Storytelling is an act of reclaiming yourself across time
When you tell a story, you have access to:
Your past: the power and potential that you once possessed
Your present: the work you’re here to do and the people you’re here to touch now
Your future: the vision of a reality that’s more more beautiful, bearable, and bold for yourself and all people
Storytelling is an act of time magic
When you tell a story, you are consciously bringing the past, present, and future together into an eternal now.
While writing or speaking a story out loud, you are able to anchor fully into the present moment. You reflect back on events of the past, crafting the story of who you were and you who are so that you can transform the future.
If storytelling isn’t like casting a spell, then I have no idea what magic is. (And really, I have spent a lot of time thinking about creative magic, so I feel like I do have a pretty profound understanding of this stuff.)
How to make this past-present-future storytelling magic into something real
In the big story I’ve just put into the world, The Sovereignty Knot, I’m definitely reclaiming the narrative in my own life in hopes that it will inspire my readers to do the same. And there’s definitely a lot of time magic going on.
In the book, you meet the past, present, and future me. Writing this story gave me the chance to connect to all that I was, all that I am, and all that I would be, and integrate it all into one cohesive narrative. Into one cohesive life.
In The Sovereignty Knot, you also meet the archetypes of Sovereignty…
There’s the princess - she’s the one who embodies your sexy, brave, carefree parts
There’s the queen - she’s the one who embodies your capable, responsible, compassionate parts
Then, there’s the wise woman - she’s the one who embodies your still, irreverent, insightful parts
And here’s the most important thing about these archetypes of Sovereignty: you can (in fact you must) work with them and play with them throughout life.
The princess, queen, and wise woman are a vibrant alternative to that linear model of the maiden, mother, and crone. Rather than passing from one stage to the next and letting the doors slam behind us, I want all of us to keep dancing with all the energies these archetypes offer - the adventurous, the competent, and the wise.
Embodying all three archetypes of Sovereignty regardless of age or stage of life is a practice. The best way to get good at it is to explore your own stories.
Telling my story is enabling me to reclaim my original magic
This kind of Sovereign Storytelling Time Magic works. Not just on the page, but in the “real world” too. Telling a story can transform the way you show up everywhere.
I grew up on a stage. I learned how to be Sovereign on a stage.
Dancing, acting, and singing… When I stood up there I gave myself permission to use my full voice, use all my energy, and to inhabit my full potential. My princess self was on a great adventure. Being that kind of brave in front of so many people was my kind of intoxicating.
In that high school auditorium, I was unafraid to take up space and take over the room. The curtains went up and I knew I was meant to be queen, all full of confidence and the power to captivate an audience.
Did the wise woman within me get up on that stage too? Well, I did play Ebenezer Scrooge (in a gown!) my senior year… But then came graduation, and I didn’t feel like I could compete with the “real” theater kids in college. I retired long before my wise woman ever had a chance to claim the spotlight.
Leaving childhood and those leading roles behind, I dedicated myself to learning other people’s stories. I earned degrees in English and learned how to analyze the hell out of a piece of literature. I worked in a library, taking care of a million other people’s books. Eventually, I’d become a writer-for-hire and then a coach, helping other people sculpt their own stories.
In the background, Sovereignty kept tugging at my sleeve. The archetypes showed up and wouldn’t go away. I had no choice but to set aside all the excuses and become the heroine of my own story again, writing about my experiences and stitching them together into a book.
The book, of course, is evidence that writing does give us the power to reach back into the past to understand ourselves more fully in the present in order to create a new future.
And here’s one more piece of evidence: I’m getting back on stage again.
I am putting on a show…
I would love to have you there as I perform these archetypes of Sovereignty and tell the old Celtic stories that inspired them.
Though I have only been on a stage a couple of times in the last twenty years, I am more ecstatic than nervous. I am so excited for this experiment in Sovereignty.
The princess in me can’t wait to see how brave and bold she can be. The queen is thrilled that I’ve got the skills and the presence to gather people together in the name of Sovereignty. The wise woman within me is so glad she’ll finally be able to be part of the act, offering her insight and her experience to this grown-up version of Marisa, the performer.
If you live in the Hudson Valley, I do hope you’ll join us at The Living Seed in New Paltz on March 28.
Do you want to learn how to uncover your stories and how to craft and share them with the people who most need to hear you message?
Learn more about the Stand in Your Sovereign Story Program. The early bird registration rate is still available!
