A provocative morning quote explores the necessity of both love and fierce protection in a grounded spiritual practice. Discover why you need both sweetness and smoke.
This morning, a thought dropped into my spirit, clear and uncompromising:
“If everything was love & light, then everything would be love & light. I got that sweetness & that smoke. Move accordingly.”
I sat with it, feeling its truth resonate in my bones. For so long, spiritual circles have championed the “love and light” paradigm—and while beautiful, this perspective can be incomplete. It can accidentally teach us to bypass our boundaries, swallow our anger, and turn away from the sacred shadow that gives our light its definition.
But true power, rooted power, knows that the world is not all light. And so, our practice cannot be, either.
The Sweetness: The Nectar of Connection
Let’s be clear: the sweetness is non-negotiable. It is the foundation.
This is the love in your heart. It’s the compassion you extend, the healing energy you send, the nurturing presence you offer to your loved ones and your community. It’s the honey in your tea, the gentle prayer at your altar, the open hand.
In my practice, the sweetness is the Attraction Oil that calls in abundance. It’s the Love-Drawing Incense that invites harmonious connections. It’s the open and receptive heart that believes in the goodness of the universe.
But sweetness alone can become sticky. It can attract those who only want to consume its nectar without respect for the hive. This is why we need the smoke.
The Smoke: The Sacred Fire of Boundaries
The smoke is just as holy. It is the protector.
This is your discernment. It is the sacred “no.” It is the righteous anger that says, “Enough.” It is the fierce love that guards your peace, your energy, and your spirit from what would seek to drain or harm it. Smoke clears, purifies, and signals a boundary that cannot be crossed.
In my practice, the smoke is the Fiery Wall of Protection anointed on your doors and windows. It’s the Banishing Blend smoked through your home to clear toxic energy. It’s the spiritual conviction that your peace is non-negotiable.
Smoke without sweetness can become harsh and barren. But sweetness without smoke is vulnerable and naive.
“Move Accordingly”: The Dance of the Sovereign Soul
The final command, “Move accordingly,” is the key. It calls for discernment in every moment.
· Is this a situation that calls for an open heart (sweetness), or a guarded gate (smoke)?
· Is this a person who deserves your honey, or one who needs to be met with your fire?
· Are you being called to heal, or to protect?
A whole spiritual practice—a sovereign spiritual practice—gives you the tools for both. It allows you to draw love and repel harm. It allows you to be a healer without becoming a martyr.
Your spirit is a sacred ecosystem. It needs the nourishing rain and the cleansing fire. It needs the gentle honeybee and the watchful wolf.
So, know this: you are allowed to be soft and fierce. You are allowed to pray for your enemies and set a boundary that they cannot cross. You are allowed to have both that sweetness and that smoke.
Carry both. And to all you meet, may they move accordingly.
With both sweetness and smoke,
Queen Tiyi El, Sacred High Priestess
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