The sacred and the profane.

I was a theology and philosophy double major for my first few years of college. And, while I loved every little bit of these studies and classes and required readings, my pragmatism eventually creeped in: how the hell was I going to make money doing this? It's not like I was going into a seminary to become a priest. So, I changed majors and went into corporate real estate and outsourcing. 

I know, I know. I took a 20 year detour to just end up (sort of) exactly where I started. If nothing else, let this be a Master Class in not indulging the scarcity-thinking and limiting beliefs our society bombards us with on a constant basis.

Shaivist monks
Anyways, many of the things I learned and experienced in these courses have really stuck with me and continue to inspire my work with TOTEM. One particular multi-semester deep dive was in various sects within Hinduism and Jainism, particularly the practice of Shaivism- a very specific kind of devotion to the God Shiva. In Hinduism, Shiva is the creator, preserver, and destroyer within oneself and every living being. He's multidimensional and pretty punk rock.

So what was it about this particular brand of Shiva worship that caught my attention? Or, as some might word it, forever burned itself into my mind's eye such that I can never unknown or unsee it?

One evening in class, we sat down to watch a documentary about this endangered and rapidly shrinking religious sect. At the time I saw this documentary, there was only roughly 200 Shaivist monks in existence in all of India, which immediately engaged my attention. Then, sh*t got really real. Like watching Midsommar real, and if you know me at all you know I was in: lock, stock and barrel.

We learned- and watched- that the Shaivist monks lived in the cremation grounds alongside the holy Ganges River. Yep. They live among burning dead corpses. They have no shelters, no homes, and own only an empty skull, which they use to drink water.

Yep. Read that again. Their only possession is a human skull.

Somewhat regularly, they also use this skull to create a paste out of the ashes of the dead and the water from the Ganges. They cover all of their skin with this paste, protecting them from the sun, other elements, and from insects. And, on the odd occasion and as the mood strikes them, they eat the flesh of the human corpses, sometimes while the family members of the deceased person watches on, doing and saying nothing.

Yah. That was a moment. I'm watching this documentary and suddenly realize that the item one of the Shaivist monks is pulling from the funeral pyre is a human arm. And then, mouth agape, I watch as he calmly pats out the fire and starts eating it. My brain fought so hard to make what I was seeing into something else, kind of like the way that trauma survivors describe the shock of a violent car accident or natural disaster.

Holy sh*t. Right?!? And because this was a real school in a real class taught by a real Jesuit, none of the electricity or excitement of the discovery was at the expense of the native population. No one snickered or giggled. I remember being impressed with everyone's maturity, which was already in short supply among my peers.

Everything is sacred...even the profane
Instead, we learned about it. And the "so what" behind this whole practice wasawesome. To a Shaivist monk, everything is sacred. If Shiva made it, it was good. In other words, to a Shaivist monk, nothing is inherently filthy or wrong or bad or profane, because it was all made by god. Talk about radical acceptance, right?

Now, to any of you familiar with the Hindu culture and the caste system in India, you know just how utterly impossible and rebellious this sect really is. The rest of Hinduism is largely built on the idea that the caste system reflects the justice of karma, and the reincarnation into the kind of life you earned in the last life. Much of this has taken on overt racial and class connotations over the millennia, so much so that the lowest caste- formerly referred to the "untouchables" (which is now an illegal term)- were the only ones to touch things considered profane in Hinduism: meat, leather, and human hair, among other items.

The Shaivist monks were subverting the whole damn system. Turning it on its head. Their message: that nothing is profane if approached with reverence, sincerity, self-awareness, and an authentic love for god and his creation. This is powerful, and I often reflect on that documentary when I'm contemplating how best to approach various elements of TOTEM. 

The business of spirituality
I've worked with many practitioners that HATE, with all of their being, the need to run a business or receive payment for their services. I've also encountered unethical practitioners, that focus solely on the making of money even if it is "profaning" their spiritual work.

So what is a shaman to do? For me, I try to apply the filter of Shaivism when I approach my work. Am I acknowledging the divine within and throughout all of my business operations and psychic sessions? Am I checking in with my figurative north star to assess whether or not I'm in balance? If Shiva came down from the heavens with his skulls and his power, to judge me at a given moment, how would I fare? After all, you can't hide from spirit. The things we think and do in "private" are observed and captured in our collective Akashic Records, the archive of all things at all times and including all souls. I like to think of it as the original social media, capturing everything for posterity.

The reality of this 3D dimension at this time on earth is that we need money to survive. It sucks, but it's the system we have, and denying this reality doesn't benefit anyone: the practitioner, the client, or the broader community. The solution is in the way in which we approach our business: do we have nefarious intent? or are we sincere? And the answer is all in the balance, otherwise known as the Middle Path. After all, we chose to be incarnated in this biological machine at this point in time, so perhaps some of our learnings and soul growth opportunities lie within the limitations- or "profane" aspects- of this reality, such as: time, money, shelter, physical activity, and more. 

A good friend of mine quotes one of his spiritual teachers as saying that life is sometimes the simple meditation of "chopping wood, carrying water". Sometimes the spiritual meaning of life is to be in the world and of the world. To transmute the "profane" into the "sacred" with our purity of intention and open heart. To elevate matter to a higher vibration. Or, simply, to just be here for a few moments in time.

If you're a good person with genuine self-awareness who is operating sincerely, there is no need for shame. If you happen to make money, good for you! We need more good people in positions of influence and power- those that have the inner strength to not bend or compromise when the headwinds come along.

How can I help you?
To this end, if you're a business owner or practitioner or just looking for a new job in these very challenging times, I ask you to reach out to me via email HERE. Tell me about what you're trying to do, what your distinct "value proposition" is, and what I could possibly help you with: whether it's word of mouth referrals or even sharing your information via one of these newsletters. The last few years have been particularly punishing for female small business owners, and I want to help wherever and whenever I can, so long as it is in keeping with my standards of ethics. You are not alone and, in fact, we cannot survive here just on our own. We need each other. And this spirit is a great energy to bring to supporting one another's businesses or projects. 

Please note: I will never, under any circumstances, recommend or promote something that I do not believe in or that I have not personally experienced. It's that whole Shaivist monk sincerity thing;) So please share the specific details of your value proposition, appropriate client types, and how you are different from other providers/ practitioners in the marketplace (shake off that imposter syndrome or shame!). Please also share contact information, so that I can follow-up to get more details and ask some questions if necessary. If you're a practitioner, I may ask to experience your work before I can recommend it to clients and friends- I can assure you this isn't an elaborate ploy to get free services! If nothing else, this enables me to make the messaging specific, and say with 100% sincerity how it felt, how it benefited me, and why I honestly think it might be a good fit for someone I know.

We have a Full Moon in Leo coming up on February 16th, so this is an ideal time to ask, believe and receive. I get energized when I help other women whose work resonates with me, so consider this a joy for me, too. You're not imposing, you're not being selfish, and you are ready to level-up! 

What you can do for TOTEM
I would never ask anyone to do anything that doesn't resonate with them (see text re: sincerity above), but- if you are so inclined- I have a few asks on behalf of TOTEM around this Full Moon, too. 

My recent move to Austin, TX has been very disruptive to TOTEM's typical business operations. The old rhythm I had come to rely on over the course of a decade is utterly different now, and it's complicated by how tough it is to get visibility as a small business that has committed to not spending $$$ on advertising on Yelp, Google, or Amazon. I know, I know- I'm making things harder on myself, but I really believe that word of mouth and genuine endorsements are what I want to build my business on for energetic purposes. Every time I see a tarot card reader advertising or offering a "deal" on Yelp, I get a little nauseous. It's that whole sacred vs. profane thing;)

To that end, if you have had a good experience with TOTEM and want to share your story with others- effectively boosting our eminence and helping us to keep doing what we're doing- I would like to ask you consider sharing a review via Google HERE or Yelp HERE. If you've enjoyed or benefitted from our TOTEM Flower Essences or our TOTEM Spiritual Transformation Coaching program, please share that, too. Getting the word out about new services takes a minute, and every little bit helps. 

And, if you've purchased our TOTEM Tarot Deck and have had a positive experience with it, please share your thoughts on Amazon HERE. 

Thank you!
For those of you that have already written reviews and shared your experience with TOTEM and our TOTEM Tarot Deck, THANK YOU. Almost all of my awesome, new clients find me because of the reviews of other, awesome clients. It makes a huge difference, particularly in a web-based world where people spend copious amounts of money buying visibility, followers, and even fake reviews. The road for a sincere practitioner is not the easiest, but it's also totally insane to abandon spiritual standards in the process of doing business. I mean, why even do this if you're just going to sell out? After all, you can just go work in corporate real estate;)

New review raffle!
Loralyn Duley is the winner, winner chicken dinner from our previous TOTEM Tarot Deck review raffle! She is all booked for her upcoming remote and free TOTEM Energy Session, and I can't wait.

To that end, we are going to do another review raffle and giveaway. I'm expanding it to include ALL REVIEWS (and not just of the Tarot Deck), and we will be pulling another winning name on June 1st for a free kit of ten TOTEM Flower Essences, tailored to their unique energetic and life needs- a $600 value. 

If you write a review of TOTEM on Yelp, Google, or review our Tarot Deck on Amazon, just screenshot it and send it to me via email HERE. 
 

Please only throw your hat in the ring if you genuinely had a positive experience with our services or our deck. I don't want to muddy the sacred with the profane. And I don't want any of you doing or saying anything that doesn't resonate as true and authentic. 

And, if you have spiritual needs that are currently unmet, shoot us a note with suggestions or ideas anytime. Everything I've done with TOTEM is a direct result of client feedback, as its vitally important to me to support the whole client across the lifecycle of "spiritual stuff". 

Thank you all so much for your continued support.... and happy Full Moon!

-Rachel