Forgetting Yourself

We become used to the things we do in everyday life. Going to work. Getting some exercise. Eating dinner and sitting in front of the television or reading until we go to bed.

We do the same things over and over, forgetting about many of the things we have done. Things we consider so ordinary that they’re scarcely worth a thought. Until something happens. My something happened in conversation with a friend.

Since the era of coronavirus settled itself upon us, my life has been surprisingly quiet. Not nearly the busyness I was expecting with exorcisms, soul sendings and all of the things that come with the disruptions of life and death. It felt like my work of spiritual interventions has slowed considerably. The quiet over the last almost two years has been more unsettling than when I am flat out from spiritual work.

As time has gone on there has been the same sort of tiredness and exhaustion as when I knew I was working every day. Sometimes several times a day.

If you have no idea of what I may be saying about the physical impact on the human body, think of performing an exorcism as the spiritual equivalent of building the Empire State Building. The entire three years from demolition of the old Waldorf Astoria Hotel to the completion of the new building. Alone. Typically, in fifteen minutes or less. Mostly because I am impatient and have no time to waste with a bunch of dithering devils. (As a note, my understanding is that it typically takes shamans, ministers and others days, weeks and even months to perform an exorcism over a series of several tries. Whatever happened to one and done?)

Being so completely focused on that one part of my spiritual work, I completely negated another very important part of my life.

My work as a healer.

If you’re used to doing something in your life and stop paying attention to it for a time, you might forget about it. That’s what happened to me. I had forgotten that I have been working all of this time as a healer as well as exorcist.

Still doing the work. Not paying attention.

Up to the moment a friend reminded me that it is part of my work. That I am so used to it being a part of my life that I downplay or even ignore it. Frankly, a central part of my life is that I do not pay much attention to the spiritual interventions I do for the reason that I have been doing them for so long.

When I was reminded that I am a healer and that I have been working without thinking about it, the cause of my physical exhaustion became clear.

It reminds me of the first time each autumn we get out the rakes and attack the fallen leaves. We’ve forgotten how all of those beautiful leaves of many colors come together to get stuck in grass, bushes and plants. How we need to put extra elbow grease into pulling them out to go into gardens as mulch or bagged for garbage.

Just like we suddenly realize our tiredness and that our muscles ache after working for an hour or two, it’s the same with spiritual work. When we go on with our lives not pondering what we’re doing, we get a surprise.

It’s up to all of us to be healers. On a second to second basis, we have the opportunity to heal our own souls. Our willingness to be positive — to do whatever needs to be done for our own good and that of others — heals us and our world.

We don’t have to roving ambassadors traveling the world. The UN and the globetrotting charitable organizations don’t always need us as their point person in every situation. We can actually do more by doing whatever we do well.

The medieval English mystic Julian of Norwich is known for her saying “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”

Listen to her!

We are well. Our lives are well. Sometimes we have to reach out and ask for a little help. All of us. That is one of the most precious gifts any of us will ever receive.

How can I thank my friend for reminding me of my gifts?

Stay the road.

Keep doing what we do.