This is a post written by Keen—Elephant’s Mindful Partner. We’re honored to work with them—they’re dedicated to helping us find meaningful love, make sense of our relationships, and finally end the cycle of ruined romantic affairs. If a psychic reading can help us do that, we’re all for it! ~ ed.

It was the spring of 2013.

At the time, I was living in New Orleans; a city brimming with magic, mysticism, and hope.

I arrived there just eight months prior (at the urging of spirit), and quickly began offering readings and spiritual teachings to tourists and locals alike.

I became so enraptured with the beauty of the crescent city and my budding success as a reader, that I never wanted to leave. Yet, just as the sweetness of a New Orleanian summer settled in, my soul began to stir and the urge to travel surfaced once more.

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This time I was bound for Europe: Italy to be exact. I planned to travel through the northern part of the country before making my way to central Italy in late Summer, but the details were not set in stone. As I pondered that further, the reasons for this sojourn slowly came into focus. Could it be possible that the purpose of this voyage was to have a greater understanding of self-love & was it also possible that traveling alone could elicit such a powerful learning experience?

I ruminated on those questions as the weeks went by and prepared for what was to be a pilgrimage of sorts. In time, I found myself on foreign soil and arrived in Milan with no Italian to speak of. Clumsy, but determined, I traipsed through the Milanese streets trying to speak a broken language while soaking up the chaotic city life. I watched the street performers dance for Euros & the Italian girls take an aperitivo while telling the guys to stay back. I traveled to Venice and then Trieste, a tiny town nestled in the hills and surrounded by bright blue sea. I didn’t talk much to anyone at times.

I just listened to my own heartbeat and learned to breathe easy.

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Some time later, I ventured to church and spoke with spirit as Mother Mary looked on and blessed my journey. I lit a candle and spoke with Santa Rita Di Cascia, the patron saint of seemingly impossible tasks. She loved the smell of roses, had a penchant for helping the poor, and seemed quite confident I would return to Italy permanently in due time.

Finally, I ventured to Florence, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and made my way to Piazzale Michelangelo, the tallest point in the city. While looking out onto the Italian countryside, I felt the answers come in layers, dancing in waves, and realized there were only a few short days left in the trip.

Tired, but happy, it became clear that I was searching for something that would change me for the better.

I had not come to find myself exactly—that much was clear. However, it seemed the point of it all was to become bigger than my body, bigger than my country, more expansive than the confines of race, religion, and the status quo would allow. I suppose I was on a quest to fully accept myself and embrace the divine energy flowed through my spirit and gave my body life.

Love, it seemed, was not about a man or a family or a relationship to call my own. Not yet at least.

Love was and is about approving of the self. It is about listening to the urgings of the soul, having adventures (no matter how small), and going where we are guided.

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In a world where we are told to be quiet, to sit down, and to hide, loving ourselves is the most revolutionary act.

Trusting the self is an act of love. It lights us up and inspires others to take chances, too. Stumbling, falling, and getting lost along the way is also a part of the path. Whether that be traveling through Europe or traveling across town to meet someone new—it is a bold, brave thing. It is a fierce type of love that scatters the darkness, connects us with others, and leads us into the light.

In Italy they say, “Vivere la luce,” and it means to live the light. You see, when we live the light, we love ourselves and our example gives humanity permission to do the same.

If you need assistance on your path, I am more than happy to provide spiritual guidance. Always remember there is a light that shines in all of us. That light is divine and the flame is eternal.

Advisor Live the Light (Nicole) is a psychic, medium, and intuitive. She specializes in love, relationships, and strengthening one’s intuition. She inherited her abilities from the maternal side of the family, and has been reading and teaching professionally, both in America and abroad, for many years.

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