Marianne Williamson for Congress

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON FOR CONGRESS

On Sunday October 20th, I attended an event at the Saban Theatre in Los Angeles. On the bill were Alanis Morrisette, and Marianne Williamson. If you don't know who Marianne is, you should. She is a spiritual activist- a feisty, cut to the chase, in your face speaker who will run the gamut from politics to Course in Miracles, the early history of U.S. democracy, and throw in a personal anecdote about a date she went on. And somehow, she is able to follow the golden thread of truth that weaves through all things, no matter how seemingly diverse the topics might be.

Me with Marianne Williamson, October 20, 2013. Love this lady!

On this particular night, Marianne announced that she would be running for a seat in the House of Representatives. Yep, Congress. Its a bold move, and its one I know she has been considering for a while. Marianne is not a healer in the traditional sense of the word; she doesn't lay her hands on you and heal your wounds or see into your mind and send relief there. What she does do is speak a balm of truth that stings- as truth is wont to do- like hydrogen peroxide on a fresh wound. Suffering comes from distorted information, where "what is so" is confused by other agendas. Marianne has the ability to do with her words what the body does with an army of white blood cells- surround the misinformation, remove the pathogenic debris that distorts it, and nourishes the truth at the heart of everything. Do we need this at the level of government? In the worst way!

Here is Marianne's letter of announcement-

Dear Friends,

I have officially announced my candidacy for election to the U.S. House of Representatives from California’s Congressional District 33.

 

I know many of you are not surprised. At my Sister Giant Conference in Los Angeles last year, I urged almost two thousand women to consider running for office using the principles of non-violence to birth a new American politics. After experiencing the energy and enthusiasm of the conference, I spent long months pondering how I could best further such a movement. The response that feels most real and true to me is to run for office myself. 

 

The biggest threat to our country today is not from armies invading our shores. The biggest threat to our democracy is not bombs falling from the sky over an American city. No, our biggest threat is a pattern of a thousand cuts – the slow but now constant chipping away at our democratic freedoms—one capitulation to moneyed interests at a time, one new gerrymandered district at a time, one government surveillance program at a time, one limiting of our voting rights at a time, one intimidation of journalists at a time, one Patriot Act at a time, one National Defense Authorization Act at a time, one Trans Pacific Partnership so-called trade deal limiting our sovereignty at a time. So at what point— after how many moments when Americans mutter to ourselves “Ya gotta be kidding me!”—do we stand up to our own government and say, “Hey, guys! Whose side are you on??”

That question will not be answered in a meaningful way until it is asked in the most powerful way. And that means not just from the sidelines and not just from online petitions. The question must be asked more often by people sitting in those seats, in that building, in that city.

And that’s why I am running for Congress. I hope you’ll join me.

 

If you want to know more or get involved- text the word MARIANNE to the number 310.906.4755.

 

Do it! Be a part of this exciting time. If the people had a voice like hers in Congress, we could rest a little easier knowing a powerful figure is representing the interest of the people. Her values are not aligned with the economic well being of the elite who butter their bread with the blood of the masses. She will be a voice for the people, the children, the planet. 

 

 

MY PATH TO MARIANNE WILLIAMSON

My path to Marianne was an interesting one. I had had one of her quotes on my fridge for many years, but didn't know much more about her. At a dinner about 5 years ago, I was sitting next to a woman who said, "You know, the things you talk about, you sound like my friend Marianne. She does lectures on Monday nights, you would really like her." I went to meet that friend at the lecture, not knowing she meant Marianne Williamson, and got my first induction into the powerhouse that is Marianne.  I went to several more lectures, and it became clear to me that I needed to know her. No, scratch that. It became clear that I would know her. I can't explain it, but there it was. There were several twists and turns to the story, from sitting next to her at a play and not saying anything- (it didn't feel like the right time), to having so many mutual friends that it would have been easy to broker a meeting- but that didn't feel right, either. I inadvertently talked one of her friends into being forgiving of Marianne over an incident, and she reached out to her and restored their friendship. Another friend of mine was once at Marianne's house (someone I took to see Marianne, and whom discovered they were neighbors) and mentioned me a couple of times. She tells me that Marianne stood up and said, "Who is this Ashley person you keep talking about? I've got to meet her!" And so, just like that, she invoked my name, and when my friend told me that, I knew it was time to meet her.

And the time came. Marianne was to lecture at the rehab where I worked- and I was given the job of coordinating it. On the phone with her, she asked if I could pick her up and drive her to the rehab- it was a very windy and daunting drive up the hill. We had a great talk going up, and afterwards, taking her home, she asked me some things about my kids, and my life. She then said, "Come visit me next week at my apartment." So I did. And she imparted some wisdom to me that, at the time, didn't seem like much of anything. I had hoped she would encourage me on a certain path I was rather gung ho about at the time. She didn't- and I was a little butt hurt about it, truth be told.  But what she did do is encourage me to focus on my life, not on any grand schemes, because the things happening right then, in my life, were what I needed to pay attention to. And in doing what she said, and also doing the Course In Miracles, I found my way through an emotional morass to now- and now is rife with adventure and opportunity. Shake the Hive is growing to be more than I could have dreamed- I am working on the STH non-profit for teenage girls as well, the blog is being read by thousands, and my entire lifestyle has changed in the past 6 months. MW didn't tell me what to do, she just suggested I should be paying attention, and in that attention I found my calling. Shake the Hive was a response to my life, not to an idea I had that was separate from my journey.

In every person's life they are called to do something greater, to be someone great, to be a force of good in the world. Not everyone answers the call- in fact, few do. Below is the quote I had on my fridge for years, and I think its the perfect response to anyone who shrinks back from the call.

 

 

My life has been deeply impacted by Marianne Williamson. I will do whatever I can to help her in her campaign for her seat in the House of Representatives. I am excited that she can bring her clarity and strength into the morass of modern politics- and she can only do that because she did it in her own life first. Then she was able to help others do that, because she had. The first step is the revolution of our own lives. The first order of business is to pay attention to our lives, our choices, and upset our own status quo by questioning everything we believe. Its a powerful thing, to discard negative belief systems that no longer serve us. We all have flawed systems that need re-calibrating- and we Americans have a flawed political system that needs a strong dose of undiluted Truth. MARIANNE FOR CONGRESS!!!

If you want to know more or get involved- text the word MARIANNE to the number 310.906.4755. Do it!!!