During one of the first plant medicine ceremonies I ever participated in I had a vision that I was a tall street lamp. I shined brightly in the space where I stood, and people would come and enjoy my light, be healed or refreshed, but then they would leave. They had their own path to walk and they couldn’t stay with me on the corner.

I felt abandoned and would just stay there and wait for others to come, knowing they would abandon me as well. I looked down and saw my metal base anchored in the concrete. But then it came to me that I couldn’t just stand there and hold down that corner for people passing through. I had my own path to walk.

As this message came through, I saw that my base was turning back into legs and I was pulling them out of the cement. I knew that I had to walk my own path. I could still share my light with those I meet on my path, those who happen to be travelling the same territory for a time, and they would share their light with me. Eventually we may go our separate ways, but that is not abandonment.

We won’t always be at the same stage of the road, but we can always be connected. And while we walk together, I will provide my light and show them things in their dark areas that they were unable to see. In return, they will share their light with me to help me see what is in my shadow. Their light may not be light, it may be sound or color or touch, or a feeling. Everyone has their own type of light, their own healing gifts. The magic is in the sharing.

But there is also danger. Shining a light into the dark places can bring to light wonderful revelations and unseen opportunities, but it can also uncover unconscious horrors from past traumas, monsters lurking just out of sight. It is my responsibility to only reveal as much as a person is ready to look at. That is where my intuition comes in, and I have a very accurate gauge for what is safe and what may be too much for right now.

And lastly, you’ll notice that the Walking Lamp has no arms. This is because I can’t point out the correct path for you to take. I merely bring your options into the light. Only you can choose which path to take.