Episode 91

full
Published on:

6th Jun 2024

Say Wow with Chelan Harkin

On this episode I'm so honored to be joined by the poet Chelan Harkin. Chelan's poetry journey began at age 21 on the heels of a traumatic event, a mystical event and an unparalleled creative opening where inspired verse started to pour through her with very little need for editing. Her experience with channeling the muse was profound and intimate but also quite private. It took Chelan 12 years to find the courage to share her poetry with the world through her first self-published book, "Susceptible to Light". This publishing journey that began at the end of 2020 has been something of a magic carpet ride characterized by prayer experiments gone right and has included some of the most awe-inspiring events that have completely shifted Chelan’s way of relating to herself and the world. Her current published books include "Susceptible to Light", "Let Us Dance: The Stumble and Whirl with The Beloved", "Wild Grace" and "The Prophetess: The Return of The Prophet from The Voice of The Divine Feminine".

On the latest episode we discuss:

* How a brain tumor and a subsequent pilgrimage inspired by her Baha'i faith led to a spiritual awakening for Chelan at age 21, which included an influx of divinely inspired poetry

* How Chelan experiences her creative inspiration as a flow of energy that offers tremendous insight and wisdom

* The generative nature of suffering, and why she feels like suffering is simply "energy that hasn't been brought back into the fold of love"

* Chelan's incredible publishing journey, which was presided over by two of her favorite dead poets, Hafez and Khalil Gibran

* Plus, she reads the first poem that ever flowed through her, "Say Wow"


Here are a few notes related to this episode:

* You can follow Chelan on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chani.harkin/. You can also find more information about her at her website, www.chelanharkin.com, and follow her on instagram @chelan-harkin

* You can pre-order Chelan's new book, The Prophetess: The Return of the Prophet from the Voice of the Divine Feminine, here: https://www.amazon.com/Prophetess-Return-Prophet-Divine-Feminine/dp/1401977561

* Chelan discussed her experience growing up within the Baha'i faith.

* She also referenced the work of two poets: Hafez, and Khalil Gibran.


And here are a few more details about this show and my work:

*If you’d like to know whose ancestral tribal lands you currently reside on, you can look up your address here: https://native-land.ca/

*You can also visit the Coalition of Natives and Allies for more helpful educational resources about Indigenous rights and history.

* Please – if you love this podcast and/or have read my book, please consider leaving me a review, and thank you for supporting my work!

* You can listen to this and other episodes wherever you access your audio podcasts

*For more Sacred Feminine goodness and to stay up to date on all episodes, please follow me on Instagram: @hometoher.

*To dive into conversation about the Sacred Feminine, join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hometoher

*To go deeper in your Sacred Feminine explorations, check out the course offerings via Home to Her Academy: www.hometoheracademy.com

* And to read about the Sacred Feminine, check out my award-winning book Home to Her: Walking the Transformative Path of the Sacred Feminine (Womancraft Publishing), available wherever you buy your books!. If you've read it, your reviews on Goodreads and Amazon are greatly appreciated!

Mentioned in this episode:

We Are Sovereign: A 9-Month Transformational Leadership Program for Women

We Are Sovereign is a 9 month transformational leadership program designed specifically for women who are ready to claim full authority and power over their own lives. The program includes a deep dive with: • Powerful Sacred Feminine figures, drawn from history and mythology, who will serve as our sovereignty guides along the way • Transformational practices rooted in creativity, play, energy work, ritual, ceremony and even magic • Embodiment practices, including dance, yoga, and other intuitive movement exercises to tap into the wisdom of the body • The Enneagram as a tool for understanding the human psyche and our individual personality types • Yogic philosophy, creative writing and journaling exercises, and much more • The power of the group field that we cultivate to dive deep and be witnessed fully for who we are, allowing the property of emergence to support our becoming The journey kicks off with an opening retreat on the beautiful Big Island of Hawaii, September 12-15, 2024. From there, we’ll gather twice a month over the next 9 months via Zoom, and we’ll wrap up in June 2025 with a closing retreat at Hestia Magic Retreat Center, located in the shadow of majestic Mount Shasta, California. To learn more, apply, and/or book a discovery call, visit: https://www.hometoheracademy.com/course/we-are-sovereign

Transcript
Speaker:

Hello, and welcome to Home to Her,

the podcast that's dedicated to

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reclaiming the lost and stolen

wisdom of the sacred feminine.

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I'm your host, Liz Kelley, and on

each episode, we explore her stories

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and myths, her spiritual principles,

and most importantly, what this

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wisdom has to offer us right now.

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Thanks for being here.

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Let's get started.

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Okay.

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Okay.

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Okay.

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Okay.

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Liz Childs Kelly: Hey everybody,

it's Liz joining you as usual from

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Central Virginia and the unceded

lands of the Monacan Nation.

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And as always, if you would like

to know whose lands you might

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be residing on, please be sure

to check out native-land.ca.

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There's a map of North America, really,

I think they've got the whole world

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there but it's super helpful for those

of us in North America, and I will

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put that in the show notes for sure.

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And I am so glad you're tuning in today,

and If you are interested in learning more

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about the Sacred Feminine, there are many,

many ways that you can do that, but there

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are a few, in particular, through me.

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You can check out my award winning book,

Home to Her, Walking the Transformative

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Path of the Sacred Feminine, which is

available wherever you buy your books.

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You can check out the classes

available via the Home to Her Academy.

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Gonna keep rolling those out

all year long in collaboration

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with some really great teachers.

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And you can follow me on social at

home to her on Facebook and Instagram

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also have a pretty busy Facebook group

By the name of home to her And then

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you can check out articles and all the

past podcast episodes at home to her.

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com We'll put all of that in the show

notes And if you are a regular listener,

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I would love for you to leave a review of

the show wherever you access it It helps

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other people find this Which is great.

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Let's help us find each other in

this information because goddess

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knows it could definitely be more

front and center in our culture.

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And as always, feel free to reach

out to me with your thoughts and your

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comments, your feedback, your suggestions.

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I love hearing from you.

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Social is a really, really

good way to do that.

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And, okay, that's my spiel.

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Let's get on with the show.

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So I have a feeling many of you will

recognize my guest's name today.

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Although I just learned from her,

the way I was saying it in my

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head was totally butchering it.

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But I've been following her work for

a long time and it's such an honor to

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have her with me on the show today.

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So let me go ahead and

introduce her to you now.

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Chelan Harkin's poetry journey began

at age 21 on the heels of a traumatic

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event, a mystical event, and an

unparalleled creative opening where

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inspired verse started to pour through

her with very little need for editing.

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What a gift.

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Her experience with channeling

the muse was profound and

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intimate, but also private.

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It took Chelan 12 years to find the

courage to share her poetry with

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the world through her first self

published book, Susceptible to Light.

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This publishing journey that began at

the end of:

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a magic carpet ride, characterized by

prayer experiments gone right, and has

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included some of the most awe inspiring

events that have completely shifted her

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way of relating to herself and the world.

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Her current published books include

Susceptible to Light, Let Us Dance,

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The Stumble and Whirl with the

Beloved, Wild Grace and the Prophetess,

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the return of the prophet from

the voice of the divine feminine.

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She lives in the Columbia Gorge

with her seven and three year

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old kids, Amari and Nahani.

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Since this publishing journey began,

Chelan has traveled the country as an

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inspirational speaker, talking about

mysticism as the path of opening the

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heart to embrace our wholeness, and

she's joining us today from Lyle,

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Washington, near the Columbia River Gorge.

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Chelan, I'm so happy that you're here.

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It's an honor to have you with me.

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Chelan Harkin: Thanks so much, Liz.

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It's really fun to be here with you.

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Liz Childs Kelly: Okay, good.

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I think I got a nod from you,

but just confirm rookie move.

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I did.

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I pronounce your children's names, right?

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This is perfect.

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Yes.

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Perfect.

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Good, good.

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That's important to me.

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Sweet.

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Okay.

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I did better with them than your name.

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That's good.

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I told her in my head, it

was Che-lan, which is, you

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know, Chelan so much prettier.

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All right.

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So if, if, you know, people who've

listened to the show know that I,

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I usually start in the same place.

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But I would always love to hear from

guests about your spiritual background.

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And the reason that I ask about that

is, you know, first of all, I'm just

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curious, but especially when we're

talking about the sacred feminine,

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I'm also curious about like, what,

you know, what was it like growing up?

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Was it a helpful journey?

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Were there things that

you needed to let go?

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So yeah, I'd love to hear you

talk about that if that's okay.

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Chelan Harkin: Absolutely.

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Yeah.

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That's, that's one of the richest, I

think, richest questions to ask somebody.

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It gives so much material and

background and it's a fertile subject.

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So I grew up in the, have you

heard of the Baha'i faith?

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Liz Childs Kelly: Yes, I have.

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Chelan Harkin: Yeah.

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So I grew up in this small little

town in the Columbia Gorge, town of

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300 or so in the Baha'i community.

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And.

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It is such a trippy thing to grow up in a

minority faith like that, like the Baha'i

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faith began in Iran, and in the 1800s, and

it was a small community here, a really

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beautiful community, actually, of Baha'is

happened to be in the Columbia Gorge, but

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quite small, and so, as it is for many

Baha'is in the United States it was a,

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I didn't have a Like a peer group really

of to connect in that area of my life.

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And so it was a really interesting

journey and very multi layered

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as it often is for people who

grow up with faith of just like,

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there's so much that I've received

from the Baha'i Just perspective

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and, and inspiration and worldview.

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And and like, it's a very, many

Baha'i spaces are really, really

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encouraged are very, just are very

encouraging in general and are very

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encouraging of creative expression.

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And so that was beautiful.

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And then.

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Just, I think just navigating faith

in the, in the US where it's both,

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it's, it's just a complicated journey.

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It's complicated to talk about.

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It's complicated to find

genuine, authentic connection

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points with other people.

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People around this subject.

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So I think I just part of what was

complicated about it for me was just

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needing more spaces to explore it.

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Honestly, the, the things I loved about

it and the areas where I didn't resonate

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or understand and just more permission

to yeah, talk about my love and my

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doubts and my questions and all of that.

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But the Baha'i, the Baha'i view of all

religions coming from the same source

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and kind of being like what's the word?

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That, that there are moments in

human, in the developmental process

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of human history, where there just are

major kind of leaps forward and, and

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spiritual and social understanding.

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And that the Baha'i perspective is that

the great spiritual teachers kind of

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unlock this energy and this capacity of

consciousness in humanity for forward

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movement, and that they all are in

cahoots, really, and come from the

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same source and are leading us to this

place of what Baha'u'llah, who's the

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founder of the Baha'i faith, says is

the, is the recognition of our oneness.

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That's a pretty beautiful foundation

of understanding, and it's a very

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unitive view and it also gives a lot of

perspective to the suffering that humanity

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is going to and going through right now

and frames it in a way that is hopeful.

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So there was a lot of really,

really, really deep philosophical

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support that I was like pretty

anchored in with that growing up.

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Liz Childs Kelly: That is really

beautiful and I didn't know that

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much about the Baha'i faith.

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Although my what I do know about it

has it's always felt very positive for

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me like a like a beautiful supportive

thing and I was thinking of like As

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you're describing that of Yogananda,

the Autobiography of a Yogi, and that

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yogi, that yogic perspective that

there are avatars which is, I think,

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kind of similar to what you're saying.

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There are enlightened teachers and

beings who come here to help us find

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the path and and even like the more of

the New Agey concept at the Ascended

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Masters, like same idea, right?

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Like that.

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And so I don't, that

really resonates with me.

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Like, of course, it all is, is,

is emanating from the same source.

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I find that very, yeah, very unifying.

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Yeah.

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Chelan Harkin: Yep.

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And then also I just want to add

though, like every religious group, I

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would say, certainly in this country.

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And like all people, like there's still,

there needs to be the revolution of

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the feminine force in the community

and in the beings, in, in the

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individuals to really make it whole.

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Liz Childs Kelly: Yeah.

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And

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Chelan Harkin: so There was a lot

of, you know, like the philosophy of

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the Baha'i faith for the most part

is so beautiful, and the community

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is still in its process, you know, of

recovering, you know, deconstructing

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some of its religious baggage,

because a lot of Baha'is in the U.

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S.

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came from Christian backgrounds and and so

there's still just like in, yeah, in every

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community, we have to have the revolution

of the feminine for it to be grounded

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and, and really Aligned, you know?

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Liz Childs Kelly: Yeah.

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Well, yes, and I want to talk about

that more, obviously, but one of the

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things that It's kind of coming to

mind as you were describing it is

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just this the way in which when we

put structure around something, and

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if you want to talk in gender terms of

masculine, feminine, we can do that.

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I think we could take it out of that.

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But you know, sometimes it's

helpful, right, for that framing.

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But when we start to put structure around

things and dogma, and it's almost like

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then it, it, it, it limits you by nature.

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Right?

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Yes.

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And then when you're talking about the

divine, like, you know, when you're

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describing like wanting more places

to, you know, To talk about love and

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like spirit and like all of that.

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You're like, it's kind

of ironic, isn't it?

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That the boxes that we've created

to help us relate to that also

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can end up cutting us off from it.

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Chelan Harkin: Absolutely.

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And even if the ideologies are beautiful,

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Liz Childs Kelly: if

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Chelan Harkin: they're still at

that ideological, if we're relating

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to life and God ourself through

that ideological framework, it's

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not It's not satisfying for one.

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Yeah.

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It blocks us from our own, the

wholeness of our, our being and the

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experience of what we're trying to do.

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And then there's a lot of performative

ways, which, you know, aren't bad

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and are understandable, but or they

can be harmful, but anyway, yeah.

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Authentic relationship as opposed

to ideological relationship with

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faith or with everything is.

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Is everything at shift.

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Liz Childs Kelly: Yeah, for sure.

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Well, and then so, the other question that

I always ask guests is, so tell me then

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how, how you found the Divine Feminine or

how she found you, and feel free to, if

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that language doesn't work for you, Sacred

Feminine Goddess, Oh, it's all good.

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Perfect.

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Whatever you want.

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Yeah, you, you've, yeah.

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I'd love to hear how that,

that unfolded for you.

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Chelan Harkin: Okay.

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Oh, awesome.

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Great question.

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So well, have you seen, you've

seen the movie Barbie, right?

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Yes.

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A few times.

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I love that.

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So I love how, you know, it's such a cool,

creative, genius idea that, that they

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used Barbie to deconstruct all that Barbie

had stood for in the past, you know, they

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like totally redefined that, that old

symbol and that's so powerful to do that.

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And so interestingly, like my, really

my first profound and transformational

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experience of the divine feminine

was it was when I was 21 and I I

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just had brain surgery, actually.

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It was, it was crazy.

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I had an aneurysm, long story short,

in the central artery of my brain

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and found it by, it was, it was just,

I had no symptoms and it's amazing

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that I found it and I wouldn't have

lived to be 30, they said, had I not.

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But So I was just the shocking

jolting total disruption sudden of

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my life and it this brain surgery.

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So that's just an important context.

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And then to a month and a half after

that, I had had this pilgrimage study.

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I had plane tickets to go to Haifa, Israel

by myself to do this Baha'i pilgrimage.

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And so and that surgery had

just shaken everything up.

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It was like everything inside of me

that had been needing to that was all

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my, like my patterns of the past had

just been that they were at a point

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of really outliving their usefulness,

but I didn't know how to break

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through into another way of operating.

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And it was really an acute time of crisis

and the surgery just like amplified that.

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And and so I was really in a place of,

of needing like just permission, really,

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I feel to, to enter this more authentic

relationship, move from the path of

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fragment, maintaining a fragmented, Self

to, to representing a whole experience,

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experiencing and sharing from wholeness.

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But I had no mentors and I had really

no examples of that at the time.

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And I, I didn't have access

to any like healing arts that

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would help me get into that.

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And so I was just sort of using this

old model of like, okay, I should

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do this religious pilgrimage and

pray and ask and stuff like that.

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That was kind of all I had access to.

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And Anyway it's like the

last day of this pilgrimage.

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We went to the prisons, Baha'u'llah's

prison cell, and I had this very

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strange, potent desire to be there

alone that didn't make any sense to me.

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And so we went into this prison cell and

it was a small cell and I, there were

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probably 30 other people in there with me

and I closed my eyes and I opened my eyes

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and everyone had left the space and the

door was closed and and I hadn't heard

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any You know, commotion of anyone leaving.

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I had no awareness that

people had left the space.

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I've never had an experience

anything like this before or since.

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And I kind of opened my eyes and took

stock, like, what the hell is going on?

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And was just filled with would call

maybe like electric light or it was

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like every cell of my being became an

amplifier vibrating with this message.

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Let us dance.

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And in true poetic form, like that

concise phrase had such meaning and it

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was like, and it had this authority to it.

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This beautiful, loving authority that.

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I could come to the divine and

to my life with this from a

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place of dynamic living truth.

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I could have a stumble and whirl with the

beloved and it wasn't just a nice message.

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Like it really carried this energy of

authority somehow that I could really

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trust and lean on like without question.

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And it unlocked for the

first time in my adult life.

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profound catharsis that was just

so beautiful and was sort of

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woven with ecstasy all at once.

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This release, this surrender, it was

my first experience of surrender,

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emotional soul level surrender.

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And in that moment, as energy was moving,

like rippling through my being, It was

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like a piece of my destiny was also shown

to me that I would absolutely without

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question one day have a book called Let

Us Dance the Stumble and Whirl with the

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Beloved, which I now do, and that the way

to access my authentic self and to express

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from that place, which was my absolute

hearts in most desire and real requirement

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for wellness for me, was to, was to find a

way to unlock and open so that life could,

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life force, life with a capital L could

move and move through me and, and conduct

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my expression and my everything with,

with what, and, and to just surrender

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to the, and open to this wild grace.

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So that, that changed my whole life.

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And then and, and around that time is

when poetry really just started to flow

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through me as it, as it still does today.

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Liz Childs Kelly: Wow.

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Oh, I have so much.

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Yeah.

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Chelan Harkin: And just, I guess

to wind up, like to connect

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the Barbie part, it was like.

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What I meant by that was like the Bahai

faith, while it was I so important

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to me, it also represented like I

was also coming at it from a place of

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like perfectionism and like old kind

of, sort of like Christian ideology

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about, you know I need shoulds, like

a should based faith and am I good

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enough and like fear and all of that.

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So that was like.

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This point of reframe into a whole new

way, but using the same kind of platform

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for a transformational experience.

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Liz Childs Kelly: Yeah.

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Well, and I assume that's what you're

referring to in your bio when you said

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the traumatic events in a mystical events.

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Those were the, those were the two, right?

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Chelan Harkin: Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Liz Childs Kelly: Well, it's

so interesting to I love

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hearing you describe this.

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I mentioned to you, and I know listeners,

if you've been listening for a while,

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you've probably heard me reference, or

if you read my book, you certainly know

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that I had my own kind of spiritual

awakening, which was very, very embodied.

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And something that I don't talk about

in my, in my book though, but I think

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I've, I've mentioned here, maybe on a

podcast before, is that this language

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of poetry started moving through me too.

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And I used to write when I was a kid.

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Yeah.

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:

Oh my God.

323

:

I did it when I was like 12 or 13.

324

:

I had a little Mickey mouse notebook

and I just, you know, I'd go out and

325

:

I'd go out in the woods behind my

house and I would write these poems.

326

:

And and then I was just like,

yeah, I'm going to put that aside.

327

:

I'm not, I can't make money on that.

328

:

It's not practical.

329

:

So, and I'm not, I'm not a

professional and I'm not trained,

330

:

so I'm not going to do that.

331

:

But this channel, opened up big time.

332

:

And I ended up participating in a

project called the 100 day project,

333

:

which was, you did a, it was, it was

an Instagram thing, but you did like a

334

:

hundred days of any creative challenge.

335

:

And and so I, I called mine

one, one true sentence poetry.

336

:

And I just tried to write at least five.

337

:

I mean, I ended up writing a lot

more than that, but like at least one

338

:

sentence every day for a hundred days.

339

:

And it totally changed my life.

340

:

So yeah, so I don't know when

you talk about it, and it felt

341

:

very, Divinely orchestrated.

342

:

And that was the catalyst for me to leave

the corporate job that I had and to start

343

:

doing the work on the Divine Feminine.

344

:

Chelan Harkin: Oh my god, that is amazing.

345

:

Wow, that's so beautiful.

346

:

Thank you for sharing that.

347

:

That is so cool.

348

:

Liz Childs Kelly: So I just, I get all

lit up when I hear about yours and I

349

:

want to know, first of all That, that

voice, that let us dance, oof, like just

350

:

gives me chills, like that, just that

simple, simple beauty of that statement

351

:

did you recognize this as a feminine?

352

:

Did you gender it or did it, like, how

did you, yeah, where and how did the

353

:

divine feminine kind of dance into that?

354

:

Chelan Harkin: Yeah.

355

:

Oh, good question.

356

:

So the voice was, I would say, actually

very masculine, interestingly, but yeah,

357

:

It was, it unlocked the feminine, like it

gave permission, which is how I feel like

358

:

it operates, I would say, you know, the

masculine force of like, in my experience

359

:

of like, of consciousness, I would, you

could say pure consciousness, like being

360

:

willing to come in and connect and value

what's in the body, and to stay with

361

:

it with, S with love and stability and,

and curiosity and value and presence.

362

:

Stay with whatever obstacles I'm

encountering and, and not judge

363

:

them, not reject them, just be

with them is then what unlocks them

364

:

and moves them from bound to free.

365

:

And and so it was, that's how it felt.

366

:

That's how it, that was my first other

level kind of profound experience of that.

367

:

Does that make sense?

368

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Yeah,

it absolutely makes sense.

369

:

Chelan Harkin: Cool.

370

:

Liz Childs Kelly: And, and then you,

and then you, you're writing, but

371

:

you're not sharing it with the world.

372

:

For a long time.

373

:

Chelan Harkin: Really long time.

374

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Wow.

375

:

So tell me about that.

376

:

And what, and what, what kind

of, what, why'd you keep it

377

:

under wraps and what gave you the

push to get it out in the world?

378

:

Chelan Harkin: Yeah, great question.

379

:

Well so in the in the bio, I think I said

that, like yeah, so age 21 was a big year.

380

:

So there was this brain surgery.

381

:

And then there was this major,

like, perspective shift through

382

:

this experience I just shared.

383

:

And then there was this still,

there was a creative opening

384

:

that that needed to happen.

385

:

And That was right as soon as I got

back from this pilgrimage, I, similar

386

:

to you in some ways, I decided to do an

experiment where for 30 days I would,

387

:

I was going to allow myself to write a

bad poem and I would share it no matter

388

:

what because I still, you know, like

you have a mystical experience and that

389

:

doesn't mean that you're there, right?

390

:

Like that's such a huge,

there's such a huge need to

391

:

reframe that, like this, this.

392

:

really untrue idea that like awakening

is a one experience thing and then

393

:

you're done with vulnerability

and suffering, essentially.

394

:

Liz Childs Kelly: You're

just getting started.

395

:

Chelan Harkin: That's where it begins.

396

:

Exactly.

397

:

That's where that's when you get to go in.

398

:

And so then I just became aware of

like, Oh my God, I really need to figure

399

:

out how to unlock like that again.

400

:

But I didn't know how, but

I knew poetry was the key.

401

:

And so yeah, so I did this experiment

just to get out of the paralysis

402

:

of perfectionism in this very

kind of contracted way that I had.

403

:

And so yeah, writing a bad poem

a day is first of all, what, what

404

:

really unlocked the flow for me.

405

:

In a way it's interesting cause I live,

I live in the Columbia gorge and hundreds

406

:

of thousands of years ago, it was

like carved out by this massive flood.

407

:

It's a really dramatic geographic area.

408

:

And that's how this felt when the muse

flowed through me as this first poem

409

:

that came from this force of wild grace.

410

:

So that happened.

411

:

And anyway, so then for 12 years,

I just had a huge collection

412

:

of these inspired poems.

413

:

But they, they were like my lifeline

and they were so precious to me.

414

:

They, it was like this poetic channel.

415

:

was, it was like an umbilical cord to

everything that was real and true and

416

:

alive and my main point of connection.

417

:

And so well, I loved and revered

and trusted with all my being,

418

:

whatever was coming through me.

419

:

I still just had a ton of relational

human, relational fear and trauma.

420

:

And I was really afraid that what this

expression of what was most important

421

:

to me would not be received by.

422

:

others by a people and that that somehow

would create a bigger discrepancy

423

:

a bigger chasm between my truest

most authentic self and like human

424

:

belonging if it were to prove that

people just like didn't get it or it

425

:

didn't resonate or it was really scary.

426

:

It was just really scary and

I was really insecure on that

427

:

relational level to share it.

428

:

So 2020 happened, which was such a time

of like, what the hell it was such a,

429

:

like, what the hell, I might as well try

things time, I think for many people.

430

:

And and an old connection actually

came back into my life at that

431

:

time, who there was just a potent

element of inspiration there.

432

:

That, that this person and I really,

really unlocked in each other, there

433

:

was sort of a seeing and a resonating

with this soul space and connection

434

:

with this dear friend, like, it gave

me permission to And, and resilience

435

:

enough to courage really to take what

was the greatest risk and experiment

436

:

of my life to put these poems into book

form and to share them with the world.

437

:

And it was really like a bringing

forth of this whole part of

438

:

myself that I'd really privatized.

439

:

And it was a complete rearrangement of.

440

:

Of being like, you know, when, when the

foundations change, everything changes.

441

:

So that's a little piece of what

was going down in the, in the:

442

:

Liz Childs Kelly: And it seems like, I

mean, that that channel is, has stayed

443

:

open for you since do you find that you,

it's something that you need to cultivate

444

:

or how does that process work for you?

445

:

Chelan Harkin: Great question.

446

:

So Yeah, people often ask me what my

writing practice looks like, and it

447

:

doesn't, I never sit down to write

which it's, and I want to say that

448

:

if people do have a more disciplined

type of way, that's wonderful.

449

:

We just need to be You know, genuine

with, I think what works for us, but

450

:

for me, it's, it's really just the

process of keeping my being open.

451

:

And I do that through really an immense

amount of tending to my, my inner

452

:

being through again, this process

of just bringing consciousness into

453

:

my body and connecting with whatever

is asking for my attention there.

454

:

And, always, reliably, every time I

do that, it unlocks, energy unlocks.

455

:

And so it's this I think, and

that's the process of change

456

:

and growth when we do that.

457

:

That's how, and then, because when

this energy that's bound up in my

458

:

body, releases, it's not just energy.

459

:

I think energy that in our body,

it's, it's filled with information,

460

:

with insight, with wisdom,

with inspiration, with amazing,

461

:

extraordinarily wise guidance.

462

:

And so when I, what, surrender

that, which is when I'm willing

463

:

to feel it rather than store it.

464

:

And leverage it in some kind of way for

some kind of security or gain, which is

465

:

kind of how we operate when we hold parts

of ourselves down when I'm willing to

466

:

give it to life, essentially, by letting

it be free rather than controlled.

467

:

It gives me poetry, really, and it, and it

also it moves me forward, it changes me.

468

:

And so I think being committed to

and willing to dramatically go

469

:

through metamorphosis that just hasn't

stopped is what has kept that open

470

:

and finding enough both value in and

necessity for this ongoing process of

471

:

returning to close connection with the

feminine source through continually

472

:

surrendering to her with capital H

473

:

.

Liz Childs Kelly: Mm-Hmm.

474

:

Chelan Harkin: is what keeps this open.

475

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Yeah.

476

:

Yeah.

477

:

I love that.

478

:

Do you find it challenging?

479

:

I sometimes I, everything that you're

saying is so deeply resonant with me

480

:

and then I often Yeah, no, it really is.

481

:

And then I often go to this place too of

like, and I think this is my storyline,

482

:

but I've also heard other women mention

it to me, and I think it's a real thing

483

:

and we don't operate in a culture that

values that kind of deep listening and

484

:

that deep spaciousness to, to allow

that to come forward in the first place.

485

:

Like we just don't, that is not something

that is, and so I wonder if you find

486

:

that challenging, you know, it's sort

of that, I don't know if you describe

487

:

it as moving between worlds, but

right, you still gotta, we still have

488

:

to exist in this, in this paradigm.

489

:

We're part of it.

490

:

There's no, there's no

opting out of it, right?

491

:

Chelan Harkin: Absolutely.

492

:

Yeah, it's extremely

difficult, I would say.

493

:

And, and it's, it's

extremely counterculture.

494

:

And it's extremely, by normal standards,

it's extremely odd to, I mean, our whole

495

:

society, I would say, I think it's fair,

I think it's reasonable to say, is built

496

:

on avoiding all that is in our bodies.

497

:

It's a, we revile and reject and

are terrified of all the amazing

498

:

power and wisdom, power from

within, and transformational

499

:

power and wisdom in our bodies.

500

:

We're terrified of the

feminine, culturally speaking.

501

:

And so to be on a path of doing

everything to embody that and and to

502

:

advocate for that and to just require

that to be basically, well, like

503

:

this process of being honest with

about my emotional limitation like

504

:

difficulties and having this big process

of tending to those and all of that.

505

:

Yeah, it's really it's there's

so much that just rubs up against

506

:

all of the all the conditioning.

507

:

And so I spend one of the ways that

I deal with that, I mean, which

508

:

has been very hard is just through.

509

:

Isolation too much isolation.

510

:

And so it's really we need each other, you

know, because even just we need to affirm

511

:

we need this podcast that you're offering

is so valuable because we really need to

512

:

connect with people who are on this path

to encourage it, but also to remember

513

:

that we're not alone on it when we're so

514

:

called to, by really deep conditioning, to

operate in this way where there's just so,

515

:

so much facade and so many walls and so

many blocks to what's real inside of us.

516

:

And so to any environment, like the

one you're creating is, it's really

517

:

profoundly essential and revolutionary

to create spaces like this.

518

:

Yeah.

519

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Yeah.

520

:

Thank you for that reflection.

521

:

And I'm, I'm thinking again of containers

and how, and structure and order.

522

:

Oh God, we love all that stuff so much.

523

:

And it, and it does

serve a purpose, right?

524

:

Like if I think of, and I don't know

if this resonates with you, but if

525

:

I think of like that big expansive

energy that maybe we call the feminine,

526

:

It's, it's chaotic, not in a bad

sense to me, but generative, you know,

527

:

like it's, it's pure potentiality.

528

:

Like all of this, anything can happen.

529

:

It's huge.

530

:

It's dynamic.

531

:

And to operate, you need to put some,

you know, if you're going to bring

532

:

something into form, you've got to put

some structure in a container around it.

533

:

Like you finding words, like you

are taking all that, that huge swirl

534

:

and you're boom, you're giving it a

container so that we can relate to you.

535

:

And it's beautiful.

536

:

And yet it almost seems like

culturally we've done the opposite.

537

:

Like if that pure potentiality

is informing the containers,

538

:

then we're, we're good.

539

:

But if it's the container that then

we start to honor, or like, it becomes

540

:

more important to hold the container.

541

:

Now we've lost the pure potentiality

in the beauty, even if we were trying

542

:

to access it in the first place.

543

:

And to me, that's not like a static state.

544

:

Like I would imagine we just, you

got to dance, you know what I mean?

545

:

It's like a constant process

almost of creation, destruction.

546

:

Yes.

547

:

Yeah.

548

:

Chelan Harkin: Oh, you said

that really, really potently.

549

:

Yeah.

550

:

Yeah.

551

:

And the, you know, and the feminine

it's so cool because it's so often

552

:

ignorantly, I guess, I don't mean that

like from a place of, I, it's just,

553

:

you know, the feminine is often pitted

against the masculine and we have

554

:

this binary, but yeah, the feminine,

when we open to this energy, I mean,

555

:

it's like, it's the same force that

brings the apple tree to its blossom.

556

:

It, it it's not without, it's, it is the

energy that allows the potentialities

557

:

of something to fully flourish.

558

:

And, and it's not, and the masculine

and the feminine are just one.

559

:

Yes.

560

:

Is the truth.

561

:

But culturally speaking, we've been

obsessed, like you said, perfectly,

562

:

like with, yeah, with this container.

563

:

And so we've just limited This life force.

564

:

And so nothing generative,

really, it can happen.

565

:

I mean, not nothing, but

way less can, can emerge.

566

:

And when we're doing that.

567

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Yeah.

568

:

Chelan Harkin: Yeah.

569

:

And so like when the, the apple tree, you

know, allows life to flow through it, it

570

:

doesn't relinquish its structure at all.

571

:

It's structure gets to, you know, become

more than itself and give this gorgeous

572

:

gift to the world that is filled with

also this, you know, iridescent or, you

573

:

know beautiful, anyway gift of grace,

like through the apple or the flower,

574

:

you know, it like, anyway structure and

the, and spirit or structure and energy

575

:

are, are absolutely in, in cahoots.

576

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Yeah.

577

:

Chelan Harkin: Yeah.

578

:

Liz Childs Kelly: So another question

that I had for you is the, I, and I'm

579

:

curious how this has worked for you,

but what I have noticed for me is that

580

:

sometimes that channel of like, well,

it seems like your, your channel, you've

581

:

figured it out, how to keep that channel

kind of open through really carefully

582

:

guarding your space and your, your energy.

583

:

I have noticed that for me, that kind of

creative, like raw Place from which that

584

:

poetry seems to move through me shows up

more freely in times of great challenge.

585

:

And yeah.

586

:

And I'm wondering if you, yeah.

587

:

So I'm wondering if you could,

you could speak to that.

588

:

In fact, I know, you know, we always

check in with guests and if they've got

589

:

thoughts, you know, that they want to

cover and you mentioned this phrase,

590

:

which I thought was so powerful, which

is the generativity of suffering.

591

:

And, and I also think that's a very

feminine thing too, that I want to talk

592

:

to you about, you know, as opposed to

the binary of good and evil and happy

593

:

and sad, like the feminine sort of whole.

594

:

But yeah, but I would love

to hear you speak to that and

595

:

what that's been like for you.

596

:

Chelan Harkin: Yeah.

597

:

So well, okay.

598

:

So another thing that happened around age

21, that was just a really potent time.

599

:

I discovered hypnotherapy

as a healing art.

600

:

And that was really the first,

before that, I just thought there was

601

:

talk therapy and or 12 step groups.

602

:

I didn't have, I wasn't exposed to

any kind of alternative therapy and

603

:

so I tried this particular method that

was so beautiful and, and that really

604

:

is when my healing journey began.

605

:

And I was, what happens in hypnotherapy

is you're, you enter a, it's a totally

606

:

naturally occurring state but it's, it's

one in which the fight flight mechanism

607

:

isn't really activated, and so you can

really sink into really understanding

608

:

what's going on at the deeper root

of our patterns that are limiting us

609

:

without flinching, without this fear

response to seeing that and in that.

610

:

That's kind of all it takes to

really profoundly heal and unlock old

611

:

patterns is going to the root of them,

witnessing and presence and love.

612

:

So anyway, so I had this profound

hypnotherapy experience where I.

613

:

Connected with this part of me that

was has always been healthy and happy

614

:

and whole and inherently worthy of

love and acceptance and I like, and

615

:

it was an experience of that, you

know, it wasn't a concept of that.

616

:

And so anyway, after that, that That

it just empowered me to it gave me the

617

:

tools to just want in a really intense

way, really full on way my life path

618

:

has become just this dedicated journey

to, you know, resolving any obstacles

619

:

that I find between me and that place.

620

:

And so that involves connecting with

a tremendous amount of suffering.

621

:

There's just a shit ton of buildup

from human history right now.

622

:

A shit ton of like, of the agony of

separation and in all of its various

623

:

forms that we've played out for

millennia, and such intense wounding

624

:

and which is just Ways where we've

been disconnected from and played out

625

:

distortions of our nature, which is

to be in authentic loving connection.

626

:

And so, yeah, so, my journey has really

just been to meet that suffering as, as

627

:

it, in a really full on way and then And

then since:

628

:

life kind of cracked open and my marriage

started to deteriorate and my marriage

629

:

of 10 years and the husband or the father

of my kids and and that's just been huge.

630

:

It's really been that my marriage

breaking down has been like the

631

:

kingpin for me into the deepest

transformational journey of my life.

632

:

And it's just really

accelerated this process.

633

:

I think of.

634

:

This levels of suffering, which is just

it's potential really, our suffering

635

:

is, it's energy that hasn't been

brought back into the fold of love.

636

:

And it's and so it's just, yeah, I've

been a really accelerated process of

637

:

meeting a whole lot more of my potential,

we'll say through this security of

638

:

my husband not being there anymore

and not being able to lean on that.

639

:

And in that, absolutely in parallel, my

creative flow has become just torrential.

640

:

Yeah, yeah.

641

:

Liz Childs Kelly: You're reminding

me of a moment that I had last fall

642

:

just in a place that I was at with

just an immense amount of pain.

643

:

And I have a screened in

porch that I like to sleep on.

644

:

Especially when things are, I don't

know, there's just something that's

645

:

very soothing to me about waking up

in the middle of the night and hearing

646

:

the, you know, the sound of the

crickets or whatever, well, eventually

647

:

they go quiet, but you know, just

the frame of the trees around me.

648

:

And, but I remember waking up on the porch

as I'd slept out there and just feeling

649

:

so heartbroken, broken, and also knowing

that God was very, very, very close.

650

:

So close in that moment and like there's

something so profoundly beautiful

651

:

about that to me, like even in the,

like the pain that there's this, this

652

:

opening to a closeness to the divine

that I don't think that we always feel

653

:

when things are going perfectly well.

654

:

Chelan Harkin: Yes, I think that's true.

655

:

And yeah, if we think of the heart as

kind of the portal, like our willingness

656

:

to open and I think are the open

heart kind of opens our whole being.

657

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Yeah.

658

:

Chelan Harkin: And and open it

for a reason, you know, we don't

659

:

open it because it fucking hurts

when we do, cause there's pain.

660

:

There's just, we have there that's why,

cause we are, you know, yeah, culturally

661

:

just, we haven't learned how to hold

and deal with pain for the most part.

662

:

And so when circumstances show that to us.

663

:

when we can't avoid it anymore.

664

:

There's so much grace too

that begins to come through.

665

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Yeah.

666

:

I love that word grace.

667

:

Yeah.

668

:

Chelan Harkin: Yeah, I do too.

669

:

And I think about the metaphor

of the seed a lot and just

670

:

how it just has to crack open.

671

:

I mean, germination is no joke.

672

:

Like its whole form has to

completely deconstruct, like

673

:

all the way through that's nice,

comfortable seed pod that's so safe.

674

:

And But not yet, you know, giving

its thing, doing its thing has to

675

:

completely crack open all the way

to the freaking core and deconstruct

676

:

entirely before more can come from it.

677

:

And I, I see that process as

the generativity of suffering

678

:

is that it cracks open these

forms that have contained us.

679

:

And and that's when more can come through,

which is what we most yearn for anyway.

680

:

What comes forth from us are our own all

we might be that's that's what we most

681

:

yearned for and then of course are trained

to seek things from the outside world

682

:

and that will never fully satisfy us.

683

:

So the yeah the blessing of

circumstances bringing us into our

684

:

suffering is that that that can just.

685

:

Yeah, that's how, that's

how we, we become, I

686

:

Liz Childs Kelly: was

thinking of the seed too.

687

:

And it's all happening

in the dark, you know,

688

:

Chelan Harkin: yes,

689

:

Liz Childs Kelly: you know, and that we

can think of, and I'm, this is a little

690

:

present for me cause I'm participating

in an underworld journey right now.

691

:

That's another podcast guest

Damascena Tanis, who is an astrologer

692

:

and works with the Venus cycle.

693

:

And so you go listen to that

podcast people, if you haven't

694

:

listened to it, it's really good.

695

:

We went kind of deep on that one.

696

:

And But this underworld journey

is part of it is recognizing that

697

:

the darkness is another thing that

we have labeled as bad, right?

698

:

Like, it's the underworld or

it's bad, like down there.

699

:

It's like the dark is bad.

700

:

And in reality, that is a huge

part of the feminine to me.

701

:

And so that being the wraparound in

the container to hold the seed, it

702

:

doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt.

703

:

It still hurts, but that, that

darkness is, is her and we're,

704

:

we're still being held in it.

705

:

I mean, if you think about birth, like if

you're a mother and you've like brought

706

:

a child into the world, one can only

imagine what's happening for that baby.

707

:

Like it's held in the earth, you know,

and then to become, I mean, it's held in

708

:

your womb, which is like the darkness.

709

:

And then to become this thing that

it wants to become, it, it's painful.

710

:

It has to, It's got to hurt.

711

:

It hurts the mother.

712

:

It's got to hurt the child.

713

:

It's at the very least, it's

traumatic, I would imagine.

714

:

Right.

715

:

But it's all part of the process

and that, that holding in the

716

:

dark is, was where the, the mother

feminine energy to me is too.

717

:

Chelan Harkin: Yes.

718

:

So, so true.

719

:

And just like you said,

reframing that it's not, it

720

:

hurts and it can hurt like hell.

721

:

It can be excruciating,

but that it's not bad.

722

:

And that when we don't, when we

receive it rather than resist it.

723

:

Like, as we're so trained to do, to

resist, then such beauty comes with it.

724

:

Yeah.

725

:

Yeah.

726

:

Liz Childs Kelly: For sure.

727

:

Chelan Harkin: Mm hmm.

728

:

Liz Childs Kelly: So much so.

729

:

Yeah.

730

:

Do you consider your words prayers?

731

:

Like, what is prayer to you?

732

:

And how do you Yeah.

733

:

What does that mean to you?

734

:

Chelan Harkin: What

does prayer mean to me?

735

:

I think we're praying, I think

we're praying all the time.

736

:

And and there are desires in us

for security or for acquisition.

737

:

And those aren't our true prayers.

738

:

Our true prayers are beneath that.

739

:

And there are prayers that life, life

herself has placed within us to blossom.

740

:

And that's one of the most profound

concepts that I've been playing

741

:

with in the last few years is that

the desires of the, the, the the.

742

:

What I call in one poem, the great

wild beloved, and what's most

743

:

beautiful and joyful and opening and

life giving to us might just be one.

744

:

And so, you know, an old model of prayer

is like, oh, I have to do what God wants,

745

:

but it's not what I want, and God's

boring, but I have to submit to what's

746

:

boring and, you know, and like that.

747

:

And what I should do,

what's moral and right.

748

:

And, but and kind of morally, yeah.

749

:

Anyway, so but that life force

knows exactly, you know, what.

750

:

And that there's feedback of our

own satisfaction and joy when we

751

:

bring these things forth and that

life wants to support that has been

752

:

a really amazing journey for me.

753

:

So I do feel like my prayer, I

don't know, I, yeah, my, my, my

754

:

poems feel like a deep celebration

of, of, of connection and reunion.

755

:

But my journey with prayer has been a

huge piece of this publishing journey.

756

:

And at the end of 2020 I just, I decided

to do an experiment of praying to my

757

:

favorite dead poets for like, specifically

for marketing support because this

758

:

book, Susceptible to Light, I just

self published it and didn't have any

759

:

contacts in the publishing world, but

just more than anything wanted to To

760

:

be able to just basically to do this

full time and for it to have impact

761

:

on, on people and have a wide reach.

762

:

And, that, that prayer experiment

worked out in, in, in ways

763

:

that are just beyond belief.

764

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Wow.

765

:

Who are you praying to?

766

:

Who are you, who are your dead poets?

767

:

At least one or two.

768

:

Yeah.

769

:

I want to know.

770

:

Chelan Harkin: Good question.

771

:

Okay, so Hafez, a mystical poet

from the, I think,:

772

:

know this, but my primary poetic

inspiration, Hafez, and then Khalil

773

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Gibran,

774

:

Chelan Harkin: Yeah, and and those were

the, those were the two, those were the

775

:

chairmen of the A team, I called them,

and I asked them to just go tap everyone

776

:

and anywhere who could help me with this.

777

:

And then, yeah, so those

were my two main ones.

778

:

And then two weeks into this prayer

experiment, Daniel Ladinsky, who's the

779

:

man who has done all the, really all the

renderings of Hafez poetry that have made

780

:

him a superstar to the Western world.

781

:

Sent me an email out of the blue.

782

:

It was like, Hey, Chelan, I saw your book.

783

:

I don't reach out to anyone.

784

:

I'm an extremely reclusive poet in

Taos, New Mexico, but weirdly, I

785

:

had this irresistible, irresistible

nudge to reach out to you.

786

:

Congratulations.

787

:

I was like, that was when the,

like, I described it as the

788

:

cork came out of my existence.

789

:

Like it, that moment changed

everything forevermore.

790

:

And then I wrote back, like, with

all sorts of, holy expletives, like.

791

:

What the, you know, bleep, bleep, bleep,

like, and I told him this whole story

792

:

and shared a poem with him because

I'd been in this communion with Hafez,

793

:

this experimental prayer communion, and

sent him a poem that felt very extra

794

:

inspired by that source, and his email

back to me was like, Well, there you go.

795

:

And I've been looking for a

poet to co author a book with.

796

:

You're the one.

797

:

Let's do this.

798

:

So then my favorite living poet

and I started co authoring a book.

799

:

And he's endorsed me to the major

publishing houses of the world.

800

:

He had written the foreword

to the extended edition of

801

:

The Prophet by Khalil Gibran.

802

:

And now I'm publishing The Prophetess,

The Return of the Prophet, from The

803

:

Voice of the Divine Feminine, with

Penguin Random House, because of

804

:

this connection, and he's written the

foreword to that, to my book as well,

805

:

so it's just been a, and that book, by

the way, you all, is available for pre

806

:

order, and it would be so wonderful if

you, if you feel drawn to, to get it

807

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Oh my

goddess, that is such a

808

:

Chelan Harkin: story.

809

:

Wow.

810

:

Isn't that a story?

811

:

I mean, it's, it's good.

812

:

I just need to talk about it because

it's been so much to integrate.

813

:

It's been so, yeah.

814

:

Liz Childs Kelly: It's so beautiful.

815

:

Oh, wow.

816

:

Thank you, Liz.

817

:

It's wild.

818

:

And just such a testament to like, You

like opening that channel and saying

819

:

yes, and, and, and like, you're,

you're not alone, you know, and like

820

:

the beautiful like co creative energy.

821

:

It's just so mystical and

magical and wonderful.

822

:

And also incredibly powerful.

823

:

In a way, I think if we know

how to do this, like, right.

824

:

And you, and you, the devotion, I

don't know if you use that word, but

825

:

the devotion that you've given to

yourself into that creative process.

826

:

Yes.

827

:

Seeing the output feels like,

well, yeah, of course, but

828

:

still it's freaking amazing.

829

:

Chelan Harkin: It's amazing.

830

:

You S I think you said, yeah,

it's like, it's freaking amazing.

831

:

And it's like, it wants to feel, it does

feel like the most natural, but in a, You

832

:

In a wild way thing ever and it's the most

easeful to this whole creative journey.

833

:

It's been like, I don't know.

834

:

It's it's been Excruciatingly painful

in that I'm burning through so much

835

:

but there hasn't been any push with it.

836

:

I'm not forcing it at all To move along.

837

:

I'm not being strategic about my you

know, I'm not like it's just completely

838

:

conducted by this Wild wild grace is

all I can say and it's been up beyond

839

:

beyond belief and I'm still like in

kind of like I shock maybe it's the

840

:

word about how this is all played out

841

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Amazing Wow.

842

:

Well, and I you know, we're almost out

of time, but I want to ask you just cuz

843

:

I'm so in love with the title of your

latest book like the The, The Prophetess.

844

:

Like did, can you say a little bit

about the inspiration of that and

845

:

then I'm gonna put you on the spot.

846

:

We didn't talk about this,

so if it's a No, it's okay.

847

:

Yes.

848

:

But I would love if you would read and

it your choice, like any poem that's

849

:

like, Ooh, this feels like based on this

conversation that I wanna bring forward.

850

:

I would be so honored if

you would wanna do that.

851

:

So

852

:

Chelan Harkin: thank you.

853

:

Always, always.

854

:

Yeah.

855

:

Thank you so much.

856

:

So the Prophetess, the Return

of the Prophet from the Voice

857

:

of the Divine Feminine it feels.

858

:

It feels directly inspired by Khalil

Gibran, actually, who I was in just

859

:

close communion with for these years,

and yeah, I was putting my kids to bed

860

:

one night or they were asleep, and I

was just doing something very ordinary,

861

:

like drawing a bath, and was sort of

just lightning bolted by this this

862

:

knowing if I were to translate it, it

would have said it's time to write the

863

:

prophetess and you're the one to do it.

864

:

And then it just started pouring.

865

:

And that night alone, I had a

few, like the main part of a few

866

:

chapters already written and wrote

the whole book in about two months.

867

:

It was just so, it just poured.

868

:

And and it's a, it's so it's, it's,

if you're familiar with the book, The

869

:

Prophet, just this beloved classic, it's.

870

:

It's one of a, well, yeah, it's,

it's, it's an amazing book about the

871

:

human condition and just goes into

all kinds of life's most meaningful

872

:

subjects with poetic redefinition

and adding of depth to it so that we

873

:

can relate to ourselves in our lives

from a deeper place of understanding

874

:

and of consideration and of openness.

875

:

And so the prophetess does that too.

876

:

It's, it's paralleled in structure.

877

:

It has 28 chapters just like the

prophet does, and it's in the style,

878

:

written in the style of poetic prose.

879

:

And interestingly, The last chapter

of the prophet, it's all, it's this

880

:

prophecy about his return one day.

881

:

And The Prophetess, I got the

contract 100 years, the 100th year

882

:

anniversary of the publishing of

the prophet, which is just wild.

883

:

And it turns out Khalil Gibran was

deeply inspired by the Baha'i writings

884

:

Liz Childs Kelly: and,

885

:

Chelan Harkin: Which is nuts.

886

:

And anyway, there's been all kinds

of winks from God, I guess, but the

887

:

last line of his book says a little

while, a moment upon the wind,

888

:

and another woman shall bear me.

889

:

Yeah, it's just wild.

890

:

And so this book is it, it's about

it's a, it's about the, the entrance,

891

:

it's really an introduction into the

feminine, it's, it's about a passage

892

:

to the new paradigm, which is embodied,

which, so there, the chat, some of the

893

:

chapters are sensitivity, vulnerability.

894

:

And then there's a lot

of redefinition work.

895

:

Sin is a chapter but from a whole

new kind of angle, religion, God,

896

:

prayer, marriage, relationship, love,

for forgiveness, anger, creative

897

:

expression, transformation death,

suffering shadows, joy love, intimacy.

898

:

So it's just attempting to

offer an inspired bridge

899

:

into a new way of relating to

900

:

all things.

901

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Wow.

902

:

It sounds incredible.

903

:

And when, when is it?

904

:

What's your release date?

905

:

Chelan Harkin: Release

date is September 24th.

906

:

What I've learned is like pre orders

are super important to get it, position

907

:

it for a good launch and all of that.

908

:

So it is available.

909

:

You can buy it on Amazon.

910

:

Right now you can pre order it or from, I

think you pre order it probably from any.

911

:

Yeah.

912

:

Anyplace where you buy books,

but yeah, it's so exciting.

913

:

It feels like a culmination of

this journey that began at age 21.

914

:

And it's the end of a whole

lot of chapters in the opening

915

:

of a, of a big, big new one.

916

:

So,

917

:

Liz Childs Kelly: oh, wow.

918

:

Well, yes.

919

:

And so exciting to see where this is going

to take you and what's going to come next.

920

:

And I'm already like, you need to come

back and tell us whenever that unfolds

921

:

for you, come back and do it again.

922

:

Like, let's talk more of it.

923

:

Yeah.

924

:

Yeah.

925

:

Is there anything that's calling to

you that you'd like to share with us?

926

:

Yes.

927

:

Well, should I end with a poem?

928

:

Yes, absolutely.

929

:

That's what I meant.

930

:

Yes.

931

:

Any poem in particular.

932

:

Is that

933

:

Chelan Harkin: so good?

934

:

Yes.

935

:

Well, what do you think, Liz?

936

:

Should I say the poem, the first one

that came through, or kind of the

937

:

one that busted open my, like, there

was one poem that I shared that just

938

:

went viral that is kind of why this

whole publishing journey has been, you

939

:

know, why it's had such a wide reach.

940

:

Which one feels best to you, do you think?

941

:

Liz Childs Kelly: I'm really like,

I feel like you're such a channel.

942

:

I'm like, you, you, you choose,

like you're the, you're the portal.

943

:

Chelan Harkin: Well, I'll read the

first one that busted through at age 21.

944

:

All right.

945

:

This is like my first love.

946

:

Like, this poem, it feels like

my poem that's my first love.

947

:

It's called Say Wow.

948

:

Each day before our surroundings

become flat with familiarity, and the

949

:

shapes of our lives click into place,

dimensionless and average as Tetris cubes.

950

:

Before hunger knocks from our bellies

like a cantankerous old man and the

951

:

duties of the day stack up like dishes

and the architecture of our basic

952

:

needs commissions all thought to

construct the four door sedan of safety.

953

:

Before gravity clings to our

skin like a cumbersome parasite.

954

:

And the colored dust of dreams sweeps

itself obscure in the vacuum of reason.

955

:

Each morning, before we wrestle the world

in our heart into the shape of our brain,

956

:

look around and say, wow, feed yourself

fire, scoop up the day entire, like a

957

:

planet sized bouquet of marvel sent by

the universe directly into your arms.

958

:

And say, wow, break yourself down into

the basic components of primitive awe.

959

:

And let the crescendo of each moment

carbonate every capillary and say, wow.

960

:

Yes.

961

:

Before our poems become calloused

with revision, let them shriek

962

:

off the page of spontaneity.

963

:

And before our metaphors get

too regular, let the sun stay

964

:

a conflagration of homing pigeons that

fights through fire each day to find us.

965

:

Wow.

966

:

Thank you.

967

:

Thanks so much,

968

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Liz.

969

:

That was the first word that

came off, I'm like, yes, wow.

970

:

Chelan Harkin: Cool.

971

:

Well, I enjoyed this so much.

972

:

It felt so good

973

:

Liz Childs Kelly: talking

974

:

Chelan Harkin: with you.

975

:

Thank you.

976

:

You

977

:

Liz Childs Kelly: too.

978

:

I feel like the time just flew by.

979

:

I'm so grateful for your time

and your energy and your gifts

980

:

and your willingness to say yes

and to share this with all of us.

981

:

It's so Beautiful and powerful.

982

:

So, so much gratitude to you.

983

:

Chelan Harkin: Really

great to know you, Liz.

984

:

Thank you.

985

:

Thanks to everyone who listens to this.

986

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Yeah.

987

:

And so if people want to find more

and I'll put it in the show notes,

988

:

but website or Facebook, how should

they, how should they find you?

989

:

Chelan Harkin: Yeah.

990

:

So I would say connect

with me on Facebook.

991

:

I share, you know, usually daily.

992

:

I'm pretty active on, on

that space, in that space.

993

:

So that's a good way to

stay, to stay in touch.

994

:

Yeah.

995

:

Liz Childs Kelly: Awesome.

996

:

And I'll make sure

that's in the show notes.

997

:

Yes.

998

:

And thanks to all of

you listeners as always.

999

:

It's, it's It's a joy to be

on this journey with you.

:

00:56:53,291 --> 00:56:56,351

I love knowing that you're out there

and that you're listening and that your

:

00:56:57,001 --> 00:56:59,681

Heart is cracking open in similar ways.

:

00:56:59,731 --> 00:57:01,661

Is mine around this subject.

:

00:57:01,671 --> 00:57:05,401

It's it's beautiful to know that we're

not alone and You know, if you like

:

00:57:05,401 --> 00:57:07,531

the show you can subscribe to it.

:

00:57:07,531 --> 00:57:08,851

You can leave it a favorable review.

:

00:57:08,851 --> 00:57:10,021

You can tell all your friends about it.

:

00:57:10,021 --> 00:57:14,581

You can do all those things if you

feel so inclined And until next time

:

00:57:14,581 --> 00:57:16,401

take care Such good care of yourselves.

:

00:57:16,471 --> 00:57:17,531

Say, say wow.

:

00:57:17,891 --> 00:57:19,711

And yeah, we'll be with you again soon.

:

00:57:30,331 --> 00:57:32,961

Home to Her is hosted by me, Liz Kelly.

:

00:57:33,491 --> 00:57:36,171

You can visit me online at hometoher.

:

00:57:36,181 --> 00:57:39,871

com, where you can find show

notes and other episodes.

:

00:57:40,161 --> 00:57:43,881

You can read articles about the

Sacred Feminine, and you'll also

:

00:57:43,881 --> 00:57:47,161

find a link to join the Home to

Her Facebook group for lots more

:

00:57:47,161 --> 00:57:49,641

discussion and exploration of Her.

:

00:57:50,501 --> 00:57:54,551

You can also follow me on Instagram,

at home to her, to keep up to

:

00:57:54,551 --> 00:57:55,811

date with the latest episodes.

:

00:57:56,911 --> 00:57:59,401

Thanks so much for joining us

and we'll see you back here soon.

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About the Podcast

Home to Her
Exploring the roots of female power and wisdom
The Home to Her podcast is dedicated to elevating ancient feminine wisdom via the exploration of herstory, mythology, philosophy and more. Join host Liz Childs Kelly for intimate conversations with acclaimed authors, artists, teachers, poets and mystics, each of whom will help us uncover our unheard stories and reclaim the roots of the ancient female power in our own lives.

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Liz Kelly