<script data-pm-proxy="intercept"></script><?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Rose Tinted Soul]]></title><description><![CDATA[May your soul make art with the words you read.]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aFM4!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb1bc31d7-2126-4651-9992-769219a5ba1c_1080x1080.png</url><title>Rose Tinted Soul</title><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 22:15:47 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[cathystapleton@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[cathystapleton@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[cathystapleton@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[cathystapleton@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Musings from the page]]></title><description><![CDATA[A sneak peek into the pages of my soul...]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/inside-my-journal</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/inside-my-journal</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2026 19:31:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iVvs!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e772658-8bb6-4f46-bc37-6bc03a9feaf1_1600x1193.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png" width="1344" height="256" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:256,&quot;width&quot;:1344,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:12525,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/194686881?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Once a month I share glimpse into my journal.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>To my paid subscribers.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Snippets from the intimate conversations between me and the whispers behind my pen sent straight into your email inbox.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>This month, it&#8217;s <span data-color="#340311" style="color: rgb(52, 3, 17);">free</span>.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>I hope these vulnerable musings from my mornings with the page help, as they have helped me, to navigate my humanness.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">Writing for Mind | Body | Soul | Reality Alignment</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lx1h!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4c62ec-13c1-4501-b7b2-886ffead7999_1577x1200.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lx1h!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4c62ec-13c1-4501-b7b2-886ffead7999_1577x1200.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lx1h!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4c62ec-13c1-4501-b7b2-886ffead7999_1577x1200.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lx1h!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4c62ec-13c1-4501-b7b2-886ffead7999_1577x1200.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lx1h!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4c62ec-13c1-4501-b7b2-886ffead7999_1577x1200.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lx1h!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4c62ec-13c1-4501-b7b2-886ffead7999_1577x1200.jpeg" width="725" height="551.6804058338618" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0a4c62ec-13c1-4501-b7b2-886ffead7999_1577x1200.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1200,&quot;width&quot;:1577,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:725,&quot;bytes&quot;:442239,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/205283166?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3f68eeb3-b27c-4efe-a738-b9e05a656a51_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lx1h!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4c62ec-13c1-4501-b7b2-886ffead7999_1577x1200.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lx1h!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4c62ec-13c1-4501-b7b2-886ffead7999_1577x1200.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lx1h!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4c62ec-13c1-4501-b7b2-886ffead7999_1577x1200.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lx1h!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4c62ec-13c1-4501-b7b2-886ffead7999_1577x1200.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>My mind as a space for</strong> clarity focus and awareness I receive support guidance and encouragement in the mental domain. I called for my thoughts to align harmonise and work in service with the truth.</p><p>Sin &#233;.</p><p><strong>My body is a space for</strong> healing so and flow. I receive healing frequencies, high vibrations and intuitive guidance clearly through the mechanism of my body. I call for my body to receive surrender and trust.</p><p>Sin &#233;.</p><p><strong>My soul is the source of</strong> my joy knowing and love. I receive the full intelligence of my soul in my conscious awareness and surrender fully to being an instrument of divine remembrance. I call for the small self to serve the intelligence of my soul.</p><p>Sin &#233;.</p><p>My reality is a space for play service and growth. I receive the opportunities lessons and blessings that serve my highest good. I call for this reality to align me with my highest timeline and open the doors for my highest joy and fulfilment.</p><p>Sin &#233;.</p><p></p><p><em>Sin &#233; = Amen/Ahoy/And so it is in Irish</em></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">The Remembrance of Light</h3><p>To engage in the process of restoring the light is not a battle between light and dark but an inevitable returning to our true nature as darkness clings on for dear life until it is washed away in the face of the power of our presence.</p><p>Not a fight but a flourishing, not a battle to be one but a wave to be sailed.</p><p>Notes on <strong>what is needed </strong>to remember the light:</p><ul><li><p>Awakening inner energetic architecture</p></li><li><p>Bringing circuits of light intelligence online</p></li><li><p>Sensitising your awareness to the intricacies of your innate network of divine intelligence</p></li><li><p>Bringing your inner power grid to life</p></li><li><p>Charging the fabric of your divine consciousness</p></li><li><p>Restoring your original blueprint of your soul</p></li></ul><p>Setting the intention to <strong>orient life to nourish this process.</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"> Creation as a State of Being</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pair!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60c48dd2-fbb3-4721-b96e-7ed2296de017_1600x1195.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pair!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60c48dd2-fbb3-4721-b96e-7ed2296de017_1600x1195.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pair!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60c48dd2-fbb3-4721-b96e-7ed2296de017_1600x1195.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pair!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60c48dd2-fbb3-4721-b96e-7ed2296de017_1600x1195.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pair!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60c48dd2-fbb3-4721-b96e-7ed2296de017_1600x1195.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pair!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60c48dd2-fbb3-4721-b96e-7ed2296de017_1600x1195.jpeg" width="1600" height="1195" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/60c48dd2-fbb3-4721-b96e-7ed2296de017_1600x1195.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1195,&quot;width&quot;:1600,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:476806,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/205283166?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9c47979-a961-42a3-8854-3701224338df_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pair!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60c48dd2-fbb3-4721-b96e-7ed2296de017_1600x1195.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pair!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60c48dd2-fbb3-4721-b96e-7ed2296de017_1600x1195.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pair!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60c48dd2-fbb3-4721-b96e-7ed2296de017_1600x1195.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pair!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60c48dd2-fbb3-4721-b96e-7ed2296de017_1600x1195.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Your responsibility is to <strong>nurture your state of consciousness.</strong> Harness your awareness so you may meet distraction and deny it&#8217;s attempt to take you away.</p><blockquote><p>I am creation itself. I sit, I set the intention to create, I open myself up to creative forces and I surrender to what they want to birth through me.</p></blockquote><p>Questions <strong>to cultivate the state</strong> needed for creation:</p><ul><li><p>How often do you simply sit in a state of creation?</p></li><li><p>How much care intention and detail do you give to your state of consciousness before creation?</p></li><li><p>How do you honour the forces of creation that work with you?</p></li><li><p>How do you identify as you create?</p></li><li><p>Where is your power going? Who are you serving?</p></li></ul><h4>Focusing on entering into an expensive state of creation instead of a contractive state of control.</h4><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">Power in Service of Others</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aOGB!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa820f852-a324-4338-97dd-090f295414ae_1600x1197.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aOGB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa820f852-a324-4338-97dd-090f295414ae_1600x1197.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aOGB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa820f852-a324-4338-97dd-090f295414ae_1600x1197.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aOGB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa820f852-a324-4338-97dd-090f295414ae_1600x1197.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aOGB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa820f852-a324-4338-97dd-090f295414ae_1600x1197.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aOGB!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa820f852-a324-4338-97dd-090f295414ae_1600x1197.jpeg" width="1600" height="1197" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a820f852-a324-4338-97dd-090f295414ae_1600x1197.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1197,&quot;width&quot;:1600,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:455539,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/205283166?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdd2580e9-894a-4927-bb60-c64e13525168_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aOGB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa820f852-a324-4338-97dd-090f295414ae_1600x1197.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aOGB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa820f852-a324-4338-97dd-090f295414ae_1600x1197.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aOGB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa820f852-a324-4338-97dd-090f295414ae_1600x1197.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aOGB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa820f852-a324-4338-97dd-090f295414ae_1600x1197.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Here you can see I am embarking on a pilgrimage that most women face, to reclaim their power from the depths of their shame and fear.</p><p>Here I am rewriting the programming that <em>to be in my power is to be arrogant.</em></p><p>Welcoming the truth that <strong>when I am awakened to my power, I am in service of the greater good</strong>. My power is grounded in love and compassion. My power is nurturing and life giving.</p><p>Giving myself full permission to embody my power without shame and fear. </p><h4>Recognising the softness in power and the beauty in range.</h4><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/inside-my-journal?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/inside-my-journal?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">Instructions From The Muse</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zuum!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ea94b68-d7e7-4076-a48b-01aad8d38772_1600x1184.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zuum!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ea94b68-d7e7-4076-a48b-01aad8d38772_1600x1184.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zuum!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ea94b68-d7e7-4076-a48b-01aad8d38772_1600x1184.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zuum!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ea94b68-d7e7-4076-a48b-01aad8d38772_1600x1184.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zuum!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ea94b68-d7e7-4076-a48b-01aad8d38772_1600x1184.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zuum!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ea94b68-d7e7-4076-a48b-01aad8d38772_1600x1184.jpeg" width="1600" height="1184" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9ea94b68-d7e7-4076-a48b-01aad8d38772_1600x1184.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1184,&quot;width&quot;:1600,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:455909,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/205283166?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbadf0487-c0b5-40e0-8f13-e858e75f4a00_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zuum!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ea94b68-d7e7-4076-a48b-01aad8d38772_1600x1184.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zuum!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ea94b68-d7e7-4076-a48b-01aad8d38772_1600x1184.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zuum!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ea94b68-d7e7-4076-a48b-01aad8d38772_1600x1184.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zuum!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ea94b68-d7e7-4076-a48b-01aad8d38772_1600x1184.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>From time to time the Muse visits me and floods me with advice on how to work with Her&#8230;</p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;I work in rhythms. I work in a musical flow, a romantic dance, a poetic beat. I work with a relaxed devotion, a gentle knowing, a soft conviction. You cannot force me but you don&#8217;t need to when you feel me. And you will always feel me when you come to me from the . The gentle waves, the , the . Think of me as a river flowing, a soft breeze blowing, a melody playing in the distance. Don&#8217;t chase me, become me. Don&#8217;t force me into existence, weave me into your being. I am not to be understood, owned or packaged into a neat process. I am to be felt, to be and in your listening we may become one. Leave me to my devices, let my play to its own tune. I am sorry if I don&#8217;t align with your expectations follow your directions or fit into your schedule. I am a force of nature not a machine. Not even I understand my ways of being but why should I? There is nothing to know when you are in pure flow so just feel.&#8221;</p></div><h3>Why Bother Express Yourself?</h3><p>For the sake of expression for the sweet taste of truth liberated for the joy of knowing you shared even though you were scared. </p><p>For the journey that will unfold as you walk as a being who is bold in their truth, wise in their expression and loving in their reason why.</p><p>For the peace that comes from knowing you emptied your soul into a world desperately trying to keep you small.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;">A final note on what drives your creativity&#8230;</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hDyV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ded6757-4a07-4662-a4d8-63a7c387bf7d_1200x1600.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hDyV!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ded6757-4a07-4662-a4d8-63a7c387bf7d_1200x1600.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hDyV!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ded6757-4a07-4662-a4d8-63a7c387bf7d_1200x1600.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hDyV!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ded6757-4a07-4662-a4d8-63a7c387bf7d_1200x1600.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hDyV!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ded6757-4a07-4662-a4d8-63a7c387bf7d_1200x1600.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hDyV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ded6757-4a07-4662-a4d8-63a7c387bf7d_1200x1600.jpeg" width="514" height="685.3333333333334" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2ded6757-4a07-4662-a4d8-63a7c387bf7d_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1600,&quot;width&quot;:1200,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:514,&quot;bytes&quot;:336587,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/205283166?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ded6757-4a07-4662-a4d8-63a7c387bf7d_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hDyV!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ded6757-4a07-4662-a4d8-63a7c387bf7d_1200x1600.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hDyV!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ded6757-4a07-4662-a4d8-63a7c387bf7d_1200x1600.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hDyV!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ded6757-4a07-4662-a4d8-63a7c387bf7d_1200x1600.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hDyV!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ded6757-4a07-4662-a4d8-63a7c387bf7d_1200x1600.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Creating from a joy of birthing something new. </em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Not from a sense of lack that something is missing. </em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Driven by joy. </em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Fuelled by curiosity. </em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>What could I possibly create next?</em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/inside-my-journal?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/inside-my-journal?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><div><hr></div><h4 style="text-align: center;">Thank you for taking a sneak peek inside my journal.</h4><p style="text-align: center;">If you would like access to <a href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/t/myjournal">the full library</a> of the pages of my soul then may I tempt you to become a paid subscriber?</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Upgrade to paid:</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">I would love to have you here.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iVvs!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e772658-8bb6-4f46-bc37-6bc03a9feaf1_1600x1193.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iVvs!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e772658-8bb6-4f46-bc37-6bc03a9feaf1_1600x1193.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iVvs!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e772658-8bb6-4f46-bc37-6bc03a9feaf1_1600x1193.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iVvs!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e772658-8bb6-4f46-bc37-6bc03a9feaf1_1600x1193.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iVvs!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e772658-8bb6-4f46-bc37-6bc03a9feaf1_1600x1193.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iVvs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e772658-8bb6-4f46-bc37-6bc03a9feaf1_1600x1193.jpeg" width="370" height="275.88125" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6e772658-8bb6-4f46-bc37-6bc03a9feaf1_1600x1193.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1193,&quot;width&quot;:1600,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:370,&quot;bytes&quot;:509336,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/205283166?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7df64cb-1478-4503-b470-e5106d178b11_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iVvs!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e772658-8bb6-4f46-bc37-6bc03a9feaf1_1600x1193.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iVvs!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e772658-8bb6-4f46-bc37-6bc03a9feaf1_1600x1193.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iVvs!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e772658-8bb6-4f46-bc37-6bc03a9feaf1_1600x1193.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iVvs!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6e772658-8bb6-4f46-bc37-6bc03a9feaf1_1600x1193.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Imagination, Aura & The Beautiful Handling of Things]]></title><description><![CDATA[Musings on what I am reading...]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/imagination-aura-and-the-beautiful</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/imagination-aura-and-the-beautiful</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2026 16:26:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gWdK!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c695c0d-a743-4c92-9d19-4f9a836aab38_1150x2048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><em>This week I share with you what I am reading and how they sparked my curiosity.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="/__u/substack.com/@pattismith">Patti Smith</a> got me thinking about imagination.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="/__u/substack.com/@quiethustle2">Quiet Hustle</a> got me thinking about aura.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/970747.Byung_Chul_Han">Byung-Chul Han</a> got me thinking about how we handle objects.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Thank you to these special thinkers and writers who inspired the following musings&#8230;</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gWdK!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c695c0d-a743-4c92-9d19-4f9a836aab38_1150x2048.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gWdK!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c695c0d-a743-4c92-9d19-4f9a836aab38_1150x2048.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gWdK!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c695c0d-a743-4c92-9d19-4f9a836aab38_1150x2048.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gWdK!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c695c0d-a743-4c92-9d19-4f9a836aab38_1150x2048.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gWdK!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c695c0d-a743-4c92-9d19-4f9a836aab38_1150x2048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gWdK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c695c0d-a743-4c92-9d19-4f9a836aab38_1150x2048.png" width="560" height="997.2869565217392" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5c695c0d-a743-4c92-9d19-4f9a836aab38_1150x2048.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:2048,&quot;width&quot;:1150,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:560,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gWdK!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c695c0d-a743-4c92-9d19-4f9a836aab38_1150x2048.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gWdK!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c695c0d-a743-4c92-9d19-4f9a836aab38_1150x2048.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gWdK!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c695c0d-a743-4c92-9d19-4f9a836aab38_1150x2048.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gWdK!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c695c0d-a743-4c92-9d19-4f9a836aab38_1150x2048.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><h2>Imagination</h2><p>I have been thinking a lot about imagination recently. It&#8217;s true nature as a force that collects the seeds of our future creations. The true source of the dialogue that nudges us in different directions. Where is goes when childhood fades into the seriousness of adulthood.</p><p>My curiosity was sparked by the following quote from the epic poetic novel of <strong>Patti Smith, Just Kids: </strong></p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;It was my entrance into the radiance of imagination. This process was especially magnified within the fevers of influenza, measles, chicken pox, and mumps... Lying deep within myself, the symmetry of a snowflake spinning above me, intensifying through my lids, I seized a most worthy souvenir, a shard of heavens Kaleidoscope.&#8221;</p></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wr-S!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3a3487f-5755-4655-895f-a840602787e8_1200x1600.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wr-S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3a3487f-5755-4655-895f-a840602787e8_1200x1600.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wr-S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3a3487f-5755-4655-895f-a840602787e8_1200x1600.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wr-S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3a3487f-5755-4655-895f-a840602787e8_1200x1600.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wr-S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3a3487f-5755-4655-895f-a840602787e8_1200x1600.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wr-S!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3a3487f-5755-4655-895f-a840602787e8_1200x1600.png" width="452" height="602.6666666666666" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f3a3487f-5755-4655-895f-a840602787e8_1200x1600.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1600,&quot;width&quot;:1200,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:452,&quot;bytes&quot;:4480043,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/203425319?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3a3487f-5755-4655-895f-a840602787e8_1200x1600.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wr-S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3a3487f-5755-4655-895f-a840602787e8_1200x1600.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wr-S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3a3487f-5755-4655-895f-a840602787e8_1200x1600.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wr-S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3a3487f-5755-4655-895f-a840602787e8_1200x1600.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wr-S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3a3487f-5755-4655-895f-a840602787e8_1200x1600.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>&#8220;An entrance into the radiance of imagination&#8221;. <strong>As if imagination is a gateway between worlds. </strong>I was reminded of a thought I had in my own moments of lying deep within myself. When I was in deep in dialogue with the forces flying in the realm of my imagination and a silent voice advised &#8220;<em>imagination is an alternative dimension where you are God</em>&#8221;.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jPFj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2294e6fc-ee53-42d0-8797-b6711d0259dd_1600x869.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jPFj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2294e6fc-ee53-42d0-8797-b6711d0259dd_1600x869.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jPFj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2294e6fc-ee53-42d0-8797-b6711d0259dd_1600x869.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jPFj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2294e6fc-ee53-42d0-8797-b6711d0259dd_1600x869.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jPFj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2294e6fc-ee53-42d0-8797-b6711d0259dd_1600x869.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jPFj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2294e6fc-ee53-42d0-8797-b6711d0259dd_1600x869.png" width="1600" height="869" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2294e6fc-ee53-42d0-8797-b6711d0259dd_1600x869.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:869,&quot;width&quot;:1600,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1989005,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/203425319?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc25e5273-09ca-4deb-9188-e6397b1d3dee_1200x1600.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jPFj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2294e6fc-ee53-42d0-8797-b6711d0259dd_1600x869.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jPFj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2294e6fc-ee53-42d0-8797-b6711d0259dd_1600x869.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jPFj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2294e6fc-ee53-42d0-8797-b6711d0259dd_1600x869.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jPFj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2294e6fc-ee53-42d0-8797-b6711d0259dd_1600x869.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>I was intrigued and played with this concept, tried it on for size and contemplated its possibility. In the domain of my imagination, I am the creator. <strong>My intention and attention collaborate and take me on an imaginative journey where I can be anything and be anyone.</strong> </p><p>I began to play God within the confines of my closed eyes and carefully directed thoughts. I imagined all sorts of experiences, including a rainbow over my head. In that exact moment I felt compelled to open my eyes and return to the car that was being driven by my mum. My eyes were drawn to the screen where the album cover of the song that was playing displayed a rainbow, shinning over the head of a cartoon character.</p><p>A delightful coincidence that delivered to me all the proof that this mind needs.</p><p><strong>Your imagination is an alternative dimension where you are God.</strong></p><p>Play with it. Try it on for size.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p></p><h2>How to Build an Aura That Changes the Energy Around You</h2><p>Conversations around aura seem to be spilling into the zeitgeist. The word was previously only in the vocabulary of the Spiritually inclined and stayed out of mainstream vernacular. It is now emerging in unexpected places, being used to describe a persons presence and sense of power, &#8220;she&#8217;s got aura&#8221;, as if aura is now something to attain and arrange beside your job title and designer handbag.</p><p>Interesting to observe our opening up to such perspectives. I see it as a sign that we are finally recognising what the sages and eastern philosophers have known for centuries, that we have an energy body and we can work with it.</p><p>As a highly sensitive person energy work has been a means of survival and a huge part of my daily practice.</p><p>That is why, when I found the following article I was immediately curious. Will it contain ancient teachings of the emotional alchemical process that allows us to purify our aura and build its vibrancy?</p><div class="embedded-post-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;id&quot;:197214437,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://quiethustle2.substack.com/p/how-to-build-an-aura-that-changes&quot;,&quot;publication_id&quot;:8342623,&quot;embedding_publication_id&quot;:null,&quot;publication_name&quot;:&quot;Quiet Hustle&quot;,&quot;publication_logo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_DBa!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fffcfaa75-5cb3-4d34-97cd-183958543181_168x168.jpeg&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;How to Build an Aura That Changes the Energy Around You&quot;,&quot;truncated_body_text&quot;:&quot;You've seen it happen. Someone walks into a room and without saying a single word, every conversation shifts toward them. Not the loudest person. Not the one demanding attention. Just a presence - and the room bends.&quot;,&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-05-11T13:52:33.098Z&quot;,&quot;like_count&quot;:1849,&quot;comment_count&quot;:66,&quot;bylines&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:477226424,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Quiet Hustle&quot;,&quot;handle&quot;:&quot;quiethustle2&quot;,&quot;previous_name&quot;:null,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ffcfaa75-5cb3-4d34-97cd-183958543181_168x168.jpeg&quot;,&quot;bio&quot;:&quot;Quiet Hustle is a newsletter about doing the work in silence and letting your results make the noise. I share simple, science&#8209;tinted ideas on stress, habits, and focus so you can build a calmer, more ambitious life without burning out.&quot;,&quot;profile_set_up_at&quot;:&quot;2026-03-16T18:07:59.247Z&quot;,&quot;reader_installed_at&quot;:&quot;2026-05-10T20:37:51.021Z&quot;,&quot;publicationUsers&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:8541744,&quot;user_id&quot;:477226424,&quot;publication_id&quot;:8342623,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;admin&quot;,&quot;public&quot;:true,&quot;is_primary&quot;:true,&quot;publication&quot;:{&quot;id&quot;:8342623,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Quiet Hustle&quot;,&quot;subdomain&quot;:&quot;quiethustle2&quot;,&quot;custom_domain&quot;:null,&quot;custom_domain_optional&quot;:false,&quot;hero_text&quot;:&quot;Quiet Hustle is a newsletter about doing the work in silence and letting your results make the noise. I share simple, science&#8209;tinted ideas on stress, habits, and focus so you can build a calmer, more ambitious life without burning out.&quot;,&quot;logo_url&quot;:null,&quot;author_id&quot;:477226424,&quot;primary_user_id&quot;:477226424,&quot;theme_var_background_pop&quot;:&quot;#FF6719&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2026-03-16T18:22:51.070Z&quot;,&quot;email_from_name&quot;:null,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Quiet Hustle&quot;,&quot;founding_plan_name&quot;:&quot;Founding Member&quot;,&quot;community_enabled&quot;:true,&quot;invite_only&quot;:false,&quot;payments_state&quot;:&quot;enabled&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:null,&quot;explicit&quot;:false,&quot;homepage_type&quot;:&quot;profile&quot;,&quot;is_personal_mode&quot;:true,&quot;logo_url_wide&quot;:null}}],&quot;is_guest&quot;:false,&quot;bestseller_tier&quot;:null,&quot;status&quot;:{&quot;bestsellerTier&quot;:null,&quot;subscriberTier&quot;:null,&quot;leaderboard&quot;:null,&quot;vip&quot;:false,&quot;badge&quot;:null,&quot;subscriber&quot;:null}}],&quot;utm_campaign&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;newsletter&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;,&quot;source&quot;:null}" data-component-name="EmbeddedPostToDOM"><a class="embedded-post" native="true" href="/__u/quiethustle2.substack.com/p/how-to-build-an-aura-that-changes?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_campaign=post_embed&amp;utm_medium=web"><div class="embedded-post-header"><img class="embedded-post-publication-logo" src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_DBa!,w_56,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fffcfaa75-5cb3-4d34-97cd-183958543181_168x168.jpeg" loading="lazy"><span class="embedded-post-publication-name">Quiet Hustle</span></div><div class="embedded-post-title-wrapper"><div class="embedded-post-title">How to Build an Aura That Changes the Energy Around You</div></div><div class="embedded-post-body">You've seen it happen. Someone walks into a room and without saying a single word, every conversation shifts toward them. Not the loudest person. Not the one demanding attention. Just a presence - and the room bends&#8230;</div><div class="embedded-post-cta-wrapper"><span class="embedded-post-cta">Read more</span></div><div class="embedded-post-meta">4 months ago &#183; 1849 likes &#183; 66 comments &#183; Quiet Hustle</div></a></div><p>It was not.</p><p>It is a robust article exploring psychological concepts which promise to deliver a sense of energetic power and outlines specific techniques to build the weight of your presence.</p><p>Concepts such as:</p><ul><li><p>The strategic use of silence, &#8220;silent tyranny&#8221;</p></li></ul><p><em>&#8220;The most powerful communication happens in the spaces between words, in the weight of presence itself.&#8221;</em></p><ul><li><p>Commanding psychological weight</p></li></ul><p><em>&#8220;Their controlled energy created a gravitational field that pulled your attention and respect without effort.&#8221;</em></p><ul><li><p>Becoming an &#8216;emotional thermostat&#8217;</p></li></ul><p><em>&#8220;In any group dynamic, establish yourself as the stable reference point that others can unconsciously rely on.&#8221;</em></p><ul><li><p>Exercising &#8216;strategic metamorphosis&#8217;</p></li></ul><p><em>&#8220;Maintain a consistent core while varying the external expression. Water takes the shape of any container it encounters &#8212; yet it never stops being water.&#8221;</em></p><p></p><p></p><p>These strategies touch on a very interesting dynamic that happens when and individual is energetically sovereign, meaning when an individual is present in their own energy field and this presence is so rooted that shifts in their external environment don&#8217;t influence their energy.</p><p>While this article does provide excellent strategies and an insightful take, it still tackles the topic from the mind. It presents the concepts on a physiological level without mentioning the energetic dynamics that are working beneath the surface.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SxQ-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50be9d56-ff84-4992-a2d3-ba430dfe613e_736x736.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SxQ-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50be9d56-ff84-4992-a2d3-ba430dfe613e_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SxQ-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50be9d56-ff84-4992-a2d3-ba430dfe613e_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SxQ-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50be9d56-ff84-4992-a2d3-ba430dfe613e_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SxQ-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50be9d56-ff84-4992-a2d3-ba430dfe613e_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SxQ-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50be9d56-ff84-4992-a2d3-ba430dfe613e_736x736.jpeg" width="545" height="545" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/50be9d56-ff84-4992-a2d3-ba430dfe613e_736x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:736,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:545,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: an image of a person standing in front of a circle with lines on it and the shape&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: an image of a person standing in front of a circle with lines on it and the shape" title="This may contain: an image of a person standing in front of a circle with lines on it and the shape" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SxQ-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50be9d56-ff84-4992-a2d3-ba430dfe613e_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SxQ-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50be9d56-ff84-4992-a2d3-ba430dfe613e_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SxQ-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50be9d56-ff84-4992-a2d3-ba430dfe613e_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SxQ-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50be9d56-ff84-4992-a2d3-ba430dfe613e_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>You can, my humble opinion, build aura more effectively by going directly to the source. You can apply physiological techniques and they can work. But they are <em>techniques</em>. When you work with energy practices you work with power of the aura directly and build the vitality and vibrancy of your energy field<strong>. This is getting to the root of your power and building it from beneath the surface, then you will naturally do all of these techniques without having to instruct yourself.</strong> When we work on the level of energy, matter shifts. When you work directly with your energy body, your presence shifts.</p><p>A great place to start is dipping your toes in the waters of Taoist or Tantric practices that teach you how to work with the &#8216;subtle body&#8217;. Or you can use your innate capacity to do so by bringing your awareness into your body and becoming familiar with the sensations of the energy and studying their flow. If you are a complete beginner to this kind of work, your mind may take you out of this practice before you can even harness enough sensitivity to feel the sensation. If so, looking for teachers in this field will help.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><h2>The Beautiful Handling of Things</h2><p><em>The Disappearance of Ritual by Byung-Chul Han</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1rT!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe0607cef-e8f9-4368-b5d9-4ea333246933_450x500.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1rT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe0607cef-e8f9-4368-b5d9-4ea333246933_450x500.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1rT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe0607cef-e8f9-4368-b5d9-4ea333246933_450x500.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1rT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe0607cef-e8f9-4368-b5d9-4ea333246933_450x500.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1rT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe0607cef-e8f9-4368-b5d9-4ea333246933_450x500.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1rT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe0607cef-e8f9-4368-b5d9-4ea333246933_450x500.jpeg" width="450" height="500" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e0607cef-e8f9-4368-b5d9-4ea333246933_450x500.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:500,&quot;width&quot;:450,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;The Disappearance of Rituals: A Topology of the Present 1st | eTextbook4u&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="The Disappearance of Rituals: A Topology of the Present 1st | eTextbook4u" title="The Disappearance of Rituals: A Topology of the Present 1st | eTextbook4u" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1rT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe0607cef-e8f9-4368-b5d9-4ea333246933_450x500.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1rT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe0607cef-e8f9-4368-b5d9-4ea333246933_450x500.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1rT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe0607cef-e8f9-4368-b5d9-4ea333246933_450x500.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!C1rT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe0607cef-e8f9-4368-b5d9-4ea333246933_450x500.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I would highly recommend this book to anyone who feels the void of sacred ritual in our modern society. Byung-Chul Han explores the various aspects of our society that have become over-run by the &#8216;compulsion to produce&#8217;. This book highlights how this has become our primary motivator of our society and is stripping us from power and nourishment that is delivered through collective ritual.</p><p>One of his most intriguing takes is about the shift in how we handle objects.<strong> Societies centred around ritual are encouraged to treat not only each other but also things in beautiful and intricate ways.</strong></p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;Forms of ritual make possible with beautiful behaviour among humans and a beautiful gentle treatment of things. &#8220;</p><p>&#8220;Ritual practices ensure that there is an affinity between us and other people as well as things.&#8221;</p></div><p>It resonated with me immediately as we are surrounded by the onslaught of fast fashion and disposable objects delivered by giants such as Temu, Shein and H&amp;M and the likes. We appreciate the details less and less, the intricacies of ornaments and the impact of finely decorated objects. We are moving away from craftsmanship and into the pits of consumer hell.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;Modern capitalistic culture intentionally abolishes duration in order to drive more consumption.&#8221;</p></div><p>Our objects and how we handle them are yet another domain of life where the capitalistic agenda drains all art and creativity from. It may seem insignificant but it is a symptom of a larger trend that runs beneath the surface. <strong>Our disconnection from ritual and sacred living towards a capitalistic society is extracting the soul from life, from how we spend out time, treat each other and handle things.</strong></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/imagination-aura-and-the-beautiful?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/imagination-aura-and-the-beautiful?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><p><em>Thank you for being here.</em></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[How To Write Like A God]]></title><description><![CDATA[Become a bridge between worlds as you write]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/how-to-write-like-a-god</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/how-to-write-like-a-god</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:55:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mFjT!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2817781-c629-431a-8b61-53bd6ac17ba7_736x552.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><em>I know the title suggests I am about to offer you some advice on how to write like a God.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>I am not.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>What I will do instead is attempt to convince you that every time you write, </em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>you are writing on behalf of God.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>And then I will offer you some advice on how to do that.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Sn5W!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17dbdd97-a08a-42a5-972d-5302b4d31d99_1152x1497.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Sn5W!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17dbdd97-a08a-42a5-972d-5302b4d31d99_1152x1497.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Sn5W!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17dbdd97-a08a-42a5-972d-5302b4d31d99_1152x1497.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Sn5W!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17dbdd97-a08a-42a5-972d-5302b4d31d99_1152x1497.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Sn5W!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17dbdd97-a08a-42a5-972d-5302b4d31d99_1152x1497.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Sn5W!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17dbdd97-a08a-42a5-972d-5302b4d31d99_1152x1497.png" width="384" height="499" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/17dbdd97-a08a-42a5-972d-5302b4d31d99_1152x1497.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1497,&quot;width&quot;:1152,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:384,&quot;bytes&quot;:3047751,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Sn5W!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17dbdd97-a08a-42a5-972d-5302b4d31d99_1152x1497.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Sn5W!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17dbdd97-a08a-42a5-972d-5302b4d31d99_1152x1497.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Sn5W!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17dbdd97-a08a-42a5-972d-5302b4d31d99_1152x1497.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Sn5W!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17dbdd97-a08a-42a5-972d-5302b4d31d99_1152x1497.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>I may have lost some of you by now.</p><p>But for those who remain, you may already be familiar with this experience.</p><p>This may be <em>why</em> you write.</p><p>To experience the total dissolution of self as a force of much greater intelligence writes through you and you just try to keep up with the typing.</p><p></p><p>You may be hesitant to call this God.</p><p>You may call it your Muse.</p><p>You may prefer not to name it at all.</p><p>Whatever you do, <em>don&#8217;t mistake it for you.</em></p><p></p><p>I like to think of this force as God.</p><p>What other force could send such ecstasy and clarity through me?</p><p>What other force would feel so much like God?</p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SseB!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F57ea9fa9-d493-4789-9cd8-e3c1847f9236_1620x2025.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SseB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F57ea9fa9-d493-4789-9cd8-e3c1847f9236_1620x2025.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SseB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F57ea9fa9-d493-4789-9cd8-e3c1847f9236_1620x2025.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SseB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F57ea9fa9-d493-4789-9cd8-e3c1847f9236_1620x2025.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SseB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F57ea9fa9-d493-4789-9cd8-e3c1847f9236_1620x2025.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SseB!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F57ea9fa9-d493-4789-9cd8-e3c1847f9236_1620x2025.png" width="1456" height="1820" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/57ea9fa9-d493-4789-9cd8-e3c1847f9236_1620x2025.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1820,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;JOURNAL ENTRIES | FEED TEMPLATES&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="JOURNAL ENTRIES | FEED TEMPLATES" title="JOURNAL ENTRIES | FEED TEMPLATES" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SseB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F57ea9fa9-d493-4789-9cd8-e3c1847f9236_1620x2025.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SseB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F57ea9fa9-d493-4789-9cd8-e3c1847f9236_1620x2025.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SseB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F57ea9fa9-d493-4789-9cd8-e3c1847f9236_1620x2025.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SseB!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F57ea9fa9-d493-4789-9cd8-e3c1847f9236_1620x2025.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><h3>Writing on behalf of God is not new.</h3><p>I am not special or gifted.</p><p>Some of the greatest writers of our time have always claimed that they are merely an instrument and that their best work comes through them from a source greater than themselves.</p><p></p><p>&#8220;I myself do nothing. The Holy Spirit accomplishes all through me.&#8221;</p><p><em>William Blake</em></p><p></p><p>&#8220;I am a flute through which the breath of Christ moves; listen to this music.&#8221;</p><p><em>Rumi</em></p><p></p><p>&#8220;The Greeks believed that ideas were spirits&#8230; that came to human beings from some distant and unknowable source.&#8221;</p><p><em>Elizabeth Gilbert</em></p><p></p><p></p><p>Personally, I believe that this capacity is innate within us all.</p><p>We just don&#8217;t recognise it amidst all the noise.</p><p>I don&#8217;t think we were ever supposed to live disconnected from this ability.</p><p>It feels to me like we are designed to be instruments of God&#8217;s light and writing is just one way of being a vessel.</p><p></p><p>I hope this article is the beginning of you <em><strong>remembering</strong></em> your own pathway to receive the intelligence of God through you.</p><p>Your pathway will be unique. The unraveling of this unique pathway is <strong>between you and God.</strong></p><p>This article simply aims to share what worked for me.</p><p><strong>In the hopes that it may spark an </strong><em><strong>opening</strong></em><strong> for you.</strong></p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!spZO!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5447b0e6-4cbe-47f3-af15-84080f9dbc67_736x920.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!spZO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5447b0e6-4cbe-47f3-af15-84080f9dbc67_736x920.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!spZO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5447b0e6-4cbe-47f3-af15-84080f9dbc67_736x920.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!spZO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5447b0e6-4cbe-47f3-af15-84080f9dbc67_736x920.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!spZO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5447b0e6-4cbe-47f3-af15-84080f9dbc67_736x920.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!spZO!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5447b0e6-4cbe-47f3-af15-84080f9dbc67_736x920.jpeg" width="512" height="640" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5447b0e6-4cbe-47f3-af15-84080f9dbc67_736x920.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:920,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:512,&quot;bytes&quot;:220904,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a collage of photos with different things in them including pictures and words on the wall&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a collage of photos with different things in them including pictures and words on the wall" title="This may contain: a collage of photos with different things in them including pictures and words on the wall" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!spZO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5447b0e6-4cbe-47f3-af15-84080f9dbc67_736x920.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!spZO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5447b0e6-4cbe-47f3-af15-84080f9dbc67_736x920.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!spZO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5447b0e6-4cbe-47f3-af15-84080f9dbc67_736x920.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!spZO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5447b0e6-4cbe-47f3-af15-84080f9dbc67_736x920.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><h2>Identify as a vessel.</h2><p>This is the number one rule when writing like a God, or to be more precise, writing <em>as</em> God.</p><p>Accept that it is not you who is doing the writing.</p><p>The minute you identify with the force that comes through you as you write, you resign this force to play within the limitations of your human self.</p><ul><li><p>If you do not feel like writing, you won&#8217;t write.</p></li><li><p>If you don&#8217;t know what to write, you won&#8217;t write.</p></li><li><p>If you feel like a bad writer, you won&#8217;t write.</p></li></ul><p>If you believe it is you that is doing the writing, then the writing will be at the mercy of how your human feels.</p><p>See yourself as a conduit of the work wishing to be birthed through you. This makes it is less about learning how to write well and more about getting very good at getting out of the way. You will eventually develop technically but if you don&#8217;t write from your heart, or from God, it will always be uninteresting.</p><p>Consider yourself as a translator of ideas to words, giving form to the formless, shaping silent whispers into cohesive sentences. When you understand your role as a vessel, you don&#8217;t need to want to write or even to know what to write. <strong>You trust that when you sit down and get out of the way, God will guide you.</strong></p><h2>Embrace the power of prayer</h2><p>You don&#8217;t need to be religious to allow yourself to believe in the power of prayer. You only need to be open to the possibility that you are more powerful than you know. We already know we don&#8217;t use near the full capacity of our brain power. A prayer can simply be intentionally turning on the unused circuits in your brain. A prayer can also be a call to higher intelligence to support you as you work. </p><blockquote><p>Give it whatever frame you need to allow yourself to make use of it.</p></blockquote><p>Now every time you sit down to write, say a prayer to your higher self, to the intelligence, to God or even to the untapped circuits of your brain.</p><p>This can simply be taking a moment to tune into wherever you go when you write and wake it up. Connect to the force of your creativity and call it into action. Pray to the writing Gods and request their support. <strong>Go to the internal gateway of your inner genius and simply open it and let it know you ready to type.</strong> Then get out of the way.</p><p>Do it every day for a week as an experiment. It is likely that you will never sit down to write again without saying your prayers.</p><h2>Get quiet</h2><p>Your writing time is between you and the force that fuels your typing. You and the force of creation. Let go of the voices of the critics and the doubters.</p><p>The voice of your mother who wished you were a lawyer, the voices of your childhood friends who haven&#8217;t changed since they were 17, the ex-lover who laughed at your dreams. Let go of those who don&#8217;t get it, who aren&#8217;t wired to get it.</p><p>External voices are interference and will distort the essence of your creations and distract you from the one voice you need to hear.</p><p>Focus on writing from a deep place of internal truth and let that be the thread that binds your words together. Readers will always be able to recognise the essence of your Soul that you weave into your work. <strong>They can sense something greater working through you and they will be touched by it.</strong></p><h2>Get intimate</h2><p>The process of writing is an intimate process. <strong>Let it be a solid, closed container that is between you and the force of your work.</strong> Once you enter into the process of writing, let yourself get intimate with what wants to come through you.</p><p>Do not let distractions enter the equation. Impulses to divert your attention must be denied. Curiosities in anything but the force of your work must be ignored.</p><p>When you write as a vessel, you must get intimate with the voices telling you what to write. This is an intricate process of listening to the subtle whispers in the silence. Getting familiar with the nature of their guidance and the intricacies of their presence. Learning their frequency and their language.</p><p>Know the difference between writing from on their behalf and writing from your mind. Know how to stop at once when you are writing from your mind. <strong>Know how to attune your vessel to the frequency of the higher intelligence like you would attune a radio to a particular station.</strong></p><p>Intimacy with the intelligence that guides your writing is a superpower. It is what will make your writing flow and your words send shivers through your fingers as they move on behalf of something greater than you.</p><h2>Remain consistent and connected</h2><p>To write in this way is a practice of <em>devotion</em>. You are surrendering the agenda of the small self to be a vessel of a higher intelligence. <strong>It is not for every writer.</strong> Although most writers are doing this beyond their conscious awareness.</p><p>To intentionally enter into this practice is to enter into in negotiations with an unseen force. </p><blockquote><p>This is not learning how to turn on a switch; you are not working with a machine. This is learning to fly with forces of nature, to dance on wild waves of knowing, to sing with echoes of wordless wisdom.</p></blockquote><p>This is beyond what your mind can cognise and transcends what we have been conditioned to believe we humans are capable of. <strong>This is an illogical process that does not need to be understood to be successful. It just needs to be trusted.</strong></p><p>It asks you to continuously nurture your awareness with care, like fine-tuning an instrument.</p><p>Whenever you feel like your connection is fading and you have simply become overly mind and ego-dominated. Pause and reconnect. Stop at once and re-attune your vessel to the frequency of your work, to a force greater than you.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mFjT!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2817781-c629-431a-8b61-53bd6ac17ba7_736x552.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mFjT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2817781-c629-431a-8b61-53bd6ac17ba7_736x552.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mFjT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2817781-c629-431a-8b61-53bd6ac17ba7_736x552.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mFjT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2817781-c629-431a-8b61-53bd6ac17ba7_736x552.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mFjT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2817781-c629-431a-8b61-53bd6ac17ba7_736x552.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mFjT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2817781-c629-431a-8b61-53bd6ac17ba7_736x552.jpeg" width="648" height="486" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d2817781-c629-431a-8b61-53bd6ac17ba7_736x552.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:552,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:648,&quot;bytes&quot;:93871,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Story pin image&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Story pin image" title="Story pin image" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mFjT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2817781-c629-431a-8b61-53bd6ac17ba7_736x552.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mFjT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2817781-c629-431a-8b61-53bd6ac17ba7_736x552.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mFjT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2817781-c629-431a-8b61-53bd6ac17ba7_736x552.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mFjT!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd2817781-c629-431a-8b61-53bd6ac17ba7_736x552.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><h2>Write for the greater good</h2><p>If you want to channel a higher intelligence as you write, let your writing be in service of something greater than yourself.</p><blockquote><p>When you orient your writing to serve others, God will get on board.</p></blockquote><p>The more you detach from the agenda of the self and not engage in motivations that are purely self-serving the more you open yourself to receive assistance from beyond.</p><p>You vibrate at a different frequency when you create in service of others as opposed to seeking to gain on an individual level. You work from a different level of consciousness. <strong>When you create from service, you enter into an expansive state of giving and you will omit a higher vibrational frequency that will not only attract the right people to you but will attract highly intelligent forces to work through you.</strong></p><p>It is not wrong to have hopes that you will be compensated for your time and effort but this desire does not drive you, nor does it make your decisions and it certainly does not tell you what to write.</p><h2>Believe.</h2><p>Let yourself believe this is possible. Step outside of the confines of your ordinary mind. Venture into unexplored territories and open yourself to possibilities beyond what you can conceive.</p><p>If you are still reading, you likely have a hunch that we are capable of much more than we have been led to believe.</p><blockquote><p>The human is but a vessel.</p><p>The body is a mere gateway.</p><p>When we create, we become a bridge between worlds.</p><p>Through our writing, our art, our voice, we may carry forward the intelligence of the higher realms.</p></blockquote><p><strong>We are already doing it all the time.</strong> You have likely already been guided by God today. You have likely already been writing on behalf of God. <strong>This light is our truest nature and this ability is our birthright to reclaim.</strong> This relationship is ours to nurture and refine.</p><p>When you believe you are capable of this, you place yourself on the path of being a student to this process and the education will move through you. Every time you sit down to write. So long as you step aside and listen.</p><p>It is our nature to attempt to do this on our own. To tackle challenges from the mind and control the process from our ego. If we took a step back and surrendered control, calling upon the infinite wisdom waiting within us, <strong>then we would have a much smoother time with things.</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><div><hr></div><p></p><p>If you would like to take this a step further and design <strong>a sacred ritual to perform before you sit down to write</strong>, I invite you to subscribe and gain access to the following post:</p><div class="digest-post-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;nodeId&quot;:&quot;05f7759a-20d5-4649-98e1-9c04e5f3edd3&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;This post reveals one of the most powerful tools to connect with the Divine, a pre-creation ritual.&quot;,&quot;cta&quot;:null,&quot;showBylines&quot;:true,&quot;showDescription&quot;:true,&quot;showImage&quot;:true,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;lg&quot;,&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Your Pre-Creation Ritual&quot;,&quot;publishedBylines&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:311810158,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Cathy Stapleton&quot;,&quot;bio&quot;:&quot;Aspiring diarist, sharing tools to harness creativity, intuition and devotion. May your soul make art with the words I share.&quot;,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f2beb228-115d-4eab-a6bc-b5241c7c7afd_2400x2400.jpeg&quot;,&quot;is_guest&quot;:false,&quot;bestseller_tier&quot;:null}],&quot;post_date&quot;:&quot;2025-04-27T19:28:33.864Z&quot;,&quot;cover_image&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DKYs!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8edb7b3a-1c45-4a51-991a-a4307cc8a233_736x491.jpeg&quot;,&quot;cover_image_alt&quot;:null,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-muse-tool-box-1&quot;,&quot;section_name&quot;:null,&quot;video_upload_id&quot;:null,&quot;id&quot;:162056457,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;newsletter&quot;,&quot;reaction_count&quot;:2,&quot;comment_count&quot;:0,&quot;publication_id&quot;:3843096,&quot;publication_name&quot;:&quot;Pages of Devotion&quot;,&quot;publication_logo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MdPp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F79a87fe3-559f-4a6f-9271-be38243eb64b_1080x1080.png&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;youtube_url&quot;:null,&quot;show_links&quot;:null,&quot;feed_url&quot;:null}"></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Musings from the page]]></title><description><![CDATA[What the wisdom told me this week]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/a-selection-of-lines-from-the-pages</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/a-selection-of-lines-from-the-pages</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:09:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!w3rx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe8feb36b-86c4-45fb-b6cb-7dd5a05c199d_1440x1440.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png" width="1344" height="256" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:256,&quot;width&quot;:1344,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:12525,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/194686881?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lZhX!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48204fb3-c06e-4524-b552-17b5631f6586_1344x256.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Once a month I share snippets from the intimate conversations between me and the whispers behind my pen. </em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>This glimpse into these personal pages are offered to my paid subscribers, as a sincere thanks for their support.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>If you want a glimpse of what is included, peep here.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>I hope these vulnerable musings from my mornings with the page help, as they have helped me, to navigate my humanness.</em></p><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Subscribe and I&#8217;ll let you read my journal</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>
      <p>
          <a href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/a-selection-of-lines-from-the-pages">
              Read more
          </a>
      </p>
   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[In Conversation With Sacred Wisdom]]></title><description><![CDATA[Learning how to listen to sacred intelligence]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/in-conversation-with-the-wisdom</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/in-conversation-with-the-wisdom</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 15:08:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8MJN!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am learning the importance of intricately weaving my daily reality with threads that nourish my becoming. </p><p>Carefully selected activities, delicately designed rituals, softly melting into the next. </p><p>Each act devoted to the cultivation of a frequency. Each frequency delivering a clarity.</p><p>A clarity to a wisdom, a sacred intelligence, that is infused into the silence.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8MJN!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8MJN!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8MJN!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8MJN!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8MJN!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8MJN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png" width="1280" height="720" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;width&quot;:1280,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:948030,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/193446427?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8MJN!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8MJN!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8MJN!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8MJN!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F851442e5-5e03-4be5-b7ce-7811f77912a7_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thank you for being here</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p>This wisdom is not mine, yet I am made from it. </p><p>I do not own it yet it details the fabric of my being. </p><p>It is alive within me, all around me, speaking softly through the waves of the unspoken. </p><p>When I listen, I come alive. Unexplored territories of my spirit wake up and I remember yet another inch of my forgotten self. Slowly, I surrender more and more of myself to this process and orient more and more of my life to harnessing this connection. As a result, I get to feel <strong>an intimacy with a clarity</strong> that visits from time to time. Cleansing me of worries and revealing the illusory nature of my limitations. Passages of time spent in the peaceful embrace of a wise wind whispering pure intelligence into my soul.</p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q9vC!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17d8a05d-1aaf-4e7d-ba29-296683fd7ea0_1200x1600.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q9vC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17d8a05d-1aaf-4e7d-ba29-296683fd7ea0_1200x1600.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q9vC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17d8a05d-1aaf-4e7d-ba29-296683fd7ea0_1200x1600.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q9vC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17d8a05d-1aaf-4e7d-ba29-296683fd7ea0_1200x1600.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q9vC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17d8a05d-1aaf-4e7d-ba29-296683fd7ea0_1200x1600.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q9vC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17d8a05d-1aaf-4e7d-ba29-296683fd7ea0_1200x1600.jpeg" width="556" height="741.3333333333334" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/17d8a05d-1aaf-4e7d-ba29-296683fd7ea0_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1600,&quot;width&quot;:1200,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:556,&quot;bytes&quot;:396902,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/193446427?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17d8a05d-1aaf-4e7d-ba29-296683fd7ea0_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q9vC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17d8a05d-1aaf-4e7d-ba29-296683fd7ea0_1200x1600.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q9vC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17d8a05d-1aaf-4e7d-ba29-296683fd7ea0_1200x1600.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q9vC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17d8a05d-1aaf-4e7d-ba29-296683fd7ea0_1200x1600.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!q9vC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F17d8a05d-1aaf-4e7d-ba29-296683fd7ea0_1200x1600.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>&#8203;</p><p><strong>Until humanness descends </strong>and I am propelled into the complex mazes of the mind, swimming in self-defeating spirals. Colleagues at work project their unprocessed wounds onto me, friends fail to reciprocate my love and parents forget that I am no longer a child. My attention becomes hijacked and taken into the web of my fragile ego until life in the domain of the self is the only life I know.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p><strong>Then spaciousness descends.</strong> Until a moment in the refuge of nothingness opens a doorway for me to meet the wisdom and in one breath, I am whole again.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>The pathway took me many years to understand. Something clicked when I stopped needing to understand it. When I stopped forcing it to fit it into a neat process, a step-by-step formula, a rigid framework, guaranteed to take me there. Something clicked when I realised the wisdom was never absent. <strong>It was I who was simply not listening.</strong></p><p>&#8203;</p><p>Now I make listening my sport.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>Now I weave listening into each fluctuation of life. I resigned from my rigid routines and returned the power to the wisdom. I turned my attention away from the voice of my individual self and sent it into the skies. <strong>I took my attention away from the confines of my individual identity and expanded into the subtleties. </strong>Here, I found I would always be met with a gentle nudge guiding me to the next word, to the next step, to the next dimension.</p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNhz!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F188a36a1-725a-4eb2-9ab9-8e701542f676_1200x1600.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNhz!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F188a36a1-725a-4eb2-9ab9-8e701542f676_1200x1600.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNhz!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F188a36a1-725a-4eb2-9ab9-8e701542f676_1200x1600.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNhz!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F188a36a1-725a-4eb2-9ab9-8e701542f676_1200x1600.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNhz!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F188a36a1-725a-4eb2-9ab9-8e701542f676_1200x1600.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNhz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F188a36a1-725a-4eb2-9ab9-8e701542f676_1200x1600.jpeg" width="614" height="818.6666666666666" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/188a36a1-725a-4eb2-9ab9-8e701542f676_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1600,&quot;width&quot;:1200,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:614,&quot;bytes&quot;:392255,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/193446427?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F188a36a1-725a-4eb2-9ab9-8e701542f676_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNhz!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F188a36a1-725a-4eb2-9ab9-8e701542f676_1200x1600.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNhz!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F188a36a1-725a-4eb2-9ab9-8e701542f676_1200x1600.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNhz!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F188a36a1-725a-4eb2-9ab9-8e701542f676_1200x1600.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xNhz!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F188a36a1-725a-4eb2-9ab9-8e701542f676_1200x1600.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>&#8203;</p><p>Today, everything I do is tailored to this conversation with the wisdom. When I wake up, what foods I eat, what information I consume and what people I give my energy to. <strong>I design my days to nourish my conversation with the subtle frequencies from beyond. </strong>My spare time is emptied. Every uninterrupted moment of solitude I open myself. I listen.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p><strong>When my human life beckons me, I arrive as both a soldier and a monk.</strong> Ready for a gentle battle. Fighting against consuming the noise with a blissful detachment. Meeting the enemy of the silence with a peaceful denial of my attention. I am an unmoving presence of non-judgmental witnessing. You will not kill my silence.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>I am still harnessing this skill. <strong>How to enter into a storm and remain unchanged by the turbulent conditions.</strong> Noise often enters but then I arrive home and I enter the stillness. In the stillness, the noise does not know how to survive and in time, I am emptied.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>In time, I am lost in the rhythm of the wisdom. At my desk with a candle flickering and tea brewing. I dissolve and the wisdom sings. I listen and the wisdom types. </p><p></p><p>Thank you for being here. </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The God Behind Closed Eyes]]></title><description><![CDATA[Yes you.]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-god-behind-closed-eyes</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-god-behind-closed-eyes</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:08:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HFB6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe1545b-c0ba-4085-bde7-6d6cf60b6663_736x736.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You may appear human on the outside.</p><p>But when you close your eyes and acquaint yourself with the you on the inside,</p><p>You will find yourself to be <strong>the God of an infinite world.</strong></p><p>&#8203;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mZpW!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a294b54-5c21-4d35-b54d-35e8a07c66be_640x905.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mZpW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a294b54-5c21-4d35-b54d-35e8a07c66be_640x905.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mZpW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a294b54-5c21-4d35-b54d-35e8a07c66be_640x905.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mZpW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a294b54-5c21-4d35-b54d-35e8a07c66be_640x905.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mZpW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a294b54-5c21-4d35-b54d-35e8a07c66be_640x905.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mZpW!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a294b54-5c21-4d35-b54d-35e8a07c66be_640x905.jpeg" width="344" height="486.4375" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5a294b54-5c21-4d35-b54d-35e8a07c66be_640x905.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:905,&quot;width&quot;:640,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:344,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman wearing a butterfly mask in black and white&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a woman wearing a butterfly mask in black and white" title="This may contain: a woman wearing a butterfly mask in black and white" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mZpW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a294b54-5c21-4d35-b54d-35e8a07c66be_640x905.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mZpW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a294b54-5c21-4d35-b54d-35e8a07c66be_640x905.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mZpW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a294b54-5c21-4d35-b54d-35e8a07c66be_640x905.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mZpW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a294b54-5c21-4d35-b54d-35e8a07c66be_640x905.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>Within the walls of your internal self, you host a vast universe, a realm of infinite intelligence. If you want to truly know who you are, then you must understand that you are not just a human.</p><p><em><strong>You are awareness orchestrating a universe.</strong></em></p><p>You may play the human in the external world, with your friends and family, but when you meet the emptiness within, it is time to play God.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>If you don&#8217;t harness your inner agency and claim your power over your internal reality, something else will and it won&#8217;t have your best interests at heart.</p><p></p><div class="pullquote"><p>Place your attention within and tune into the sense of being <em>here</em>, as you are, in this moment.</p><p>Sense your ability to hold the entirety of your being in the container of your awareness.</p><p>Then bring the presence of an all-knowing, powerful God consciousness.</p><p>What would you like to change?</p></div><p></p><p>When you <strong>connect with the power behind your awareness, channel the creative powers of your intention and direct it towards making inner adjustments and improvements</strong>, you may claim the role of God in your internal universe.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>Don&#8217;t breeze over this task. It is not easy and there are many forces in your external environment that seek to severely limit your ability to do this.</p><p>Remember that this is well within your capacity and it can be trained; it should be trained.</p><p>&#8203;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HFB6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe1545b-c0ba-4085-bde7-6d6cf60b6663_736x736.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HFB6!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe1545b-c0ba-4085-bde7-6d6cf60b6663_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HFB6!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe1545b-c0ba-4085-bde7-6d6cf60b6663_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HFB6!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe1545b-c0ba-4085-bde7-6d6cf60b6663_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HFB6!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe1545b-c0ba-4085-bde7-6d6cf60b6663_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HFB6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe1545b-c0ba-4085-bde7-6d6cf60b6663_736x736.jpeg" width="452" height="452" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cfe1545b-c0ba-4085-bde7-6d6cf60b6663_736x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:736,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:452,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a black and white photo of a woman's face with the moon above her head&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a black and white photo of a woman's face with the moon above her head" title="This may contain: a black and white photo of a woman's face with the moon above her head" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HFB6!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe1545b-c0ba-4085-bde7-6d6cf60b6663_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HFB6!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe1545b-c0ba-4085-bde7-6d6cf60b6663_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HFB6!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe1545b-c0ba-4085-bde7-6d6cf60b6663_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HFB6!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe1545b-c0ba-4085-bde7-6d6cf60b6663_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>From this seat of steady awareness and precise intention, you may begin to orchestrate your inner universe. You design the rules, choose the flavours and dictate the tides. You cultivate the conditions for life in your galaxies to thrive. Your breath the wind, your emotions the water, your body the earth, your love is the fire and together they birth miracles.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>So try it. </p><p>Sit in it. </p><p>Sink into the ibis of your inner universe and declare your presence. Clean up the mess of a Godless universe. Take back control of the automatic patterns you set while you were not looking. Tune into the rhythm of the rivers and the seas and bring harmony to the currents of your being. Let the dark corners of your exiled selves feel the warm rays of your acceptance. Visit the zones of mental conflict and allow no thoughts to take sides until all troops are working towards a unified vision.</p><p>&#8203;</p><h3>This is a non-human process. </h3><p>This is an exchange between you and the forces of the domains of your higher intelligence. You may not <em>know</em> in theory how to do this. You don&#8217;t need to. You only need to listen and the forces of your Soul will guide you. You only need to enter into this state of awareness and surrender yourself as a current to the intelligence that will do it all for you.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>Meet the ebbs and flows of your internal universe and study them. Let them tell you how to restore harmony and alchemise pain. Ultimately, this voyage is not only incognisable by the human mind but also indescribable using the limited device of the human language. </p><p><strong>I can only borrow images from the wind and the waters in the hopes it may spark an internal remembrance that connects you with your innate Godlike powers. </strong></p><p>This is a voyage into the currents of your consciousness. An education in the complexities of your inner landscape. An exchange between the cosmic ingredients of your Soul. A conversation between the many Gods and Goddesses of your inner world.</p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VIEa!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F239841f7-bcaf-4a6e-8539-1c4df37f88d4_736x736.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VIEa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F239841f7-bcaf-4a6e-8539-1c4df37f88d4_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VIEa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F239841f7-bcaf-4a6e-8539-1c4df37f88d4_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VIEa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F239841f7-bcaf-4a6e-8539-1c4df37f88d4_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VIEa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F239841f7-bcaf-4a6e-8539-1c4df37f88d4_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VIEa!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F239841f7-bcaf-4a6e-8539-1c4df37f88d4_736x736.jpeg" width="447" height="447" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/239841f7-bcaf-4a6e-8539-1c4df37f88d4_736x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:736,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:447,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: an image of a woman sitting in the middle of a lotus pose with her hands together&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: an image of a woman sitting in the middle of a lotus pose with her hands together" title="This may contain: an image of a woman sitting in the middle of a lotus pose with her hands together" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VIEa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F239841f7-bcaf-4a6e-8539-1c4df37f88d4_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VIEa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F239841f7-bcaf-4a6e-8539-1c4df37f88d4_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VIEa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F239841f7-bcaf-4a6e-8539-1c4df37f88d4_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VIEa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F239841f7-bcaf-4a6e-8539-1c4df37f88d4_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>&#8203;</p><p></p><p>So put down your phone, close your eyes and start reclaiming the forces of your internal world from those who do not want you in power. Step into the vast dimension of your consciousness and bring a divine order to the rhythm of your being.</p><p>Yes, it is possible, it just takes <strong>a daily devotional practice</strong> of stepping into the shoes of your inner God.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>Enjoy the dance, rejoice in your homecoming as the God of your very own universe. </p><p>Delight in designing a reality that nourishes and ignites you. </p><p>Cultivate a realm that can stand any storm and survive any war. </p><p>Dig wells of infinite love and clear the internal pathways to your infinite genius.</p><p>This game is yours to define, <em><strong>this God is you to become.</strong></em></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Writing Altar]]></title><description><![CDATA[A devotion to the art of finding words]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/why-i-write</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/why-i-write</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:29:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6kgC!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9154acfb-fbb6-4f3b-b7e4-3c1643579e80_500x500.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><em>What a blessing it is for your days to be infused with a pull to the writing altar. </em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>To be unable to silence the stories singing from within, to be unwilling to ignore the poetry begging to be performed. </em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>In this post I write about the daily devotion to returning to the writing altar.</em></p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DC_n!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F128252f6-4229-4caf-9a05-54813b9e31df_375x522.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DC_n!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F128252f6-4229-4caf-9a05-54813b9e31df_375x522.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DC_n!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F128252f6-4229-4caf-9a05-54813b9e31df_375x522.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DC_n!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F128252f6-4229-4caf-9a05-54813b9e31df_375x522.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DC_n!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F128252f6-4229-4caf-9a05-54813b9e31df_375x522.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DC_n!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F128252f6-4229-4caf-9a05-54813b9e31df_375x522.jpeg" width="375" height="522" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/128252f6-4229-4caf-9a05-54813b9e31df_375x522.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:522,&quot;width&quot;:375,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: an old photo of a woman standing behind stacks of books&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: an old photo of a woman standing behind stacks of books" title="This may contain: an old photo of a woman standing behind stacks of books" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DC_n!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F128252f6-4229-4caf-9a05-54813b9e31df_375x522.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DC_n!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F128252f6-4229-4caf-9a05-54813b9e31df_375x522.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DC_n!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F128252f6-4229-4caf-9a05-54813b9e31df_375x522.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!DC_n!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F128252f6-4229-4caf-9a05-54813b9e31df_375x522.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><blockquote><h3>Writing is an activity that swells my spare time with an exchange with the Divine and I just could not live without it.  </h3></blockquote><p></p><p>I see being a writer as a way of living. Defined not by book sales but by your devotion to return to your desk and serve the words begging to birthed on the page. To be a writer is to write <em>for life</em>. Not for your career and not for money. But for no reason other than to live a writing life.</p><p>To produce a body of written work not in the hopes that it sells or spreads like wildfire, but simply because you cannot not write. Much like a mother cannot avoid childbirth once the seed is planted, a writer cannot avoid writing once they answer the call.</p><p>A call I believe is available to us all. <strong>To be an instrument of the whispers in the winds, a translator of the echoes in the silence, a conduit of stories untold.</strong></p><p>Once we respond, we are given our book, our poem or our essay. We are given an affinity towards our subject matter and appointed forces in the wind to whisper wisdom into our minds as we sit down to write.</p><p>Once we write, with vigour and with passion, we are held in the waves of wordless wonders wishing to be weaved into untold stories. We pull out our chair, we sit down and we begin. We leave the world behind to enter into another. <strong>We leave the human aside and dissolve into a writer.</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Rj9l!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9cecb8-3613-4792-a088-8270d149c7d3_600x736.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Rj9l!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9cecb8-3613-4792-a088-8270d149c7d3_600x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Rj9l!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9cecb8-3613-4792-a088-8270d149c7d3_600x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Rj9l!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9cecb8-3613-4792-a088-8270d149c7d3_600x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Rj9l!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9cecb8-3613-4792-a088-8270d149c7d3_600x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Rj9l!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9cecb8-3613-4792-a088-8270d149c7d3_600x736.jpeg" width="420" height="515.2" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/df9cecb8-3613-4792-a088-8270d149c7d3_600x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:736,&quot;width&quot;:600,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:420,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman sitting at a desk with papers all over the floor and in front of her&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a woman sitting at a desk with papers all over the floor and in front of her" title="This may contain: a woman sitting at a desk with papers all over the floor and in front of her" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Rj9l!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9cecb8-3613-4792-a088-8270d149c7d3_600x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Rj9l!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9cecb8-3613-4792-a088-8270d149c7d3_600x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Rj9l!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9cecb8-3613-4792-a088-8270d149c7d3_600x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Rj9l!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdf9cecb8-3613-4792-a088-8270d149c7d3_600x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>We may never know what comes out. The good ones don&#8217;t need to. The really good ones know <em>it is not their job to know</em>. They know they are but a vessel. They are a dutiful translator of the wisdom not yet organised. Birthing meaning into digestible story lines, poetic fairy tales and spell breaking paragraphs. <strong>They know the material is not theirs to claim but simply theirs to put on a page.</strong></p><p>So we return, time and time again, to the writing altar. I like mine facing a window that overlooks a tree, any tree, so long as it has leaves. I like to arrive early, before the world has arrived to chase another day of mundane chaos. A pot of tea simmering and candle flickering in my peripheral vision.</p><p>I don&#8217;t arrive with a plan but only a promise. A promise to listen to where I am led to write. To follow the force that plays out the meaning behind the words I am choosing. Like watching an invisible movie, or listening to a silent story, I simply follow a subtle knowing, showing me what to write.</p><p>It took me years to realise it was not me who was writing. It took me several more to realise this was a very good thing. When I needed it to be me who did the writing, I needed myself to <em>want</em> to write. To be <em>able</em> to write, to focus well and come up with good ideas. <strong>Now I only need myself to turn up, get out of the way and listen.</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6kgC!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9154acfb-fbb6-4f3b-b7e4-3c1643579e80_500x500.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6kgC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9154acfb-fbb6-4f3b-b7e4-3c1643579e80_500x500.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6kgC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9154acfb-fbb6-4f3b-b7e4-3c1643579e80_500x500.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6kgC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9154acfb-fbb6-4f3b-b7e4-3c1643579e80_500x500.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6kgC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9154acfb-fbb6-4f3b-b7e4-3c1643579e80_500x500.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6kgC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9154acfb-fbb6-4f3b-b7e4-3c1643579e80_500x500.jpeg" width="500" height="500" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9154acfb-fbb6-4f3b-b7e4-3c1643579e80_500x500.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:500,&quot;width&quot;:500,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman sitting at a desk with an old typewriter in front of her and papers on the table&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a woman sitting at a desk with an old typewriter in front of her and papers on the table" title="This may contain: a woman sitting at a desk with an old typewriter in front of her and papers on the table" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6kgC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9154acfb-fbb6-4f3b-b7e4-3c1643579e80_500x500.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6kgC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9154acfb-fbb6-4f3b-b7e4-3c1643579e80_500x500.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6kgC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9154acfb-fbb6-4f3b-b7e4-3c1643579e80_500x500.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6kgC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9154acfb-fbb6-4f3b-b7e4-3c1643579e80_500x500.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>It feels like a blessing to <em>want</em> to write. Not because I want to sell books, read poems to crowds or get paid for published articles. Because I know that for as long as I continue to arrive at the writing altar, there will be a force in the wind waiting to carry me. I know that no matter the turbulence of my human existence, I have somewhere I can go to dissolve. I have a pathway to meet creation.</p><p>I have stories, poems and essays begging to be born into the world of words. <strong>They cannot guarantee me employment but what they guarantee me is the sacred company of a story unraveling or a poem finding its rhythm.</strong> As I write I don&#8217;t just fall in love with the way words fall on the page, I fall in love with the story I meet as I type. I don&#8217;t just dissolve into the words, I dissolve into a world that nourishes my Soul.</p><p><strong>I hope that every writer knows that this is the true gift of a writing life.</strong> To get to meet the poetry before anyone else. To get to be chosen by the untold stories. To get to dissolve into the world where soft nudges of wise forces show you where your writing will go.</p><h4>I don&#8217;t write to accumulate readers, accomplishments or accolades. <strong>I write to be a writer and to get to go where writers go to get their words.</strong></h4><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/why-i-write?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/why-i-write?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Devotion to the Diary]]></title><description><![CDATA[How writing in a diary changed me]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/my-love-affair-with-my-pen-and-paper</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/my-love-affair-with-my-pen-and-paper</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 17 Jan 2026 12:23:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y8g4!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F135df192-e831-4efb-aed6-e7e863a2b1ef_1200x1600.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today I let you peep inside my treasure chest.  </p><p>Below you will see a lifetime of journals. </p><p>In this post I let you read them. </p><p>In this post I tell how writing in a diary changed me.  </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-uN1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff698c71-248b-4ec5-846c-c6a83a842c71_1200x1600.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-uN1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff698c71-248b-4ec5-846c-c6a83a842c71_1200x1600.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-uN1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff698c71-248b-4ec5-846c-c6a83a842c71_1200x1600.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-uN1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff698c71-248b-4ec5-846c-c6a83a842c71_1200x1600.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-uN1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff698c71-248b-4ec5-846c-c6a83a842c71_1200x1600.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-uN1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff698c71-248b-4ec5-846c-c6a83a842c71_1200x1600.jpeg" width="465" height="620" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ff698c71-248b-4ec5-846c-c6a83a842c71_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1600,&quot;width&quot;:1200,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:465,&quot;bytes&quot;:347639,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/183351800?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff698c71-248b-4ec5-846c-c6a83a842c71_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-uN1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff698c71-248b-4ec5-846c-c6a83a842c71_1200x1600.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-uN1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff698c71-248b-4ec5-846c-c6a83a842c71_1200x1600.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-uN1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff698c71-248b-4ec5-846c-c6a83a842c71_1200x1600.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-uN1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff698c71-248b-4ec5-846c-c6a83a842c71_1200x1600.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Subscribe to read my diary</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>I was a problematic child. My emotions were bigger than my parents&#8217; patients and my personality was the bane of my brother&#8217;s life. When my family had enough of me they would give me a pen and paper. Peace would soon descend. From a young age, I developed a love for escaping the world by opening my notebook and letting it take me away. </p><p>While kids played hide and seek in the school playground I found quiet corners to draw pictures and write stories. Toy shops were uninteresting while office supply stores were my heaven. My parents would react with dread whenever we passed a stationary shop because they knew there was no way I was not going inside.</p><p>As a child I used writing to document my favourite movies, my best friends, my first kiss. July 21nd 2007, unknown boy in teenage disco. When I reached my early twenties I began to exercise my reflective muscles for the first time in my life. I was studying abroad in France. Having left my habitual environment for the first time I began to see things from a different perspective. </p><p>I began to see myself. </p><p>I was <em>horrified</em>. </p><p>Reflecting through journalling revealed a character I was not content in continuing to play.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f6O1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc996bc1e-816f-4a01-a974-5b75d2966c46_1200x1600.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f6O1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc996bc1e-816f-4a01-a974-5b75d2966c46_1200x1600.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f6O1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc996bc1e-816f-4a01-a974-5b75d2966c46_1200x1600.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f6O1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc996bc1e-816f-4a01-a974-5b75d2966c46_1200x1600.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f6O1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc996bc1e-816f-4a01-a974-5b75d2966c46_1200x1600.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f6O1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc996bc1e-816f-4a01-a974-5b75d2966c46_1200x1600.jpeg" width="408" height="544" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c996bc1e-816f-4a01-a974-5b75d2966c46_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1600,&quot;width&quot;:1200,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:408,&quot;bytes&quot;:287354,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/183351800?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc996bc1e-816f-4a01-a974-5b75d2966c46_1200x1600.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f6O1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc996bc1e-816f-4a01-a974-5b75d2966c46_1200x1600.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f6O1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc996bc1e-816f-4a01-a974-5b75d2966c46_1200x1600.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f6O1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc996bc1e-816f-4a01-a974-5b75d2966c46_1200x1600.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!f6O1!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc996bc1e-816f-4a01-a974-5b75d2966c46_1200x1600.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>
      <p>
          <a href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/my-love-affair-with-my-pen-and-paper">
              Read more
          </a>
      </p>
   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Artificial War on Divine Intelligence]]></title><description><![CDATA[The battle beyond the veil]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-artificial-war-on-divine-intelligence</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-artificial-war-on-divine-intelligence</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 08:13:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_wr-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b36b394-4c98-46b9-9ff4-e2221561db6c_735x540.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><em>We live in a world where the artificial is intelligent and the Divine is woo woo.</em></p><p>We consult bots before our hearts and the voices on screens have become the voice of God. Robots are replacing relationships and social media is replacing our ability to socialize. We should be able to sit with ourselves, connect with our higher selves and access a wisdom more potent than any algorithm. </p><p>In the era of artificial intelligence, digital domination and technological advancement, our connection to our Spiritual intelligence is in great danger.</p><p><strong>The artificial can never replace our inherent wisdom but it can distract us from it until we forget it is there.</strong> </p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_wr-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b36b394-4c98-46b9-9ff4-e2221561db6c_735x540.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_wr-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b36b394-4c98-46b9-9ff4-e2221561db6c_735x540.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_wr-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b36b394-4c98-46b9-9ff4-e2221561db6c_735x540.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_wr-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b36b394-4c98-46b9-9ff4-e2221561db6c_735x540.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_wr-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b36b394-4c98-46b9-9ff4-e2221561db6c_735x540.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_wr-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b36b394-4c98-46b9-9ff4-e2221561db6c_735x540.jpeg" width="646" height="474.61224489795916" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5b36b394-4c98-46b9-9ff4-e2221561db6c_735x540.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:540,&quot;width&quot;:735,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:646,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_wr-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b36b394-4c98-46b9-9ff4-e2221561db6c_735x540.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_wr-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b36b394-4c98-46b9-9ff4-e2221561db6c_735x540.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_wr-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b36b394-4c98-46b9-9ff4-e2221561db6c_735x540.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_wr-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b36b394-4c98-46b9-9ff4-e2221561db6c_735x540.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>No matter how intelligent our technology becomes, there is nothing more important than the intelligence of nature. The force that organizes our reality to prosper and thrive while being breathtakingly beautiful. The complexity, the interconnectedness and the harmony of our natural environment is a biological phenomenon that we get to live in the presence of. Infused into this web is an intelligence that innately knows how to survive. A force that autonomously grows into its highest potential, adapts to harsh conditions and blossoms into a creation of pure beauty.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>This mysterious force of intelligence that guides our natural reality is also within our human vessel. We too possess a network of intelligence that infuses our cells with a knowing of how to grow, heal and thrive. <strong>Not only do we get to live amongst nature, we also get to be it.</strong> We get to exist within close proximity of trees and we get to live within the miracle of a human body. We get to watch as the force of nature moves through us, changing us and moulding us as life unfolds.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>This intelligence is not only shaping our skin and bones. This intelligence is also the subtle essence that sits silently in the echoes of our heart, breathing a sense of knowing into our Soul. As we inhabit a human body, we sit as a light of the Divine. <strong>The same presence that infuses the cell with a knowing of how to grow is the same presence that infuses the human with a knowing of who to be.</strong></p><p>&#8203;</p><p>You may ask why we feel so lost as a species if a network of Divine intelligence is inbuilt within our being? To that, I would highlight the plight of the artificial and how <strong>there has been a war on our connection to the Divine long before artificial intelligence had a name.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kCsR!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fed14ec58-23c9-485d-9572-6f11a135eaa4_450x540.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kCsR!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fed14ec58-23c9-485d-9572-6f11a135eaa4_450x540.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kCsR!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fed14ec58-23c9-485d-9572-6f11a135eaa4_450x540.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kCsR!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fed14ec58-23c9-485d-9572-6f11a135eaa4_450x540.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kCsR!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fed14ec58-23c9-485d-9572-6f11a135eaa4_450x540.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kCsR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fed14ec58-23c9-485d-9572-6f11a135eaa4_450x540.jpeg" width="350" height="420" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ed14ec58-23c9-485d-9572-6f11a135eaa4_450x540.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:540,&quot;width&quot;:450,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:350,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Story pin image&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Story pin image" title="Story pin image" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kCsR!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fed14ec58-23c9-485d-9572-6f11a135eaa4_450x540.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kCsR!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fed14ec58-23c9-485d-9572-6f11a135eaa4_450x540.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kCsR!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fed14ec58-23c9-485d-9572-6f11a135eaa4_450x540.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kCsR!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fed14ec58-23c9-485d-9572-6f11a135eaa4_450x540.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><blockquote><p>The artificial is anything that seeks to distort the natural rhythm of nature and interrupt your connection to the divine. It is not just the bots that give you therapy but also the chemicals in your food, the maps that show you the way home and the fluorescent light bulbs that throw off your circadian rhythm. </p></blockquote><p></p><p>The poison of the artificial is in our foods, our homes, our air as well as our minds and our Souls. Think of all the muscles in our brain that we no longer use because our phone stores our phone numbers and delivers our groceries. The same impact is occurring on the level of our Soul. As we give our attention to the voices on our screens and automatically allow their words be the source of our truth. As we fall asleep to TV shows, listen to podcasts as we cook and playlists as we walk past trees. We are allowing the artificial into our lives where silence belongs. <strong>We are giving more moments to the machine than to our Soul.</strong> We are allowing the artificial to become us and to move through us in the way only divine intelligence should.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>Not only does this expose us to becoming conditioned, programmed and weakened by our constant consumption of digital information, we are also simultaneously robbing ourselves of moments of divine connection. Connection to an intelligence that is greater than ourselves, greater than our minds can conceive and certainly greater than what a bot can offer.</p><p></p><p>Every time we reach for our phones instead of looking up to the sky. Every time we fill moments alone with digital distractions, fill our bodies with toxic chemicals and place a screen between the human sitting across from us. <strong>These are all moments where we could have met the divine but we turned to the machine.</strong> </p><p>We could be opening ourselves to receive subtle whispers, gentle nudges and the light behind each others eyes. Instead, we open ourselves to distraction, distortion and stimulation. <strong>We turn to a screen and give ourselves to the artificial when we could be fostering a connection with the divine intelligence within and all around us.</strong></p><p>&#8203;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QXJu!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde48780e-ecb0-47ef-9636-051b28a807c3_664x960.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QXJu!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde48780e-ecb0-47ef-9636-051b28a807c3_664x960.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QXJu!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde48780e-ecb0-47ef-9636-051b28a807c3_664x960.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QXJu!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde48780e-ecb0-47ef-9636-051b28a807c3_664x960.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QXJu!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde48780e-ecb0-47ef-9636-051b28a807c3_664x960.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QXJu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde48780e-ecb0-47ef-9636-051b28a807c3_664x960.jpeg" width="342" height="494.4578313253012" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/de48780e-ecb0-47ef-9636-051b28a807c3_664x960.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:960,&quot;width&quot;:664,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:342,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QXJu!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde48780e-ecb0-47ef-9636-051b28a807c3_664x960.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QXJu!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde48780e-ecb0-47ef-9636-051b28a807c3_664x960.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QXJu!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde48780e-ecb0-47ef-9636-051b28a807c3_664x960.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QXJu!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fde48780e-ecb0-47ef-9636-051b28a807c3_664x960.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-artificial-war-on-divine-intelligence?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-artificial-war-on-divine-intelligence?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><p>To be connected to the divine is a sacred yet fundamental aspect of being a human that is being taken from us. The act of cultivating a connection to and aligning our awareness with the intelligence that gave us life, that organizes our natural reality and inhabits our bones is no &#8216;woo-woo&#8217;, is it our nature. When this connection is active, a synchronization occurs that brings the mind, body and Soul into harmony. </p><blockquote><p>When the human holds within its awareness the presence of Spirit, the intelligence of the divine and a remembrance of their Soul, a radically different existence unfolds.</p></blockquote><p><strong>&#8203;</strong></p><p><strong>It is this connection that is under threat.</strong> This connection to an internal guidance system, an awareness of our inherent knowing of who we are and reverence to the forces in our environment that sustain our survival. </p><blockquote><p>The war is playing out on the battlefields of our attention, our awareness and our hearts. It hijacks our ability to sense the subtle, to read the unseen and receive the non-material. It corrupts our minds to be consumed by the trivial and our bodies to be addicted to chemicals.</p></blockquote><p>&#8203;</p><p>This is a war that locks the human out of their spiritual infrastructure and confines them to a limited sphere of awareness. A war that seeks to replace our connection with the Divine with an artificial, false and distorted representation of reality. The food we eat is not real food, the books we read are not real stories and the Gods we worship are certainly not real Gods. <strong>The way we live our life is not natural.</strong></p><p>&#8203;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pNLW!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f96141b-264a-4060-a73f-f37c25d4c721_500x651.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pNLW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f96141b-264a-4060-a73f-f37c25d4c721_500x651.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pNLW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f96141b-264a-4060-a73f-f37c25d4c721_500x651.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pNLW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f96141b-264a-4060-a73f-f37c25d4c721_500x651.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pNLW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f96141b-264a-4060-a73f-f37c25d4c721_500x651.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pNLW!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f96141b-264a-4060-a73f-f37c25d4c721_500x651.jpeg" width="344" height="447.888" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4f96141b-264a-4060-a73f-f37c25d4c721_500x651.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:651,&quot;width&quot;:500,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:344,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pNLW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f96141b-264a-4060-a73f-f37c25d4c721_500x651.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pNLW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f96141b-264a-4060-a73f-f37c25d4c721_500x651.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pNLW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f96141b-264a-4060-a73f-f37c25d4c721_500x651.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pNLW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f96141b-264a-4060-a73f-f37c25d4c721_500x651.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>This is a war that won&#8217;t end until you can sit with yourself. Until you can face the discomfort of the void and listen. Until you can wake up to your own inherent network of divine intelligence embedded into the fabric of your being and bring this guidance to the forefront of you daily movements. To cleanse the presence of the artificial and return to a reverence of the divine.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p><strong>The artificial cannot win in a world that is aware of its true nature.</strong> When we return to the organic way of living, the way we were designed to live. In service of our natural reality, in tune with the subtle forces and in connection with our hearts.</p><p>&#8203;</p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong>The artificial can never replace our inherent wisdom </strong></p><p><strong>but it can distract us from it until we forget it is there.</strong> </p></div><p></p><p>&#8203;</p><p>Do all you can to come into union with this natural rhythm, to create an inner harmony and cultivate a subtle exchange with the intelligence in the silence.</p><p>I can&#8217;t tell you how to do this. </p><p>I can only tell you to look within, clear the dust and you will be shown the way.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-artificial-war-on-divine-intelligence?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-artificial-war-on-divine-intelligence?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Our Innate Connection to Divine Intelligence ]]></title><description><![CDATA[An infinite network guidance awaits your prayer]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/divine-forces-at-your-finger-tips</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/divine-forces-at-your-finger-tips</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 15 Dec 2025 21:20:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PDDJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa57cb258-68ce-4541-b8ae-b999f63cc840_735x904.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Every morning I sit down with a pen and paper and my cup of coffee. I never know what I will write, until I begin. Often I write about a life event I am labouring through or an existential crisis I am attempting to deal with. Either way, I know that once my pen gets going it is very quickly not me who is writing. </em></p><p><em>I have done this practice for many years and I have come to see it as a means of opening myself up to waves of inherent wisdom that lay beyond the habitual grasp of my awareness. I see these waves as forces of higher intelligence that sit patiently, waiting to be called into action. These forces are available to us, to be harnessed through our art, our writing and our prayer. </em></p><p><em>This particular morning, I had a very interesting session that I will now share in this post:</em> </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Jo5!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6296038d-f254-44f5-a997-b6b772898b5d_3024x4032.heic" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Jo5!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6296038d-f254-44f5-a997-b6b772898b5d_3024x4032.heic 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Jo5!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6296038d-f254-44f5-a997-b6b772898b5d_3024x4032.heic 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Jo5!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6296038d-f254-44f5-a997-b6b772898b5d_3024x4032.heic 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Jo5!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6296038d-f254-44f5-a997-b6b772898b5d_3024x4032.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Jo5!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6296038d-f254-44f5-a997-b6b772898b5d_3024x4032.heic" width="464" height="618.5604395604396" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6296038d-f254-44f5-a997-b6b772898b5d_3024x4032.heic&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1941,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:464,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Jo5!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6296038d-f254-44f5-a997-b6b772898b5d_3024x4032.heic 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Jo5!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6296038d-f254-44f5-a997-b6b772898b5d_3024x4032.heic 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Jo5!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6296038d-f254-44f5-a997-b6b772898b5d_3024x4032.heic 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9Jo5!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6296038d-f254-44f5-a997-b6b772898b5d_3024x4032.heic 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>What if I told you that forces beyond your conscious awareness are supporting your existence on Earth? Could you have faith and trust this without needing to understand how exactly this is possible? </p><p>Because I promise you, if you open yourself to receive a little support from these forces of divine origin you won&#8217;t be disappointed. If you allow the echos of light to move through you, choose through you and speak through you, you are likely to be left in awe of what you are truly capable of. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PDDJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa57cb258-68ce-4541-b8ae-b999f63cc840_735x904.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PDDJ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa57cb258-68ce-4541-b8ae-b999f63cc840_735x904.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PDDJ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa57cb258-68ce-4541-b8ae-b999f63cc840_735x904.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PDDJ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa57cb258-68ce-4541-b8ae-b999f63cc840_735x904.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PDDJ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa57cb258-68ce-4541-b8ae-b999f63cc840_735x904.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PDDJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa57cb258-68ce-4541-b8ae-b999f63cc840_735x904.jpeg" width="394" height="484.5931972789116" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a57cb258-68ce-4541-b8ae-b999f63cc840_735x904.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:904,&quot;width&quot;:735,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:394,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: black and white photograph of a woman with her hand on the face of a statue&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: black and white photograph of a woman with her hand on the face of a statue" title="This may contain: black and white photograph of a woman with her hand on the face of a statue" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PDDJ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa57cb258-68ce-4541-b8ae-b999f63cc840_735x904.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PDDJ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa57cb258-68ce-4541-b8ae-b999f63cc840_735x904.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PDDJ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa57cb258-68ce-4541-b8ae-b999f63cc840_735x904.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PDDJ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa57cb258-68ce-4541-b8ae-b999f63cc840_735x904.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3>All you need is a little faith and a deep willingness to surrender. </h3><p>Employ your faith to bridge the gaps in your understanding. With faith, there is peace in not knowing. With faith you begin to sense that these forces know better than you than you and certainly the demands of your ego. These forces are pure light, uncorrupted and highly intelligent.</p><p>With this awareness, you will find <strong>a willingness to surrender control.</strong> </p><p>Surrender to these waves of intelligence and they will carry you through the journey of your evolution and elevate your expression as a human. This helping higher hand is always always available to you. <strong>It loves to be called upon, to be welcomed into your being and to be channeled through you as a conduit.</strong></p><p></p><p>It is as simple a soft beckoning in your being, a heartfelt longing to bring forward the waves of a higher knowing. Or a convicted cry for a wave to carry you when you are blind. In the echos of your desires, in the ripples of your prayers, in the lands of your faith, miracles happen. <strong>Words land from the skies, doomed doors open and guests arrive with keys to new adventures.</strong> </p><blockquote><p>It all depends how you sing to the unseen layers of life. How your inner waters wash through you and who they deliver in their currents. What rhythm beats within and what it wakes up with its vibrations. </p></blockquote><p><strong>This is the language of the intelligence from beyond.</strong> Words are sent like waves of light, shaped by thought, intention and the hidden hymns of the shadows. The quality of your awareness, the precision in your prayers, the depth of your surrender and the power of your faith determines how you interact with this network of divine intelligence <em>- and how well your human is able to call upon the magic of these forces.</em></p><p></p><h3>How are your inner operations?</h3><p>Your inner operations are in constant communication with the fabric of your existence. Behind the walls of your external shell runs a complex network of consciousness collaborating across dimensions. <strong>What goes unnoticed still goes into the ether.</strong> What you meet with your awareness, attention and heart-centred intention goes into the higher realms. </p><p>This is when the divine listens. When you infuse your existence with the light of your awareness and charge the thoughts in your head with the vibrations of your heart, you begin to speak with higher intelligence.</p><blockquote><p>So speak to the unseen through vibration, move through your inner lands with intention and think as if your speaking to a guru. Live like you are praying in every moment, <em>because you are.</em>  </p></blockquote><p>If you are a modern human, it is likely your inner operations will require some upgrades. <strong>You&#8217;ll likely have to clean up after a life lived without looking within</strong>. And that is ok. This is what we are here to do. To clear the cobwebs we inherited and revive the soul we came from. </p><p>So no time like the present to tune in and tune your instrument to play in harmony with the Divine. Think of what occupies your mind and consider what moves your soul. What controls your attention and what influences your energy? Think of what underlying forces operate your being and ask, <strong>is there room for the divine to be called upon?</strong> </p><p>Is there space for the light to flow through me? Are the conditions set for the intelligence of my Soul to speak to me? Or am I too consumed with matters of hatred greed and fear? </p><blockquote><p><strong>Is my mind too occupied with the concerns of the small self to realise the trivial and temporary nature of my identity?</strong> <strong>Am I too swayed by what is on the surface to tap into the infinite network of divine forces awaiting my prayer?</strong></p></blockquote><h3></h3><p>Life could be so much more interesting if we let go a little of needing to run the show on our own. If we tapped on the doors of the divine and had faith we would be heard. If we<strong> surrendered in devotion and conviction to the forces beyond our conscious awareness.</strong></p><blockquote><p>If our surrender to these forces became our way of being our human experience would be but the tip of the iceberg of this existence.</p></blockquote><p></p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e9hE!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f3aee72-3e06-422d-bd47-732071950377_736x981.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e9hE!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f3aee72-3e06-422d-bd47-732071950377_736x981.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e9hE!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f3aee72-3e06-422d-bd47-732071950377_736x981.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e9hE!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f3aee72-3e06-422d-bd47-732071950377_736x981.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e9hE!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f3aee72-3e06-422d-bd47-732071950377_736x981.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e9hE!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f3aee72-3e06-422d-bd47-732071950377_736x981.jpeg" width="394" height="525.1548913043479" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0f3aee72-3e06-422d-bd47-732071950377_736x981.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:981,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:394,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman's face with hair blowing in the wind&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a woman's face with hair blowing in the wind" title="This may contain: a woman's face with hair blowing in the wind" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e9hE!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f3aee72-3e06-422d-bd47-732071950377_736x981.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e9hE!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f3aee72-3e06-422d-bd47-732071950377_736x981.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e9hE!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f3aee72-3e06-422d-bd47-732071950377_736x981.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!e9hE!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0f3aee72-3e06-422d-bd47-732071950377_736x981.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>So how do we elevate the playing field of our existence?</strong> </h3><p>To surrender to the divine forces beyond our lens of conscious awareness and devote our human experience to being of service to this higher intelligence?</p><h3></h3><p>Firstly, <strong>we must recognise that the default mode of existence that has been encoded into the collective of humanity is one of great limitation.</strong> If left to our automatic ways our spirit will perish and our human will become fragmented from its Soul and disconnected from the realms of the divine. This means <strong>we are working against a current of consciousness that has a strong influence on the collective</strong> and is muting the human from connecting to the realms of spirit, the frequencies of light and our inherent awareness of the truth.</p><blockquote><p>This means we must take steps to free our consciousness from these currents, purge these patterns from our being and connect with the innate network of divine intelligence that is in built to the fabric of our Soul.</p></blockquote><p></p><p><strong>This is a radical reclamation of our energy, awareness and attention from being siphoned into mental structures that suppress us.</strong> This is a remembrance of the intelligence of our Soul and a reorientation to live in tune with this guidance instead of living from the fear of our egos.</p><p>This is about becoming attuned to the divine network of intelligence that is innate within you and then living in devotion to this guidance. <strong>When you engage it and nurture a relationship with it it will guide you. It will show you where you are not free. where your consciousness is trapped in false, limiting structures and you will be asked to let go.</strong> You won&#8217;t want to let go because it will feel like death but you must do it anyway. </p><p>You must be willing to see where you are feeding your own imprisonment and contributing to your own dysfunction and you must be willing to let it go. Let it be ripped from your grips no matter the discomfort. <strong>Trust that the fruit beyond the death will taste much sweeter than anything you can experience from within the walls of your suppression.</strong></p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tVW3!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0578010c-ea37-4e58-b3eb-0f74cf696482_320x508.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tVW3!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0578010c-ea37-4e58-b3eb-0f74cf696482_320x508.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tVW3!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0578010c-ea37-4e58-b3eb-0f74cf696482_320x508.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tVW3!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0578010c-ea37-4e58-b3eb-0f74cf696482_320x508.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tVW3!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0578010c-ea37-4e58-b3eb-0f74cf696482_320x508.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tVW3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0578010c-ea37-4e58-b3eb-0f74cf696482_320x508.jpeg" width="320" height="508" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0578010c-ea37-4e58-b3eb-0f74cf696482_320x508.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:508,&quot;width&quot;:320,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman standing in front of a doorway with her hands up&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a woman standing in front of a doorway with her hands up" title="This may contain: a woman standing in front of a doorway with her hands up" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tVW3!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0578010c-ea37-4e58-b3eb-0f74cf696482_320x508.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tVW3!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0578010c-ea37-4e58-b3eb-0f74cf696482_320x508.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tVW3!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0578010c-ea37-4e58-b3eb-0f74cf696482_320x508.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tVW3!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0578010c-ea37-4e58-b3eb-0f74cf696482_320x508.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>We operate within such a limited sphere of our potential. Our habitual ways of being often cultivate a shallow and unnecessarily painful existence. <strong>When we remain identified with our individual identity and accept that is all there is within us, we leave so much power on the table. </strong>When we open ourselves up to being guided by something greater than ourselves we begin to see that what we are truly capable of. </p><p>When we need an answer to a provoking question, a witty comeback to a smart joke or a new idea to save a creative project we can pull upon forces beyond our frame of awareness. We can call for strength when we feel weak, patience when we feel on the brink and confidence when we feel small. <strong>When we need to see the truth buried beneath our delusions we can pray to be shown what is real. </strong></p><p>We can tune into the network of divine intelligence to pull us from our limiting cycles and wash us from what is not truly us. We can restore a sense of harmony, revitalise our Spirit and we can ask for non-human support. </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p></p><h3>You cannot do it alone. </h3><p>Nor do you have to. Forces of divine intelligence beyond your conscious awareness are available to work with you. Have faith in them, pray to them and welcome their pure light into your being and let it turn all that is not you into dust. Awaken this network of intelligence within you and surrender to its guidance. <strong>Let it show you the way back to your soul, to your light, to the truth.</strong></p><p></p><p>So nurture your awareness, tune into your light and pray. Pray to be shown where you are feeding limited structures of consciousness and pray to be lifted from them. </p><p>Pray for <strong>a total reorientation towards the intelligence of your Soul.</strong></p><p>Pray to be shown the truth.</p><p>Pray from your heart and you will be heard. </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/divine-forces-at-your-finger-tips?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/divine-forces-at-your-finger-tips?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Medicine of Being]]></title><description><![CDATA[There's a palpable richness to the sensation of your existence and it can free you]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/i-wish-we-would-talk-about-being</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/i-wish-we-would-talk-about-being</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2025 14:07:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rMTj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cda5094-69ea-45df-b286-64ec563069ae_736x645.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Living in lazy rivers, sailing in line with the currents of our time, it would be foolish to swim in the opposite direction. Waters move in much the same way as our inner being. Currents of consciousness form the norms, carving a crevasse that informs our behavior and erodes a pathway for our existence laid out generations before we arrive.</p><p> &#8203;</p><p><strong>We then fall in line and evolve to be not an expression of our Spirit but a well rehearsed river of habit.</strong> A river that does not question its direction but continues to follow a predetermined pathway, never attempting to question whether it is bound by any limitations.</p><p>&#8203;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZX0E!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3717829a-075e-4846-aa2f-b1e14a9f33c2_736x750.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZX0E!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3717829a-075e-4846-aa2f-b1e14a9f33c2_736x750.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZX0E!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3717829a-075e-4846-aa2f-b1e14a9f33c2_736x750.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZX0E!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3717829a-075e-4846-aa2f-b1e14a9f33c2_736x750.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZX0E!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3717829a-075e-4846-aa2f-b1e14a9f33c2_736x750.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZX0E!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3717829a-075e-4846-aa2f-b1e14a9f33c2_736x750.jpeg" width="436" height="444.29347826086956" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3717829a-075e-4846-aa2f-b1e14a9f33c2_736x750.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:750,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:436,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a yellow flower sticking out of the middle of a woman's face with her finger&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a yellow flower sticking out of the middle of a woman's face with her finger" title="This may contain: a yellow flower sticking out of the middle of a woman's face with her finger" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZX0E!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3717829a-075e-4846-aa2f-b1e14a9f33c2_736x750.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZX0E!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3717829a-075e-4846-aa2f-b1e14a9f33c2_736x750.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZX0E!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3717829a-075e-4846-aa2f-b1e14a9f33c2_736x750.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZX0E!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3717829a-075e-4846-aa2f-b1e14a9f33c2_736x750.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>It is one of my greatest joys and equally one of my greatest preoccupations of this existence to contemplate the nature of our being. <strong>The subtle sensation of existence that pervades all moments with a palpable richness yet we pay little attention to it.</strong> It is the force that gives us life, the light that infuses our cells and the power that fuels our bodies, yet nobody talks about it.</p><p>&#8203;</p><blockquote><p>Perhaps it is because we can&#8217;t see it, package it or put it in a marketing campaign so we let the light of an infinite intelligence that pulses through our veins fade into the background and then we wander around in the external world like headless chickens looking for meaning and purpose&#8230; You see my preoccupation.</p></blockquote><p>&#8203;</p><p>Prebuilt within the fabric of our nature as a human being, is the miraculous sensation of being. <strong>The human is only the wrapper.</strong> The juice is what is inhabiting the cells, beating the heart and breathing through the lungs. This invisible force of our being holds the keys, the codes, the gateways to infinite intelligence and we pay it absolutely no attention. I am horrified.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>I am utterly dumbfounded that as a society we would rather stare at over-stimulating screens, listening to under-stimulating conversations that drain our life force, instead of <strong>paying attention to the subtle essence of a force of God that beats infinitely within.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rMTj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cda5094-69ea-45df-b286-64ec563069ae_736x645.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rMTj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cda5094-69ea-45df-b286-64ec563069ae_736x645.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rMTj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cda5094-69ea-45df-b286-64ec563069ae_736x645.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rMTj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cda5094-69ea-45df-b286-64ec563069ae_736x645.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rMTj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cda5094-69ea-45df-b286-64ec563069ae_736x645.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rMTj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cda5094-69ea-45df-b286-64ec563069ae_736x645.jpeg" width="486" height="425.9103260869565" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0cda5094-69ea-45df-b286-64ec563069ae_736x645.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:645,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:486,&quot;bytes&quot;:115667,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Story pin image&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Story pin image" title="Story pin image" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rMTj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cda5094-69ea-45df-b286-64ec563069ae_736x645.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rMTj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cda5094-69ea-45df-b286-64ec563069ae_736x645.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rMTj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cda5094-69ea-45df-b286-64ec563069ae_736x645.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rMTj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0cda5094-69ea-45df-b286-64ec563069ae_736x645.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>&#8203;</p><h3>We have been duped. </h3><p>The river of our being has been hijacked and the current of our consciousness has been severely misguided to flow in directions that leave us hollow and hungry for external means of soothing our internal voids. We now, as a collective, flow like a lazy river, following a carved out path that distorts our sense of self, denies us our connection to the greater intelligence of our reality and <strong>distracts us from the truth that we are, in essence, a vibrant force of light that if given some attention can liberate us from the chains of our unnecessary suffering.</strong></p><p>&#8203;</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/i-wish-we-would-talk-about-being?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/i-wish-we-would-talk-about-being?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><blockquote><p>In other words, if we pay attention to our being, we can be free.</p></blockquote><p> &#8203;</p><p>I know it may seem trivial or like a superficial spiritual half-truth that lacks substance but I promise you it can be this simple. <strong>The freedom that comes from activating the circuits of your being is a Spiritual freedom. </strong>A freedom that liberates your consciousness from being trapped in loops of limiting behavioral patterns and operating within disharmonious mental structures. This is a liberation of trapped lifeforce and a reclamation of corrupted attention.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>When you pay attention to the being beyond the thinking, the essence awakening your existence, the pulsation of your liveliness, it grows. The being becomes the primary mode of existence and the demented mind takes a back seat. <strong>The being rises to the surface and reclaims your attention from the incessant streams of dysfunctional thinking.</strong> The waters of your being wash you from the delusions you worship that drain your light and limit the potential of your Spirit.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p><strong>When you pay attention to the being, you reinstate the natural order of your consciousness.</strong> You bring yourself back into harmony and you begin to taste the true essence of your essential nature and it is <strong>endlessly peaceful and utterly whole.</strong></p><p>&#8203;</p><h3>This is when the truth emerges. </h3><p>The truth that rises from a reacquaintance with the inbuilt intelligence stored in the essence of your being. A knowing of what is real, what it true, what is actually you. A clarity begins to emerge that comes from the purification of your internal waters as you drop into the depths of your being. This clarity reveals to you what has always been there, an infinite network of subtle intelligence, <strong>there has simply not been enough listening to the being.</strong></p><p>&#8203;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4M3K!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3fd3bee-35bc-4ded-a0a1-76cde4bcfd77_736x736.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4M3K!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3fd3bee-35bc-4ded-a0a1-76cde4bcfd77_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4M3K!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3fd3bee-35bc-4ded-a0a1-76cde4bcfd77_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4M3K!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3fd3bee-35bc-4ded-a0a1-76cde4bcfd77_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4M3K!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3fd3bee-35bc-4ded-a0a1-76cde4bcfd77_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4M3K!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3fd3bee-35bc-4ded-a0a1-76cde4bcfd77_736x736.jpeg" width="518" height="518" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d3fd3bee-35bc-4ded-a0a1-76cde4bcfd77_736x736.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:736,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:518,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a black and white photo of a person with a star on his face&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a black and white photo of a person with a star on his face" title="This may contain: a black and white photo of a person with a star on his face" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4M3K!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3fd3bee-35bc-4ded-a0a1-76cde4bcfd77_736x736.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4M3K!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3fd3bee-35bc-4ded-a0a1-76cde4bcfd77_736x736.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4M3K!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3fd3bee-35bc-4ded-a0a1-76cde4bcfd77_736x736.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4M3K!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd3fd3bee-35bc-4ded-a0a1-76cde4bcfd77_736x736.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>When this truth lands, <strong>it delivers you to your liberation.</strong> You are no longer fooled into thinking that whatever you are chasing outside of yourself is what will nourish and fulfil you. You are no longer manipulated by false narratives or consumed by agendas of fear and hate. You are not driven by short-term stimulation and egoic validation.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>You are aware of your innate wholeness and in tune with an infinite network of intelligence that resides in your being.</p><p>You are returning, <em>day by day</em>, to this place within you because you are practicing, <em>moment to moment</em>, to pay attention to the being.</p><p><em>So your being is growing and the truth is emerging.</em></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The War Beyond the Veil]]></title><description><![CDATA[While we quarrel with our neighbors, our Souls fight for remembrance.]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-war-beyond-the-veil</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-war-beyond-the-veil</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 30 Nov 2025 17:01:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5qfQ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5d58803-c4c9-4b67-ae0b-861b939bfe2b_450x567.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>While our minds are consumed in conflict between one another, our Souls are fighting a different war beneath the surface. </p><p>So long as we are held within a conflict of identities we will miss the true source of the battle. The battle of the fragmentation of our Souls and disconnection from Source.</p><p></p><h2>The False War of Identities</h2><p>Wars rage between two sides of the same coin while the real war lies beyond the veil of our individuality. <strong>The enemy is not the one standing on the other side of the line, waving a different flag and chanting a different song. The one true enemy is what is standing in between you and your connection to your Soul.</strong></p><p>Your Soul is your true life force, your true essence that acts as a bridge between you and the source. A self without a relationship with the Soul is a human without a connection to the truth. A home without electricity, a computer without WiFi. The Soul is the human&#8217;s navigation system and the intermediary that connects the human to the grid of infinite intelligence.</p><p>A human embodied in their Soul is alive with a knowing, a power and an energy emanating as a glow. <strong>A human connected to their Soul is connected to a source of intelligence, wisdom and guidance from beyond the dimension of the human.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5qfQ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5d58803-c4c9-4b67-ae0b-861b939bfe2b_450x567.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5qfQ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5d58803-c4c9-4b67-ae0b-861b939bfe2b_450x567.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5qfQ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5d58803-c4c9-4b67-ae0b-861b939bfe2b_450x567.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5qfQ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5d58803-c4c9-4b67-ae0b-861b939bfe2b_450x567.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5qfQ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5d58803-c4c9-4b67-ae0b-861b939bfe2b_450x567.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5qfQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5d58803-c4c9-4b67-ae0b-861b939bfe2b_450x567.jpeg" width="450" height="567" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b5d58803-c4c9-4b67-ae0b-861b939bfe2b_450x567.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:567,&quot;width&quot;:450,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: four women in swimsuits running on sand with an exploding object behind them,&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: four women in swimsuits running on sand with an exploding object behind them," title="This may contain: four women in swimsuits running on sand with an exploding object behind them," srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5qfQ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5d58803-c4c9-4b67-ae0b-861b939bfe2b_450x567.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5qfQ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5d58803-c4c9-4b67-ae0b-861b939bfe2b_450x567.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5qfQ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5d58803-c4c9-4b67-ae0b-861b939bfe2b_450x567.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5qfQ!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5d58803-c4c9-4b67-ae0b-861b939bfe2b_450x567.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><h3>The real war is between the human and the Soul. </h3><p>A Soul embodied is a human aware of their true nature, in touch with their true potential and aware of their true source. A Soul embodied is a sovereign being, their mind is not controlled by external noise and their energy not drained by external stimuli. A Soul embodied is connected to the true intelligence of our reality, lives in harmony with the laws of nature and is in service of the collective.</p><p></p><p><strong>You don&#8217;t need to look far for evidence in our society of efforts to disconnect us from our Soul. </strong>The constant noise that seeks to manipulate our attention and limit the state of our consciousness to the surface of our being. </p><p>Any effort that seeks to instil a sense of:</p><p>a.  fear and lack within our minds  </p><p>b. separation between humanity </p><p>is an effort to disconnect the human from their Soul. Now consider all the sources of these in our society.</p><p></p><p>Then consider the total absence of efforts to nourish your Spirituality, to fuel your connection with nature and connect you with the intelligence within. Have you ever wondered why our world is so noisy? Why our systems don&#8217;t seek to nourish us but seek to hock us and keep us addicted? Why organizations don&#8217;t serve us but bleed us dry and leave us with a sense of emptiness?</p><p>This is Spiritual suppression. </p><p><strong>Keep us distracted, numb and addicted so we can&#8217;t even sit for one minute with our eyes closed let alone go within for long enough that meet our Soul and awaken to the grid of infinite intelligence within.</strong> Keep us consumed in conflict between each other so we miss the true source of conflict within ourselves.</p><p></p><h3>This is the war beyond the veil. </h3><p>The subtle and silent war that holds our minds captive and disconnects us with the true source of intelligence that lies innately within our inner sphere. There is a reason we are so deeply conditioned not to look within, not to listen to our internal guidance and not to trust the inherent network of wisdom built into the fabric of our being. </p><p>This is to keep us separate from the intelligence in our Soul. <strong>An intelligence that would render us useless to those who want to enslave humans in capitalism and enlist humans in wars.</strong></p><p>So long as we are separate from our Soul we are separate from knowing the true nature of our being and being connected to our true source.<strong> So long as this connection is fragmented we are vulnerable to being corrupted by fear, hatred and greed.</strong> We are easily manipulated, controlled and suppressed. Then we imprison ourselves. We stay within the cages of our false limitations and volunteer to kill our neighbours on the grounds of a difference in belief.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tH6S!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cb61ea3-b119-4bb9-8962-21e4f132f161_250x304.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tH6S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cb61ea3-b119-4bb9-8962-21e4f132f161_250x304.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tH6S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cb61ea3-b119-4bb9-8962-21e4f132f161_250x304.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tH6S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cb61ea3-b119-4bb9-8962-21e4f132f161_250x304.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tH6S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cb61ea3-b119-4bb9-8962-21e4f132f161_250x304.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tH6S!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cb61ea3-b119-4bb9-8962-21e4f132f161_250x304.jpeg" width="416" height="505.856" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6cb61ea3-b119-4bb9-8962-21e4f132f161_250x304.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:304,&quot;width&quot;:250,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:416,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman in black shirt and shorts holding a white frisbee on top of a field&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a woman in black shirt and shorts holding a white frisbee on top of a field" title="This may contain: a woman in black shirt and shorts holding a white frisbee on top of a field" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tH6S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cb61ea3-b119-4bb9-8962-21e4f132f161_250x304.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tH6S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cb61ea3-b119-4bb9-8962-21e4f132f161_250x304.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tH6S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cb61ea3-b119-4bb9-8962-21e4f132f161_250x304.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tH6S!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cb61ea3-b119-4bb9-8962-21e4f132f161_250x304.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h3>Our Victory is in our Sovereignty</h3><p>To win this war we must each take responsibility to reclaim our Spiritual sovereignty. <strong>Free our minds from manipulation, our bodies from addiction and our attention from stimulation. </strong>We must recognize the corruption we allow to live within the walls of our inner world. Where we allow poison to live and parasites of hatred, greed and lack to feed from our energy. We must reclaim our minds and our energy from the outside world and create a connection to the one true reality, the one within. This is where the real conflict takes place. </p><blockquote><p>How easy for you is it to sit with yourself? The turmoil we feel when we sit still close our eyes is not normal, that is a human fragmented from their Soul.</p></blockquote><p>Time to resign the allegiance with the wars on the surface of our minds and realise our enemy is not the human who is different to us. <strong>Our enemy are the forces that seek to divide us, weaken us and disconnect us from our inherent Spiritual power. </strong>Do the work to free your mind and call your Soul home to your body then do nothing but surrender wholly to its intelligence.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-war-beyond-the-veil?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-war-beyond-the-veil?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tools to Train Your Attention]]></title><description><![CDATA[Protecting your greatest spiritual assest]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/tools-to-free-your-mind-2</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/tools-to-free-your-mind-2</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 23 Nov 2025 17:53:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1AAb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ffbff03-18d5-4cb2-8173-44b19fdec3a7_460x491.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3><strong>My previous post <a href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-imprisonment-of-the-modern-mind">&#8216;The Imprisonment of the Modern Mind,&#8217;</a> detailed a curious experience I had during the mysterious transition from sleep. </strong></h3><h3><strong>I described a vision where I was shown the presence of a false mental prison implanted into the minds of the collective.</strong></h3><p><strong>In this series, I offer tools to break free.</strong></p><p></p><p>If you have not read my previous post <strong><a href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-imprisonment-of-the-modern-mind">&#8216;The Imprisonment of the Modern Mind</a>&#8217;</strong>, it would be useful to do so before continuing, so you have an awareness of <strong>what to break free from</strong>.</p><p><a href="/__u/substack.com/@cathystapleton/p-174765771">The first tool I offered</a> was to <strong>become aware of the false mental prison</strong> and is a vital first step in your liberation.</p><p></p><h4><strong>This tool is about training your attention</strong> so you have the mental strength and focus to begin to dismantle the false barriers in your mind.</h4><p>If we were escaping from prison, you would make sure your body was in good shape to climb walls and run through fields. <strong>When escaping from a mental prison, we need strong focus and attention.</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1AAb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ffbff03-18d5-4cb2-8173-44b19fdec3a7_460x491.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1AAb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ffbff03-18d5-4cb2-8173-44b19fdec3a7_460x491.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1AAb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ffbff03-18d5-4cb2-8173-44b19fdec3a7_460x491.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1AAb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ffbff03-18d5-4cb2-8173-44b19fdec3a7_460x491.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1AAb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ffbff03-18d5-4cb2-8173-44b19fdec3a7_460x491.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1AAb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ffbff03-18d5-4cb2-8173-44b19fdec3a7_460x491.jpeg" width="460" height="491" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3ffbff03-18d5-4cb2-8173-44b19fdec3a7_460x491.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:491,&quot;width&quot;:460,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a man wearing a helmet made out of metal bars&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a man wearing a helmet made out of metal bars" title="This may contain: a man wearing a helmet made out of metal bars" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1AAb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ffbff03-18d5-4cb2-8173-44b19fdec3a7_460x491.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1AAb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ffbff03-18d5-4cb2-8173-44b19fdec3a7_460x491.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1AAb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ffbff03-18d5-4cb2-8173-44b19fdec3a7_460x491.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1AAb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3ffbff03-18d5-4cb2-8173-44b19fdec3a7_460x491.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Attention is the muscle that drives the vehicle of our mind. When we have weak attention, we can easily be enchanted by the catchy messaging and enticed by alluring images. Without grounded attention, we will give it away to the subtle forces designed to mould our minds beyond our conscious awareness. It is vital to take back control over where your attention goes and <strong>protect your mind from the forces that limit its perceptions, beliefs and understandings.</strong></p><p>A well primed, highly discerning, steady vehicle of attention is the vehicle to your liberation. You are focused on the task at hand and present in the moment. You are able to deny calls of distractions and the allure of temptations. You can receive information and assess its validity before letting it seep into you and control your thoughts and emotions. </p><blockquote><p>Your awareness is active and awake. You are not lost in the lazy river of the programmed reality; you are awake, in tune and in control of where your attention goes.</p></blockquote><p><strong>This state is cultivated over time</strong> with a diligent and devoted effort to protect your inner sphere from outside influence. This process is about waking up to your power to direct your attention and restrict where your attention and energy go. This will require a strong inward connection as well as the willingness to deny any external agents of the false matrix. </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>
      <p>
          <a href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/tools-to-free-your-mind-2">
              Read more
          </a>
      </p>
   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Darkness as a Portal to Power ]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the unraveling we must remember to use the flames to spark a return to truth]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/finding-power-in-times-of-darkness</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/finding-power-in-times-of-darkness</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 09 Nov 2025 17:58:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z3o_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8dbb3ce6-73d3-4c73-b058-c41cca35cbf4_736x542.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As I watch the world around me unravel under the weight of our hatred and greed, a deep grief washes over me.</p><p>As I close my eyes and become a student of the silence, a deep peace rises from within me. </p><p>This is my dance these days. <strong>I sway from being at a loss to what I see before me to being in awe of what I find within me.</strong> This is how I am coping, by closing my eyes and listening.</p><p>I am finding refuge from the external darkness in the internal void. Not as a means of escapism, but as a means of finding power, hope and a thread that <strong>connects me to a world beyond the one I see through my eyes, on the screens, in the headlines.</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z3o_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8dbb3ce6-73d3-4c73-b058-c41cca35cbf4_736x542.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z3o_!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8dbb3ce6-73d3-4c73-b058-c41cca35cbf4_736x542.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z3o_!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8dbb3ce6-73d3-4c73-b058-c41cca35cbf4_736x542.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z3o_!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8dbb3ce6-73d3-4c73-b058-c41cca35cbf4_736x542.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z3o_!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8dbb3ce6-73d3-4c73-b058-c41cca35cbf4_736x542.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z3o_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8dbb3ce6-73d3-4c73-b058-c41cca35cbf4_736x542.jpeg" width="736" height="542" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8dbb3ce6-73d3-4c73-b058-c41cca35cbf4_736x542.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:542,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:99499,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a man's face is shown in front of a waterfall with his hands over the water&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a man's face is shown in front of a waterfall with his hands over the water" title="This may contain: a man's face is shown in front of a waterfall with his hands over the water" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z3o_!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8dbb3ce6-73d3-4c73-b058-c41cca35cbf4_736x542.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z3o_!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8dbb3ce6-73d3-4c73-b058-c41cca35cbf4_736x542.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z3o_!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8dbb3ce6-73d3-4c73-b058-c41cca35cbf4_736x542.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z3o_!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8dbb3ce6-73d3-4c73-b058-c41cca35cbf4_736x542.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>My rage is not towards those who don&#8217;t think like me, don&#8217;t act like me, nor those who don&#8217;t look like me.</p><p>My rage burns towards those who have power and use it to separate and suppress those who don&#8217;t.</p><p>Those who control resources, control narratives and control minds. Time unfolds with another tragedy after another where we get to see the priorities of the people in power. We get to see that our voices, our needs and our struggles are of little concern to them.</p><p>The grief of the people is expressed and they are ignored. So their frustration erupts and they are labelled as the problem. Then greater division is planted into the people when <strong>the only divide that exists is in the divide of power.</strong></p><p>While I want to bury myself in this grief and continue to consume the information that fuels my rage, I know that this is the very path that will rob me of the only sense of inner power I still hold. There is a darkness in the external world that we can get drunk on. Stewing in the injustices and letting the poison of hate seep into our bones.</p><p><strong>Or we can recognize that our rebellion comes best served from people who refuse to bend to their efforts to control our minds with fear and hatred. </strong>This is how we remain weak and vulnerable to manipulation. This is how we remain distracted by conflict and miss the true source of the problem. We can become fuelled by hate or we can turn to a source of power that is infinitely more effective, <strong>the power of our light</strong>. </p><blockquote><p>Change will come when people become aware of their inner power and use it in service of a greater vision.</p></blockquote><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QV5Y!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96c53119-10bd-4cd7-bbed-6d140234d5ba_736x981.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QV5Y!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96c53119-10bd-4cd7-bbed-6d140234d5ba_736x981.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QV5Y!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96c53119-10bd-4cd7-bbed-6d140234d5ba_736x981.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QV5Y!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96c53119-10bd-4cd7-bbed-6d140234d5ba_736x981.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QV5Y!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96c53119-10bd-4cd7-bbed-6d140234d5ba_736x981.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QV5Y!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96c53119-10bd-4cd7-bbed-6d140234d5ba_736x981.jpeg" width="404" height="538.4836956521739" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/96c53119-10bd-4cd7-bbed-6d140234d5ba_736x981.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:981,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:404,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman laying on top of a body of water next to an ocean under a cloudy sky&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman laying on top of a body of water next to an ocean under a cloudy sky&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a woman laying on top of a body of water next to an ocean under a cloudy sky" title="This may contain: a woman laying on top of a body of water next to an ocean under a cloudy sky" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QV5Y!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96c53119-10bd-4cd7-bbed-6d140234d5ba_736x981.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QV5Y!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96c53119-10bd-4cd7-bbed-6d140234d5ba_736x981.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QV5Y!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96c53119-10bd-4cd7-bbed-6d140234d5ba_736x981.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QV5Y!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96c53119-10bd-4cd7-bbed-6d140234d5ba_736x981.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Not a superficial, surface level sense of light that seeks to bypass the truth and distract us from the darkness by pretending it is all sunshine and rainbows. <strong>A sense of light that connects us to a higher intelligence, awakens us to our true nature and activates an internal power that has been lying dormant within us (by no accident).</strong></p><p>Between the periods of rage, grief and apathy, I am guided to peel myself away from the screen and close my eyes. I feel a pull within that brings me into communication with the frequency of my internal world. If I give it my full attention, surrendering my control, it breathes a knowing through me that washes me of fear and brings me to the presence of a light.</p><h3>This light is the revolution. </h3><p>To become a student of this light is what will shift our reality. To find it and let it be the guidance, let it be the power we have been stripped of. Not so we can sit back in our bliss and become complacent to what is going on around us but <strong>so we can learn the art of internal sovereignty and open ourselves to be guided by something bigger than ourselves</strong>. So we can reclaim our power to set the conditions of our inner environment. So we are not living in limited states of fear and hate where we cannot come together in cohesion and cooperation.</p><p>To me, it is more powerful to find a connection to your own light, become a student of it and prepare your body to be a vessel of it than to scream at those in power (aka into the ibis) where our cries land like dust. <strong>It is revolutionary in these times of such darkness, to connect to your light and express it freely for the world to see.</strong></p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fRBO!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83cf9cba-a343-445e-9636-4f171e6ba3d2_500x653.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fRBO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83cf9cba-a343-445e-9636-4f171e6ba3d2_500x653.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fRBO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83cf9cba-a343-445e-9636-4f171e6ba3d2_500x653.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fRBO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83cf9cba-a343-445e-9636-4f171e6ba3d2_500x653.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fRBO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83cf9cba-a343-445e-9636-4f171e6ba3d2_500x653.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fRBO!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83cf9cba-a343-445e-9636-4f171e6ba3d2_500x653.jpeg" width="352" height="459.712" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/83cf9cba-a343-445e-9636-4f171e6ba3d2_500x653.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:653,&quot;width&quot;:500,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:352,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fRBO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83cf9cba-a343-445e-9636-4f171e6ba3d2_500x653.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fRBO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83cf9cba-a343-445e-9636-4f171e6ba3d2_500x653.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fRBO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83cf9cba-a343-445e-9636-4f171e6ba3d2_500x653.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!fRBO!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83cf9cba-a343-445e-9636-4f171e6ba3d2_500x653.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>This is how I am learning not to remain stuck in the stagnant energy of grief or lose my rationality to the fire of my rage. This is how I am learning not to let my body become poisoned with more hate that will only perpetuate the same reality we are currently faced with. <strong>With a connection to my inner light I feel connected to a source of energy that no external force can take away from me.</strong> I feel connected to an internal reality that protects me from the external chaos.</p><p>In this chaos if we reclaim our attention from the external and learn the art of our internal sovereignty we can then become an instrument that will actually be able to create something different than what we currently see. Then dark times become a learning. An education on how to fine tune our instruments, to nurture our connection to our inner world. Understanding how we can create strong flows of life force energy through our bodies. Keeping our connection to your soul alive so we can remain attuned to higher intelligence and being an eternal student to the wisdom of our Soul.</p><p>This is how we break the cycle of hatred and greed that have allowed us to create the darkness we now see.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/finding-power-in-times-of-darkness?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/finding-power-in-times-of-darkness?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><p><strong>This is how we do not let external destruction distract us from our power to create. </strong>To create from a place of light not hate. Guided by something greater. </p><p>This is how we protect ourselves from getting lost in the darkness, driving us into deeper division and keeping us in weakened states of being.</p><p>It may seem insignificant or trivial to talk about inner light while the Earth is burning. But <strong>the Earth is burning because it is run by people who have no inner light and who have done their very best to disconnect us from ours</strong>. We are where we are because we have lived without a presence of this light, this intelligence, this source of higher guidance. We will always be where we are now if we do not reconnect, remember and reorient ourselves towards nurturing, protecting and living from this inner light.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>In the unraveling we must remember to use the flames to spark a return to truth, love and inner power.</p></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[From Deluded Ego to Divine Dialogue ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Turning your inner dialogue into a conversation with higher intelligence]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/how-i-met-my-soul</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/how-i-met-my-soul</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 14:20:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gRRq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c7836b8-a39e-4b6d-9f00-9717144e9f5b_736x981.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I spent the majority of my life following the demands of my thoughts, entertaining their instructions and believing their fears. My conscious awareness was so trapped in incessant cycles of thinking that I didn&#8217;t even know awareness existed. My mind was so busy, I could not sense what else was present within me. My thoughts carried my awareness from one story, false emergency, delusion to the next. Consumed by mental currents, I never had a chance to come up for air. </p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Xom!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe601c467-9640-4d22-b6bf-1efd79daae87_736x1032.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Xom!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe601c467-9640-4d22-b6bf-1efd79daae87_736x1032.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Xom!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe601c467-9640-4d22-b6bf-1efd79daae87_736x1032.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Xom!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe601c467-9640-4d22-b6bf-1efd79daae87_736x1032.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Xom!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe601c467-9640-4d22-b6bf-1efd79daae87_736x1032.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Xom!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe601c467-9640-4d22-b6bf-1efd79daae87_736x1032.jpeg" width="330" height="462.7173913043478" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e601c467-9640-4d22-b6bf-1efd79daae87_736x1032.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1032,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:330,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman covering her face surrounded by many hands&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a woman covering her face surrounded by many hands" title="This may contain: a woman covering her face surrounded by many hands" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Xom!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe601c467-9640-4d22-b6bf-1efd79daae87_736x1032.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Xom!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe601c467-9640-4d22-b6bf-1efd79daae87_736x1032.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Xom!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe601c467-9640-4d22-b6bf-1efd79daae87_736x1032.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Xom!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe601c467-9640-4d22-b6bf-1efd79daae87_736x1032.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"><strong><a href="https://ie.pinterest.com/amatyagina6372/">&#1040;&#1085;&#1085;&#1072; &#1052;&#1072;&#1090;&#1103;&#1075;&#1080;&#1085;&#1072;</a></strong></figcaption></figure></div><p></p><h4><strong>That is exactly how we have been conditioned to function but it is not how we are designed to exist. We have been programmed to live by the commands of the mind while it is our true nature to live in harmony with the intelligence of the Soul.</strong> </h4><p></p><p>Our mind is fed with so much noise that it becomes unbearable to face. We carry so much mental junk that it becomes impossible to sit with ourselves, to sit long enough to tap into what lies beneath the surface. To become attuned to what more we are connected to beyond the device of the mind.</p><p>I had the fortunate experience of sabotaging my life at an early age due to my internal chaos. I had created so much turmoil for myself and those around me that I had no choice but to turn within and listen. The turbulence of my thoughts was causing so much pain that I could no longer ignore them. So I began a process, a sacred voyage into my inner waters, that led me to a surprising discovery. I was not alone.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Join me&#8230;</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VyRA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4981c587-4fe7-4150-ac3c-02d49eed506f_736x890.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VyRA!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4981c587-4fe7-4150-ac3c-02d49eed506f_736x890.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VyRA!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4981c587-4fe7-4150-ac3c-02d49eed506f_736x890.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VyRA!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4981c587-4fe7-4150-ac3c-02d49eed506f_736x890.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VyRA!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4981c587-4fe7-4150-ac3c-02d49eed506f_736x890.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VyRA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4981c587-4fe7-4150-ac3c-02d49eed506f_736x890.jpeg" width="394" height="476.4402173913044" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4981c587-4fe7-4150-ac3c-02d49eed506f_736x890.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:890,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:394,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: an old photo of a woman laughing and holding her hands up to her head with one hand&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: an old photo of a woman laughing and holding her hands up to her head with one hand" title="This may contain: an old photo of a woman laughing and holding her hands up to her head with one hand" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VyRA!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4981c587-4fe7-4150-ac3c-02d49eed506f_736x890.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VyRA!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4981c587-4fe7-4150-ac3c-02d49eed506f_736x890.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VyRA!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4981c587-4fe7-4150-ac3c-02d49eed506f_736x890.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VyRA!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4981c587-4fe7-4150-ac3c-02d49eed506f_736x890.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"><strong><a href="https://ie.pinterest.com/lindaskov/">Linda Riggs</a></strong></figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>There I was, all my life, thinking I was thinking to myself.</strong> My unexamined thoughts felt like a monologue. Once I began the work of excavating my awareness from streams of thinking I found a whole new world. I found that my mind was not just a source of thought but a device that connected me to a network.</p><p>This network is subtle, silent and delicate in nature. It is a non-physical web of pure intelligence. Some days it was right there waiting for me. Others it was buried so far beneath the rumbles of my delusions that connecting to it felt impossible. Over time the process became clearer as I was learning to fine tune my ability to traverse the mind and tune into the intelligence.</p><p>This process began to feel more like establishing a relationship. I was forming a bond with what lay beyond my mind, a bond that could not be rationalized or systematized. Like I was learning to dance without a body, to learn a language without words, to make friends with a non-human. I was meeting my Soul.</p><p>I was becoming aware of the wisdom that was inherent to my being. A body of wisdom we all have access to. <strong>A body of wisdom that we can establish a relationship with when we train the mind to become its dedicated assistant.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gRRq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c7836b8-a39e-4b6d-9f00-9717144e9f5b_736x981.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gRRq!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c7836b8-a39e-4b6d-9f00-9717144e9f5b_736x981.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gRRq!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c7836b8-a39e-4b6d-9f00-9717144e9f5b_736x981.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gRRq!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c7836b8-a39e-4b6d-9f00-9717144e9f5b_736x981.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gRRq!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c7836b8-a39e-4b6d-9f00-9717144e9f5b_736x981.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gRRq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c7836b8-a39e-4b6d-9f00-9717144e9f5b_736x981.jpeg" width="396" height="527.820652173913" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1c7836b8-a39e-4b6d-9f00-9717144e9f5b_736x981.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:981,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:396,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: an old photo of a woman with her eyes closed and holding a flower in her mouth&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: an old photo of a woman with her eyes closed and holding a flower in her mouth" title="This may contain: an old photo of a woman with her eyes closed and holding a flower in her mouth" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gRRq!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c7836b8-a39e-4b6d-9f00-9717144e9f5b_736x981.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gRRq!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c7836b8-a39e-4b6d-9f00-9717144e9f5b_736x981.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gRRq!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c7836b8-a39e-4b6d-9f00-9717144e9f5b_736x981.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gRRq!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c7836b8-a39e-4b6d-9f00-9717144e9f5b_736x981.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Everything shifted for me when I began to realize that my mind was not just for thinking but also for communicating. <strong>My mind became a much more interesting (and peaceful) place when I trained it to be in dialogue. </strong>When I used my thoughts to ask questions and used my awareness to listen and receive.</p><p>This is a practice. It is like training a wild animal or a very old dog. It is like attempting to change the direction of a flowing river. It is like standing in the middle of traffic and attempting to find peace. It is an intricate unravelling of closely held beliefs about who I am and what I am capable of. It is a deep purging of mental delusions and a radical release of ways of thinking, speaking and doing that contribute to the noise, distortion and disconnection.</p><p>It is also magical, euphoric and will leave you in awe of what lies within.</p><p></p><p><strong>This process is about establishing a new inner order.</strong> It is about coming into clarity about the true role of your mind and your ego, or conscious self. It is about recognizing the true nature of your inner dynamics and organizing your inner resources accordingly.</p><p>This means instructing your mind, ego and conscious awareness to become aware of their true role and honor it. No longer do you expect your conscious self to control your reality, to manage your fears or to need to know anything with any kind of certainty. </p><blockquote><p><strong>Your conscious self now identifyies as an assistant and is aware that its one true purpose is to cultivate the right conditions to connect with your Soul and then to get out of the way for this intelligence to come through.</strong></p></blockquote><p>This requires a gradual cultivation of the mental quality of complete <strong>surrender</strong>. It is only in surrender that our mind steps out of the way, resigns the responsibility of knowing and gives it to the Soul. A surrendered mind works in harmony with what is present. A mind in resistance is working against the flow of intelligence and will never get to the good stuff.</p><p>It is only in surrender that the conscious self can become the <strong>observer</strong>. When the muscle of the observer is online, things get interesting. In observation, your conscious mind separates itself from the unconscious and has the opportunity to see. You are no longer hypnotised by thought, you are watching it. You are no longer carried in the currents of your unconscious patterns, you are a separate witness.</p><p>The observation of your inner waters is learning the language of your Soul. Observation gives your conscious awareness a chance to discern what is the noise, distortions and delusions of the mind and what is the wisdom of your Soul. This allows you to cultivate a gradual reorientation towards the guidance of your Soul and tame the chaos of the unexamined mind.</p><p>Then you reach a domain of your inner sphere where your mind is working with the intelligence of your Soul, instead of against it. Your thoughts become questions and your conscious awareness becomes a receiver. </p><blockquote><p><strong>Your mind becomes a device to exchange with the Divine.</strong></p></blockquote><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CThW!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ea8eb9d-877c-45dd-8624-183e8283fd9c_504x691.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CThW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ea8eb9d-877c-45dd-8624-183e8283fd9c_504x691.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CThW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ea8eb9d-877c-45dd-8624-183e8283fd9c_504x691.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CThW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ea8eb9d-877c-45dd-8624-183e8283fd9c_504x691.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CThW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ea8eb9d-877c-45dd-8624-183e8283fd9c_504x691.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CThW!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ea8eb9d-877c-45dd-8624-183e8283fd9c_504x691.jpeg" width="282" height="386.6309523809524" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7ea8eb9d-877c-45dd-8624-183e8283fd9c_504x691.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:691,&quot;width&quot;:504,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:282,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a person on a bike in the air above the water and waves with sun rays coming through the clouds&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a person on a bike in the air above the water and waves with sun rays coming through the clouds" title="This may contain: a person on a bike in the air above the water and waves with sun rays coming through the clouds" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CThW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ea8eb9d-877c-45dd-8624-183e8283fd9c_504x691.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CThW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ea8eb9d-877c-45dd-8624-183e8283fd9c_504x691.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CThW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ea8eb9d-877c-45dd-8624-183e8283fd9c_504x691.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CThW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ea8eb9d-877c-45dd-8624-183e8283fd9c_504x691.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"><strong><a href="https://ie.pinterest.com/TuTuLaVagH/">Philippe Mathurin</a></strong></figcaption></figure></div><h2>I am afraid this is as far as I can take you. </h2><p>The rest is between you and your Soul. There is no advice I can offer you from here on out that your own Soul can&#8217;t answer with 1000 times greater efficiency. It is from this point that you begin to learn the unique language of your unique Soul. This is something only your own Soul can teach you.</p><p>So listen to my words until now. Face the chaos of your thoughts. Spend time navigating the ebbs and flows of your internal waters. Listen to the noise, watch the mind dance in its delusions and witness how the incessant streams of thought enchant your awareness into forgetting it exists. Fall asleep in the madness and come back, keep coming back.</p><p>Then ensure your mind, ego and conscious awareness are in alignment with their true roles. Instruct them to surrender control and give them a new identity as a devoted assistant to your Soul. Turn them around and let them face what lies within. <strong>Observe what is present and begin to sense the subtle network of intelligence that awaits you. Then ask it to teach you how to know your Soul.</strong></p><p></p><h3>Blessings on your journey. </h3><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/how-i-met-my-soul?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Spread the word</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/how-i-met-my-soul?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/how-i-met-my-soul?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Activation of Inner Guidance]]></title><description><![CDATA[Building a system of internal guidance in a world of noise and distraction]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-architecture-of-inner-guidance</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-architecture-of-inner-guidance</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:26:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2p2m!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F551ef255-33c4-4c39-939a-459364cc52c3_488x304.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><em>It has never been more important to build an internal guidance system.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Never has the human brain been subjected to so much noise, information and stimulation. </em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Costing us not only our inner peace but also our connection to our subtle sense of inner knowing.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>This posts shares with you how I am reclaiming my connection to my inner guidance and building an internal network of wisdom that is stronger than the external noise.</em></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p></p><p></p><p>There is a body of wisdom encoded into our being. It speaks as a soft and subtle sense of clarity, bringing you into an awareness of who you are and what wants to be expressed through you. </p><p>If nurtured, this network of intelligence will inform your existence and guide you towards your highest good. <strong>The trouble is, we tend to give our energy and attention to what is alluring and loud.</strong></p><p>&#8203;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qIUa!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00d14e00-6d90-40fe-9894-d0d230dd2dfb_736x920.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qIUa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00d14e00-6d90-40fe-9894-d0d230dd2dfb_736x920.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qIUa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00d14e00-6d90-40fe-9894-d0d230dd2dfb_736x920.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qIUa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00d14e00-6d90-40fe-9894-d0d230dd2dfb_736x920.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qIUa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00d14e00-6d90-40fe-9894-d0d230dd2dfb_736x920.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qIUa!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00d14e00-6d90-40fe-9894-d0d230dd2dfb_736x920.jpeg" width="436" height="545" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/00d14e00-6d90-40fe-9894-d0d230dd2dfb_736x920.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:920,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:436,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qIUa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00d14e00-6d90-40fe-9894-d0d230dd2dfb_736x920.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qIUa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00d14e00-6d90-40fe-9894-d0d230dd2dfb_736x920.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qIUa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00d14e00-6d90-40fe-9894-d0d230dd2dfb_736x920.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qIUa!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F00d14e00-6d90-40fe-9894-d0d230dd2dfb_736x920.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p></p><p><strong>We often become captivated by the seductive qualities of our environment and the enchanting stories in our minds.</strong> In other words, the incessant chase of sensorial stimulation and the insatiable pursuit of egoic validation. These patterns confine your attention to the surface of your awareness and prevent you from connecting with the deeper layers of your being, where your wisdom resides.</p><p>&#8203;</p><h4>It is like we spend our lives fighting the waves on the surface of our being while a deep body of wisdom lies beneath, unexplored and unnoticed.</h4><p>&#8203;</p><p>It feels to me like it was never supposed to be this way. <strong>If we come inbuilt with a network of intelligence, why would we not live in harmony with it? </strong>It feels to me like we once were. When we lived more in alignment with our nature. Today, our bodies are so heavily stimulated and our minds deeply distracted that the wisdom in our Soul is forgotten. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iY6x!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb32843a4-58dd-4b75-96d2-1aa0383151e3_500x618.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iY6x!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb32843a4-58dd-4b75-96d2-1aa0383151e3_500x618.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iY6x!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb32843a4-58dd-4b75-96d2-1aa0383151e3_500x618.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iY6x!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb32843a4-58dd-4b75-96d2-1aa0383151e3_500x618.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iY6x!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb32843a4-58dd-4b75-96d2-1aa0383151e3_500x618.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iY6x!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb32843a4-58dd-4b75-96d2-1aa0383151e3_500x618.jpeg" width="368" height="454.848" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b32843a4-58dd-4b75-96d2-1aa0383151e3_500x618.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:618,&quot;width&quot;:500,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:368,&quot;bytes&quot;:49974,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman holding a crystal ball in her hands&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a woman holding a crystal ball in her hands" title="This may contain: a woman holding a crystal ball in her hands" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iY6x!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb32843a4-58dd-4b75-96d2-1aa0383151e3_500x618.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iY6x!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb32843a4-58dd-4b75-96d2-1aa0383151e3_500x618.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iY6x!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb32843a4-58dd-4b75-96d2-1aa0383151e3_500x618.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iY6x!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb32843a4-58dd-4b75-96d2-1aa0383151e3_500x618.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>We live amongst so many inorganic frequencies and ingest so many toxins that the very ecosystem of our being is totally out of coherence.</h4><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><h3>There is no need to be alarmed. </h3><p><strong>You cannot lose touch with something that is innate within you.</strong> It may fade into the background but it won&#8217;t ever leave. You can decide to remember and commit to cultivating this connection. Once you do, you will awaken to a body of intelligence that will feel like the greatest remembrance of your truest self.</p><p>&#8203;</p><h3>So how do you build a connection to your internal guidance?</h3><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5uF-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2b77438-f281-425f-825f-8146d4237ebd_464x720.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5uF-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2b77438-f281-425f-825f-8146d4237ebd_464x720.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5uF-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2b77438-f281-425f-825f-8146d4237ebd_464x720.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5uF-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2b77438-f281-425f-825f-8146d4237ebd_464x720.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5uF-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2b77438-f281-425f-825f-8146d4237ebd_464x720.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5uF-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2b77438-f281-425f-825f-8146d4237ebd_464x720.jpeg" width="366" height="567.9310344827586" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f2b77438-f281-425f-825f-8146d4237ebd_464x720.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;width&quot;:464,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:366,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: an old woman holding a megaphone up to her ear&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: an old woman holding a megaphone up to her ear" title="This may contain: an old woman holding a megaphone up to her ear" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5uF-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2b77438-f281-425f-825f-8146d4237ebd_464x720.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5uF-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2b77438-f281-425f-825f-8146d4237ebd_464x720.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5uF-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2b77438-f281-425f-825f-8146d4237ebd_464x720.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5uF-!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff2b77438-f281-425f-825f-8146d4237ebd_464x720.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>No one can tell you how.</p><p>The only guidance I can give you is to <strong>turn within and ask</strong> to be shown.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p>While it is helpful to reduce input of external information, keep the stimulation of your senses to a minimum, eliminate toxins in the body <strong>and begin to develop a deep and intimate relationship with your inner reality.</strong></p><p>&#8203;</p><p>The ebbs and the flows. The nudges and the contractions. The waves and the explosions. From the subtle sensations to the pits in your stomach. This is the language of your wisdom. Notice them, receive them and align with them. <strong>The more you do, the more they will come and the clearer they will be.</strong></p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p>&#8203;</p><h3>Imagine you are learning a wordless language. </h3><p>A language that echoes in your knowing and moves through you like a realisation before it meets your mind. This is an exchange of sensation, a dialogue between your awareness and the intelligence that touches somewhere deep within, landing through the mechanism of your body yet originating from somewhere much further. Speak to it from beyond thought. <strong>As if your awareness and your body are having a conversation and you don&#8217;t want the mind to hear. </strong>This is the language of wisdom.</p><p>&#8203;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2p2m!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F551ef255-33c4-4c39-939a-459364cc52c3_488x304.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2p2m!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F551ef255-33c4-4c39-939a-459364cc52c3_488x304.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2p2m!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F551ef255-33c4-4c39-939a-459364cc52c3_488x304.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2p2m!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F551ef255-33c4-4c39-939a-459364cc52c3_488x304.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2p2m!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F551ef255-33c4-4c39-939a-459364cc52c3_488x304.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2p2m!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F551ef255-33c4-4c39-939a-459364cc52c3_488x304.jpeg" width="406" height="252.91803278688525" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/551ef255-33c4-4c39-939a-459364cc52c3_488x304.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:304,&quot;width&quot;:488,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:406,&quot;bytes&quot;:44225,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman wearing black gloves and holding her face to the side while sitting at a table&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a woman wearing black gloves and holding her face to the side while sitting at a table" title="This may contain: a woman wearing black gloves and holding her face to the side while sitting at a table" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2p2m!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F551ef255-33c4-4c39-939a-459364cc52c3_488x304.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2p2m!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F551ef255-33c4-4c39-939a-459364cc52c3_488x304.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2p2m!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F551ef255-33c4-4c39-939a-459364cc52c3_488x304.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2p2m!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F551ef255-33c4-4c39-939a-459364cc52c3_488x304.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>This is a muscle that can be strengthened, an instrument that can be tuned, a relationship that can be nurtured. In time, you will begin to sense the presence of your wisdom. When your Soul speaks, you will be able to recognize its unique tone and you will learn to distinguish between the different shades of internal information. It is a process, a gentle unraveling and a gradual understanding of the intricacies of the mechanism that is your internal guidance system.</p><p>&#8203;</p><p><strong>Above all, remember that no one knows the way better than you, better than your wisdom.</strong> The greatest way to remember is to get really quiet and get really good at listening.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tools to Recognise the False Mental Matrix]]></title><description><![CDATA[Becoming aware of the false mental prison]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/tools-to-free-your-mind-1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/tools-to-free-your-mind-1</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 28 Sep 2025 16:15:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iKRD!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff77225c3-3037-443e-9443-9552dde5f444_700x553.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3><strong>My previous post <a href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-imprisonment-of-the-modern-mind">&#8216;The Imprisonment of the Modern Mind,&#8217;</a> detailed a curious experience I had during the mysterious transition from sleep. </strong></h3><p></p><h3><strong>I described a vision where I was shown the presence of a false mental prison implanted into the minds of the collective.</strong></h3><p><strong>In this series, I offer tools to break free.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iKRD!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff77225c3-3037-443e-9443-9552dde5f444_700x553.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iKRD!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff77225c3-3037-443e-9443-9552dde5f444_700x553.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iKRD!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff77225c3-3037-443e-9443-9552dde5f444_700x553.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iKRD!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff77225c3-3037-443e-9443-9552dde5f444_700x553.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iKRD!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff77225c3-3037-443e-9443-9552dde5f444_700x553.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iKRD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff77225c3-3037-443e-9443-9552dde5f444_700x553.jpeg" width="500" height="395" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f77225c3-3037-443e-9443-9552dde5f444_700x553.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:553,&quot;width&quot;:700,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:500,&quot;bytes&quot;:70708,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman with tattoos and piercings holding her hands up in front of her face&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a woman with tattoos and piercings holding her hands up in front of her face" title="This may contain: a woman with tattoos and piercings holding her hands up in front of her face" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iKRD!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff77225c3-3037-443e-9443-9552dde5f444_700x553.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iKRD!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff77225c3-3037-443e-9443-9552dde5f444_700x553.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iKRD!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff77225c3-3037-443e-9443-9552dde5f444_700x553.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iKRD!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff77225c3-3037-443e-9443-9552dde5f444_700x553.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>This prison is a mental framework that we unknowingly consent to live within. It acts like a mental algorithm that limits the patterns of our mind, causing our awareness to be confined within a tiny territory of our consciousness.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>This prison prevents us from sensing what lies beyond the devise of thought.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Thankfully, the prison is false and we can simply get up and leave. The prison is of the mind, so if we reclaim our minds, we can dissolve the false mental prison and reconnect with the vastness of our being.</p><p></p><p><strong>When I asked how to do this, I was flooded with guidance. So much so, I am beginning a series of posts on how to free your mind.</strong></p><p></p><p>While this journey is innately a personal one. You&#8217;ll find your greatest wisdom from turning within and asking yourself how you break free. Nonetheless, I can offer you some universal pointers that can be applied to execute a divine escape plan.</p><p></p><p></p>
      <p>
          <a href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/tools-to-free-your-mind-1">
              Read more
          </a>
      </p>
   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The False Mental Matrix]]></title><description><![CDATA[An artificial grid that controls our minds and traps us in a web of distorted reality.]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-imprisonment-of-the-modern-mind</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-imprisonment-of-the-modern-mind</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 23 Sep 2025 15:30:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vryx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac1cd50c-7818-42c6-9633-3a133f837b65_474x639.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h4>As I transition from a sleeping to a waking state, I am often gifted with messages from my Soul. Not a dream, not a thought but a clear and potent insight from a highly intelligent source. These messages are delivered through a mechanism beyond word, images and thought. It has the essence of a memory, a vision and a dream all in one. It rises from a place within, as if my Soul is inputting new data into the computer program of my conscious awareness.</h4><h4></h4><h3>This week I had a particularly interesting insight that I am called to share&#8230;</h3><p>I woke up with an intelligence guiding me through the layers of our collective consciousness. I could feel the different qualities of consciousness as my awareness shifted from one layer to another. I felt the flowing and rhythmic nature of our being, weaved harmoniously into a web of interconnectedness, connected profoundly to Mother Nature.</p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vryx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac1cd50c-7818-42c6-9633-3a133f837b65_474x639.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vryx!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac1cd50c-7818-42c6-9633-3a133f837b65_474x639.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vryx!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac1cd50c-7818-42c6-9633-3a133f837b65_474x639.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vryx!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac1cd50c-7818-42c6-9633-3a133f837b65_474x639.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vryx!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac1cd50c-7818-42c6-9633-3a133f837b65_474x639.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vryx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac1cd50c-7818-42c6-9633-3a133f837b65_474x639.jpeg" width="402" height="541.9367088607595" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ac1cd50c-7818-42c6-9633-3a133f837b65_474x639.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:639,&quot;width&quot;:474,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:402,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: an old photo of a woman with birds in a birdcage on her head&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: an old photo of a woman with birds in a birdcage on her head" title="This may contain: an old photo of a woman with birds in a birdcage on her head" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vryx!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac1cd50c-7818-42c6-9633-3a133f837b65_474x639.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vryx!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac1cd50c-7818-42c6-9633-3a133f837b65_474x639.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vryx!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac1cd50c-7818-42c6-9633-3a133f837b65_474x639.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!vryx!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fac1cd50c-7818-42c6-9633-3a133f837b65_474x639.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"><strong><a href="https://ie.pinterest.com/mariasole440/">Mo&#638;&#608;&#945;&#627;&#945; </a></strong></figcaption></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>My awareness eventually reached the final layer on the surface, and it felt drastically different. A layer of structure, order and grids. I felt like a layer of non-organic origin had been imposed over the layers of rich, rhythmic tides of profound consciousness. <strong>As if a cage had been placed on the surface of our awareness, where our energy and attention was being held captive. </strong>I saw how this was a false prison of the mind, a matrix of mental programming that confined our awareness within these false walls while a vast and infinite sea of being and untapped intelligence lay untouched beneath the surface.</p><p></p><p>It felt like an overlay of programming in our collective consciousness that limited us from connecting with the natural rhythm and higher intelligence of life, the fullness of our true nature. <strong>It felt like an artificial grid that controlled our minds and held our attention within a web of a distorted reality.</strong></p><p></p><p>I desperately grasped to the memory of this message as I began to wake up fully. The image that came to me to assist me in grounding the insight was of a fish farm. Nets are placed on the surface of the water and the fish are confined within them, unaware of the wild sea beneath them. Our awareness, like the fish, has been held within nets on the surface of our consciousness.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MSpC!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b69eef-b7f0-4cd1-b9c0-2898028f650c_736x552.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MSpC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b69eef-b7f0-4cd1-b9c0-2898028f650c_736x552.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MSpC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b69eef-b7f0-4cd1-b9c0-2898028f650c_736x552.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MSpC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b69eef-b7f0-4cd1-b9c0-2898028f650c_736x552.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MSpC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b69eef-b7f0-4cd1-b9c0-2898028f650c_736x552.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MSpC!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b69eef-b7f0-4cd1-b9c0-2898028f650c_736x552.jpeg" width="631" height="473.25" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/34b69eef-b7f0-4cd1-b9c0-2898028f650c_736x552.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:552,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:631,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: several rows of fish cages floating in the ocean&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: several rows of fish cages floating in the ocean" title="This may contain: several rows of fish cages floating in the ocean" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MSpC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b69eef-b7f0-4cd1-b9c0-2898028f650c_736x552.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MSpC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b69eef-b7f0-4cd1-b9c0-2898028f650c_736x552.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MSpC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b69eef-b7f0-4cd1-b9c0-2898028f650c_736x552.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MSpC!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F34b69eef-b7f0-4cd1-b9c0-2898028f650c_736x552.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Unlike the fish, however, these nets are only an illusion. Your consciousness cannot truly be limited unless you consent to it. <strong>The trouble is, we never get a chance to taste the deeper waters of our nature so we don&#8217;t even know they exist.</strong> Our minds are trained from the beginning of our life to swim within a very limited framework, to obey the invisible boundaries of the net and to not step outside of the prescribed way of thinking. </p><p>We don&#8217;t even know that we are consenting to the imprisonment of our own minds.</p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!utgj!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e1653a9-ef2e-4135-b111-c5b3d20098b3_442x604.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!utgj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e1653a9-ef2e-4135-b111-c5b3d20098b3_442x604.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!utgj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e1653a9-ef2e-4135-b111-c5b3d20098b3_442x604.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!utgj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e1653a9-ef2e-4135-b111-c5b3d20098b3_442x604.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!utgj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e1653a9-ef2e-4135-b111-c5b3d20098b3_442x604.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!utgj!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e1653a9-ef2e-4135-b111-c5b3d20098b3_442x604.jpeg" width="376" height="513.8099547511313" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0e1653a9-ef2e-4135-b111-c5b3d20098b3_442x604.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:604,&quot;width&quot;:442,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:376,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a woman in a long dress carrying a house on her head&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a woman in a long dress carrying a house on her head" title="This may contain: a woman in a long dress carrying a house on her head" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!utgj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e1653a9-ef2e-4135-b111-c5b3d20098b3_442x604.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!utgj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e1653a9-ef2e-4135-b111-c5b3d20098b3_442x604.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!utgj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e1653a9-ef2e-4135-b111-c5b3d20098b3_442x604.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!utgj!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0e1653a9-ef2e-4135-b111-c5b3d20098b3_442x604.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Mimmi Strinnholm</figcaption></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p>I know by now that when I receive this kind of message, I do not let it pass me by. I know to go straight to my pen and paper and attempt to digest the message further. The insight that came to me most potently was that this overlay was false, it was not solid or strong, it was an invisible prison. It could not in fact hold any mind within its frames that was not consenting. <strong>What held it together was our collective obedience.</strong> </p><p></p><blockquote><p>Our acceptance of the prescribed mental patterns is what kept the matrix alive. Without our energy and attention, it did not exist. What kept the walls of this cage standing was our willingness to stay within the confines of this false structure.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>It felt like our minds have been conditioned to move in a certain direction, to a certain rhythm and beat. Collectively, our minds were swimming in a prescribed pattern, a pattern we fuelled by our compliance, a cage we built by our allowance.</p><p></p><h2>A hopeful note</h2><p>While it was hard to witness the suppression of our awareness, it also gave me hope to know the power remains with us. Our power has not been taken, we have just unknowingly allowed it to be farmed.</p><h3>We can take back our power and deny our energy and attention to the false matrix of reality.</h3><p>How?</p><p>First, we must be <strong>aware</strong> of what it is. What is this web of distortion that is blinding us from our true nature? What is this network of artificial programming confining our awareness and limiting our consciousness?</p><p>To answer this we must look at <strong>what it takes to sustain</strong> the grid. Our attention and our energy. It is our unconscious obedience that creates the mental prison. We must, therefore, look at where we allow our attention to be manipulated, our energy to be consumed, our beliefs to be moulded and our choices controlled.</p><p></p><h4>This happens all the time on a very subtle level:</h4><ul><li><p>We become enticed by a certain stimulation and we begin to chase it.</p></li><li><p>We become enchanted by a certain narrative and align our beliefs with it.</p></li><li><p>We become intrigued by a certain persona and begin to identify as it and conform to it.</p></li><li><p>We become mesmerised by a certain lifestyle and orient our choices towards achieving it.</p></li><li><p>We become captured by a desire and pour our resources into attaining it.</p></li><li><p>We become corrupted by an agenda and begin to contribute to it.</p></li></ul><p></p><blockquote><p>We are met with a constant stream of information and an incessant supply of stimulation. Our environment is (intentionally) littered with powerful forms of communication that mould and manipulate our patterns of thinking, our beliefs and our perceptions of self. </p></blockquote><p>If we do not take control of what we consume and absorb while exercising our discernment over what we believe and identify with, <strong>we may be walking ourselves into the cage of our own imprisonment.</strong></p><p>If you want to become aware of how this plays out in your own life and expose all the ways in which you allow your attention and energy to manipulated, you will need to get very quiet. This will require a practice of <strong>deep introspection and radical self-awareness.</strong> You will need to cultivate a sharp eye for distortion and an intimate relationship with the truth. You will need to harness your focus, purify your awareness and fine-tune your discernment.</p><p></p><h2>A way out</h2><p>I felt into solutions to break free from this false imprisonment and I was flooded with advice. So many valuable tools came through that I feel inspired to create an in-depth post for each tool.</p><p><strong>Stay tuned in the coming weeks as I share these tools to free your mind and exercise your power over your consciousness. </strong>It is time, as a collective, that we shed these layers of a false reality so we can begin to remember the deeper layers of our consciousness, harmonise with our natural rhythm and experience the richness of what lies beneath the surface.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Want these tools sent to your inbox?</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p></p><h4>For now, I will leave you with the following mechanisms that fuel this programming for you to begin to catch in your reality:</h4><ul><li><p>Any narrative that seeks to divide</p></li><li><p>Any messaging that cultivates a sense of lack</p></li><li><p>Any substance that offers momentary stimulation but breeds long-term reliance</p></li><li><p>Any construct that feeds individuality</p></li><li><p>Any encouragement to be trapped in consumption</p></li><li><p>Any efforts to plant fear or doubt</p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Learning the Language of Soul]]></title><description><![CDATA[How I am learning to recognize the presence of my Soul in a world of egoic delusion]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/learn-the-language-of-your-soul</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/learn-the-language-of-your-soul</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 13:11:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MrSk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If life was a video game, you would be the video game character and your Soul would be the one holding the controllers. For anyone who has ever played a video game, you may know be familiar with becoming so consumed by it that you forget you are playing a game. You forget you are not the character, you are simply playing the character so you can experience the game. </p><p></p><p>This is what occurs on a Spiritual level when we forget we are a Soul playing through a human so we can experience the game of life on Earth. The human form is not our true form. This body does not define who we are. <strong>This can only be sensed when we consider the being breathing through the body.</strong> When we look to the presence within the cells of the human.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MrSk!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MrSk!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MrSk!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MrSk!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MrSk!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MrSk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png" width="408" height="510" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:408,&quot;bytes&quot;:1038635,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/169124042?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MrSk!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MrSk!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MrSk!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MrSk!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F72e8c44c-fafe-458e-bbe9-706f8cc8076a_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>The more you take your awareness there, the more you will get to know your Soul and in time, you may just learn how to speak its language. <strong>You may just awaken to the subtle and profound exchange that is available to you when you recognise that you are not the character you are playing.</strong></p><p></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/learn-the-language-of-your-soul?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Help me spread the message!</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/learn-the-language-of-your-soul?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/learn-the-language-of-your-soul?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p><p></p><h2>What is the language of your Soul?</h2><p>Your Soul is always speaking to you. It is ever-present and all-knowing. <strong>So constant it is easy to become numb to the network of intelligence it brings to you.</strong> It does not help that we live in a society that encourages us to sit comfortably within the walls of our ego. The billion-dollar marketing campaigns, the hierarchical class structures and the romanticised pursuit of individual gain are all forces that fuel our identification with the ego. Our minds are so enticed by our self-image that the self is all it has a to chance to identify as. The allure of the character&#8217;s identity is so strong that we fall asleep within the video game.</p><p></p><p>When we return our awareness from the circus of the self and engage in the contemplation of the being we begin to crack holes in the pavements of our delusions. Awareness brings us into contact with the presence of the one behind the controller.</p><blockquote><p>Awareness of the <em>being</em> is the gateway to the Soul.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>I dare you to try it. Just for a moment. Search for the being beyond the thinking. Sense the eternal presence that is temporarily inhabiting a body you happen to call you.</p><p></p><p>Do this long enough and you will awaken to a presence that will speak to you. <strong>Not through words but through a sense of knowing. Because you already know. You are simply remembering.</strong> The Soul is you, speaking to you, reminding you of what you already know. Bringing to your attention to what you lost touch with when you fell asleep while playing the video game.</p><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iPRb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff45f82ce-6417-4f6b-bd21-81f5efabeee3_500x500.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iPRb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff45f82ce-6417-4f6b-bd21-81f5efabeee3_500x500.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iPRb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff45f82ce-6417-4f6b-bd21-81f5efabeee3_500x500.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iPRb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff45f82ce-6417-4f6b-bd21-81f5efabeee3_500x500.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iPRb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff45f82ce-6417-4f6b-bd21-81f5efabeee3_500x500.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iPRb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff45f82ce-6417-4f6b-bd21-81f5efabeee3_500x500.jpeg" width="430" height="430" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f45f82ce-6417-4f6b-bd21-81f5efabeee3_500x500.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:500,&quot;width&quot;:500,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:430,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: an old photo of a soldier sitting on a hill with a red flower in the foreground&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: an old photo of a soldier sitting on a hill with a red flower in the foreground" title="This may contain: an old photo of a soldier sitting on a hill with a red flower in the foreground" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iPRb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff45f82ce-6417-4f6b-bd21-81f5efabeee3_500x500.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iPRb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff45f82ce-6417-4f6b-bd21-81f5efabeee3_500x500.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iPRb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff45f82ce-6417-4f6b-bd21-81f5efabeee3_500x500.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iPRb!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff45f82ce-6417-4f6b-bd21-81f5efabeee3_500x500.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>The language of the Soul is a subtle exchange that occurs on the level of the body, not the mind. This is a language that uses the device of felt sensations, not thought. To speak this language is to cultivate an exchange with a network of intelligence that resides within. To work with a body of wisdom that is <strong>stored in your cells</strong>. To consciously engage with the one behind the controller to ask for the next best move.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Your next best move may be to subscribe</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p></p><h2>How do you learn it?</h2><p>If your Soul wanted to write you a note it would use the pages of your body. If your ego wanted to write you a note it would send the voices in your mind. The language of your Soul lives in your body and speaks in subtle sensations, soft waves and gentle knowings.</p><p></p><blockquote><p><strong>To begin to learn how to speak the language of your Soul is simple:</strong></p><p>You tune into your body and you listen.</p><p>You wait for a subtle presence of intelligence.</p><p>You receive it.</p><p>You trust it.</p><p>Rinse and repeat.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>It is as simple as this. It is not complicated or abstract, it is an inbuilt mechanism of our human condition. We have simply lost touch with it. We are wildly distracted and deeply disconnected from our true nature as a Soul. We ask the TV, we ask Google, we ask ChatGPT but we have forgotten, <strong>we can also ask our Soul</strong>.</p><p></p><p><strong>The work is not strengthening your ability to speak the language of your Soul.</strong> <strong>You don&#8217;t need to learn something that you already know.</strong> The work is clearing what is preventing this exchange from being effortless and powerful. The network of the intelligence of your Soul <em>is</em> <em>you.</em> This exchange is less about communicating with something outside of yourself and more about <strong>connecting to a greater aspect of your consciousness and trusting it knows better than your conscious mind.</strong></p><p></p><p>This process is about understanding the nature of your Soul as your true nature. The ego and conscious mind are tools to survive, to express, to play the game but they are not the entirety of your being. <strong>Once you can work with this truth and surrender to the fact that your ego can&#8217;t tell your who you are, then the real game begins.</strong> Then your consciousness opens up to being guided, to recognising the power that is behind the controller.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Buvt!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9bb4d8f-6d26-4df8-abd0-4b594080bff9_724x1024.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Buvt!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9bb4d8f-6d26-4df8-abd0-4b594080bff9_724x1024.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Buvt!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9bb4d8f-6d26-4df8-abd0-4b594080bff9_724x1024.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Buvt!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9bb4d8f-6d26-4df8-abd0-4b594080bff9_724x1024.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Buvt!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9bb4d8f-6d26-4df8-abd0-4b594080bff9_724x1024.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Buvt!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9bb4d8f-6d26-4df8-abd0-4b594080bff9_724x1024.jpeg" width="434" height="613.8342541436464" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f9bb4d8f-6d26-4df8-abd0-4b594080bff9_724x1024.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1024,&quot;width&quot;:724,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:434,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: an image of a man sitting in the middle of a field with flowers on it&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: an image of a man sitting in the middle of a field with flowers on it" title="This may contain: an image of a man sitting in the middle of a field with flowers on it" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Buvt!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9bb4d8f-6d26-4df8-abd0-4b594080bff9_724x1024.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Buvt!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9bb4d8f-6d26-4df8-abd0-4b594080bff9_724x1024.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Buvt!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9bb4d8f-6d26-4df8-abd0-4b594080bff9_724x1024.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Buvt!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff9bb4d8f-6d26-4df8-abd0-4b594080bff9_724x1024.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h2>What prevents you from hearing it?</h2><ol><li><p>Mental dominance</p></li></ol><p>The mind is too loud, your thoughts have captured your attention and your awareness is constantly consumed by the drama of the mental domain.</p><p></p><ol start="2"><li><p>Egoic interference</p></li></ol><p>Your identification with your individual identity is too rigid and too sticky. Your attention is held up in the consideration of your personal image and your frame of existence is extremely narrow. Your mind is trapped in an identification cycle with your ego and your sense of self is informed by thoughts rather than being sensed from the power of your inner being.</p><p></p><ol start="3"><li><p>Doubt</p></li></ol><p>You don&#8217;t fully trust the intelligence. You receive guidance but you allow the mind to come in and let thoughts of doubt distort your knowing. You may have hints of the truth but you are so used to believing the thoughts in your mind that they seem more real than these subtle hints.</p><p></p><ol start="4"><li><p>You already are</p></li></ol><p>You are already in communication with your Soul but it is so subtle and ever-present that it goes unnoticed. You may feel the guidance and you may even follow it but you are unaware on a conscious level that this was a nudge of the Soul.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">A nudge to Subscribe</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p></p><p>Learning to get into the body, listening and trusting what you receive is the beginning of a beautiful journey of cultivating a clear and potent exchange with your Soul. <strong>The more embodied you become, the easier it will be to listen. The more you listen the more you will be able to recognise the essence of your Soul&#8217;s communication and then it will become second nature to trust it.</strong></p><p></p><p>This is a process of shedding the noise, breaking past the limited sphere of your mind and ego and dropping into the powerful intelligence speaking to your through the vessel of your body. <strong>It is a journey of revealing to yourself what has been there all along and once you do, you open yourself up to an invaluable source of guidance in your life.</strong></p><p></p><p>Thank you for taking the time to read this piece. </p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Truth and Power of Spiritual Practice]]></title><description><![CDATA[How I save myself from myself, using nothing but myself]]></description><link>https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-truth-and-power-of-spiritual</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-truth-and-power-of-spiritual</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Cathy Stapleton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2025 16:42:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IwtW!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feb10e030-8dcb-45cc-97b4-dd139224ac8d_736x851.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3>I was once a chronic over thinker, deeply paranoid and always just one step away from an internal meltdown. The tone of a sentence would send me into a spiral and I would crumble at the hint of rejection. </h3><p>Thanks to my Spiritual practice, I am no longer any of these things. </p><p>I never was. </p><p>Do I still experience all of these things? Yes. </p><p>There is now space between the experience and <em>me</em>. I am no longer so taken by these patterns. I have been able to cultivate an awareness that acts as a buffer between my delusions and my reaction to them. </p><p><strong>I am just as dysfunctional,</strong> I simply see the dysfunction with more clarity and have the power to chose my response. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IwtW!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feb10e030-8dcb-45cc-97b4-dd139224ac8d_736x851.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IwtW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feb10e030-8dcb-45cc-97b4-dd139224ac8d_736x851.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IwtW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feb10e030-8dcb-45cc-97b4-dd139224ac8d_736x851.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IwtW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feb10e030-8dcb-45cc-97b4-dd139224ac8d_736x851.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IwtW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feb10e030-8dcb-45cc-97b4-dd139224ac8d_736x851.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IwtW!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feb10e030-8dcb-45cc-97b4-dd139224ac8d_736x851.jpeg" width="462" height="534.1875" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/eb10e030-8dcb-45cc-97b4-dd139224ac8d_736x851.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:851,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:462,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: a black and white photo of a woman's face with wings on her head&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: a black and white photo of a woman's face with wings on her head" title="This may contain: a black and white photo of a woman's face with wings on her head" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IwtW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feb10e030-8dcb-45cc-97b4-dd139224ac8d_736x851.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IwtW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feb10e030-8dcb-45cc-97b4-dd139224ac8d_736x851.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IwtW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feb10e030-8dcb-45cc-97b4-dd139224ac8d_736x851.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IwtW!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Feb10e030-8dcb-45cc-97b4-dd139224ac8d_736x851.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4>Here&#8217;s how you can too:</h4><p></p><p>Everyone in the world seems to know to begin their day by purifying and cleansing their physical body. We shower, brush our teeth and wash our faces. We could not possibly leave the house without tending to our appearance and refreshing our bodies. <strong>If only we took the same attitude towards the state of our inner world.</strong></p><p>It is not just our physical bodies that need clearing and cleansing as we begin a new day. It is equally (if not arguably more) important to tend to our energy body and our mind. If we began every day with a practice of clearing and energising our energy field and quietening our mind we would drastically improve the quality of our emotional and mental health.</p><p>A daily devotion to a simple set of practices can help you to create presence in the body, raise your vibration and increase clarity in the mind. </p><blockquote><p>We may label these practices as &#8216;Spiritual&#8217; and assume they are only for &#8216;Spiritual People&#8217; but in reality, every human can benefit from these tools.</p></blockquote><p></p><p>These practices bring awareness back into the body, energy and mind so you have greater agency over how you think and feel. Habitual emotional patterns and disempowering mental narratives can be met from a place of awareness. An inner presence builds and stressful situations no longer send you into negative spirals. You stop reacting out of habit. You start responding with choice.</p><p></p><h2>Your Five Bodies</h2><p>To understand the true value of a daily devotion to such practices, it is helpful to have an awareness of the various bodies of the human. In ancient yogic teachings, they are known as sheaths and are presented as follows:</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LIqp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82de909d-5d6d-4673-b0a2-5a657d3f9e84_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LIqp!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82de909d-5d6d-4673-b0a2-5a657d3f9e84_1080x1350.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LIqp!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82de909d-5d6d-4673-b0a2-5a657d3f9e84_1080x1350.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LIqp!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82de909d-5d6d-4673-b0a2-5a657d3f9e84_1080x1350.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LIqp!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82de909d-5d6d-4673-b0a2-5a657d3f9e84_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LIqp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82de909d-5d6d-4673-b0a2-5a657d3f9e84_1080x1350.png" width="511" height="638.75" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/82de909d-5d6d-4673-b0a2-5a657d3f9e84_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:511,&quot;bytes&quot;:259445,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/168552657?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82de909d-5d6d-4673-b0a2-5a657d3f9e84_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LIqp!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82de909d-5d6d-4673-b0a2-5a657d3f9e84_1080x1350.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LIqp!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82de909d-5d6d-4673-b0a2-5a657d3f9e84_1080x1350.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LIqp!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82de909d-5d6d-4673-b0a2-5a657d3f9e84_1080x1350.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LIqp!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F82de909d-5d6d-4673-b0a2-5a657d3f9e84_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><h4>I have lived most of my life in the first layer, the physical layer. </h4><p>We wake up brush our teeth and wash our face and think the job is done. We spend our day focusing on the sphere of the physical world. We meet the information we get from our senses and leave it at that. Meanwhile, the energetic and mental layer are speaking to us but we are not listening, we are cut off from receiving their intelligence. We may push away emotions and allow the thoughts in our mind to run unchecked in the background. Imagine if we took this approach to our dental hygiene? If we ignored the bad breath and tooth aches?</p><blockquote><p>For some reason, we have been made to believe that we don&#8217;t need to care for our energy and our mind in the same way that we care for our physical body. </p></blockquote><p>Indeed, we will never be able to stop feeling or thinking but that is not the objective. <strong>What we can do is bring order and harmony to these layers so when they speak to us we listen and we understand the intelligence they are bringing us.</strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><h3>Autopilot mode = dysfunctional inner world. </h3><p>If we continue to pay these layers no attention energy will build and a chaotic emotional state can bubble until one day you explode. The mind will circle in stories of your worst nightmares until you become a shadow of your true self, living in a reality of fear.</p><p>It does not have to be so difficult. You can learn to clear the dust and redirect their currents. To release stored emotions and form new thinking patterns. This opens you up to an entirely new way of operating within your internal world, which will eventually reflect in your outer world.</p><p></p><h2>How does it work?</h2><p>Working with the framework of the 5 sheaths, we begin with the physical body, then the energetic and finally, you are ready to work with the mental layer. If you have ever tried to sit down to meditate and have been met with a chaotic stream of thoughts that is wildly uncomfortable to even observe, then you know the importance of working with the physical and energetic layer first.</p><p><strong>When you bring presence to the body and then to your energy body, you restore a certain sense of harmony in these layers.</strong> Then you will be in the correct state to bring awareness into the mental domain.</p><h4>We do this is by committing to a daily practice of 30 minutes:</h4><ul><li><p>10 minutes of gentle movements to bring awareness into the physical body</p></li><li><p>10 minutes of breath to bring awareness into the energetic body</p></li><li><p>10 minutes of meditation to bring awareness into the mental body</p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!reOy!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F717fa09f-659f-421b-9c9c-81491e21e79b_1080x1350.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!reOy!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F717fa09f-659f-421b-9c9c-81491e21e79b_1080x1350.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!reOy!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F717fa09f-659f-421b-9c9c-81491e21e79b_1080x1350.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!reOy!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F717fa09f-659f-421b-9c9c-81491e21e79b_1080x1350.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!reOy!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F717fa09f-659f-421b-9c9c-81491e21e79b_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!reOy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F717fa09f-659f-421b-9c9c-81491e21e79b_1080x1350.png" width="494" height="617.5" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/717fa09f-659f-421b-9c9c-81491e21e79b_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1350,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:494,&quot;bytes&quot;:647229,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/i/168552657?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F717fa09f-659f-421b-9c9c-81491e21e79b_1080x1350.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!reOy!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F717fa09f-659f-421b-9c9c-81491e21e79b_1080x1350.png 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!reOy!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F717fa09f-659f-421b-9c9c-81491e21e79b_1080x1350.png 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!reOy!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F717fa09f-659f-421b-9c9c-81491e21e79b_1080x1350.png 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!reOy!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F717fa09f-659f-421b-9c9c-81491e21e79b_1080x1350.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Posts sent directly to your email:</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p></p><h2>What can you expect?</h2><p>You will begin to feel an awakened sense of presence in your body, energy and mind. You may even begin to sense the subtle sensations in your energy body for the first time. This is more than your emotions. <strong>This is a subtle energetic intelligence that is speaking to you through the language of sensation.</strong> Just as the mind speaks to you through thought, your energy body speaks to you through sensation. If you pay attention and feel your emotions fully, you will begin to unlock an entirely new source of intelligence that lives within you.</p><p>Over time you will also begin to feel the creative power you have over these layers. You will strengthen your ability to create emotional shifts and direct your energy at will. <strong>With consciousness and intention, you will feel your power to release dense energy, call upon higher frequencies and cultivate the emotional state you would like to embody</strong>.</p><p>You will unlock your power to direct thought, align with higher thinking and transcend habitual negative thought patterns. This practice does not give you a new power. It reconnects you with a power that you innately have. </p><p></p><blockquote><p>This is when you begin to feel superhuman. Or we begin to awaken the power that lies dormant within us.</p></blockquote><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-truth-and-power-of-spiritual?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/the-truth-and-power-of-spiritual?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p><h2>There&#8217;s more:</h2><p>You may have noticed in our diagram that there are more layers beyond the mental layer. The wisdom and the bliss layers are the layers of higher consciousness. These layers are the layers of our intuition and ecstatic nature. They are always there, present deep within us but without regular Spiritual practice they are rarely experienced.</p><p>If you are lucky, the right external circumstances may unfold that bring you into states of bliss but the moment eventually passes and this state will always be dependent on the external circumstances aligning with your expectations. Perhaps you receive waves of intuitive guidance but may overlook the message and leave your intuitive powers untapped. <strong>With a daily devotion to bringing awareness to the first three layers, you will eventually embody the deeper layers of your innate wisdom and bliss.</strong></p><p>You may be familiar with the image of the all-knowing, blissed out guru who is floating on air and can read our minds. Indeed, it is a stereotype but <strong>it speaks to our ability to tap into these layers through dedicated Spiritual practice.</strong> Don&#8217;t worry, you don&#8217;t need to drop out of society, live in a cave and meditate for 10 hours a day. <strong>You would be amazed at what you can achieve with a daily devotion to 30 minutes every morning</strong>. In time, you will begin to feel the fruits of your practice and you will be hungry to do even more.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L4Gh!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4889adf-364f-4188-9ec5-e319da5eea8f_736x414.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L4Gh!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4889adf-364f-4188-9ec5-e319da5eea8f_736x414.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L4Gh!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4889adf-364f-4188-9ec5-e319da5eea8f_736x414.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L4Gh!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4889adf-364f-4188-9ec5-e319da5eea8f_736x414.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L4Gh!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_webp, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4889adf-364f-4188-9ec5-e319da5eea8f_736x414.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L4Gh!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4889adf-364f-4188-9ec5-e319da5eea8f_736x414.jpeg" width="455" height="255.9375" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a4889adf-364f-4188-9ec5-e319da5eea8f_736x414.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:414,&quot;width&quot;:736,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:455,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;This may contain: an old photo of a woman with her hands together&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="This may contain: an old photo of a woman with her hands together" title="This may contain: an old photo of a woman with her hands together" srcset="/__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L4Gh!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_424, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4889adf-364f-4188-9ec5-e319da5eea8f_736x414.jpeg 424w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L4Gh!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_848, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4889adf-364f-4188-9ec5-e319da5eea8f_736x414.jpeg 848w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L4Gh!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1272, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4889adf-364f-4188-9ec5-e319da5eea8f_736x414.jpeg 1272w, /__u/substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L4Gh!, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/w_1456, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/c_limit, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/f_auto, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/q_auto:good, /__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa4889adf-364f-4188-9ec5-e319da5eea8f_736x414.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Paramhansa Yogananda</figcaption></figure></div><h2>You are the Higher Power</h2><h4>Spiritual practices are less about connecting to a higher power and more about connecting the innate powers lying dormant within you. </h4><p>The spiritual path is not about renouncing the human experience and only interacting with what is &#8216;pure and holy&#8217;. This path is about shedding the layers of delusion and releasing the blocks that limit your life. This path helps us to let go of what is not truly us, not serving us and not nourishing us. <strong>It leads us into full coherence and restores our inner being to how we were designed to operate, in harmony with the universe and in touch with our inner wisdom and bliss.</strong></p><blockquote><p>We were never supposed to be so corrupted by our minds and burdened by our emotions. With a daily devotion to a spiritual practice, we can bring ourselves back into alignment with our true nature and awaken these elevated states of wisdom and bliss.</p></blockquote><p>Often, these practices do lead us to a belief in a higher power for the more you connect within the more you reveal a presence. This presence is unlike anything you have known and once you get a sense of this, few people can continue to deny the existence of a higher power. <strong>Not a power that is separate from you but a power that is made of you, found within you and connects you to the one true source of all beings.</strong></p><p>It does take some devotion to get there but I promise you, nothing is more worthy of your time.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Worthy of subscribing?</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p><p></p><div><hr></div><p></p><p>Would you like implement a practice like this into your daily life?</p><h3>I offer private containers designed to help you implement a daily spiritual practice. I design you a practice tailored to your needs and interests <em>that you will actually stick to.</em></h3><p></p><p>Click the button below to find out more.</p><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://cathystapleton.substack.com/p/practice&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Start Today&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="/__u/cathystapleton.substack.com/p/practice"><span>Start Today</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>