Radical Presence

Yesterday, I experienced an Akashic reading with a beautiful soul, Jane. For those unfamiliar, the Akashic or Akashic Records are an expanse of experiences, knowledge, and consciousness that surround us. Existing outside of time, they encompass the past, present, and future. As a bookworm, I imagine it as a vast library where I can check out a book to uncover insights to guide my life and calling.

In the reading, rather than pulling information for me, Jane tapped into the divine energy and experience of being in the flow of the Akashic. What she shared was incredible. Many messages stood out. The one that’s coming to me now is the experience of radical presence.

As a recovering workaholic, I spent a good portion of my life always looking ahead. What do I have to do today? What’s the next project? What can I cross off my endless list? For years, I’ve endeavored to live more in the present. Radical presence suggests taking that to the next level.

On my morning walk, I wondered what radical presence might truly mean. Could it be quieting my mind, feeling each step, breathing in the crisp air, and appreciating the trees and plants by touching their leaves and bark? While these felt like steps toward it, I sensed there was more I couldn’t quite name.

Years ago, while studying counseling psychology, I read about radical acceptance. It dealt with accepting all we experience in the moment. It wasn’t about surrendering to injustice, discrimination, and the like; it was about acknowledging the fullness of what you are experiencing rather than denying it. Might radical presence then be the foundation on which radical acceptance rests?

What are your thoughts? What does radical presence look and feel like? As we move into the holiday season and approach a new year, perhaps play with that idea and see what floats to the surface from the Akashic river of consciousness.

If you’re interested in having an akashic reading from Jane, you can contact her through her website, akashicjoy.com.


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Guided by Spirit: a new book release

Last week, a new spiritual book was released by As You Wish Publishing called Guided By Spirit: A Quest for Self-Discovery, Insight & Illumination. It’s a collaborative book, where each chapter is a story from an author about her or his experiences in which they were guided by spirit. My chapter is called “The Woo-Woo.” In my story, I shared three examples of times I felt guided, including one that occurred in the bathroom.

Upon its initial release, Guide By Spirit was an Amazon bestseller in three areas: Existential Psychology, Health & Spirituality, and Death, Grief, & Spirituality. Yesterday, it won gold in the ebookfair.com for the All Books Welcome – Oct Part 2 contest receiving 847 votes.

Each chapter is uplifting and inspiring and rich with hope and healing. It’s available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/6MmQwYV

To Be Seen and Heard

How many of you have always felt different from those around you, even from childhood? Perhaps you were a sensitive child or displayed abilities that others didn’t. Maybe you didn’t have many friends and even had an imaginary one? If you were like me, you found solace in another activity, which in my case was books and TV shows. I found companionship through their fictional characters. Looking back, it feels a bit lonely, and I can’t help but feel sadness for my younger self, Joey.

I vividly remember sitting by myself under a tree during grade school recess, asking an invisible being, Why? It wasn’t until college that I realized the being was God.

Looking back, I now recognize what I longed for most: to be seen. I wanted someone to notice that sensitive, awkward, little gay boy and assure him that he was good, lovable, and worthy. What about you? Did you ever yearn for this?

And if that longing wasn’t fulfilled, how did you respond? Did you act out to be noticed? Did you try to be the best little girl or boy in the world? Did you find yourself seeking approval by getting the best grades in school and following the rules? That certainly describes me. Without realizing it, I became a workaholic. When my grades weren’t perfect, it felt like confirmation that I wasn’t good enough, or worthy of attention and love.

Some of you may know that I recently created a public Facebook page called Spirit Healer Journeys. The idea was to have a space where I could share my work as a spirit healer, keep you updated on my spiritual fantasy series, and invite discussions on topics raised in my blog and my book series. However, after a couple of months, I noticed the page was getting flooded with ads, which didn’t feel right for the kind of meaningful conversations I wanted to have.

That’s why I just created a private Facebook group called Journeys to Healing and Your Divine You—a safe, ad-free space (hopefully) for deeper connections. In this group, we can discuss topics like feeling different, accepting your innate goodness, identifying your purpose, and so on. Based on the discussion, I’ll also occasionally pull an angel or oracle card to share their messages with the group.

If you’re interested in joining, my assumption is that you can click the group link, https://www.facebook.com/groups/366024949837869/, and request to join. If that doesn’t work, email me at jmcmonagle@gmail.com with your Facebook name, and I’ll invite you.

Once a few join, I’ll kick off the discussion. I can’t wait to hear your stories.


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Recorded Reading Snippet: Shadows and Light Journeys of a Spirit Healer

I decided to give reading a portion of my debut novel a try, including attempting to use different voices for the characters involved. Enjoy.

A snippet of Chapter 1

If you haven’t purchased the book, you can buy it on Amazon.com: https://a.co/d/2dL9im6.


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Worthiness and Faith

I’ve written before that I’ve struggled with low self-esteem. I know some of you can relate, never feeling good enough, often comparing yourself to others and concluding you’re lacking. For me, these beliefs stemmed from feeling different from an early age, worsened by bullies. Unfortunately, they were further reinforced by some teachings of the Catholic Church that emphasized unworthiness. For example, the scriptural-based prayer Catholics said before receiving the Eucharist was, “O Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word, and I shall be healed.” Don’t get me wrong. My intention in writing this is not to bad-mouth Catholicism, which always holds a special place in my heart. I loved its ritual, symbolism, music, and many teachings. Most importantly, it established a foundation of belief in a supreme being, which I treasure to this day.

Many years later, even after much therapy, my sense of unworthiness lingered. Despite chats with my divine advisors, who repeatedly assured me I was loved and innately worthy, this belief lingered. In recent months, this was made plain to me, when expressing gratitude for their help. One day, while chatting with them, they stopped me because I was thanking them for something for which I had already thanked them numerous times. On the surface, this didn’t sound like a bad thing until I realized it came from feeling unworthy of their attention; surely, there was someone else more deserving.

During the Skamania retreat that I recently attended (sponsored by Celebrate Your Life), I named that limiting belief. As part of a ritual led by Denise Linn, I imagined it dissolving into nothingness as a biodegradable paper on which it was written floated down the Columbia River. Later, at the same retreat, Radleigh Valentine brought up the topic of faith in a way that made me reconsider its meaning.

My divine advisors prompted me to broaden it from the one-way—me to God—understanding to a threefold experience. The first centered on reminding me to have faith in myself, as I am now, and not in some distant future when I decided I was enough. The second was to take in, at my core, that God and my divine advisors had faith in me. That’s right. I’ll write it again. They have faith in me as a spirit healer, and especially important, as a human living in complex times. And the third, and sometimes most difficult, is for me to have faith that the promises my divine advisors have made to support and help will occur. I can name so many already. Now, I’m not saying I haven’t had challenges and struggles. During the tough moments, though, I try to remind myself that they have come through, even if it hasn’t been on my timeline.

The reality and gift of worthiness and faith. Beautiful concepts that are quite personal. If you struggle with feeling unworthy and having faith that anyone cares, consider my experience. Believe you are worthy and that God, angels, spirit guides, and all in the divine realm have faith in you.


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Gratitude to Celebrate Your Life

I attended a Celebrate Your Life Retreat this past weekend. The retreat featured amazing spiritual teachers that included: Denise Linn, Dougall Fraser, Radleigh Valentine, and Lisa Williams. During the retreat, Liz Dawn, the cofounder of Mishka Productions, along with her mother, now in spirit,, highlighted my recent book launch to those who attended (110 in person and more livestreaming). My friend, Terry Bowen, who is also my soul coach, recorded the announcement.

Announcement about Shadows and Light: Journeys of a Spirit Healer

I was incredibly honored and grateful to them for doing that, as well as Kyra Schaefer and Todd Schaefer, from As You Wish Publishing, who helped me get it published.

Here’s a link to my book, Shadows and Light: Journeys of a Spirit Healer, available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/gs5oX81.


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It takes courage to let go

This was the message I received from my divine advisors today. Although my debut novel was just released and over 200 people have downloaded or purchased it in less than a month, I’ve felt weighed down. Some comes from the unfamiliar task of having to promote and market my book. As an introvert, knocking on the doors of bookstores feels scary, to use my inner child’s word. Another weight is that some tasks have not gone smoothly, and I somehow blame myself, even though they’re not in my control. My advisors encouraged me to let go. Just as I wrote the word, encourage, I realized that courage is its root. In effect, they are adding their courage to mine. This morning I went through a meditation to let go offered by Denise Linn, a spiritual teacher. In the meditation, I imagined my weighted worries flowing from my heart into a ball, placing it in a stream, and watching it flow away. It helped.

Are there old limiting beliefs that you struggle to let go? Are there situations that you can’t control but a part of you still tries to? As my advisors encouraged me, let go.

You and I do have the power and courage to do so. Feel it. Claim it. We have the help of God, angels, guides, and even deceased loved ones. to do so.

Feel your courage. Breathe it in. Stand tall. And as you exhale, release it all.


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Announcement: Shadows and Light debut novel

I’m excited to announce the release of my debut novel, Shadows and Light: Journeys of a Spirit Healer.

This spiritual fantasy novel is the first in a five-book series. To reiterate the plot: The story follows Thom, a misunderstood and lonely boy with unique healing abilities that affect both the body and the spirit. While assisting his mother, a part-time healer, Thom catches the attention of a merchant who seeks to exploit his abilities for personal gain. To protect him, Thom’s healing teacher takes him away, but they soon encounter new dangers and challenges. Thus begins Thom’s journey of self-discovery, learning about his place in the world, his abilities, and his beliefs about God and life after death.

Elements of this novel are autobiographical, given the the subtitle.

Here’s a link to the Amazon page where it’s available in paperback and Kindle versions: https://a.co/d/g3nPjXD

You can purchase an autographed copy of the book from me. Please email me at jmcmonaglehsp@gmail.com if interested.


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Inside the Conversation: An Interview About the Release of My Debut Novel

My debut novel, Shadows and Light: Journeys of a Spirit Healer, is currently with my publishers, As You Wish Publishing. On July 4, the owners interviewed me about it. It’s a spiritual fantasy and the first in a five-book series.

The story follows Thom, a misunderstood and lonely boy with unique healing abilities that affect both the body and the spirit. While assisting his mother, a part-time healer, Thom catches the attention of a merchant who seeks to exploit his abilities for personal gain. To protect him, Thom’s healing teacher takes him away, but they soon encounter new dangers and challenges. Thus begins Thom’s journey of self-discovery, learning about his place in the world, his abilities, and his beliefs about God and life after death.

Here’s a link to the interview: https://www.youtube.com/live/7BMBFHmboO4.


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Celebrate the woo-woo

You may have heard the phrase woo-woo. Certain people use it to dismiss or even belittle spiritual practices that don’t reflect traditional beliefs. Others, like spiritual teachers, might use it when presenting aspects of their work that even their students might find unusual, like past life regressions, energy healings, or sensing the spirits of the forests. I propose that woo-woo is simply a way to describe the diverse ways we can connect to the divine and receive guidance, each practice possessing validity and meaning to those who follow it.

Consider some traditional practices. Believers are encouraged to pray for help and support from those in heaven, whether to God, saints, and so on. Beneath that is a desire to feel watched over and seen. Others might meditate, attend religious services, and go on retreats in hopes of hearing words that enable them to understand who they are and how to live amidst life’s challenges. Still, others bless themselves with water to cleanse themselves or anoint their bodies with sacred oils to connect them with the divine. Some people might consider that woo-woo.

That’s all that woo-woo is. Why is it necessary to narrow the ways people experience the divine? Why is it crazy to believe that all that exists, both seen and unseen, are made of the same stuff and, therefore, feel a profound connection to it? But it’s not rational, some might insist. Does everything really have to make complete sense to our minds, though? Is love rational? Is faith rational? I’m not just talking about faith in a divine being but in another person.

I must admit that some of the woo-woo stuff doesn’t resonate with me. For example, I like crystals and have a few. But I’m still unsure that crystals emit specific types of energies that we can then use to help our lives. That’s OK. Every practice or belief doesn’t have to. We each get to decide what makes sense to us and aligns with how we look at “life, the universe, and everything,” to use a phrase from the book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Our spiritual journey is ours to shape and define.

So, celebrate the woo-woo.


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