It’s been my mantra for a longtime to “remember who you are”. Perhaps, that strikes you as odd and obvious or conversely, you are left wondering what does that actually mean? Indeed, the meaning we attribute to anything forms the intention that reverberates out from our words; it’s the vibration we project into our surrounding and out to the UNIverse. So, let’s dive a bit deeper into the layered nuances that solicit a profound investigation into our definitions of self, perhaps into even unexplored layers. On the most basic level, it’s a reminder to live by my values. To remember the principles and perspective that are true to my essence. Beyond this definition however, there is so much more. It is the personality asking to be awakened to its true soul essence. Beyond this incarnation, this temporary suit and personality with its many opinions and perspectives, it is an invitation into the soul and its ancient heritage. Many believe it’s the riddle of a lifetime, beyond our “knowing” and only to be understood when we transcend this plane of existence into realms only few have traveled back from with stories of their near death. Others have said to resolve present day traumas through past life regression, alleviating trauma stored in their subconscious either from early childhood or past lives. The splintering of soul fragments is something spoken of in shamanic circles but may not be familiar to you. Conceptually, it is the belief that we can leave parts of ourselves behind when we either consciously or unconsciously give our power away or through a traumatic event, often unbeknownst to us. Re-claiming or re-membering these splintered parts of ourselves to become whole again is a fundamental part of the awakening process, accompanied by the realization that WE are the powerful creators that we seek.
It was during a powerfully transformative time in my life, that the deeper meaning of the story of Isis soaked into my awareness. Isis is the famous goddess which reigned over ancient Egypt with her brother/husband Osiris. As benevolent rulers, this powerful duo brought new law, farming practices and, peaceful lives to their land. However, Set or Seth, the brother of Osiris, who represents our shadow, was jealous of his brother and set out to destroy Osiris. Set devised a plan to trick Osiris, through the illusion of a party game, to lay down in a beautifully gilded chest, with the lure that whoever perfectly fit into the chest would keep it. Unbeknownst to Osiris and Isis, Set had secretly given Osiris measurements to the carpenter building the chest and secretly awaited for Osiris to crawl in, at which point, he slammed closed the lid and sealed the chest. Set and his friends carried the chest to the Nile River, throwing it in, knowing Osiris would never survive. After hearing word, Isis searched for days finally finding the chest and retrieving the body of her beloved Osiris. Isis, the goddess with 10,000 names, but fundamentally associated with magic and ritual, hid Osiris’s body on the bank of the river until she could return with her sister, Nepthys, to perform the necessary rituals to pass him to the afterlife. However, unbeknown to Isis, Set looking to assure the Osiris was indeed gone, was enraged when he found Osiris’s body hidden along the river and proceeded to chop him into 14 pieces, throwing them into the Nile River. The winged goddess Isis is said to have turned into a bird and with her keen visions spotted the pieces of Osiris. With the help of her friends Anubis, Nepthys and Thoth, they meticulously re-membered Osiris, wrapping him in linens to mummify him and make him whole. Isis performed ritual and magic on Osiris bringing him back to life, and as legend has it, delivered the message that Isis would soon become pregnant with their son, Horus. Horus, would go on to become the rightful and benevolent ruler of Egypt. (The Story of Osiris and Isis)
Layered with metaphor and meaning, it is this “remembering” of Isis legend that has captivated my attention. The dictionary defines remembering as “to be able to bring back a piece of information into your mind, or to keep a piece of information in your memory” (Remembering). So how do we “bring back a piece” of ourselves to become whole again? The pieces of Osiris body, cast away by his shadow aspect, illustrates that to re-member our original divine blueprint we must recover the banished, forgotten, or unclaimed aspects of ourselves in order to become whole. These pieces aren’t something we must travel out into the world to find however, they require a different type of journey, the one inward. Sometimes these splintered aspects of self are easily identifiable. We remember the terrible relationship, the traumatic experience or undesirable trait that we’ve pushed away and swept under the rug, shifting our focus away to the positive and desirable. And although this can be a beneficially way to create a positive mindset, if we do it without feeling and digesting the emotions associated, we create loops for ourselves. Our unwanted emotions eventually bubble back up in the form of repeated experiences, fears and phobias, or irrational reactions to otherwise mundane experiences. This bubbling up shows us that undigested emotions and imprints are still cycling deep in the psyche. Our subconscious mind, the store house of all our thoughts, experiences, patterned ways of being and past lives, can be triggered by our senses or situations that mimic a past situation. Our subconscious stores it all the good, the bad and most definitely the ugly. It’s also the part of self the attracts and repels situations to us, allowing us to see, through the mirroring of experience, what is contained within it. Using this as a tool to unlock hidden aspects of self, we can begin to recognize underlying beliefs or unprocessed emotions that keep triggering similar situations in a new disguise, to be processed and healed. This process will continue until we re-member this fragmented piece of self.
In the book, Soul Journeying by Alberto Villoldo, shamanic tools for reclaiming these 
splintered soul parts are shared in a step-by-step process that involves traveling into the metaphoric lower or underworld. This lower world is divided into four chambers, each containing a record of your soul’s history. These chambers include: the Chamber of Wounds, Chamber of Contracts, Chamber of Grace and, Chamber of Treasures. Through a self-guided process, Villoldo guides us through the necessary steps to recognize and recover these missing aspects. Another process used for recovery is past life regression therapy. Popularized by the book, “Many Lives, Many Masters” by Brain Weiss, regression therapy can be particularly helpful for those with fears stemming from an unknown cause. It is the belief that if the soul suffered a traumatic or early death, or has 
unfinished business, these memories, or threads from a past incarnation can seep through disrupting present life. In Weiss book, he details one woman’s incredible healing story through regression techniques, re-experiencing traumatic deaths or experiences in previous lifetimes allowing her to feel the necessary emotion allowed the fear to resolve in present day.
Just as pieces of our own being have been scattered among the collective, waiting for us to call ourselves home, we are all parts of the divine whole. The deepest layer of the riddle, “remember who you are” reminds us that we too are a but a piece of the great mother, the cosmic womb, Universe, God, whatever words resonates with you, one perspective of the whole of eternity. Like a diamond with many facets, shimmering and reflecting its own dazzling array of color, light and vibration, we are but one perspective in the grand design of life. It isn’t until all pieces are re-collected into one, that our recollection recognizes that we are the God of our own UNI-verse. We are the creators of our reality. With every thought, every action, our vibratory quality reaching out attracting in relationships and situations sparking our own awakening and healing. The service we provide to our families, our communities and the collective, is simply to awaken to our own power and the deep responsibility that our reality is exactly as we have crafted. As each soul awakens, its ripples out to those on its path, influencing the vibratory quality of those it surrounds, adding to the swell of awakened beings creating a new world. So, this year beyond your list of goals and New Year intentions, may I suggest you simply “remember who you REALLY are.”
Works Cited:
“The Story of Osiris and Isis.” Albany Institute, www.albanyinstitute.org/ancient-egyptian-art-and-culture.html?file=tl_files/pages/education/lesson_plans/Ancient%20Egypt/TheStoryofIsisandOsirisText%20of%20Story.pdf. Accessed 8 Jan. 2024.
Bourdon, John. “The Subconscious Mind: Unveiling the Archives of Your Past Lives.” Undeniably Self, 7 July 2023, undeniablyself.com/the-subconscious-mind-unveiling-the-archives-of-your-past-lives.
Remembering. 3 Jan. 2024, dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/remembering.
Villoldo, Alberto. Soul Journeying: Shamanic Tools for Finding Your Destiny and Recovering Your Spirit. Hay House, Inc, 2017.
Weiss, Brian L. Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives. Simon and Schuster, 2012.