When “the Devil” Comes a-Callin’

October 18, 2022 / Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

Ahhhhhhhh. The Trickster. Satan. Beelzebub. Beetlejuice. By whatever name we call “him,” the role is the same:

That thing that shows up just as something amazing has happened, or as something magnificent is about to happen. That experience that attempts to throw a banana peel into our path. The person who throws spikes across the road of our enjoyment just after we get done fruitfully sharing our gifts in the world.

Yeah….you know of whom/what I speak. We’ve all had these experiences. I’ve gotten to the point now where I know the Trickster when I see it and I name it for who it is. This does not, however, prevent me from feeling the jarring impact of what can only be called a psychic attack.

Here’s how it went:

Thursday and Saturday of the past week, I had the profound gift of presenting to two different organizations. Thursday’s presentation was on Mary Magdalene for the Healer’s Playgroup. Saturday I presented on Mental Health and Resilience in Teens for the Wisconsin Dance Council annual convention. Both presentations were enthusiastically received and I felt completely in my element and anchored in my gifts and my calling. Everything felt right with the world as I gave my introvert/empath a well-deserved day (or two) of rest.

Then “the devil” came a callin’. I will say this is not the first time I’ve had to deal with severely disturbed individuals who are operating out of some sort of delusion that I am the cause of their current life situation. In this case, a person I don’t even know, but who apparently knows me through a shared membership on another platform. I won’t go into the details but to say their language was abusive, graphic, and venomous would be an understatement. Understanding the disease that provokes such outbursts did nothing to protect me from the daggers of hatred carried by these words. My rational mind knew how to respond. My empathic body felt the sting of her words. My inner healer knew what to do to support myself in being free of the venom and how to let my psychic body heal.

And, my inner spiritual teacher knew exactly what this was:

“Hello Trickster, the fact that you are here is telling me something magnificent is happening.”

Indeed. THIS is the role of the Trickster. To startle us out of our enjoyment, trip us up on our path, plant the seeds of confusion and doubt in our mind – all for the purpose of testing our resolve.

The Trickster is here to ask us: “Are you sure about this?”

Um. Yes, I’m sure. I’m certain about my gifts. I’m certain of my call to serve. I’m certain I’m called to serve the world through my gifts of teaching, providing guidance and counsel, and being a force of Love in the world. All the tricksters in the world are not going to convince me otherwise. As I reached out to a colleague who had a similar encounter with this individual, her words said it perfectly:

Not today Satan! Not today!

Where and how have you experienced the Trickster in your life?
What tools do you have for moving through and past the Trickster’s shenanigans?

Join Lauri Ann Lumby as she breaks open the ancient mysteries related to the adversary – the natural inner force that has been corrupted into an external demon that should be feared. Even the ancient names given to this helpful and benevolent force have been appropriated by those who seek to manipulate others through fear, intimidation, and threats of eternal damnation.

Discover the ancient names given to the adversary and their true meanings.
Understand the natural cycle of spiritual growth including necessary times of resistance characterized by temptation, doubt, confusion, and difficulty.
Learn to approach the adversary as advocate.
Release resistance through practices of welcome.

Learn more and enroll here.

Devils and Doorways

September 5, 2022 / Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

This morning in my meditation, I pulled the “Devil” card. While some might cringe at the sight of the “devil,” this is actually one of my favorite cards (second only to Death), as it represents EMERGENCE. Specifically, emergence out of and from a time of difficulty, struggle, challenge, and yes, temptation. The Devil card represents the successful completion of a particular stage of initiation. The Devil literally depicts the exiting through the narrow gate – as St. Margaret here is doing after vanquishing her own inner fears, obstacles, and hindrances to her Soul’s emergence. From this perspective, the Devil is not the enemy, but is instead the friend that provides the resistance we need to grow and to reach our Soul’s maturity. Hurray! (thank you sir, may I have another?!)

The Devil’s emergence is not only for me, it is for all here who have been doing this deep work – tending to the voice of the Soul, moving through inner and outer obstacles to the Soul’s fulfillment, and doing it in the face of certain resistance from the material world, the expectations of others, and our own “status quo.” Reports from this community are providing direct examples of our efforts making a difference, not only for ourselves, but for the world at large. Examples from the world at large are perhaps the easiest to see as they are sooooooooo loud in their resistance!

The empire (the world based in fear, power, oppression, and control) is collapsing and those who have benefitted from the (now) dying world, are crying out in terror. The way I’m most frequently hearing it described is this:

People are losing their shit!

Those who are deeply mired in the status quo, who have benefitted from a system that privileges them and remain imprisoned by the toxic conditioning that has separated them from their own truth are losing their shit. These are the ones that have no idea what to do with the anxiety that arises in the face of a system that is destroying itself, so instead of acknowledging the anxiety and doing something about it, the anxiety comes out in disproportionate actions and behaviors – fear coming out sideways. Grasping for control. Making ridiculous requests. Having tempter tantrums. Acting like children.

A New World is Being Born and Those Clinging to the Old are Freaking Out!

It’s a normal reaction to change, albeit an unhealthy one. I take these increasing, and growing louder examples as signs of positive change and a growing collective that is by our actions, and intentions, hastening the death of the old while giving birth to the new. The empire is facing its own “Devil’s journey” and we get to be on the other side watching it and cheering them on. Hopefully with love!

Need Help With Your “Devils?”

Lauri Ann Lumby, MATP, Has over twenty-five years of experience as a soul-tender, educator and guide. She has supported hundreds through her one-on-one guidance, books, workshops, retreats, over thirty online courses, and online community.

Email lauri@lauriannlumby.com to schedule a one-on-one session today!

The Devil at Your Door

February 4, 2022 / Lauri Ann Lumby / Leave a comment

The Devil at Your Door

The Irish are correct in their habit of holding good news loosely and for being always alert to the shoe that’s sure to drop. That shoe always drops, and good news is often followed by bad. It seems to be the law of the universe. This law has even been given a name – an Irish name at that: Murphy’s Law.

This universal law is also rooted in an often-forgotten spiritual reality.

When we are actively pursuing our spiritual growth and development, there will always be a “devil” knocking on our door. There is truth in the religious saying that “a quiet mind is the devil’s playground,” but not in the way that the religious warn, and definitely not in the way they often prohibit spiritual practices for “fear of the devil.” The devil who is knocking at our door is none other than ourselves – our ego attachments, false perceptions, unhealed wounds, non-loving conditioning, habitual behaviors, fears, and our attachment to the status quo.

Spiritual growth leads to change. The “devil” hates change.

Instead, the “devil” wants us to stay where we are. “He” wants us to remain small and imprisoned by our habits, our attachment to approval, our wounds, and our victimhood. The devil wants us to stay chained to the bars of the cell in which we are living that has been created by our past.

Our Soul, on the other hand, wants us to be FREE.

The Soul drives us to pursue opportunities for healing and growth. The Soul leads us toward the resources and tools we need to transform the pain of our past and to break free of it so we can know our original nature of LOVE and live out of that LOVE. The Soul guides us to those who will help us in this healing and drops gifts into our laps that will assist us along the way.

Every time we say YES to our Soul, the “devil” comes knocking at our door.

The devil shows up with all the weapons of our past wounding. In his arsenal are all the words, experiences, and thoughts that are sure to trigger our past pain and cast us into the hell of confusion, doubt, fear, depression, anxiety, panic, and self-loathing. Self-doubt is the devil’s best work. And yet, there is a gift in this. The devil doesn’t come to cause harm, he comes for the purpose of asking us,

“Are you really sure you want to take this step toward your liberation?”

He then continues with reminders: “Aren’t you really comfortable where you are? Isn’t the known far better than taking the risk toward something you don’t yet know? Aren’t you getting attention and other benefits from staying small? What about the relationships that might have to end because they are solely dependent on you obeying the rules, keeping the peace, and maintaining the status quo? Won’t you miss that familiar pain and self-loathing? Why would you give all that up for the small chance that things could be better? …. And so on….

I have found that many, if not most, give into the devil’s pleadings. They forsake the opportunity for spiritual growth because a) they’re afraid, b) because they don’t have the tools or resources to recognize the true designs of the devil and then do something about it. Freedom from the devil is possible – but only when we have the proper tools to meet him where he is at.

The devil is at home in our fears and unhealed wounds.

When we do the deep inner work of healing and transforming these wounds, the devil no longer has a place to live within us so he moves on in search of others he might torment.

What tools do you have for when the devil comes knocking on your door?

Authentic Freedom is a protocol and practice developed by Lauri Ann Lumby which supports you in identifying and then healing the fears that have kept you imprisoned by your past wounding and cultural conditioning.

Through recorded lessons, reading, discussion, mindfulness and creativity practices, you will be given the tools to identify, heal and transform the fears that:

There is not enough.
You are insignificant and have nothing of value to offer the world.
You cannot live as our most authentic selves.
You are not loved (or that love has to be earned or can be taken away).
You are not free to express our truth.
You do not know the truth.
You are alone.

At the end of this course, you will have the tools to support you in the continued liberation from your fears and the conditioning that has placed them there.

Learn more and register HERE

Authentic Freedom, by Lauri Ann Lumby, transcends centuries of dogma to reveal the powerful and life-changing message at the heart of Jesus’ teachings and the universal truths at the core of every religion. The book’s unique approach offers an opportunity for the reader to heal the separation they feel within themselves, with God and with each other, ultimately revealing the truth of Oneness. Built upon the compelling integration of Eastern Energy Medicine and the 2000-year-old tradition of Christian, contemplative spiritual practices, Authentic Freedom revels a Dynamic and unifying path of spiritual transformation that speaks to people of all traditions and beliefs.

Buy it on Amazon