four days you start like “Okay, I get it.” It’s not complicated; it’s just another human system like any other. Or, I should say this – It’s complicated in a worldly sense, but this is where a spiritual understanding and understanding of the deeper dynamics of life – you bring that universal wisdom to everything and it simplifies everything. There is a difference between simple and simplistic, and a lot of the complexity, you know, there’s a line in the Course of Miracles where it says “Complexity is of the Ego.” The Spirit sees things in a pretty simple way; either you’re behaving with love or you’re not. And that is as applicable to public policy as it is to individual behavior. Does this show reverence? Does it show reverence towards the people of the world? Does it show reverence towards life? Does it show reverence so it’s a Planet? Does it show reverence towards animal? Does it show reverence towards our food? Does it show reverence towards our bodies? Hella! A lot simpler than some people would make it and that’s why spiritual forces – you know, if you look at the Great Social Justice Movements in the United States – The Abolitionist Movement came from the early Evangelicals in America and the Quakers. And also many of the leaders of the Women’s Suffragette Movement were Quakers. And of course, the leader of the Civil Rights Movement was a Baptist Preacher, Dr. King. So, it has always been the spiritual voices that happened; the voice of conscience in society. Traditionally, the religious and spiritual voices are not those who say “Oh, well, I just don’t have the look.” We look at them, you know, like, as some of the preachers that said that slavery was ok. It is generally agreed that was not cool, to say the least. So, I think that there is now, and interestingly enough you know, and there is a saying “Every problem comes bearing its own solution.” This situation is giving us a lot of time on our hands that we didn’t have because we’re a very adrenaline-driven society, almost addictively so. Always running around like chicken’s with our heads chopped off and all of a sudden there is nowhere to go. And Les Pascal, a French philosopher, said that every problems stems from a man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone; that’s why some people have a hard time meditating; their nervous system is – we’re like this, right? So, this is the time to read books, allow yourself to finish that article, allow yourself to think things through, spend time checking on other people, digest poetry, and cry when you have to.
Sahara:
What I’ve noticed is, ever since this happened, people are spending so much time online, that though this is the opportunity for us to take this beautiful, reflective pause, we are so busying ourselves with knowing everyone’s perspective and theory, and this and that. And you know, it’s this desire of us to want to be a part of something and be in-the-know of something, but I think it’s in a way robbing us of what this opportunity is really here to give us which is that time to read the poem.
Marianne:
Well, I think both end. I mean, this Podcast is going to be online, so I think that what this Podcast represents is a lot of what’s online right now which is people having conversations that are important. Online as we know, it’s the best and the worst of things; it’s whatever the human consciousness is. But I feel myself, some of the political conversations going on is really important. What you don’t want to impov yourself with too much or it will just destroy you; it’s too much information about the virus. That’s a rabbit hole if you allow it take up too much of your day. I’m not saying deny it or avoid it, but there’s got to be a point at which and the Course in Miracles says “Look at the Crucifixion but do not dwell on it.” But I think for myself, and I’m spending more time online than usual, it’s where I feel I can be of service right now; it’s where I feel I can be in touch with some of the conversations because this country will not be the same on the other side of this; but it’s not a guarantee that we will be better. So, the conversations that we’re having right now (including online) are a really important part of the transformation because they will determine what happens after this.
Sahara:
So what shifts do you see happening, maybe, if we come together and if we don’t? What are you kind of speculating?
Marianne:
First of all, we have an Election in November, Congressional Seats, Senatorial Seats, obviously the Presidency, and we have a very stark – we’re at a fork in the middle of the road. And there is one way of looking at things which is to see the marketplace be that organizing principle; our bottom line (what I think of as a false God) and over the last four years there has been this deregulatory trajectory where capitalism instead of being properly regulated and properly kept in its own lane so that you have individual liberty but never at the expense of the common good. So much money by certain financial forces have been able to wield undo influence on our Government that our governmental system has been turned into a handmade into certain corporate forces. So, we have like a corporate aristocracy now of big pharmaceutical companies and health insurance companies, and gun manufacturers, and food, and big AG and chemical companies, and oil and gas companies, and defense contractors – their financial power is so gargantuan that it has been at the expense of healthcare, money for education, you have tens of millions of people who live with the chronic economic anxiety every single day because they don’t know what will happen if they get sick – look what’s happening now – what would happen if their kids got sick; how are they going to send their kids to college; how are they going to get out from under the college loan? That was happening even before this. Now, we’re on the brink of a full on Depression. Most people in this country don’t even know anything about what that really means except from history books. And there was a big political and economic, and social question involved in the bailout that just happened. We gave $500bn dollars to companies; $100bn to hospitals, I don’t know how you could say it much more, $1200 one-time bailouts to millions of Americans, but I think it should have been $1800 every month while this lasts; medical services should be completely free right now, and no one should be able to have to pay their rent right now, but we don’t have a functioning Government of the people, by the people, for the people. It’s a bind for few of the people, a bind to these corporate forces. And that’s a corruption of our democracy, and especially given that bailout, we have just handed those same forces even more power because with that $500bn, that $500bn can turn into trillions.
So, we have a lot to think about, I know because of my own experience last year as a candidate, I feel I’ve seen up close and personal how this game works. I can’t tell you I know what the solution is because the solution is not simple. The problem itself is very gnarly and very complicated, it’s like a cancer that has metastasized, it’s not as simple as an operable tumor. You know, slavery was an evil institution – what’s the answer? – abolish slavery. Institutionalized suppression of women was an evil system – what’s the answer? – the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. Segregation, Institutionalized White Supremacy was an evil institution – what do you do? – desegregate and have Civil Rights Legislations. This is more like an economic mindset and amoral economic mindset that has wrapped itself around everything. It’s not that that mindset is itself immoral – the mindset is amoral. It’s not about people who wake up in the morning and say “How can I harm indigenous tribes?” It’s simply people who wake up in the morning and don’t think it’s their moral or ethical responsibility to think about the indigenous tribes one way or the other because they think their only responsibility is to reduce the responsibility to their stockholders, and we have a Government which allows them to do that.
So, it’s going to be a lot of change in us and when you talk, your platform is an example. We represent, by ‘we’ I mean you and me and so many people who are very active (speakers, writers etc.) in this field – there are millions of us. We’re the last people, and I felt, when I ran for President that more people within that community, I had expectations. Dave Navarro, the musician, said to me, “I guess it takes people a minute” and I said “My mistake was I thought it would take 30 seconds.” And I received a lot of support, don’t get me wrong, but I saw that my candidacy did not serve to make people, on that sort of mass level that I had hoped it would, say “Wow, someone bringing this consciousness” that was an interesting thing, although many did (I want to make it clear how grateful I am to those who did) but I saw a lot.
Sahara:
Yeah, I saw the same thing and I think a lot of people are afraid of bringing politics into it because you know, you get the feedback of when other people share “You’re not a politician, we don’t want to hear your political views, let’s keep politics out of it. Politics is dirty; let’s not bring that vibration in here.” So, it’s almost this form of like, again, as you said, this protectionalism of like “We need to stay in this bubble and anything you bring outside of this bubble that could throw me off my vibe is not welcome here.”
Marianne:
Also, there is a lot of brand protection there.
Sahara:
Yes.
Marianne:
People who are making a lot of money, they’re popular and they’re afraid that if they make a statement about politics they’re going to lose clients, so, that’s more about, like I said, brand protection – economic. And also, it’s exactly what you said “Let’s not bring politics in; let’s not mess with our beautiful frequency” there’s nothing holy about that.
It’s funny because in our crowd, we talk about not doing a spiritual bypass in our personal relationships, but we have given ourselves permission, as a community, to do a spiritual bypass when it comes to political, social and economic issues among those who literally could not afford to be in some of the seminars where we think we’re being so pure and holy.
Sahara:
So well said. Well, I know you are doing your Sunday meditations – can you tell us more about that and we can become a part of it?
Marianne:
I have a wonderful friend called Sarah Seagal, Madam Seagal, and she called me and she said “Marianne, let’s do something!” I know many people are doing different kinds of meditations etc. but the one that she and I started is a global meditation that is every Sunday. It is at Noon in New York City, that’s 9am in Los Angeles; it is 8:30 in Johannesburg; now it’s 6pm in Madrid and Paris – I don’t know who knows Daylight Savings – I know it’s 8:30pm in Teheran; 3 I think (the next morning) in Sydney.
The idea is 5 minutes of silence, meditation, prayer (people praying for a miracle in whatever way is true for you). But that 5 minutes when you feel people all over the world – all over the world just 5 minutes, you know, that’s a powerful disrupter; it’s like a jump-start. And there are other ones as well of course. I have quite a bit of in the way of meditations, and prayers, and reflections (all of which can be found on my website – marianne.com).
Sahara:
So beautiful! And can you guide us through a prayer right now to really pray for a miracle to this situation that we’re in?
Marianne:
Dear God, Humanity is riving, some members of our species to the point of extreme pain, extreme risk, extreme sacrifice, and even death. The Corona Virus has truly brought us to our knees. It is clear to us now dear God, the limits to our own power. And in this moment, we contemplate Yours. Your power of (unlipitance 46:19); Your power that is higher, put your hand upon us dear God and illumine our understanding; open our eyes that we might see. Forgive us for our trespasses and help us to forgive those who have trespassed against us. Lift us to the higher place of love and forgiveness, and mercy and compassion. Overshadow dear God the doctors and the nurses, all those who are participating in solutions; all those who are making masks; who are making ventilators; who are procuring equipment; doctors and scientists. Dear God, there is so much love, there is so much compassion being shown even now. Here is and in all things dear God, may love prevail.
We know dear God that there are lessons here. This has humbled us, and may we be humble. This has made us more appreciative and more grateful for what we have, may we remain grateful. This has locked us off our arrogant and irresponsible purchase, may it make us better people. This situation transforms us dear God, may it transform us into more loving, more reverent, more compassionate people. Even now dear God, your presence we know is with us in miraculous ways dear God that only you can create. May a Great Light prevail here even now. And so it is. Amen.
Sahara:
Amen. Thank you for that beautiful prayer and thank you for all of the work that you are doing and have always done. You are such a huge inspiration for me, I talk about you on the Podcast all the time, I’ve written about you in my book and I’m just so grateful for everything that you’re doing; and I really hope and know that this episode will help inspire people right now who’re maybe even sitting on the sidelines not knowing if they should or how to take action to dive deep to read those books, to educate themselves on the political systems so we can get involved. And will you be running again?
Marianne:
I don’t know, last time I ran because I got very clearly in my heart, it was my guidance to do so. I have no idea what my guidance will be in the future but thank you for asking.
Sahara:
Well, thank you for continually guiding us especially right now where we need it the most.
Marianne:
Yeah, I so appreciate it. I’m honored that you had me on and I wish you the very best in your lovely work. Thank you so much.
Sahara:
Thank you.
Marianne:
God bless you honey.
Sahara:
Wooh! What a conversation! You can always trust Marianne to bring it there. I remember when I saw her speak a couple of years ago at that conference, a lot of us were super enthusiastic and passionate, and ready to serve, and a lot of people were really triggered. So, maybe this conversation, parts of it really triggered you and maybe parts of it called you to action. And just to look at that, because each person is a reflection of us in their own way. So look at the parts of you that maybe really do want to get involved but you’ve been scared or you’ve been uncertain. And parts of you that feel like “I’m not responsible for this so I don’t need to be involved” and again, there’s no right or wrong answer, no one’s word is Bible – she is sharing her interpretation but it’s important for us to look at different people’s interpretations, especially ones that maybe we aren’t looking at on a regular basis. I think one of the cons of social media is we get so trapped in our echo-chambers where everyone thinks and sees the world exactly how we do, so we think that that is just the way it is. And I really loved how Marianne brought a very different perspective, you know. Of course, I still love manifestation, I still love all of woo, and there was a side of me that was really awakened in this stuff, like, “Yes, we do really need to help and we do really need to serve.” We don’t know exactly what that is going to look like at this point in time because everything is moving and changing so quickly, but it is a call to action for us to not sit in the sidelines and realize that this situation isn’t going to get better if we don’t step into it.
So, whether your way of stepping into it is posting on social media; whether it is through creating a business; whether it is through educating your children; whether it is through telling your family members; whatever that feels like for you, it’s just an invitation for all of us to get more active towards the things that we’re passionate about, to be the change, to not wait for it but to actually step into it and be the change. And I think that is something, regardless of whatever your political views are, we can all agree with.
So, got to love Marianne – check her out at Marianne Williamson, so many incredible books, “A Return to Love” is one of my favorites, so many incredible meditations and insights that she offers. She is a true Queen, so be sure to check her out.
If you loved this episode, I would love to send you a free gift which is the first half of my unreleased book “Eat Right for Your Mind Body Type“. This is a different book than “Eat Feel Fresh“. My first book ever which is not released anywhere, and I am gifting it exclusively to those who leave a review of my podcast in the iTunes store. So all you’ve got to do is head over to iTunes where you’re maybe listening to this podcast and leave a review, take a screenshot that you’ve left it and email it over to me at [email protected] and I will send you back the first half of my unreleased book “Eat Right for Your Mind Body Type“, which goes all into Ayurveda, Doshas, Plant-Based Nutrition, Body Types – all of the things in a really fun and engaging way. So this is my gift to you for free for supporting the podcast. Every single review I personally read. It really helps the podcast be listened to by more people so we can raise the vibration of the planet together, and I am soul grateful to have you on this journey.
Thank you so much for listening and I’ll see you on the next episode. Namaste.
Episode 282: Rising Up From The Corona Virus Challenge with Marianne Williamson
By Sahara Rose