“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.

I’m Janus, a spiritual diva and mystical Witch on a campaign to free humans from the bondage of toxic guilt, shame and blame. Enough already. You ready to move on?

I AM! In fact, I started rewriting my script on guilt and shame forty years ago! Hard to believe.

(ME: It can’t be that many years, Mother! HOLY MOTHER: But it is, my child. Accept your cronihood.)

The life I now live has been a long time coming. I have been able to forgive everyone and have overcome abandonment issues, childhood poverty, neurodivergence, chronic depression, and domestic violence. Calmness and tranquility are my home states. I’m not much for telling others how to live or what to believe, but I can share what worked for me, get your feedback, and see what works for you. I would love to join forces with others who are interested in freedom from the tyranny of toxic guilt, shame and blame.

As an author, student of spiritual well-being, and advocate for positive social change, I have spent my adult life as a seeker. My journey has led through many different areas of inquiry including the human potential movement and mythological studies. New Horizons, a nonprofit school for homeless children in Santa Cruz County, caught my attention at the end of 1994. I worked there for six years, and learned to treat those in need with the respect they deserve. In 2015, I retired from Cabrillo College after serving as the Division Assistant in Counseling for fifteen years.

I live an inspired life and stand for the possibility of a world guided by compassion as well as logic.

I envision a global culture built on crazy stone-blind love at the root, with policies reached through compassion, reason, and data. If you know me in the wild, you might also recognize me as a spiritual diva, syncretic mystic Witch, and devotee of sacred plant medicine. 🌱💚🌿🌞🌛🌕🌜🌟⭐️

We can learn healthier responses to guilt. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got from a spiritual leader was, “Become your own best friend.”

Don’t be afraid you’ll stop being responsible if you feel less shame. My integrity has only gotten stronger since I gave it up. It doesn’t hurt as much to take responsibility, now that I don’t go around thinking I deserve to be punished all the time. Regarding blame, have you heard the saying that resentment is like poison you take in order to hurt someone else? Just notice; it’s true.

Our responses to guilt, responsibility, and accountability don’t have to be toxic. We can learn personal mindfulness, acceptance of imperfections in ourselves and others, and healthier ways to communicate. If what I’m up to appeals to you, please consider supporting this website. I will be developing this material as I go, and one of the functions of this website is to give a voice to those who support content creators. You can be part of the process.

By supporting my website, you help me to be more professional and effective at spreading the teachings that have led me to a life of peace, joy, and connection—simple lessons, capable of transforming human culture through the power of the heart.

Will you join me on my quest?

I will share my blog posts and essays so that you can follow a step-by-step examination of living beyond toxic shame and blame. They will all be either published or linked here for my supporters. If what I do calls to you, lease support my page with an amount that works for you. I would love to hear from you.

In Love Supreme,

Janus Laughingbear

The word “Witch” can be defined many different ways. I’ve been a Witch since 1996 and a priestess since 2000. I’ve learned a lot about Pagan history and different traditions of the Craft since my early days.

My first teacher was Shekinah Mountainwater, one of the founding mothers of the modern Goddess movement. She taught me that to be a Witch meant dedicating yourself to the service of the Great Mother of All Living, known in many lands by many names. In memory of Shekinah and in honor of ‘She from whom all things proceed and unto whom all things return’, I freely offer my thoughts on Witchcraft as a spiritual path of transformation.

I am inspired by my role as a participant in this grand story called “Human Life on Planet Earth.” Service to others has brought me more pleasure than anything else in life. Feeling the current of energy binding me with my fellow players on this stage is a close second. I know that we can do a better job of being kind to each other, and I am committed to that possibility.

In 1992, I met a woman who told me I should be a minister. She sent a donation to the Universal Life Church in my name, and they sent me a card letting me know that I had been ordained. Not too long afterwards, a couple I knew wanted a beach wedding, so I officiated, and my ministry was born. Although I am ordained by a legally recognized church, it seems to me that rigid belief systems tend toward toxicity. I prefer honest examination with an open mind.

My profound experience with the transcendent and the sacred inspire me every day, but my faith is free of dogma. I am informed by the many and varied expressions of inspiration all around me—above all, nature. I have overcome abandonment issues, childhood poverty, neurodivergence, chronic depression, and domestic violence.  I know firsthand that it’s possible to forgive everyone, and for calmness and tranquility to be your default settings. 

I think three things have caused more suffering to the human race than Mumps, Measles, and Mosquitoes—combined, (and yes, I’m including insect-born diseases in this equation.) I’m talking about: Toxic guilt, Shame, and Blame. I’m on a campaign to liberate the human race from their nasty grip.

WE CAN: Take responsibility for our behavior without wallowing in shame, Hold each other accountable without projecting poisonous levels of blame. We can experience healthier communication, genuine conviviality, and more love.

Do you find that toxic guilt, shame, or blame come between you and the people you want most to be close to?

Or between you and the people you need to work with in order to resolve the problems we face together in society?

COME WITH ME TO A WORLD WHERE:

• It’s safer to be you.
• Bullies get redeemed,
• And love wins.

I’m a spiritual diva and syncretic Witch, not a mental health professional, but I have been able to make these changes in my life. I’d like to let you know how I did it, and Coach you through the same steps I took.

Let’s work together to create a template for others. I learned decades ago that global transformation requires skillful means. I commit myself to this quest, but I can’t do it alone. The world is changing.

Let’s be part of a new social conversation so effective that it shatters the old paradigm of power-over and domination.

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