by Katinka Soetens

How to navigate our negative emotions as a Priestess of Love.

 What is the commitment that activates the Priestess of Love?
When we look at the historical role of the Sacred S’€xual Priestess of Love, dedicated as embodiment of the Goddess in daily life, what feeling, what resonance does that give us?

How would we even begin to actually BE that, live that, walk that truthfully?

 How do you keep that up, especially when things are challenging, when you’re having a bad day, when we get reactive, afraid, tired, overwhelmed, angry or closed down, or when old patterns are triggered within us and we slip into ‘less than perfect priestess behaviour’?

Welcome to the fourth Tip for daily Priestess of Love activation, to fill your life with passion, connection, sensuality, and a deep sense of purpose.

As priestesses of love, our quest to shadow hunt and seek antidotes for our negative actions and habits, is a sacred journey of self-discovery and growth, as well as a part of our devotion to Rhiannon.

It is essential to understand that negative emotions are as much a part of the human experience as positive ones, and that we are not above being human and able to make mistakes, behave less than perfectly, or experience negative thoughts and feelings.

Negative emotions arise from dwelling on past wounds or fears about the future, or from taking things that happen or are said very personal.

Our resulting reactions and less than wise actions, are often caused by viewing situations through a ‘wounding lens’ of interpretation, and are so easy to justify from that perspective. What is good to notice, is that we lose the ability to stay curious, or heart-centred in our actions in those moments, and instead act from our pain, fear, anger or envy.

 So are we as Priestesses of Love to be modern day saints?

Definitely not!

Getting triggered will just happen from time to time, even for the most grounded-in-love, compassionately wise priestess out there.

But it is important to remember that if we take the priestess path of Rhiannon and Sacred Sexuality serious, we have made a commitment to ourselves to try to be the best we can be, as part of Her sisterhood, Her Temple, Her presence within and all around us.

So not because of Goddess as some stern correcting or judgemental spiritual Mother, but more as Her presence as the inner Beloved whom we wish to be worthy of standing in the presence of (as She shines within us and in all of life).

TIP: How to navigate our negative emotions as a Priestess of Love?

 Shadow Hunting is an essential Priestess Archetype Activation tool.

If we can recognise our own triggers and patterns of negative thought and emotion, we can begin to unravel the root causes behind them and work towards healing and transformation, we can begin to love the wounded parts of our self home to the heart.

What this means in the moment of being triggered, is that we can begin to recognise the part of our shadow that is playing up, which we call that part that is ‘asking for attention’ in the Priestess of Rhiannon trainings.

These parts of us have every right to be there, but they don’t need to rule us if we can begin to recognise and learn to listen to them.

Most of the time, a deep unmet need and disowned place of our emotional energy is waiting behind survival modes of operating, guiding us to inside the wounding where the place in need of healing is waiting.

By staying grounded in the present moment and focusing on our breath and bodily sensations, we can begin to disengage from the stories we tell ourselves about our emotions and see them for what they truly are – temporary and fleeting experiences that do not define us.

By lovingly shadow hunt the parts stuck in survival patterns and initiating them into the healthy forms of the archetypes of Rhiannon’s wheel of life, we learn to feel and own our emotions. But also we develop the capacity to create space between ourselves and these feelings, to enquire into ‘what is real in this now’.

When we practice these techniques, they will enabling us to respond with clarity and compassion rather than reacting impulsively in most situations. In this, we are never alone, and actually also never lost, for Rhiannon is the guiding light, the illuminating Lantern of Love that shows the way, mostly from the inside out once you start walking with Her Wheel of the Houses of Initiation.

In our role as priestess -initiators, -ceremonialists, -healers, -teachers and -guides for those seeking love and Sacred Union with Goddess, it is imperative that we learn how to navigate and transform these emotions in ourselves first, before we can help others.

Also, as Priestesses of Love, it is crucial to cultivate a sense of interconnectedness and oneness with all beings that these ‘initiations into Love’ of our shadow (or wounding) places will facilitate.

When we realise that our negative emotions are not only our own, but also shared by all humanity, we can approach them with a sense of empathy and understanding.

This shift in perspective allows us to see our negative emotions as valuable teachers that can lead us towards greater wisdom, love, presence and healing.

Trust in Rhiannon’s power of love to guide us on this profound journey of self-transformation and empowerment.

Ask Her to show you the way, the direction of ‘What Love Would Do’.

Do check out the website for the waiting list for the Priestess of Rhiannon Year 1, starting again this autumn. The registration portal will open at Beltane when full details will also be revealed.

This training will give you many practices to enhance your life and connection to Goddess Rhiannon, as well as to ground in the sacredness of your sexuality and to open you to walk the Path of Love-in-Action.

The registration portal will open at Beltane when full details will also be revealed.