There is no good or evil force, there is only intent.
Strong words. Let me explain.
This came to me as I was reading about the role of the Archangels. Why was I reading this? Well, I had the most amazing meditation with my crystals this morning. As I contemplated my throat chakra, I saw the pale blue light shining from my throat and out along my arms. Then suddenly, I saw wings behind me and knew this was Archangel Michael coming through; he of the fiery sword and blue light, both of which are symbols of the throat chakra.
Although I don’t generally work with angelic energies, there are times when I call upon Archangel Michael. Most notably, when I find that I or someone I am working with has an attachment that is difficult to remove. Since he was here and I had a troublesome headache, I asked for his help to remove the cause. My body shivered as the cause (whatever it might have been) was removed and the headache subsided.
Then I was surrounded by a green light, Archangel Raphael was with my heart chakra holding two lights, the green and the pink. I was overcome with a sense of ease and peace. I feel he was healing the wound left by the cause Michael removed.
Two Archangels coming to me in a meditation seemed remarkable, so I actively asked for a deeper understanding of Gabriel and Uriel. I felt Gabriel, who I understand as being the Messenger of God, within my sacral and solar plexus chakras. Uriel I saw at my root chakra and felt his energy working in my relationship with Earth herself.
I lay on the bed with my chakra crystals and had a most profound sense of expansion and of being held, and of being understood at the deepest level. It was an amazing gift that left me feeling quite humbled and thankful and joyful all at the same time.
Later, my reading informed me that Uriel is often depicted with scrolls, indicating that he will teach us the wisdom of the Earth, which supported my experience. Gabriel, it said, flows through the waters of our emotions and helps us understand our reactions to things that happen and teaches us how to handle them. No surprise, then, that I felt him in my sacral and solar plexus.
Raphael, is said to be the Archangel of healing, which is how I associate him, but also of travellers. This last didn’t resonate with me, but then I thought that we are all travellers on a journey through life and the best path for us to take is the one where we follow our heart. This might be stretching the point, but I can work with this version.
Then I read about Michael. For me, he is the epitome of truth and justice. But he is often described as being the leader of God’s army, notably in the battle against Lucifer, who had to be thrown out of heaven because he challenged God.
Hmmm… let’s think about this?
Why on Earth, or should I say, why in Heaven, should “God” need an army? God is love, forgiveness, grace. He is omni-everything. Does he need an army to fight for his cause?
Just imagine, for a brief moment, what life must be like for a really evil-minded, hate-filled being who is on the rampage and full of envy and jealousy to the extent that he challenges God? Or maybe an arrogant narcissist who thinks himself as good as God and throws down a gauntlet. Now imagine what it must be like for this poor being to have God reach out to them with all the love of the universe in His eyes and say, “I forgive you.” In that moment, all the angst, hate, fear, and so on would fall away. To be forgiven by God himself – after a challenge? You are not going to hang on to your anger. Instead, you would fall on your knees in tears of relief as it all falls away from you, and love fills your heart. In that moment, you suddenly realise that you are okay just being who you are.
See my point?
I’ve read many stories about the fall of Lucifer, and very few make sense (though some do but that’s for another blog). Having been tossed out of Heaven by Michael, Lucifer/Satan is said to now reside on Earth trying to turn people away from God. As such he has become a thing to blame for all the temptations we succumb to. This might have been appropriate for earlier generations but I feel it is time to bring the idea into the light of a new day.
The battle between good and evil may have appealed to people living in the age of Empire, but it is just a parable. Like the angel and the devil on your left and right shoulders offering opposing options, it is a story to explain why we find ourselves at times in a dichotomy about what we should do; why we sometimes opt for the ‘wrong’ path; why we allow ourselves to be swayed by a silver tongue when we know better; why we give into something when our heart is telling us to go the other way. The parable is about a battle, not in Heaven, but in our own heart.
And so I come back to the thought that started this blog. Personally, I think that what we call good and evil are not external forces at war with one another, but reflections of something much closer to home, something we find hard to acknowledge. For this battle is about taking responsibility for our thoughts and our actions. It is about finding the courage to be true to ourself. Our conscious and unconscious thoughts shape the person we become, and shape the world around us. Once we accept that, we begin to realise the power of our intent.
Imbolc blessings, as we set our intent for the year ahead.
(Image generated by AI)