Choosing Timelines

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

As the year of the Wood Snake draws to a close and the year of the Fire Horse has not yet begun, we find ourselves within a choice point. As we have allowed all that no longer serves us to be consumed by the snake, we now reside within the emptiness of the Void between what has been and what has not yet come into being.

At this juncture we are being given the ultimate choice – will we remain on the path that is driven by perceived powers outside of us, or step off that path and onto the road of claiming our own power and authority?  Personal power, inner authority, and executive functioning are the gifts of the Fire Horse, should we choose to accept them. But first, we must get really clear on how we have given our power away to those we have considered our “authorities.”

The authorities of the past include:

  • Our perceptions about “God.”
  • Those we call “teacher.”
  • Those we have voted into power and entrusted with making decisions for us.
  • Celebrities.
  • Parents.
  • Pastors, priests, etc.
  • Employers/bosses.
  • Human Resource departments.
  • Union leaders.
  • So-called gurus.
  • Peer groups.
  • The media.
  • “Influencers.”
  • Romantic partners.
  • Our children.
  • And just to get the point across: GOD!

In one timeline, we will continue to rely on those outside of us to tell us what is true, what to do, how to act, while allowing them to make decisions for us (believing the lie they are working on our behalf). In this agreement, we are forever subject to the fearful and selfish whims of those we have put into power, and we will only and forever find ourselves powerless.

The timeline, into which the Fire Horse invites us, is that of personal power and authority. In learning how to accurately discern truth on our own, and owning that truth, we come to realize that not one human being knows more about who we are or what we need than ourselves. We are able to see through the illusion of falsehood behind which most people of “power” reside. We see that their motivations are their own and have nothing to do with our wellbeing or what we might need as an individual or a species.

For thousands of years we have lived within this dynamic of giving our power away – and look what it has gotten us…..a species on the brink of its own extinction by its own hand, and a world forever at war – not because people can’t get along, but because those we have placed in power can never get enough.

To this, we say “enough.”

Or do we?

For sixty years, I have lived this lesson, first doing what I was told and believing what I was taught because that was what made one a “good girl.” At a young age, I began to see through the cracks of this illusion and have spent the past 50+ years learning to discern my own truth by trusting what my gut tells me, above all else. Living that truth, however, has never been easy. From kindergarten on I have experienced the punishment that comes from challenging the status quo and questioning that which we are not meant to question. My gut has always proven itself to be true, but that has not made the journey any easier – I’ve lost community, so-called friends, belonging, and the ability to be “successful” within the current system and its rules.

Standing in our own authority costs us everything upon which the current system depends. I have found, however, that I can live no other way. If you found yourself drawn to this blog, I’m guessing you, also, cannot live any other way. The good news is that in the year of the Fire Horse, it will be those who choose to embrace their own inner authority and trust what their own heart tells them is truth, that will thrive. Those who remain in the path of attachment to the status quo, enslaved by external authorities will find themselves suffering in the same dumpster fire in which the world of fear, power, and control is currently heading.

Which timeline are you going to choose?

Learn about our mission here.

I See with My Little Eye

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 2 Comments

There is a strange kind of paradox that happens when we are seeing all that we foresaw coming to pass. Partly, I feel vindicated and tempted to wave the banner of “I told you so!” On the other hand, I find myself deeply saddened by a) the refusal of humanity to see the signs that have been there all along, b) their refusal to hear and take heed of the millions of warnings hurled their way (by myself and thousands of others), and c) the very real consequences of an empire in its collapse – one that promises not only to destroy itself, but which is threatening to take the whole world with it.

As we learned from the Three Little Pigs, a house of straw is bound to collapse, if not first going up in flame.

Up in flame is where we find ourselves today. An unhinged emperor who, to those with eyes to see, is wearing no clothes, and an entire House of fools who are either participating in the madness, or complicit in their silence. From those who were charged with the responsibility of holding the emperor in check – crickets.

Hello….hello….is anyone out there?????

Nope. Nary a one. As such, we sit in shock over the wholesale corruption that is revealed in the collective silence. A deafening silence that had been experienced in words, words, words, nothing but words, and not one iota of action.

With the exception of Minnesota!  The entire state is, not up in arms, but up in LOVE – standing up for what is right and just. Upholding the law while holding the federal government accountable to it. Minnesota is putting our President, Congress and Supreme Court to shame – as they should.

But I digress. We’ve seen this coming. We knew the consequences that would unfold with the election of a reality TV star as our president. And if we knew enough to ask, we have known the evil and corruption that would be laid bare under this emperor’s reign. We elected one who represents the very worst of us and all that is wrong with the American system and given him permission to bring all the evil out to play.

It’s horrifying. And yet, it needs to be seen. As is true of all that hides in the shadow, the collective evil of this nation needs to be seen. Only in being seen can it ever hope to be healed.

So, this is where we find ourselves – the little boy standing along the route of the emperor’s parade who is shouting, “The emperor has no clothes!” We are aghast and horrified with seemingly nothing we can do about it. If our elected officials won’t do anything, then how can we?

But herein lies the lesson at the heart of the collapse – what got us here, ultimately, is our attachment to and belief in someone outside of us who is a) going to take care of us, b) provide for and support our needs, c) and keep us safe. Addicted to this attachment, we have given our power away to men (mostly) and women who say they have our highest good in mind, and who will fight for our rights – but do they? Are they? No matter what side of the aisle we stand on, I think we can agree that No, they have not.  No, they are not. Instead, it seems there is some invisible force that is their true employer – a master who is pulling their strings.

The lesson for us, is the same as it has been for 10,000 years since egalitarian cultures gave way to hierarchy:

The only true authority is that which dwells within us. We are the only true source of power and agency. Once we remember this truth, we start (like Minnesota), taking back the power we gave away, and begin building the new world we have been dreaming about. One founded on Universal Love, celebrating diversity, and built through understanding, collaboration, and the cooperation of community.

Besides the death of the empire, I’ve seen this too. “I see with my little eye the possibility of a whole new world waiting to be born.”

*original art by Catherine E. Case, used with permission.

Interdimensional Exorcisms

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 1 Comment

Performing interdimensional work is somewhat of a mind-f*ck.  On one hand, the work feels very real wherein the physical and emotional bodies become fatigued by the effort. On the other hand, interdimensional work is neither visible nor tangible, and therefore, impossible to monetize. Who exactly does one invoice for work done on another plane or in ones dreams? And how does one explain to humans conditioned by capitalism that you had to spend the day on the couch watching Netflix because you were working all night in your dreams?

This is exactly what happened the other night. In a very vivid, in-color, hours-long (or what seemed like hours), I was fighting demons. More specifically, I was attempting to gather and protect humans who had not yet succumbed to demonic influences and turned into demons themselves. In part of the dream, I was identifying demons, and their minions, while locating those who had not yet given in to the demons’ touch. This part of the dream felt like a race against time as increasing number of humans were giving into their demon captors. The group of those who had not yet given in was small, but strong. We were hiding in a protected structure while watching the demons and humans-made demon wreaking havoc on the earth. The entire earth was ablaze with their evil destruction. Eventually the demons found us, and we were again on the run. It felt like being in an episode of The Walking Dead – heart pounding, sweat pouring from my brow, anxious in escape. As the demons were in pursuit, I uttered a prayer, and as if plucked from the battle, myself and those who remained untainted suddenly found ourselves in a beautiful Victorian style home, safe and protected from the demons who were continuing to wage war on our world. Once we arrived safely, I woke up from the dream, blurry eyed, out of breath, heart pounding, and exhausted from the journey.

This is what interdimensional work often looks and feels like. Whether in a dream or through a vision, we are THERE, in the center of another world which is, in fact, a reflection of our own. Here we are sent to complete our mission of Love. Sometimes we are battling demons. Other times, rescuing the innocent. Much of the work is about healing. All of it is about transformation – and all transformation is a kind of exorcism.

Exorcism, in some cases, may be like it’s portrayed in movies. More often, however, exorcism is simply about the inner healing that allows one to turn away from the fear that divides us and the Love that unifies. “Demons” are those individuals (or systems) who gain perceived power by manipulating us through our fears. Demons profit from our fear and gain from our division. Love heals the inner wounds that make us vulnerable to these demonic influences, thus depriving demons of their power.  This is how we as a species will regain our place in the world, no longer controlled by those in perceived positions of power, but empowered by Love to recreate the world we were meant to enjoy. The work of this healing is an inside job that is our own responsibility, at the same time, it is an “outside” job, transforming the collective consciousness that has been conditioned by fear.

Hence the need for, and the power of interdimensional work.  It’s just taken me awhile to own this as part of my mission in this world, to accept the strangeness of this part of the mission, and not feeling like I have to apologize or feel guilty for doing nothing on the day following a night of battle.

As for monetizing….I leave that up to the Universe. Somehow, someway, it always works out, and the material means find their way to me, allowing me to continue to pay my bills. Thank you to all those who have been a source of support as I perform the invisible work. I am eternally grateful! 

How to support our work

Minnesota is my Red Line

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 4 Comments

I’m done.  I’m done giving people the benefit of the doubt and trying to find empathy, compassion, or understanding for their political beliefs when these beliefs justify violence (murder) of innocent people. To put it simply, there is absolutely nothing that makes humanity’s inhumanity to “man” right.

What has been happening in Minneapolis/Minnesota has become my final straw. I am all for reasonable immigration laws and the enforcement of those laws, but what the recently appointed ICE army has been doing in Minneapolis is unconscionable. These actions have been both enabled and celebrated by the current administration (Donald Trump) and by those who still support him, including state-funded media who twist visual evidence to justify murder.  It’s disgusting, immoral, and just plain evil.

To me, it is no longer about (truly, it never really was) Republican, Democrat, Socialist, Libertarian, or otherwise, it is a simple matter of human decency. If you cannot have empathy or compassion for someone who hasn’t had it as easy as you, who has skin of a different color, loves differently than you, is of an ethnicity different than your own, has different religious or spiritual beliefs, or god-forbid hasn’t yet learned English or wears a hijab or turban, then I don’t know how I can have a single ounce of respect for you. Actually – I don’t.

I’m not sorry. In my mind, human beings deserve to feel safe, to have access to food, clothing, shelter, an education and healthcare. If one does not have access to these things within their home country, they have the right to seek it elsewhere. If they do not have access to these things in OUR OWN country, they have the right and duty to DEMAND it. And it is the right and duty of those who have to create a path for those who do not have so they can get those needs met. If we don’t do these things for each other, then we have failed as a species.

As it relates to immigration, I’m not talking about open borders. I’m talking about basic human decency – putting ourselves in another’s shoes and asking, “if I was in this situation, what help and support would I need and how would I want to be treated?”  It is as simple as this.

And to the great people of Minnesota who have been standing up for what is right and working together to protect their neighbors and keep them safe, I thank you.  From the bottom of my heart I thank you. The world is watching and I could not be more proud of the example you have set that now others can follow. You have shown the world that it is truly the people who have the power.  Thank you!

Deepening

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

It is said that the Magdalene spent her final years in prayer. So too, then, shall I.

It is time. Not for escape, or retreat, but for deepening. Entering into the heart of the world where the cause of all division lies. Pulling away from the noise of external symptoms (ie distractions) and focusing instead on what lies beneath.  Daring to resist the temptation of believing change is affected by what we do and how we show up “out-there.”

Instead, understanding that the source of unrest is not in human behavior, but arises out of our wounds.

It is true – we are broken. But not in the way religions have told us. Not because we have done anything wrong – but because of what has been done to us. By our conditioning. Through our upbringing. In the simple choice of being human.

Suffering is the natural consequence of the human experiment.

But to this we are not condemned. Source is forever calling us back to our original nature as Love and revealing to us the way.

If only we would accept this gift – or rather, not run from it as soon as the going gets tough. As every teacher has shown us, the way to Love is hard – but it is the only way to truly be free in this life.

Love is our mission and our purpose. For humanity, there is literally nothing else.

So into Love I go, not for my own sake, but for the sake of humanity. Diving deep into humanity’s darkest “sins” in search of the wounds beneath the behaviors that are seeking to be healed. Diving deep with the soul of an exorcist, holding humanity in its pain, witnessing to their shattered natures, giving voice to what dare not be spoken, and bathing it all in Love.

It is to this that my Soul is calling me.

If individuals seek me out, so be it. I welcome them. I do not, however, promise ease. The way is hard and to say otherwise would be a lie. Pride works hard to imprison us in our deepest wounds by defending our delusions. Love is not like this. Love seeks only to bring all our pain into our awareness so that it may be seen, transformed, and released.

Love is not a journey for the faint of heart, or for those comfortable in their status quo. Neither is it a journey for the “rich” – unless they are willing to loosen the grip on what they cling to so dearly.

  • Love is simple.
  • Love is kind.
  • Love is generous.
  • Love is quiet and unobtrusive.
  • Love is gentle in its effect, but relentless in its cause.

So into the depths I go because it is not what we do “out there” that matters. Instead, it is all about what we are doing within. As one of humanity’s greatest teachers taught us, “The freedom (Truth, Love,) we seek can only be found within.”

Interdimensional Revolutionary

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

Just staying with the inspiration and process to see where it leads (if anywhere).

Interdimensional:
Working across dimensions supporting humanity’s evolution from division to Love.

Revolutionary:
Envisioning and promoting a radical change in status quo, helping to bring forth an entirely differed paradigm for human existence and interaction –
o In harmony with nature.
o Collaborative and cooperative.
o Rooted in Love.
o Celebrating diversity.

Universal:
Inclusive of all species across all of creation within the known and unknown universe.

Love:
o The creating and guiding Force of the Universe.
o The Source from whence all has come into being and to which all will return.
o Known in the human experience as: unconditional positive regard, care, compassion, kindness, deep listening, and mercy.

Activist:
o Shining a light on disparity and injustice.
o Offering effective, simple solutions.
o Inspiring, equipping, and empowering others.
o Activating and unblocking the flow of Love through healing practices, prayer, and community engagement.

We are at a place in our shared human evolution where together we are ushering in a whole, new world.

Universal Love Activist

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 1 Comment

Preamble:Today (1.25.26) I am heartbroken. Yesterday, in the early morning hours following the largest peaceful protest in the history of Minneapolis (50,000+), seven ICE agents gunned down an innocent man, Alex Pretti who had been defending a woman being harassed by ICE. The ICE agents pepper-sprayed him, beat him to the ground, and then shot him several times. The incident was filmed by several civilians and the conclusion is obvious.

Alex Pretti was murdered.

Today’s news revealed that the initial shooter has been removed from ICE duty in Minneapolis and moved to another state where he may continue his duties. I’m heartbroken and horrified. More even than this, I’m disgusted with every single member of Congress and the Supreme Court who are doing NOTHING to hold the president accountable for the wave of violence he has unleashed upon this country. I am all for enforcing immigration laws, but this is NOT how it is done in a reasonable society. Sadly, the United States left “reasonable” behind a long time ago.

That being said, while our elected officials are sitting on their hands, I continually am inspired by the actions of Minnesota residents in their ongoing attempts to draw attention to, and put a halt to ICE’s occupation of the Twin Cities. While ICE is out targeting any person who gets their attention (please note that the two most recent executions were white, US citizens), Minnesotans are providing for and protecting their neighbors at risk, accepting donations to help assist those in need, and holding peaceful protests in sub-zero temperatures. Minnesotans are proactive, organized, and driven in their attempts to uphold and defend the constitutional rights of all humans – citizens or not.

I am so proud of my hometown.

In the midst of the serious business of revolution, Minnesotans have also found a way to express their creativity. Whether it be through singing, movement, poetry, writing, or art, the Twin Cities are finding ways to be activists using their own unique gifts. One such example is the “Rebel Loon” images that have been popping up all over social media and beyond:

Inspired by the symbol for the Star Wars Rebel Alliance, graphic designers and artists have created myriad interpretations of the Rebel Loon logo to represent their unique community of activists. Out of their work, I was inspired to create something of my own. I have no idea of what this is for, or where it might be going (other than a momentary action to comfort my feelings of helplessness), but here it is along with some initial brainstorming to accompany my own tiny contribution to the revolution.

May the Force be with us!

Are Our Missions Changing?

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 1 Comment

By all accounts, it sure seems like it.

One of my primary gifts is that of observation. Within that gift is the distinct ability to identify patterns and through those patterns, to make an educated guess about what is unfolding. One recent pattern that has been standing out in my life, and in the lives of many with whom I am connected, is that of doors closing. For me, this has been a pattern that has been gracefully (except for my own resistance to change and my desire for security) unfolding over the past several years. 2020 was a major turning point. Beginning with absolutely thriving in shutdown which then supported a desire/drive to turn more inward in both my personal and professional lives.  

This inward trend has not only continued, but it has deepen. No longer do I feel the pressure to “put myself out there,” or to beat my head against the marketing wall trying to drum up business for my classes and services. Instead, I wait until some inner guidance tells me to make a post. Until that happens, I spend much of my time in stillness, tending to the needs of the universe while awaiting further instructions.

I know I am not alone in this as I watch so many friends and colleagues resting in the void, awaiting the arrival of their next mission. As one writer recently stated, “the first task of the first-wavers is coming to an end.” To this I can attest as my final in-person Reiki client informed me this week that she would be taking a break.

I too have felt myself needing a bit of a break from one-on-one work. Not because I don’t love it, but because, quite simply, my energies are being called elsewhere.

This is where things get weird. Other than my part-time paid administrative gig, the work I am increasingly finding myself doing in the world is unable to be monetized. To whom would I send a bill, and what would be an appropriate hourly rate for being called to sit in prayer and extend healing to a community currently under siege, or to a friend facing a diagnosis?

The work I’m being called to is happening far beyond the tangible, material world. There is literally no way to charge for that, and yet, the financial support keeps coming – seemingly out of nowhere. It’s definitely NOT because I’m manifesting it by thinking the right thoughts. On most days, I’m terrified so that rules out the “Law of Attraction.” Is it then the universe’s reciprocal response to loving actions? I may never know. I just know I’m grateful and doing my best to stay in Love, open to Love, and obedient to its guidance, while resisting the temptation to fall into “magical thinking.”

I don’t understand the workings of the Universe. But what I think I understand are the patterns that show us where we are no longer called, the void that accompanies closing doors and the anxiety that is triggered in the unknown, and finally, the surety of something new entering in when we have finally (with our cold dead fingers) let go of that which no longer serves, and being willing to embracing it when it arrives.

Where are you finding yourself in the unfolding of your changing mission?

Sexualizing the Magdalene

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 3 Comments

In short – DON’T!

I just finished reading a book that was recently recommended to me about Mary Magdalene. I will start by saying it was a good recommendation. There were parts of the book that resonated with me on some level. At the same time, there were portions of the narrative that DID NOT resonate with me at all.  In fact, I found them disturbing and unsettling. They triggered rage in me. Rage over the following question:

Why do some authors find it necessary to sexualize the Magdalene to tell her story? 

I admit, my NOVEL, Song of the Beloved – the Gospel According to Mary Magdalene included an experience of sexual assault, and an experience between Jesus and Mary Magdalene in their marriage bed was hinted at, but in my mind, there is a difference between including the realities of the human journey (ie: 1 out of 4 women have experienced sexual assault) and describing the source of the Magdalene’s power as dependent on her beauty and what is and what is done between her legs. Perhaps this is all about my Venus in Capricorn, but I find the sexualizing of the Magdalene insulting and gross.

Can sexual intimacy be a beautiful, even transcendent spiritual experience through which one might encounter “God?”  Absolutely. Is it a necessary, even required component in one’s spiritual awakening and personal empowerment? History tells us no. Is it possible that Mary Magdalene and Jesus, in addition to being emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically intimate, experienced sexual intimacy – absolutely. Whereas there exists no scholarly evidence to support that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married (or had children), this too is not beyond possibility.

With none of this do I take issue. I do, however, take issue with authors who use sex to sell their Magdalene stories.  First, it’s lazy. Then I find myself offended. I find myself especially disgusted when authors choose to describe both sexual assault and “spiritual initiation” in unnecessarily explicit detail – and then try to pass it off as truth.

In sexualizing the Magdalene, these authors are no better than early Church leaders (specifically Pope Gregory I (540-604 C.E.)), who claimed the Magdalene to be the sinful woman mentioned in the gospels, a claim that has no foundation in scripture, but is still the common belief today.

Despite the efforts of scholars and laypeople alike, the Magdalene continues to be judged as less-than, when in fact, she was a woman of power, near-equal (if not equal) to Jesus. Moreover, as was the case with Pope Gregory, it is her sexuality by which she has been judged. Modern authors have continued this trend by attempting to sanctify women’s sexuality by suggesting it is the source of her power. This is both an insult and an assault against both women and men. Our personal power has nothing to do with sex.

To further describe the so-called hiero-gamos as a necessary step in human enlightenment reduces human beings to simply sexual creatures. To say it is by manual or coital manipulation that one becomes awakened is a corruption of the purpose of both sexual intimacy and the human journey of self-realization. To say that either Mary Magdalene or Jesus reached the height of their awakening solely through sexual rituals diminishes the inherent power of both. To remove sexual intimacy from love, insults the very mission that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were trying to accomplish.

The Source of Mary Magdalene’s power (and Jesus’ for that matter) had nothing to do with her appearance, her desirability to men, or with her sexual nature. The Source of Mary Magdalene’s power was within – in the Love that she had come to know as herself, and the Love she was in the world. This Being Love is the message and purpose of the Magdalene. To suggest anything else is to have missed the whole entire point.  

Teachings of the Magdalene

Signs of the New World

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

As a Minneapolis native, I have been closely tuned into the events unfolding since ICE began their occupation, drawing national attention by shooting an innocent woman (Robin Nicole Good) in the face. Since Robin’s murder, several others have been shot, and even more illegally detained, with the president of the United States cheering on Robin’s murder (“she asked for it”) and the violence against women, men, and children who are here legally but who have become unwarranted targets of ICE. It is not only immigrants who are being targeted, but also Native Americans and most recently a Caucasian female friend of mine was harassed by ICE agents as she was leaving a suburban mall.

Shit is getting real. AND, Minneapolis, along with the state of Minnesota, are standing up, and speaking out, while providing protection and support for those who do not feel safe leaving their homes.

I could not be more proud of my hometown!!! From the Oglala Sioux facilitating sacred ritual at the corner of Chicago and Lake St. bringing attention to the tribal members who have been detained by ICE, to Smitten Kitten fundraising and collecting donations for homebound families, to Wrecktangle Pizza providing food for families, to the thousands of people who gathered at Powderhorn Park for a little “fun” protesting. This does not include the countless social service, church, and community services who are on the ground providing support where needed. In addition, Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, have been holding news conferences for days, keeping the world informed and Minnesotan’s safe. Even the state Agricultural leadership spoke up regarding the grave danger to agriculture posed by ICE’s guerilla tactics.  

All of this to say – Minneapolis (as is often the case) is helping us to turn a corner. Through sheer compassion and care for their neighbors, Minneapolis and St. Paul citizens are showing us directly what LOVE can do. In doing so, they are providing us with signs of a new world being born, while demonstrating the actions out of which the new world will begin to usurp the dying world.

The Twin Cities are providing us with a blueprint upon which the new world can begin to take root, grow, and mature. This is how they’re doing it:

  • Saying NO to intimidation.  
  • Saying NO to violence.
  • Knowing and standing up for the Constitution.
  • Exercising their constitutional rights.
  • Knowing and understanding history.
  • Saying NO to authority based in fear, power, and control.
  • Defying that which is illegal.
  • In cases where relevant, using their privilege to advocate for and facilitate change.

And more than any of the above:

  • Welcoming the stranger.
  • Loving their neighbor.
  • Providing for the needs of those who don’t feel safe providing for themselves.
  • Giving from their own subsistence to help those in greater need.
  • Protecting their neighbors.
  • Advocating for their neighbors’ rights and safety.

In short, the Twin Cities, often criticized for being a hot bed of liberals, is showing the world exactly what it means to be LOVE, and how it is done – a model for all of us to follow.

Finally, a special note to those, like myself, who have found themselves plunged into the ocean of prayer – overtaken by the Spirit of Love and used as a vessel providing Peace, Comfort, Protection, Healing, and Support for a community and a world in need. Right now, this may be all you can do – and that is ok!  Thank you!