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Throughout my whole life, politics have never interested me. I don’t really understand them, I have never followed election season (except at the last minute to do just enough research to make an informed enough voting decision), and I definitely don’t involve myself in discussions about policy.

This election season, however, when I look at the political climate through the lens of a spiritual seeker/mentor, I find myself absolutely fascinated. Not by the ravings of a racist, misogynist businessman-turned-politician or by the cycles of blatant corruption that surface every day, but by the clear duality between two very different ideologies that is presenting itself for examination, and the opportunity for a shift of the collective consciousness that comes with it.

When I first found out that Drumpf was running in the primaries, I was amused. “Yeah, right. That won’t last long. There’s no way that people would vote for someone like that,” I thought. On the Democratic side, Hillary’s shady history of concealment and questionable ethics, as well as the nasty trail of manipulation and corruption throughout her campaign leave no doubt in my mind that Bernie is the obvious choice. His policies are based on compassion, community and peace. He advocates truth, accountability and love. He embodies ethical politics.

I have since watched the primaries with a growing degree of incredulity. I wondered how on earth it was possible that Trump, who embodies so much hatred, manipulation and deceit, could be gaining so much support. And yet, he is the GOP nominee.

That same incredulity extends to Hillary’s campaign victories. Despite the fact that she is currently under FBI investigation and facing indictment, much of the public opinion seems to shrug and decide that she is the lesser of two evils. Or, even more unbelievably, they actually support her.

Let’s look at the situation from the cosmic perspective. Why are these two candidates appearing now to bring so much hatred, violence and corruption to the surface of our collective consciousness? What does this mean for society in the spiritual context?

I believe that Trump and Hillary are here as Dark Teachers to catalyze within the general population a massive movement toward Spiritual Awakening and paradigm shift.

Even in the context of such an exciting opportunity for societal evolution, it’s easy to get sucked into darkness and despair and feel as though the election is a foregone conclusion. I recently saw a very liberal, pro-Bernie friend of mine post a remark wondering if we as a country didn’t deserve a Trump presidency as a wake-up call, and last week someone actually said to me, “Michelle, hold your nose and vote for Hillary.” I told him I would never do that, and I would write in Bernie in the general election if it comes to that. He replied that doing so would be a vote for Trump.

I mulled over this brief conversation with growing conviction and a certain degree of outrage. I thought about how the bipartisan system is designed very clearly with the intention of limitation and making people believe that they are only allowed to choose from the two undesirable options before them. Voting for Hillary to avoid a Trump presidency would be a choice based in fear and in alignment with the old paradigm. Voting for Bernie in the general election, even if it means doing so as a write-in candidate, would be a choice based in love and in service to truth, and that’s the only kind of choice I want to make.

When I think about the colossal amount of energy pouring into this election, I see it as an enormous opportunity for catalyzing change and ushering an evolution of the collective consciousness. How many people out there, especially those who might be considered more “moderate,” or those who haven’t yet found a reason to examine their beliefs more closely, are being catalyzed by Trump’s hate speech and Hillary’s shady practices into Awakening? How many people like me are there, who may not usually pay much attention to politics, who find themselves called to action in the face of such vitriol, corruption and manipulation? How many people see (whether consciously or subconsciously) the choice with which we are presented and are seizing the opportunity to step into alignment with community, truth, accountability and togetherness? How many people are experiencing their Spiritual Awakening as a result of these Dark Teachers’ work and the political climate?

There’s a video I like of an interview with Bernie Sanders, where he says, “My spirituality is that we are all in this together and that when children go hungry, when veterans sleep out on the street, it impacts me.” In my mind, this quote epitomizes the duality with which we are presented: the choice between separation and connection, between violence and peace, between manipulation and accountability, between hatred and compassion. Watch the video here:

Let us continue to hold the highest vision for what we want to create in ourselves and our society and not make our choices based in fear. Let us choose connection, peace, accountability, compassion, community, truth and love. Let us choose to Awaken, offer gratitude to our Dark Teachers and stand in alignment with our Highest Selves. Let us receive the medicine we need in order to commit to working for the Highest and Greatest Good of ourselves and of all.

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Author: Michelle Levesque

Editor: Travis May

Photo: Flickr/DonkeyHotey