All You Need Is Love
In 1967, the BBC asked the Beatles to perform for the first live, global television broadcast ever. In response, John Lennon wrote and the Beatles performed “All You Need is Love.” It’s said that it was watched in thirty-one countries simultaneously, by 400 million people. Needless to say, this was an unfathomably powerful act of magic. Even now, more than forty years later, not a day goes by without this song playing on radio stations all over the world.
While few of us will appear on national television in our lifetime (let alone an international broadcast), like pebbles creating concentric ripples across a lake, we all have the capacity to project positive energy and etheric broadcasts on a similar scale. To do so, we must begin with ourselves. We must love ourselves dearly and forgive ourselves for our faults. Then, we must love and forgive those around us. Finally, we must do our best to love and forgive the entire world. Once we allow ourselves to do this, we create exponential positive change in the present and for the future, simply by dwelling in the world. Not only that, but we naturally want to engage in activities that help and heal, not out of a sense of obligation or martyrdom, but as a natural expression of our innermost essence.
I know I just made it all sound terribly simple and easy, and that’s because in truth it is. But of course, we all know it doesn’t always start out that way, and it definitely doesn’t always feel that way. Before we even begin, we’ve got to rise above our cultural training to loathe ourselves, to feel bitter toward or slighted by the world, and to complain about how unfair everything seems to be. Then, we’ve got to make an effort to maintain a positive outlook despite any seemingly horrific or generally undesirable conditions we may observe in our present lives and in the world around. Only by doing so can we help to manifest conditions that are more in alignment with love and less in alignment with fear. To do this, it’s imperative that we do our very best to keep our vibrations clean, clear, and protected through meditation, prayer, visualization, and energetic cleansing and protection.
We must establish new inner programming by reminding ourselves of the truth again and again: love is all, all is love, and love is all we need.
Additionally and simultaneously, we must establish new inner programming by reminding ourselves of the truth again and again: that love is all, all is love, and love is all we need. You might even post the profound words of Lennon’s “All You Need Is Love” near your workspace or altar and inwardly repeat them in the morning, before bed, and whenever else you feel it necessary.
Watering the Seeds of Genius
There is a seed of genius in your heart. It is a seed with the potential for bringing about more healing and creating more positive change than you can possibly imagine, and it is unlike any other seed in any other heart. In order to allow this seed to begin to sprout, you must quiet your mind, shut out the noise and illusions of the world, let your heart open, and listen to the wisdom deep within. Then, you must water the seed and seedling with patience, open-mindedness, and a commitment to following your inner nudges.
If the Beatles had devoted their lives to helping people with leprosy in Calcutta, “All You Need is Love” would never have worked its magic on the world. Similarly, if Mother Teresa had pursued a music career, countless lives would have suffered from her absence. While these are exceptionally famous examples, one need not be even the tiniest bit famous to set in motion potent waves of positivity and healing. All one needs is to be true to her heart and follow the path of her joy.
Whether we’re called to volunteer, to contribute, to engage in a traditional service-based career, or to engage in any other action that allows us to be of service to the world, being the change we wish to see is a necessary ingredient to living passionately, purposefully, and with deep and abiding joy.
Tapping Into the Divine
When it comes to “being the change,” what better way to start than by tapping into our divine guidance? As Pagans, our spirituality is by definition kaleidoscopic and inclusive, so we have a lot of potential inspiration to draw on. Connecting with one or more of the following deities might be an excellent jumping off point. When reading the descriptions below, if you feel an energetic boost, emotional charge, or immediate sense of excitement or joy, you’ve found the trailhead to your path! Spend some quality time with that divinity in meditation, ritual, and dreamtime, and then follow your intuition about how to “be the change” by staying positive, radiating acceptance and love, and/or taking action in the physical world. You might also place an image of your chosen deity or deities on your altar, or assemble an altar with the specific intention to align with your most ideal path of joyful service.
Archangel Michael
Michael is a powerful protector who removes negativity and negative influences while providing a swift energetic infusion of confidence and courage. He’s not only known for assisting those who put themselves in physical harm’s way for the sake of others, such as police officers and military personnel, but he also helps those of us who do healing and protection work in the subtle realms, such as energy workers, intuitive counselors, and therapists. His energy is blindingly bright and glowing, and he carries a sword of light that cuts through, purifies, and removes cords of ignorance, attachment, fear, and negativity in all forms. You can also ask him to protect you or others with an encompassing sphere of very bright white or
