I had a bad month. Many jokes were tossed my way regarding questions as to whether I had been in a bad mood. The hurricane in Jamaica made them think of me. It’s my name. Melissa.
Anyway I was wondering if I was going to be able to get out of my mind set without getting “out of it”.
It was sober October and I was in bed with the worst flu I have had since 2019. But in my fevered state I asked for and kept asking for salvation. Something greater than me to take away the sadness that clutched at my heart and soul and was not letting go.
Without going into the depths of the discovery what I did manage to do was go and present a poem at a slam poetry event in Swellendam. Ja, probably not the centre of spoken word but nonetheless.
I won a prize after an excruciating selection process. It was book voucher for my favourite second handbook shop in proximity. I love second hand bookshops. I love discovering the dates of publication in older books, the names of the people who owned them and where they underlined sentences of meaning or profundity.
Bokmakiri books has a fine esoterica selection and I have been collecting these books for many years.
I was guided to a small pink book with the title The Game of Life and How to Play it. It was written by Florence Scovel Shinn. Not a name I recognised but I thought it was about time I read a book about spiritual philosophy and wisdom written by a woman.
I took it along with a few others I will write about in due course.
You will see the list of contents in the picture. Despite my jaded and faded faith and enthusiasm I began reading the book and, as I write this, have not yet finished it.
The contents have moved me profoundly. I have found wisdom, guidance and promise in the words. And I would like to share them with whomever of you are facing the depth of their own darkness.
I do not want to be a preacher but this has made me excited, that the words of power are ours to use with full gratitude of the grace under which we operate in faith.
Big thoughts, deep reaches but here are some of my go-to statements and ones to use when your mind is looping into darkness:
Pg 7
Most people consider life a battle, but it is not a battle, it is a game. It is a game however which cannot be played successfully without the knowledge of spiritual law.
“Keep they heart ( or imagination) with all diligences, for out of it are the issues of life” ( Prov 1v.23)
Affirmation – “ I now smash and demolish ( by my spoken word) every untrue record in my subconscious mind. They shall return to the dust heap of their native nothingness for they came from my own vain imaginings. I now make my perfect records through the Christ within, the records of health, wealth love and perfect self-expression. This is the square of life, the game completed.
Chapter III – The Power of the Word
“ By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words though shalt be condemned”
I found the only way I could make a change in the subconscious was by asserting, “ There are not two powers; there is only one power, God; therefore there are no disappointments, and this thing means a happy surprise”
Someone has said that courage contains genius and magic.
Page 36
It is most necessary to begin the day with right words eg: “ Thy will be done this day! Today is a day of completion – I give thanks for this perfect day; miracle shall follow miracle and wonders shall never cease.
Look with wonder at that which is before you
Pg 37
I have wonderful work in a wonderful way – I give wonderful service for wonderful pay.
Page 40
Xx sees first his failure or success, his joy or sorrow before it swings into visibility from the scenes set in his own imagination”
The great news is the book is available for anyone to read as it is now out of copyright and so the pdf is freely available.
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/74878
May peace be with you and may you find the tools to soothe your sadness and re-enliven your heart.
And for those of you who are fascinated by magic books I found this link interesting https://spyscape.com/article/7-wonderful-weird-magic-manuscripts
