Motley Mystic

This is a podcast of the article “3 Questions to Save the World,” published on The Motley Mystic Substack.With the world in turmoil, it’s tempting to retreat altogether, but according to A Course in Miracles, the most powerful thing we can do is ask three questions every morning that will help us become “wholly helpful.” If we follow these three questions, we will overthrow all the dictators because the only one we need to truly overthrow is the one within. Read more from The Motley Mystic Substack here: https://motleymysticsubstack.comFind out more about Candace Chellew at https://candacechellew.com/Thanks for reading Motley Mystic! This post is public, so feel free to share it.About the Motley Mystic:The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution, or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true Divine Self.Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well as Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians, published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass, and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit motleymystic.substack.com

This is the podcast version of the article: Be the change: How we have misunderstood this great commandmentAs the far-right ascends to power in the US and around the world, it appears the resistance has gone silent - or is not as strong as it was in 2016. I believe this silence has come about because we are realizing that we have missed the most important part of being the change we want to see — and that is the “being” part. The far-right has successfully embodied in their actions, words, and thoughts the world they want to see. They combined it with a single-minded determination to achieve systemic changes to put them into power. They are now our teachers, which means we must not only seek to change the outward systems of oppression but double down on going within to root out our own fear and hatred, so we can single-mindedly pursue a world of love, compassion and empathy. This is the “Last Judgment,” which simply means we must now be about discerning what is false and what is true and commit to Love with our entire being.About the Motley Mystic:The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution, or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true Divine Self.Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well as Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C., which existed from 2010-2024. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians, published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass, and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit motleymystic.substack.com

This is a podcast of the article “There is no easy button: We are the ones we’re waiting for” published on The Motley Mystic Substack.After November’s presidential election, I had an epiphany as I sat at a restaurant with other supporters of the losing candidate and commiserated the night after the election. We were dejected, of course, but after one of our dinner guests noted that those who voted for Trump “Wanted it to be easy,” I realized that’s exactly what we wanted, too. Then, I realized there is no easy button. In this Motley Mystic Substack podcast, we explore the work that lies ahead for us all is difficult and challenging - but it’s the only true path to peace, security, and joy. Read more from The Motley Mystic Substack here: https://motleymysticsubstack.comFind out more about Candace Chellew at https://candacechellew.com/Thanks for reading Motley Mystic! This post is public, so feel free to share it.About the Motley Mystic:The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution, or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true Divine Self.Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well as Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians, published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass, and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover.Thanks for reading Motley Mystic! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit motleymystic.substack.com

This is a podcast of the article “Fainting at the sight of suffering: Cultivating loving awareness in a world gone mad,” published on The Motley Mystic Substack.A wise friend once told me, “You can’t make yourself sick enough to make anyone else well.” Those words came back to me as Hurricanes Helene and Milton wreaked havoc on the Southeast, where hundreds died and thousands more lost everything. We think that making ourselves sick over the devastation others have suffered will somehow minimize the suffering, but it only makes it worse because now, we’re spiritually unconscious and can be of no help at all. In this Motley Mystic Substack podcast, we explore how we can cultivate a conscious state of loving awareness, even in the midst of great suffering. If we can stop spiritually fainting at the sight of suffering — ours or others — then we can become a catalyst to end all suffering.Read more from The Motley Mystic Substack here: https://motleymysticsubstack.comFind out more about Candace Chellew at https://candacechellew.com/About the Motley Mystic:The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution, or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true Divine Self.Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well as Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians, published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass, and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover.Thanks for reading Motley Mystic! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit motleymystic.substack.com

This is a podcast of the article “Living free from tyranny: Talkin’ ‘bout a revolution” published on The Motley Mystic Substack.I woke up the other morning and discovered that a tyrant was in charge of the world. There had not been an election. Nobody was in the White House implementing totalitarian or Project 2025-esque policies or stripping away anyone's rights.No, this tyrant was me. Not the higher divine Me – but the small, selfish, dictatorial me – the small "s" ego-driven self that believes in manipulating the world around it to get what it believes it needs to make it happy. If you’re tired of living under the tyranny of your ego, this podcast and article will help you launch a bloodless coup and help you learn the true meaning of freedom.Read more from The Motley Mystic Substack here: https://motleymysticsubstack.comFind out more about Candace Chellew at https://candacechellew.com/About the Motley Mystic:The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution, or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth, because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true Divine Self.Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well as Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover.Thanks for reading Motley Mystic! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Thanks for reading Motley Mystic! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit motleymystic.substack.com

This is a podcast of the article “Do your work: Gettin’ metaphysical on Labor Day” published on The Motley Mystic Substack.Burnout seems to be affecting more and more of us, but I found the cure for my burnout, and it can work for you, too. We keep asking our work to give us “purpose” in life, but we’ve got it backwards. Our purpose is to use whatever is before us as an opportunity for spiritual growth. If we stop asking our work to give us purpose and begin using it as the path to deepen our spirituality, we’ll find a purpose that never burns out.Read more from The Motley Mystic Substack here: https://motleymysticsubstack.comFind out more about Candace Chellew at https://candacechellew.com/Thanks for reading Motley Mystic! This post is public so feel free to share it.About the Motley Mystic:The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution, or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth, because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true Divine Self.Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well as Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover.Thanks for reading Motley Mystic! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit motleymystic.substack.com

This is a podcast of the article “God’s got some ‘splainin’ to do,” published on The Motley Mystic Substack."When I get to see God face-to-face, I have a lot of questions," a friend of mine remarked the other day. Those questions all revolved around the issue of human suffering – why God allows it and why God won't stop it.I admit, I've had the same thought that God's got a lot of 'splainin' to do when I leave this bodily world and no longer see through a glass darkly. I have some educated guesses about why we humans suffer, but I don’t think any of them will satisfy my friend … or you. Not until we do one thing … which we explore in this podcast and article.Read more from The Motley Mystic Substack here: https://motleymysticsubstack.comAbout the Motley Mystic:The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution, or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth, because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true Divine Self.Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well as Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit motleymystic.substack.com

This is a podcast of the article "3 steps to tame a 'red zone' ego" published on The Motley Mystic Substack.About the Motley Mystic:The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution, or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth, because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true Divine Self.Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well as Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit motleymystic.substack.com

This is a podcast of the article “For the People” published on The Motley Mystic Substack. About the Motley Mystic:The Motley Mystic is an online community for people who have realized that the truth speaks with many voices. There is no one religion, philosophy, institution, or dogma that captures the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth. No one needs to swear allegiance to one line of thought or belief to discern Truth, because Love is the only thing that’s real. That’s what we explore at the Motley Mystic - all the tools and strategies we need to remove our barriers to Love and live fully as our true Divine Self.Candace Chellew is the founder of Motley Mystic as well as Jubilee! Circle, an interfaith spiritual community in Columbia, S.C. She is also the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass and the founder and senior editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine for LGBTQ People of Faith. She is also a musician and avid animal lover.Thanks for reading Motley Mystic! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit motleymystic.substack.com