A secret mystic is:

intelligent
skeptical
grounded
savvy
wise

and knows in her bones that there is magic lying dormant in her.  She knows that there is more to this world than we can see with our eyes or explain with our logic.  She knows that it’s time to harness her intuition, spidey senses, sensitivity, and empathy so that they can become a force of healing in the world instead of a source of overwhelm.

The secret mystics are my people.  And this practical magic is for them.

This past month I taught a free training call to over 350 women on how to strengthen their energetic boundaries.  I have to confess something embarrassing: I hadn’t reserved a big enough phone line.  I thought maybe 3, 4 dozen people might show up.  I thought they might want to use pseudonyms.  I thought it would be kind of a quiet, under-the-radar gathering.  I was dead wrong.

Last month when I started talking about ‘energy’ here, I felt a little bit like I was taking my clothes off.  A tiny neurotic part of me is still worried that if I talk honestly about all the subtle ways I believe our lives are magical, people might throw stones.  So I was deeply moved by how many women stood up and said, I’m ready for this.  I need to know this stuff.

One of the things I talked to them about was my own journey of declaring dominion and how it had shifted everything for me.  Most women will never do this. It’s not so much that they ‘give away’ their power as that they never claim it in the first place.

We’re socialized to be obedient.  My daughter will receive praise that comes in phrases like ‘Follows Direction Well’ and ‘Listens To Instructions.’  I have mixed feelings about this.  Naturally, I want her to learn to cooperate, share, and treat others with compassion.  But ‘Following Direction Well’ has led me and many of my clients into narrow, painful lives.

Learning something is not the same as following instructions.  There’s a slight but crucial difference.  For many of us, to truly become adults, we’ve had to learn to step away from the instructions.

Maybe your instructions come from the voice of a critical family member, or maybe you look to experts with their opinions and data to justify your choices.  Maybe you need to get all your friends to tell your ideas are good before you move on them, or maybe you’re waiting for the man in the long gown to tell you you’re smart enough to do useful work in the world.

Growing up in a very religious environment, I was taught in a very fundamental way that I was not my own authority.  My parents are wonderful and loving people (Hi Mom & Dad!), but the message from the religious community around us was: You don’t really know what’s true.  WE know.  This BOOK knows.  YOUR thoughts, longings, and experiences are not as valid as what WE tell you.  You do NOT have the right to decide what is true and right, and what is not.

When you can’t trust your own version of reality, it’s hard to make powerful choices, let alone trust your intuition.

While this is more extreme than most peoples’ experience, many of us get the same underlying message.  It boils down to: Who the heck do you think you are?

Here’s my answer to you: you are you.  You are exactly who you are– and I mean exactly, with all your flaws and foibles and gifts and follies– for a reason.  And you get to say what is true and right for you.

Not only are you in fact allowed to do that, I believe it’s an essential rite of passage that gives you the strength to step into the fullness of who you are.

So my challenge to you as 2011 winds down and you begin planning for 2012 is to Declare Dominion in whatever way is calling to you.  The women of The Queen Sweep, The Royal Keep, and The Flying Leap have declared dominion over their physical spaces this year.  They’ve cleared clutter, set up systems, and created beauty.  The women doing Personal Alchemy with me have declared dominion over their story, habits, and relationships.  And a new group of women will begin 2012 by declaring dominion over their energy.

The magic we’ll be practicing has helped me and my clients:

• Feel more safe
• Laugh more often
• Be more bad-ass
• Trust our instincts
• Make clear choices
• Draw strong boundaries
• Practice ick-free generosity
• Stay calm even amidst chaos
• Carry a more powerful presence
• Return to center after a shake-up

Are you a secret mystic?  Then please join us.