07/05/2026
✨Shadow and radiance can co-exist.
These past few weeks have shown me how much people–in my closest circles and beyond–are going through some form of wounding. And i couldn’t help but hear a voice in my head, “God, this world needs healing.” Myself included, very much so.
While I was going through my own feelings of extreme sadness the past weeks, I got to witness other people’s journey in navigating difficult thoughts and emotions. Through my space-holding practice, through heartfelt conversations with friends, and even through volunteer opportunities with Lightworkers MNL where I got to realize that even unseen beings may have their versions of mending.
During one of the volunteer opportunities for an in-person case with Lightworkers MNL, I have come to realize that it is a universal experience for practitioners (regardless of modality) to sometimes feel like it’s necessary to mask moments of vulnerability. Since we are certified Reiki practitioners, been doing divination, familiar with folk healing, energy work, astrology, etc. – we should not anymore experience hardships or difficulties, right? Because that’s how we know we have successfully learned the spiritual modalities we have been studying. But this mindset is dangerous. The truth is, to be human is to be spiritual. And to be human means embracing the full range of our experience on earth–the good, the ugly, and the bad. Shaming ourselves for experiencing sadness or grieving on our wounds does not help, but acknowledging the pain without discrediting our progress in our spiritual journey may be the most balanced way of experiencing love and light. The key is honoring our dualities without repressing anything or just focusing on one side of the spectrum. And we can embrace this reality without invalidating the desire for love, light, rainbows and butterflies and the comfort that comes with experiencing these. Shadow and radiance can co-exist. ☯️
This artwork is inspired by my friends and everyone who is in care work and spirituality doing healing services for others. We are humans, too. And even if we need constant healing and regular re-energizing ourselves, sapat tayo at mahalaga. ✨