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Finding my voice: Moving through fear at the lunar eclipse

Posted on Sep 10, 2025 in Spiritual living, Uncategorized

Finding my voice storytelling performance 1

Life wasted no time in putting what I’d written on my business page to the test. On the day of the lunar eclipse, I faced my greatest fear in finding my voice: standing before a room of people, not hidden behind a character, but simply as myself, sharing a story I had written.

Since childhood, I’ve loved acting. On stage, I could be seen and heard; but always as someone else. Every word belonged to the playwright. Every gesture was rehearsed. I knew exactly what to say, when to say it, and how it would land. It felt safe. I never had to reveal me.

Finding my voice Facebook post

“Don’t give into your fears, if you do, you won’t be able to talk to your heart.” – Paulo Coelho

For years I toyed with the idea of storytelling. I’ve always been drawn to its intimacy; the way it invites an audience into shared imagination, a quality we desperately need in these times. But unlike acting, storytelling would mean standing there bare, unmasked, with nothing but my own voice and truth. That felt terrifying.

Like many who work in the spiritual world, I carry soul memories of lifetimes where speaking truth in public didn’t end well. Vulnerability felt dangerous. So when a friend invited me in June to be the storyteller at her September weekend event —on the very weekend of the lunar eclipse — I shocked myself by saying yes before my brain had time to intervene.

And then the story itself arrived. The following weekend, words poured through me as if they’d been waiting. The tale was rooted in the very place where the event would be held: an ancient sacred site and church in Pembrokeshire. The Church in Wales planned to sell it, but my friend’s community group were taking on the lease, envisioning a vibrant hub for history, art, music, and story. Somehow the land itself seemed to whisper the tale, and I simply wrote it down.

Then the reality sank in. What had I done? My stomach knotted with fear. Normally I power through challenges alone, but this time I knew I needed to break that old pattern too and ask for support. And as so often happens, the universe provided abundantly.

First came a workshop with the extraordinary Daniel Morden, a master storyteller I’ve admired for years. His words dripped with wisdom; I scribbled notes furiously, trying to catch each gem. Then came another workshop with Deb Wynter, a gifted storyteller who welcomed me into her circle. That afternoon, I had the chance to workshop my story aloud for the first time. Deb listened, offered kind encouragement, and later offered me a ten minute floor spot whenever I was ready. Her belief in me lit a spark.

Finally, two days before the event, a dear friend and herself a storyteller sat with me. She lovingly steadied me through a full on fear-fuelled meltdown: “I can’t do this. I wish I’d never said yes.” She held my shaking words and gently reflected back: “This is your crisis and initiation moment. You can. And you will.”

The truth is, the journey taught me more than the arrival ever could.

Finding my voice stoytelling performance 2

On the Saturday performance, I was still terrified. My mouth was so dry my lips were sticking to my teeth, and yes, I left bits out. But I made it through. The audience met me with warm applause and even cheers. Relief washed over me.

Then came Sunday – the day of the eclipse. The telling was disrupted: phones rang, people entered noisily, and distractions swirled around me. In the middle of it, I lost my thread. The old performer in me wanted to mask it, push through, pretend nothing had happened. But something deeper chose otherwise.

I stopped. Breathed. And said simply, “I’m sorry, I’ve lost my thread. Give me a moment to find it again.”

For a few seconds, though it felt like hours, I stood in silence. Then the words returned, and I carried on.

When I finished, the room erupted in support. One lovely woman clasped my hand and said, “You were amazing. I could never have the courage to do what you just did.”

This time, my relief was different. I’d shown not just performance but vulnerability. I had faltered openly, and instead of rejection, I met compassion and acceptance.

And that, I think, is the real story. That was the real revelation and gift.

Eclipses end one chapter and begin another. For me, this one marked the shift from hiding behind other people’s words to standing in my own voice. And though it terrified me, I can now say: I’m still here. And I’m stronger for it.

Find out more about the beautiful St Madoc of Fern’s church and the community group that’s revisioning it.

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek” – Joseph Campbell

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Semele Xerri

© Semele Xerri is a psychic intuitive guide, healer, animal communicator, and Reiki Healer / Master Teacher. To find out more about her and her services, go to her Work with me page.
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