Getting into the Grit of Us

“I like to know the grit of people before getting involved in things, so I am asking what The Mystery School truly means to you away from the videos and away from the gloss?“

This question was posed to us when we first launched our Mystery School nearly three years ago. It struck us then, as it still does now, that in today’s world, it can be hard to get the feel of someone as so often we just meet them online.

Since the start of the pandemic eighteen months ago, we have held almost thirty free online gatherings. We have been running these to support our The Way of the Buzzard community during the pandemic, and over this period, we have met thousands of new like-minded fellow travellers.

Sometimes in our events, we give a little introduction to ourselves and our story, but often we jump right into the content of the evening. So, with the re-launch of our Mystery School fast approaching, we thought we would talk more about ourselves over the coming weeks, ‘away from the videos and away from the gloss’!

I shall begin by revealing some of my grit and sharing what the Mystery School truly means to me. I will start with a bit of back-story.

Awakening

Over the past three decades, I have struggled to live in the world I was born into. So much didn’t make sense as I grew up and stepped out into adulthood. I had my own personal crisis launching out into the world, resulting in a breakdown at twenty-one, which was undoubtedly the beginning of my awakening process. So often, we only begin to look up when we reach rock bottom, don’t we? Since then, it has been a long journey to get to where I am today.

I am going to cut to the chase now and say that these are serious times. I believe on some level, the majority of people feel it. Every year things seem to get a little more uncertain and a little crazier in our world. I have spoken at length of my concerns in the therapy room and with close friends that I sense that I am living in the ‘end of days’. When I say the end of days, I am speaking in particular of climate change and the breakdown of the earth systems.

Until relatively recently, I worked as a sustainability professional for large organisations. My job was to scan the horizon and assess the environmental risk that would have a financial impact on the business I was advising. This meant I needed to listen to what the scientists were saying and understand the data for myself. It wasn’t new to me, as I studied climate change for two years when I was at university.

However, up to a point, I always thought that it would be possible to turn things around. However, having worked in a number of organisations and watch the pace of acceptance and change, over the years I grew to realise that the level of change that was needed wasn’t going to be achieved. I began to acknowledge that the world will look very different in my lifetime, and that at some stage in the future there would be a collapse of some kind.

This is a difficult realisation to assimilate, and at the time it affected my mental health to the point where I felt I was on the road to another breakdown. This is a difficult time to be alive. It is hard coming to terms with this knowledge and awareness that previous generations, including my parents, just haven’t had to face.

It is a fine balance now as to whether humanity is going to make it, and when I look at the science, it is clear on a head level that we aren’t. Yet, there is something going on within me when I weigh everything up. At a gut level, I have a deep hope that humanity pulls through, and as we wake up, we create something beautiful together. I have a deep hope that in the shakeup, more and more people will come to see the Earth in a different way and reignite a deep love for her. This helps me, as alongside the grief I feel for what is being lost, I have anticipation for what might become.

Creating something new

So, it’s a difficult time to be alive but also an exciting time. As the old structures crumble, they give way to an opportunity to create something new. As I awakened to this awareness, I found that I needed to find support to carry me through, which led me into therapy. Having a person who I could go to speak to every week shed light on patterns within me that I needed to work on.

I sought ways to heal outside of the conventional, which led me to unchartered territory, which at times felt pretty wobbly. It took many years of seeking, and ultimately, I was drawn to the spiritual practices of shamanism and nature connection. Over time, I left that old life working within the corporations and closed the door to my sustainability career. Now, my work is to share what I have learnt with others who are also searching for a different way of living on our Earth and a different life.

The essential things

My role in the world is to play a part in the awakening process, helping seekers access their spiritual guidance to find their role in creating a new world as the old one falls away. Jason and I do this together through The Mystery School.

I feel there are five things that are essential in these changing times, and The Mystery School brings all of these five things.

The first is to build community. For so long, so many of us have been on our own in our thoughts and beliefs. Yet when we come together, incredible things happen. I see it time and time again both in the Mystery School and when we gather together for our weekend retreats. We don’t need to be alone anymore.

The second is to get our connection with our spiritual guidance nailed. Too long we have had to listen to someone telling us what we should think, believe and do in this world. Yet, we all have the ability to move beyond this and connect with the guidance held for us in the Otherworlds. The world beyond the physical world. Two things have been incredibly transformational for me in this respect: shamanic journeying and nature connection. We major in both of these in the School.

The third is to see the beauty in the Earth. If we are at the point of no return with life on Earth, as the scientists tell us, I liken this period to sitting with someone we love who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. After the shock of the news, what would I do? I would do my utmost to enjoy every minute I could with them, doing all the things together I treasure in my heart. I would see the beauty in them, tell them, and celebrate this with them.

This is how I relate to our Earth now. I see the beauty in her, and I am working through all the blocks I put in the way to spend more and more time with her, one on one.

The fourth is to work on my own healing journey. I cannot heal all the problems of the world, and I have tried pretty hard at this in the past before I figured that one out. But I do have a direct influence in healing myself: a 100% influence. So, if I take charge of that little bit that I can control, then I will be different in the world, and this will undoubtedly have ripples. The shamanic toolkit has been and continues to be an incredible resource for my own inner healing, and no wonder, as it is the most ancient healing modality humanity has. We have evolved as a species with it because it is so effective for us and our lives.

The fifth and final important thing I have found to focus on is all about bringing through my creativity. I can find my creative place in this world and help to create a new world. If we can learn to hear messages from our spirit guides and have the self-belief to carry out their guidance, maybe, just maybe humanity will shift into something glorious. Maybe humanity will reclaim back a relationship with the Earth that has systematically been removed over the last 10,000 years since the birth of ‘civilisation’. The Fall by Steve Taylor sums up my position beautifully if you want to read more into this and my take on how things are shaping up for humanity.

The grit

So, there we have it. This is my grit and why the Mystery School is so important to me. Through this space, Jason and I can offer a place where like-minded souls can come together, share, learn, grow, and celebrate. Our spirit guides have told us that The Mystery School isn’t for everyone, but there is something here for everyone. The uptake in the School has been fantastic during its first three years, and we are very much looking forward to opening up the doors again this month and welcoming in new members.

If you are on the fence about joining us, my gut response would be … what have you got to lose by joining and finding out if it is for you?

This is why we have developed the pricing structure we have. For around the price of one coffee a week, you can join and check us out and see if the experience is helpful for you.

The Mystery School

Here is the link to find out more about our Mystery School.

Sharing your thoughts

We would love to hear what you think about The Mystery School or anything we have talked about in this blog. Please write your thoughts in the comment box below.

About the Author

Nicola

Nicola Smalley is an edge-dweller, shamanic practitioner and writer living in Anglezarke on the edge of the West Pennine Moors in Lancashire, England.
Following a career in corporate sustainability, she now runs The Way of the Buzzard with her husband Jason. Her passion is anything connected to nature and the mysteries of the Earth.