I remember the childhood poem. "Two little hands, so soft and bright. This is my left and this is my right. Five little fingers stand on each, so I can eat a plum or a peach. And when I grow as big as you, what wonderful things these hands will do."
And I stop at this part: "This is my left and this is my right." Did you know there is a difference in our left and our right far beyond the mirrored order of fingers? Well in a nutshell, here it is: the right side of our bodies relates to MASCULINE energy (ego, physical strength, control, reasoning, analytics, etc.). The left side of our bodies, however, relates to FEMININE energy (creativity, relaxation, intuition, inner strength, sensitivity, etc.).
Growing up in a Judeo-Christian culture, there has always been a strong emphasis on my right hand. In our professions of faith, Jesus always sits at the right hand of the Father. Icons and artwork generally show Jesus or Saints with a right hand in action. We make the sign of the cross with our right hand. We bless others by extending our right hand. When the priest blesses us, he uses his right hand. I was taught to put Communion into my mouth using my right hand. I was brought up in a RIGHT hand dominant faith culture.
Aside from being right hand dominant in ritual, the Judeo-Christian culture is ALSO heavily Masculine (right sided) when it considers the Divine. God is generally referred to as "He" and "Father." And our leaders (who represent God) are all guys. We have a long line of male Popes that go all the way back to Peter; and of course, Peter followed Jesus... a man. In the Catholic Church, all of the decisions and most expressions of faith have been at the hands of men. So by now, my right side is an award-winning power lifter. Masculine. Strong, firm, determined.
And, honestly, I never thought twice about it. That is, until I attended a Reiki Level 1 Attunement workshop and learned that Reiki is a LEFT hand dominant practice. And this struck me as extremely significant.
I can remember being at the workshop and looking down at my hands saying, "really?" Everything spiritual that I know is right handed. All of the Catholic practices that I know are masculine. And here I sat on my yoga mat, a strong & masculine right hand entering a left hand dominant, feminine spiritual practice. For the first time in a very long time, I realized I was about to tap into something completely new. And it made me excited.
Why? I'm used to honoring the Divine as masculine. But my newer practices of yoga, meditation, and Reiki are reminding me that the Divine is both masculine and feminine; 100% male and 100% female. We have all been breathed into life in the image and likeness of the Divine, who has blessed us with both right and left expressions of spirituality, energy and love. And to this point, I have enthusiastically explored the RIGHT side of what God has given me... and now, a whole other LEFT side is being revealed.
So... the Feminine Divine. I'm not used to it. But I like it. I didn't realize how much I've been missing a Divine feminine energy until I began these new practices. The yin, the calm, the openness, the healing. Honoring and developing new ways for God to flow through me into the world, including through Reiki, via a left dominant hand.
I've always been creative. A writer. An expresser. An outside-of-the-box thinker. A comforter. A healer. But, in matters of God, only to the extent that my right-handed religious organization would allow. Being as "left handed" as possible in a "right handed" religion. But spirituality doesn't have to be right or left handed -- it is expressions of both. And my soul is yearning for more. And tired of stopping myself and being silenced. And being led by the Divine to move beyond.
I know my inner charism (calling) is to be a conduit of the Divine. A conduit of love. A conduit of welcome and acceptance. A conduit of God in the world. And I am deeply inspired by the feeling of new possibility when I stand in the truth of my left side, too. New revelations of God in my life.
That is where I am standing right now. Standing on the diving board, looking at the water below saying "Am I ready for this leap?"
I don't know that we're ever ready. But that is where we rely on the gift of GRACE to carry us through the leap. "I can do all things in Christ (aka God, aka the Divine) who gives me strength." And every day, I feel this mind, and this body, and this soul inside of me growing stronger. And ready to take the next leaps forward.
The Divine knows this new journey is exactly where I'm supposed to be. And is just as excited as I am to meet me there.
ON A MORE PERSONAL NOTE...
In opening myself and asking God for strength in developing this new side of myself ... I am also being gifted and supported by unsuspecting people. After a very significant Reiki session last week, my feet led me to sit and pray with with Our Lady of Guadalupe (on whose feast day I was born). She is more commonly known as Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and in my religion is the most beautiful, holy, and feminine presence... even though she herself is not God.
To ask for help. To ask for comfort. To ask for compassion. To ask to be with me. To thank in gratitude for her son. To thank in gratitude for my Reiki master. To ask for guidance on the path.
And she responded... through an unexpected person.
The next day I got a text message out of the blue from a completely new friend who, for the next 8 days, gifted me with an image of Mary that she chose. And on the 8th Day, after she sent me a depiction of our Lady of Guadalupe, we shared with each other. She said "I've never done anything like this before, and I thought you would think I'm crazy, but I knew I had to do this for you for some reason. It took a LEAP OF FAITH." And I then told her how 9 days ago, I was in front of Guadalupe after Reiki and how these 8 days of texts were confirmation to me that she had been chosen to be a Divine messenger. A messenger of feminine spiritual love and support. A left handed message.
This experience began and ended with our Lady of Guadalupe... a FEMALE who is the closest to and mother of the Divine.
Coincidence? Nope. A sign? Without a doubt. (And PS - TODAY is Day 8, 8.2.18)
THE MESSAGE IS...
I've been meditating on my two baby Reiki hands but also WITH these hands. My right hand filled with all that I have learned and known to this point. My left hand being filled with new gifts that I'm developing. Joining the left and right together over my heart center; joining them over the crown of my head; joining them over my solar plexus; joining them on my knees. The combination of these two hands working in conjunction is powerful. Not powerful because of Katie, but powerful because of the masculine & feminine God who works through Katie. And I honor that.
Hands are powerful. They have the power to heal; the power to hurt. Hands have the power to comfort, and the power to shun. They have the power to hold on, and the power to let go. In the end, whether the right or the left, use those hands in kindness. Because only kindness matters. "What wonderful things these hands will do."
How are YOU using your two little hands?
xo
SONG FOR MEDITATION & REFLECTION:
Jewel - Hands (The Christmas Edition): https://youtu.be/TMNEv0H1Wps
My Soul Rejoices by Katie Riley: https://youtu.be/0zwSdAUI1q0
© 2018 Katie Riley
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