Healing, personal development, relationships, spirituality

Sensitivity is my superpower

It’s been seven weeks since I shared a full post on here my dear readers. As I continue to heal from my last romantic partnership and build the manuscript for my 6th book of poetry, I feel called to share some recent insights. Today is a special day 2/22/2022 which holds a divine number of 3. The number three symbolizes the trinity of mind, body and Spirit, this union fuels expansion and rebirth. My next book is all about death and rebirth, the many cycles we grow through and will be called, “My Soul’s Dance: Accepting the shadows while embracing the Light, poems about death and rebirth”. I took this break so that I could regroup, recenter and realign myself after all the dramatic changes that occurred in my life during 2021. Calling back in all of my energy and focusing solely on myself. As a highly sensitive being, moving through these big shifts has brought up so many emotions. Ending an eight year relationship and moving across the country has given me the most wonderful opportunity to heal relationships with my two older siblings. I’m able to gain perspective on how much I have grown since beginning this blog exploration in the fall of 2018. Changing my belief system to match my truth is the gift of processing feelings and is what healing from the human condition is all about! I no longer align with so many messages that conditioning stamped upon me as an imprint over my heart, defining who I once was. The reoccurring message I received was that being sensitive was a weakness and having a wide range of emotions was “too much” for those around me to handle.

These past few years since my spiritual awakening, and more specifically these past few weeks, I have revisited many of the moments in the past that were turning points. These are the ones that can now be seen in history as life changing moments that have sculpted my character. I’ve read old blog posts, looked at old pictures and revisited my part in many of the relationships that have deeply affected me over my life. I’ve cried a lot while sitting in the bathtub. I’ve practiced breathwork to ground and expand my perception which helps take the sting out of the sticky emotions that linger around these old wounds. Mostly, I observe myself in meditation, transcending the thinking mind and focusing on my heart center. This is the place where truth lies and real healing happens. This is the space where I can forgive myself and others. I can see how each of the experiences that threatened to break me only stretched and opened me further to understanding myself. We learn our greatest lessons through the relationships we have with one another and how they translate into the integration of the pieces within ourselves as the multidimensional beings we are.

YES

These past seven weeks I opened myself up to meeting new people through two different dating apps. I created a profile that put all of myself out there into the worldwide web. Holding back nothing, I explained who I am as an intuitive empath who is both a psychic medium and channel. A creative women who defines herself as an artist through writing poetry, dancing and practicing the art of shamanic healing. An adventurous and free spirited soul looking for her equal. The three different men I met taught me so much about who I am and about love. One was a complete scam artist. Another was looking just for a booty call. The last, whom I actually connected with first, is a man I have traveled through many lifetimes with and is my soul brother.

Here’s what I have learned my dear readers that has helped me to confirm that indeed my sensitivities are my superpowers! In every interaction, I remained true to myself, allowing my vulnerability to lead while keeping my heart open. The one that stuck is the one that holds the greatest of meanings for my soul lessons to continue at this stage of my life and understanding of myself. The other two were surface connections grounded in illusion by two men with disingenuous intentions for our interactions together. Yes, I admit it hurt to find out that they were liars yet I am grateful for the lesson. When I first moved here, I told my sister that whomever is meant to be in my life next will be divinely guided towards me. I will meet this person organically and most likely through either her or my brother’s introduction. That statement glows with truth even more after these experiences! I closed both profiles and am officially finished with dating apps!

https://youtu.be/BeDylD8dV7U

I’m continuing to heal from ending the eight year relationship in which I shared my heart and soul with a man I considered my best friend. Last month, during the full moon, I wrote him a letter. I then proceed to read and reread that letter all month long, allowing myself to cry each time, releasing all the energy that I invested into us. I also made a recording of myself reading it while Led Zepplin’s “Rain Song” played in the background. Listening to those lyrics over and over again while the power of my words to him echoed my heavy heart has truly helped me process the pain I feel in walking away from our relationship. The spiritual awakening I have experienced while healing from trauma and choosing to be sober all played a role in me deciding the best thing for my life was to move on. I mailed the letter on Valentine’s day after I took myself to see “Licorice Pizza”,the new movie by Paul Thomas Anderson about the impact first love has on us. In many ways, the relationship was a first love experience for me because we shared so many soul connections. Ultimately, once we healed the karma that brought us together, the relationship found its end. Love that is created between two hearts can never be destroyed and has no end. This is for him.

Love can never be destroyed
“Forever”

My last post was about how 2022 is the year for love and I believe it is profoundly powerful that I love myself first and foremost. In these first weeks of the year I have learned once again that I can’t seek outside of myself for fulfillment. I am the love of my life. I am worthy and deserving of unconditional love. That love is God’s love and it’s inside of each and everyone of us, given by our creator. Our eternal light and divine essence is what burns brightly awakening the God self piece inside of me! These past seven weeks I have reconnected to this spark more intensely to realize that it’s what makes me feel alive and filled with peace. Nothing is greater.

For now my dear readers, I invite you to dance with my sensitive soul and experience its light, colors and sounds as I process my deep feelings with the help of my spirit guides, created through the poetry I channel. No longer will I ever believe that what I feel is weakness because what I feel, I heal, with unconditional love. I see how strong I am, facing all I experience with no filter and an honest, open heart. I’d love to hear which poem is your favorite and which one speaks loudest to you my dear readers? From my heart to yours, enjoy!

Love is the only thing you need to remember

My name is Maria Teresa Pratico-Swanson. I’m a woman walking this journey of life in truth. I am a certified master shaman, specializing in healing trauma, addiction and mental health disorders. As a psychic medium and channel, a rare combination, practicing the art of shamanism has transformed my life. My soul is free and my authentic spirit has awakened. I use my sensibilities as superpowers and the power of love is what fuels my magic as a shamanic healer. Creativity is my soul’s expression, purpose and passion which I express through my healing services, writing poetry, hosting a blog, dancing, painting and practicing yoga. My motto is “Triumphing over Trauma”. In 2011, after a lifetime of trauma I became aware that I needed to reconnect with my soul following a suicide attempt. Healing integrates all aspects of my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual selves. Unraveling conditioning and programming continues to take introspection, patience, grace and most of all LOVE! I’m committed to my practice of healing from the human experience as an awakened soul. I believe I am here to help heal humanity one heart at a time.  I offer shamanic healing sessions, both long distance and in person and have written 5 books of poetry available on Amazon. “Emotional Musings”, “My Soul’s Language” ,”My Heart’s Song” ,”My Soul’s Light” and “My Soul’s Journey:Lessons learned through love”

For more detailed information follow this link
https://linktr.ee/Emotionalmusings

In light and in shadow, always with love. Namaste.

Consciousness, Healing, personal development, Spirituality

The Sound of Silence

It’s been a little over three months since I’ve written a blog post. The longest stretch of silence for this passionate writer who enjoys sharing her journey with all the world as a testimony of “Triumphing over Trauma”. Since July, I’ve been quietly tending to my own personal healing journey. Some people have swiftly left my life in order for me to move onto relationships that serve my highest alignment. Big changes include endings that were necessary yet bitterly difficult and led to rebirth. I’ve moved (again) twice actually, leaving Florida for good and finding myself settled back in the West, with my big sister and my brother-in-law outside Salt Lake City. I’ve stepped back into the world of working a job outside my home as a vitamin and herbal supplement expert in a local farmer’s market while still growing my healing business and writing many new poems to be included in my 6th book of poetry, “My Soul’s Dance, Accepting the shadows while embracing the Light: poems about death and rebirth”. The things I have felt, processed, experienced and healed required solitude, peace and the priceless sound of silence.

What does listening to the sound of silence mean? I found one writer’s definition on Google stating that “It helps us see the empty, selfless, uncertain, transient nature of all experience and patterns of consciousness. The sound of silence is also helpful in developing attention and continuity of mindfulness. When the mind becomes very calm and focused, the breath can grow quieter and quieter”. In my practices I have developed the ability to attune to my own heartbeat and feel into both the nothingness and all encompassing everythingness. The grand abyss of the unknown. There lies peace and love which brings a joyful curiosity to all of creation surrounding us. After such sessions in silence I can feel how intricate a role we are all invited to play by our interactions with one another. Leading with love or reactive to fear. These vibrations yield choices and play a major role in how we treat ourselves and one another.

Growing up in a chaotic and dysfunctional home, silence meant anger, sadness and an intensity of unease would set in as I awaited the shoe to drop. It felt like a bomb going off as the emotional roller coaster would begin and I, an unwilling passenger was forced upon it, never knowing when it would end or if I could ever get off. Over time I learned how to drown my sensitivities out and abandon my self care needs. It’s required years of introspection to understand how all of my past now serves me today. How to heal myself, take care of myself and create healthy boundaries with others. I use my sensitivities and sensibilities as superpowers to discern the energy all around me. It’s helped me tremendously decipher what’s mine, what’s not and how to transmute the fear I feel back into love for myself first and then others. Many of the life experiences these past thirty-five years could have turned me bitter, angry and resentful. Instead, I choose to allow them to shape and mold my heart into a more loving, kind and empathetically open person who sees the Light in others. Silence has taught me to be compassionate towards the struggles of my fellow sisters and brothers. Listening to my own heartbeat, I hear the rhythm that lies within us all. Beating steadily is a message that we all need love, forgiveness, understanding and acceptance. These are what I choose to shine onto others. It all starts from within. We teach others how to treat us by how we treat ourselves. Be your own hero, best friend and love the crap out of yourself my friends!!

Resurfacing now from the silence is poignant because October celebrates the milestone of my three year anniversary here on WordPress. In December I will be ringing in my 44th birthday and these are the 44 poems I’ve written since my vow of silence July 4th. I invite you to close your eyes after reading each one and allow whatever emotion is stirred in you to rise and be seen, accepted and loved. We heal together, as one. We rise together in love. Within every season is the cycle of death and rebirth. My dear ones, we are to embrace all the sensations and every feeling for they are the sacred messages life presents us so we can continue this ride through life, to heal with more wisdom and clarity. Change is constant and growth is guaranteed if one can be brave enough to fail and keep trying. Sure the road is bumpy at times, there are detours and new available routes will arise when we trust that where we are being led serves a higher purpose. I urge you dear ones, through these poems to witness each piece of your soul and dream. Life continues to amaze, inspire and teach me. May you see your path illuminate and direct you clearly forwards. In light and in shadow, always with love ❤ Namaste 🙏

If you’re interested in a long distance shamanic healing session via phone, tarot card reading, my recorded meditations and other ritualistic services I provide or to purchase any of my 5 books of poetry please click the link below or see the Services tab in the menu on this website.
For a personalized autographed copy of any of my books, please send me an email
Maria@emotionalmusings.com
https://linktr.ee/Emotionalmusings

#boundaries, Consciousness, Healing, Mental health, personal development

Room to Grow, Intentionally Setting Energetic Boundaries

The past two weeks have been energetically exhausting for this sensitive soul. The upgrades of light pouring upon Earth have made me feel less grounded and a bit out of sorts. Add to that a change to my routines as I train for an upcoming triathlon in August. Listening to my body, tapping in, it’s clear I need to reconnect with myself and set some energetic boundaries. Being intentional with where, with whom and how I spend my precious energy is key to maintaining inner peace and balance. Becoming more mindful of my consumption and looking for leaks, suring up my reserves and internal resources.

I love how synchronicity plays a role in my day to day life. My dear soul sister, Chrissy Marie, who facilitates the most gorgeous breathwork ceremonies twice a month with her membership group called Voyagers and hosts a podcast called “The Art of Aliveness” spoke with the same truth I was hearing from my higher self during meditations on her latest episode. I listened to it (link below) on a long bike ride/swim training session last Sunday on how important energetic boundaries are and I found myself saying YES out loud many times. The bombardment of news is everywhere and social media is constantly begging us for our attention. The human body wasn’t designed to withstand the interference technology brings to us everyday all day and our nervous systems are paying the price. To me, this noise is absolutely everywhere once I leave the quiet confines of my bedroom. I don’t have a television in my room, in fact my dear readers, I loathe television and haven’t watched it for years now. Being around one feels like static in my brain, like someone put a screw driver in the fan of my mind’s flow. Instead, I prefer to stream shows and movies on my phone or computer. My partner and I went out for lunch last week and I was startled to see a television in the bathroom stall playing the movie “Star Wars” of all things while I went in to wash my hands. We just can’t seem to get away from all the chatter, there’s even a word for it now. The interest of all the companies out there vying for our data, money and precious attention has created what’s known as an “attention economy”.

In light of all this I’ve decided to get back to basics and keep life simple. Do you even remember life my dear readers before cell phones? Yesterday I shut mine off for ten hours and it was amazingly peaceful. Chrissy echoed everything I needed to hear to give me the push to do something I’ve been contemplating for months. Since my last social media vacation in April, I have been yearning to take another one. This one will be longer and allow me to completely rejuvenate, regroup and unwind from all the noise. Plus, this upcoming race is extremely important to me. The last one I competed in ten years ago was during the lowest point of my life. I was going through a difficult divorce, battling severe mental health issues and working myself to the bone with three jobs. I was also not fueling my body properly, over doing exercise and abusing alcohol like it was water. It was a dark time indeed. One that taught me so much and began to rewire my brain to choose a more connected mind, body and soul in the months and years that followed. Just three months after that race, I attempted suicide for the first time. Thus began the quest to uncover my soul and life’s purpose. This time around, absolutely everything is different. I intend to honor myself by establishing better and more efficient ways of cultivating, nourishing and expelling my precious energy. Nothing and no one can hold me back or down, distracting me from my goals while I continue to peel the layers of me. Transformation is uncomfortable at times and I need to show myself grace.

Can’t Hold Us
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

On this Independence weekend celebrating America’s freedom, I declare my freedom from technology and endless notifications as I detach with love to care for myself and my inner landscape.

I decide where my attention and energy goes, nothing holds me

My dear readers, this will be my last post for awhile. I need to refuel my creative juices, relax in nature and soak up the Sun without intruption. As an empath, I have found it highly imperative that I pay careful attention to my body and how I feel. The Summertime is the best time to take a technology vacation, reminiscent of our childhood breaks from school when Summer vacations allowed us time to swim, laugh and grow! Remember how it felt when you would see your friends on the first day of the new school year and everyone looked a bit different, altered and more mature? The boys that were your same height all of a sudden grew inches as if overnight? That’s what this break will allow for. Time to spread my wings, fly higher and dream more.

I leave you with this poem and a meditation I recorded a few months ago. Take care of your soul and connect with your truth. Say NO without apologies when you don’t have the internal resources to spend. We all need to slow down more often, not speed up as our world would have us believe. We have so much power my dear readers. The power of choice and how we want our transformational glory to shine. Here’s to continued shedding of layers upon layers, always changing and growing with conscious flow. Looking deep within to cultivate and nourish the magic that awaits just below the surface. This is your life, make the most of the precious time we are allotted here. In light and in shadow, always with love ❤ Namaste 🙏

Taking care of my precious energy

Listen to Prayer for my Soul.aac by Maria Teresa Pratico on #SoundCloud
https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/ewkHX

If you’re interested in a shamanic healing session, tarot card reading, my recorded meditations and other ritualistic services I provide or to purchase any of my 5 books of poetry please click the link below or click the Services tab in the menu on my website.
For a personalized autographed copy of any of my books, please send me an email and use my PayPal account for payment.
Maria@emotionalmusings.com
https://linktr.ee/Emotionalmusings
paypal.me/tinyd9

relationships, Spirituality

June is in bloom

June 2021 has arrived my dear readers and after this first full week I’m in love with a renewed sense of peace. Since publishing my latest book, “My Soul’s Journey: Lessons learned through love, I feel like I’ve unfurled more petals of the flower that symbolizes this love that is intuitively expressed through soul. In my last post I wrote that the more I heal, the more I reveal. This power is coursing through my veins portraying the truth found within the superpower of love.

Ah, peace….at this present moment I am enjoying the birds singing in the trees, the breeze off the lake and the bright sun shining upon my face. A few days ago while on a run, I spotted a wild parrot. Parrots in spirituality evoke a freshness as they spread their wings into your life delivering new ideas and signals that indicate a new direction for your work, relationships, or spiritual  pursuits.  Seeing them often, is nature’s way of sending omens and signs that come repeatedly. This meaning is alive in all three areas of my life! This morning I saw another one sitting on a tall branch of a tree as I ran under it for shade from the early morning sun. It’s bright green feathers stand out against the leaves while it’s yellow head brings a smile to my face. Looking at a parrot makes me happy because they are so naturally beautiful. I didn’t even stop to take a picture, instead choosing to capture it’s presence in my heart.

Electric light flower blossom

Back in March I shared some hard truths about my personal relationship with my partner. Since that time, I’m happy to say we have reconnected. Our bond has lasted eight years and has survived many challenging times that would break most couples for good. However, as a testament to both of our spirits and deep commitment to one another, we have learned through the tough times how to triumph and heal, choosing love every time. I believe we have taken this past year and our physical separation as a time to focus on our own individual needs which has allowed us to see how much we truly love one another. Patiently we planned on reuniting and I’m so thrilled that he has finally moved here to stay with my Mom and I here in Southern Florida. The past two days have ushered in a tremendous amount of gratitude, relief and joy! Being with my best friend again has my heart singing in the key of unconditional love. He is my muse and I dedicate all the poems I write about love to him, most especially this one.

Let love lead

This week I’m celebrating the two year anniversary of my spiritual awakening and soul healing by taking a much deserved break from my usual routines to spend time with the love of my life. Too often we rush through life’s milestones and goals, charging forwards into the next phase without taking time to recognize how far we have come. Well my dear readers, not this time! I’m honoring our love reunion by relaxing with one another. To be a human being rather than a human doing, which is a choice in conscious presence. Whatever life holds for us on this new adventure together and wherever the wind shall take us, I’m accepting it! May we each decide to allow the peace, joy and love that life has to offer us, open our hearts further to the beauty and magic that surrounds us. I invite you to unfurl your soul’s petals and rediscover life’s blessings in new ways this month. June is indeed in bloom and I’m in love all over again!

If you’re interested in a shamanic healing session, tarot card reading, my recorded meditations and other ritualistic services I provide or to purchase any of my 5 books of poetry please click the link below or click the Services tab in the menu on my website.
For a personalized autographed copy of any of my books, please send me an email and use my PayPal account for payment.
Maria@emotionalmusings.com
https://linktr.ee/Emotionalmusings
paypal.me/tinyd9

In light and in shadow, always with love. Namaste.