“Power is something a warrior deals with. At first, it’s an incredible, far-fetched affair; it is hard to even think about. Then power becomes a serious matter; one may not have it, or one may not even fully realize that it exists, yet one knows that something is there, something which was not noticeable before. Next, power is manifested as something uncontrollable that comes to oneself. It is not possible for me to say how that comes or what it really is. It is nothing and yet it makes marvels appear before your very eyes. And finally, power is something in oneself, something that controls one’s acts and yet obeys one’s command.”
Don Juan – quoted from the book Journey to Ixtlan by Carlos Castaneda, Lessons from Don Juan.

Marianne Williamson has a well-known quote, “our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”

Last year while in the Sonoran Desert at one of my desert intensives, I was unexpectedly invited to step into power in a way that made me highly uncomfortable. However, there was no time to decline but only step up in Divine Feminine embodiment and be a way-shower of those around me.

My heart raced, and my body trembled as all eyes were on me, awaiting my medicine song and medicine rattle to be heard. The energy of what I interpreted to be fear in my body was present throughout the time standing in front of “sacred mountain.” We had gone there to gather the stones needed for our sweat lodge for the following day. You don’t take from nature unless the spirit of that which you desire is honored and prayed upon before its removal. Our ceremony recognized what we were about to receive.

When I had completed my offering to the powers of the mountain, I broke down in uncontrollable tears and feared turning around to face those behind me. “What would they think?”

Before turning back around, my mentor whispered to me how proud he was of me. I communicated with him the fear and trembling I had experienced. His response to me was, “that was not fear but power rising inside you.” I felt a profound shift from his words.

That day changed my relationship with fear and power.

I share this because I know that you, too, have had moments in your life where you were in a similar situation and felt like fear would swallow you up. Remember, power rises. It is an unfamiliar feeling that is easily mistaken for fear.

True power is never given; it always has to be earned. Therefore, you will be tested. This is how power works.

Namaste. Teresa.