Self-actualization

Done with Church? #Metoo

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

Once upon a time, Lauri Ann Lumby was an enamored, mostly devout Catholic girl.  I attended Catholic school for most of my 12 years of schooling, proudly wore my plaid uniform skirt with starched white blouse and embraced all that post-Vatican II Catholicism had to offer (it really was an exciting time in the Church!).  I continued attending weekly mass during college and into adulthood.  I heard my calling to active ministry somewhere around the age of 27, completed 7 years of training as a pastoral minister and spiritual director and worked in the Church for 10 full years. 

Then it all went bad. The short version is that I dared to take Jesus’ teachings and commands seriously and stepped more and more fully into “doing what Jesus did.” The Church didn’t like that, and neither did the self-appointed inquisition who made it their job to make sure I was obedient to “only that which was handed down by the magisterium,” which I found hilarious because the history of the Catholic Church has always been practice before legislation.

Most likely the real issue was not the work I was doing, but the fact I am a woman and I dared to do what Jesus did – namely, be a source of healing for those who sought it. 

That’s the short of my boring story….but what’s yours?  I bet I can guess some of the primary reasons why you no longer go to Church and maybe have no interest in returning:

  1. The Church’s hypocrisy – teaching one thing but living another. (#priestsexabusescandal)
  2. You’ve been divorced, use birth control, or found yourself having to make the choice to terminate an unplanned pregnancy.
  3. You’re LGTBQ.
  4. You no longer, or never, resonated with the idea of a hellfire and brimstone God or the idea of hell in the first place.
  5. Many of the Church teachings don’t make sense to you.
  6. You have a sense that Jesus may have been a cool dude, but don’t resonate with the Church’s portrayal of him, or don’t believe Jesus is the ONLY WAY to “salvation.”
  7. You’re not sure “salvation” is even anything to strive after.
  8. You are a woman and wonder if you even have a place in a patriarchal/hierarchical/clerical institution.
  9. You take issue with clericalism.

Ringing any bells? This is just a handful of the infinite number reasons I have heard from others for why they left the Church and have no plan of returning. Good for them. I agree with them. It is for this very reason that Authentic Freedom Academy and the Temple of the Magdalene came about in the first place. And here’s why:

  1. I personally have no problem with Jesus. When we look beyond Church dogma and man’s interpretation of Jesus’ message, we only find a message of compassion and love. I think this is a good and timely message – one the world really needs!
  2. I also accept the truth present within every other world spiritual tradition.  I have found in my own exploration that every tradition holds a piece of the truth – why not embrace them all?
  3. I have to say the same about scripture. Scripture and sacred writings of all sorts hold kernels of the truth – we just have to find them.  Dogma and doctrine get in the way. Let’s study the texts with naked eyes and an open heart.
  4. In my experience working in the Church, the greatest thing I found missing were tools for authentic psycho-spiritual development. These tools are readily available in the Church, but the Church refuses to share them.  I have studied, applied, practiced, and now share these tools with those who attend my classes and partake in the services I provide.
  5. I also found the Church lacking in authentic empowerment. The Church begs for people to serve the betterment of the world but provides no formation that would support people in doing this. I provide that formation.
  6. There is a place for women!  Not only is there a place, Jesus’ closest disciple, the one to whom he revealed the resurrection and who he ordained to continue his mission was a woman herself – Mary, called Magdalene.
  7. All are welcome!!!!!!!!!   Authentic Freedom Academy and the Temple of the Magdalene welcome all people from all walks of life, orientation, beliefs, etc.  The space we have created is big enough for all of it. 
  8. Salvation?  Jesus never spoke of salvation being in a heaven light years away.  Instead, he showed his disciples how to find peace, contentment, and joy in the midst of the human experience. This is what I teach, along with the tools for experiencing this.
  9. Love.  Only Love.  Compassion and Love. That is all.

Authentic Freedom™ is Lauri Ann Lumby’s trademarked protocol for transforming the fears that keep you from knowing your true self and living that out freely.  Authentic Freedom™ integrates specific tools and practices of Western Psychology with those of Western Spirituality, resulting in a powerful process through which YOU are supported in becoming self-actualized.

Self-actualized individuals know:

  • Who they are.
  • What their unique gifts are.
  • How they are called to use those gifts for the sake of their own fulfillment and in service to the betterment of the world.

Learn more HERE.

Our online community is made up exclusively of women and men who have completed the Magdalene and/or Melchizedek Trainings, patrons of Authentic Freedom Academy and those who have joined through personal invite. Learn more and become a member HERE.

The Temple of the Magdalene reclaims the ancient order of priestess through:

Temple Membership is made up of fully ordained members, associates and patrons. Learn more HERE.

We are the Storm

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

The storm isn’t coming.  The storm is already here and

WE ARE THAT STORM!

Humanity is crying out for a new way of being. One that is no longer based in the model of imprisonment that has been imposed on us – the model rooted in manipulation through fear, power, oppression, and control.

  • We have grown weary of being the backs upon which white men have become grotesquely wealthy while we struggle and fight to survive. 
  • We have grown weary of a world defined by war.
  • We have become sickened by those who grow increasingly rich by a world always at war.
  • We cry out in agony over the destruction wrought on our beautiful planet by the mechanisms of corporate gluttony and greed.
  • Our hearts cry out on behalf of all those who suffer under the current system – especially the poor, homeless, elderly, sick, and mentally ill.
  • We ache over the injustices in our world and have cried out:

ENOUGH!

We are crying out with our feet by refusing to continue in this charade:

  • We have staged a worker’s revolution – refusing to participate in a system that is against us rather than for us.
  • Many have created their own work built on their passions which give life meaning or choosing work that provides better balance.
  • Increasing numbers of people are standing up against racism and brutality.
  • We have lost faith in a governance that works on behalf of their financial sponsors instead of the constituents they were elected to serve.
  • Many are untying themselves from a financial system based in debt and are finding financial autonomy and empowerment outside of that system.
  • Increasing numbers are connecting and gathering in support of a simpler, gentler life that takes less of a toll on our fragile environment.
  • People are standing up in defense of our planet!
  • People are coming together in search of common ground and are turning away from the created division upon which the current system thrives.
  • We have stopped believing in a media that has lost its sense of true journalism in favor of hype.
  • We have turned away from an outside perceived authority and have harnessed the inner authority and sovereignty that has been within us all along.

We are the storm that the system never expected.

Lost in the arrogance and pride of their superiority over the masses, the system expected we would continue being obedient, compliant, subservient, and weak.  The system expected that we would continue believing in their capitalistic lies (ie: everyone has the same opportunity to become wealthy). The system expected that they could continue to manipulate and control us through fear and false promises.

But the system has failed.

A system built on fear, power, oppression, and control cannot stand.  A system that thrives on division is unsustainable and will eventually collapse under its own weight.

We have arrived at that place of collapse.

We are the storm that hastens the collapse by refusing to believe the lies while untying ourselves from fear-based conditioning. We are the storm by coming together instead of participating in division. We are the storm by finding our own inner authority, standing in our truth, and using our voice to speak out against the lies and for the truth. We are the storm when we use our feet to forge a different path, and our hands to create a whole new world.

We are the storm the system never expected, and we are legion!

What are your gifts and how are you called to use them for the sake of your own fulfillment and in service to the betterment of the world?

What is Your Magic?, online course created by Lauri Ann Lumby, OM, OPM, OSF, MATS  was created to help you discover the answer!

  • 13- self paced lessons
  • online in your own time
  • discussion facilitated by Lauri Ann Lumby.
Learn more and enroll HERE

Not from Here

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / 2 Comments

I am writing this missive for all my sisters and brothers who like me, feel like an alien in this world. There are many (if not most) days where I am truly certain that:

I AM NOT FROM HERE!

What’s funny about this is that I’ve never really been “from” anywhere. Having moved around a lot as a child – a trend that continued into adulthood, I’ve always been starting over – trying to make new friends, find a way to fit in (or not), etc.  Geographically I’ve always felt like

a stranger in a strange land.

Beyond the geography of things, I have never felt like I fit in or that I belonged. For one thing, I was way too smart!  From a very early age I saw through people, places, practices, teachings, rituals, and things. I questioned anything and everything that didn’t make logical sense or that struck me as just plain wrong. I saw through people’s lies. I knew when someone was phony. I understood (even without the language to describe it) that certain conditioning was just plain wrong. I had a very strong sense of right and wrong and others knew it.  As you can imagine, this got me into a fair bit of trouble – the straight A student with unsatisfactory conduct grades because I couldn’t help but challenge something when I knew it to be wrong.

I wasn’t trying to be an asshole.  I just knew in my heart that human beings were capable of so much more.  They could be honest, authentic, kind, gentle, generous, non-violent, loving, accepting, and peaceful. I knew this because

Where I come from people are kind and want to do good.

On this planet, however, it seems this is not always (rarely?) the case.  When I experience cruelty, violence, hatred, deception, betrayal, it breaks my heart.  When I see others being treated cruelly or unfairly judged because of the color of their skin or who they chose to love, my heart is crushed.  When I see people struggle with poverty, hunger, homelessness, joblessness, I feel the needlessness of this in a world that is abundant with everything people need to survive and to have a rich and meaningful life.

More troubling than this is it seems like nobody cares.  Very few are willing to take a stand for the real potential of human beings to create a kind and loving world where everyone’s needs are met and where we can all live in peace. When human beings are not willing to do the simple work of creating a loving world, I am even more certain that

I’m not from here.

It’s really quite simple. We live on an abundant planet and we have the resources, ingenuity, and technology to ensure the life of every species on this planet. We have the capacity within us to stop all wars and to redirect those funds to saving our planet, educating our children, providing meaningful work, and adequate healthcare to every single human being. The potential is within us and I know this to be true because it was true on whatever world I really came from. 

Jesus said it really well:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15: 18-19

More proof that I’m really not from this world!

One-on-One Mentoring

Lauri has been called “one of the world’s best kept secrets.” Her work in supporting you in your journey of self-actualization is like nothing you’ve ever experienced.

No shiny objects! No gimmicks. No B.S.

Lauri supports you in getting straight to the heart of what is preventing you from living as your most authentic self and from experiencing enduring contentment in your life; helping you to identify and then heal and transform the wounds, past traumas, and societal conditioning that is keeping you from being free.

Learn more HERE

Not a Life Coach

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

It is easy for many to assume that the mentoring work I do is a sort of life coaching.  It is not.

There is an appropriate time and place for the kind of behavioral change and strategic planning favored in life coaching, cognitive behavioral therapy, and recovery programs. There are times in all our lives where we must make a concerted effort to change certain behavior or thought patterns, for our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. There are also times when it is helpful to have a strategy and accountability in making that change.  

Whereas Life coaching, cognitive behavioral therapy (without process work) and recovery programs tend to place their focus on the externals, the services, and programs I provide focus on the internals.

The work that I support clients and students in accomplishing focuses its attention and work on the internal wounds, false perceptions and conditioning that created the unhealthy thoughts and external behaviors in the first place. When we heal these wounds, the unhealthy thoughts and behaviors simply become no longer necessary. The transformational work in which I support my clients and students creates enduring, long-term healing, thereby eliminating the effort required when we are otherwise trying to change.  

Here we no longer need to try because our being itself has changed.

That does not mean that the support I offer doesn’t require work.  In fact, it might be the most difficult work one might accomplish in one’s life. It is for this reason that few find themselves drawn into this work and fewer remain.  To stare down the barrel of our deepest wounds, past traumas, false perceptions, and patriarchal/hierarchical conditioning requires an enormous amount of courage. It then takes persistence, tenacity, discipline, and support to stay with the deep process work that liberates us from these wounds so that we can really and truly be free.

This work might be compared to the fire of a forge that releases metal of its impurities while bringing forth what is precious within.  Through my support, those who do this work discover the truth of who they have always been – beautifully unique and precious in their own way, and confidently empowered to be their truest self in the world for the sake of their own fulfillment and in service to the betterment of the world.  

While the work requires effort, the outcome proves to be effortless.

Lauri Ann Lumby is a trained Spiritual Director with a Master’s Degree in Transpersonal Psychology who has been mentoring individuals in their journey of self-actualization for over 25 years. Lauri further supports self-actualization as a Reiki Master Practitioner and through ancestral shamanic practices.

Lauri primarily works remotely over the phone or via ZOOM.

Schedule your appointment by emailing:

lauri@lauriannlumby.com

or calling:

(920) 230-1313

Podcast Interview on the Magdalene

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

I am humbled and honored to have been interviewed by Dr. David Morelos for the Psychology After Dark podcast, “Secret Teachings of the Magdalene” Listen HERE.

The story of the life of Jesus Christ is one of the most quintessential in all of humanity, and is celebrated across many cultures. And yet, many argue that parts of his life are still shrouded in mystery. His complicated relationship with the enigmatic Mary Magdalene, for instance, is one such mystery. Some scholars argue that Mary Magdalene was more than just a follower of Jesus, but a spiritually realized partner who would continue to teach after his death and resurrection. What are the teachings of Mary Magdalene? How was her role in the life of Jesus Christ marginalized in history? How does an acknowledgment of a divine feminine side of the Jesus mythology change-and potentially enrich-the understanding of his teachings? Join Dr. Morelos as he interviews author and fellow transpersonal scholar Lauri Ann Lumby about the secret teachings of Mary Magdalene. This special bonus episode drops Wednesday, January 12th!!!

SPOILER ALERT: David and Lauri discuss plot lines from the The Matrix Resurrections movie in this episode! Hopefully we don’t give away too much!

Freedom from Longing

/ Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

It could be said that longing is the bane of human existence, but it would be more accurate to say:

Misdirected Longing is the Bane of Human Existence

Longing is the natural consequence of choosing the human condition.  Longing arises out of our false perception of separation from Source.  Longing is the calling of the Soul to return to Union, drawing us home to ourselves. The destination of longing rightly directed is an embodied experience of peace, contentment, and joy.  Here we feel safe and secure in all that we are and with all we are experiencing because through deep inner work, we have freed ourselves from longing by coming home to ourselves.

Misdirected longing, in contrast, provides no fulfillment because instead of turning our longing inward we have projected it outward. Misdirected longing is rooted in the belief that our longing will be satisfied by something outside of us.  We believe, and have been led to believe, that the fulfillment of our longing will come when we make enough money, find the right job, achieve the next promotion, find the next true love, move to a new location, find a new home, buy that new car, etc. etc. etc.  We are also told that longing will be fulfilled when we lose weight, achieve a certain dress size, find a remedy to the signs of our aging bodies, buy a new wardrobe, etc. etc. etc.

Longing projected outward will always leave us dissatisfied, unfulfilled, anxious, and insecure.

We are freed of longing when we turn that longing inward – directing it toward all the parts of ourselves that feel unloved, unacceptable, imperfect, and flawed. In freeing ourselves of longing we are also invited to direct that longing inward toward every experience of our lives that we have judged as wrong, shameful, mistaken, or misguided.  Longing arises when we have forgotten that we are LOVE and that everything happening in our lives has come about for the purpose of that LOVE. Longing finds its fulfillment when we remember that LOVE – this alone is the purpose of the human experience.

Become FREE of Longing:

Mary Magdalene and the Path of Beloved Partnership Live/online course

Starting January 17, 2022

Beloved Partnership is a term that has been alternatively associated with concepts such as soulmate or twin flame.  Beloved Partnership is neither of these.  Beloved Partnership has nothing to do with the human pursuit of external love. 

Instead, the longing for Beloved Partnership and its resulting pursuit can only be satisfied from within.

Learn more and register HERE