“When you have the courage to leave behind a world that you love, know that which you are stepping into is far superior to what you are leaving behind.”
~Sharon Lyn Shepard~
In autumn of 1993 I lay tucked into a fetal position gripping my abdomen in pain with the last remnants of myself slipping away as if I had just had a miscarriage. Over the years I had betrayed the tender nucleus of my heart that held all my hopes and dreams. Null and void, I was empty and dead inside.
Self-survival reawakened me. As a result, I invited this previously vanquished woman back into her star role in my life. Be careful what you ask for because the Universe does and will answer. The portal to my Soul opened up and invited me to step in. And I did just that. Within this portal the woman I had become was turned inside out. I divorced, left my job and moved across the country. For a while, I floundered on this spiritual path, but with courage and fortitude I rediscovered my dreams and created what I thought was my perfect life.
Until1999…. when I was invited by a compelling voice in meditation to release my career and personal possessions to move to Spain. Despite the facts that I loved my work, couldn’t get a visa, didn’t speak the language and didn’t know anyone there, I did it! At the age of 48, I threw my degrees and credentials to the wind and unplugged from my old life.
Within hours of landing in Spain, I was introduced to the Black Madonna. In my turmoil I had originally called out to an unknown God but it wasn’t until then that I realized it was the Goddess that had answered me, wrapped me in her arms and abated my fears. Thus, I began a new era of my life as the primary caretaker of the statue of the “Living Madonna” (as she calls herself) with a full-time commitment to the Divine Mother. It was She who nurtured me through the process of bringing that Star back into the leading role on the magnificent stage of life.
For seven years I lived as a gypsy without a home, moving from place to place, carrying what little I owned with me. I lived a simple, unencumbered life on my own terms and for the first time in my life, I began to trust myself and honor my own wisdom. My body began to heal and my heart burst forth in song. During that journey, a total stranger placed a harp in my hands and unbeknown to me, like a bard from ancient times, I knew how to play the moment my fingers touched the strings.
After years of bohemian travel, with a Renaissance Black Madonna statue in my backpack and a harp slung over my shoulder, I returned to the Pacific Northwest. Lulled by the rain, I crawled into my chrysalis and nestled deep within to realign and create from the core of my being. Following my deepest yearnings I wrote, composed an abundance of music on the harp with inspiring vocals, and dabbled in artwork. In the midst of creating, something within me shifted. My soul began to sing and my heart burst forth. Now the chrysalis has thinned and my wings are unfurled, picking up the light with brilliant reflections of color.
I now stand on the precipice of re-engaging in the world with an expanded perception of life. It’s exciting! It’s an adventure! It’s scary! There’s no turning back because what used to be no longer exists.
So I’m reaching out in the only way I know how by sharing the Blessings and Joy of life that are overflowing from the chalice of my heart. I’m here to invite you to join me in celebrating a whole new way of being by living the Joy of every moment.
To learn more, visit me at http://www.SharonLynShepard.com
Black Madonna Diaries 