After my meditation yesterday, I felt wrapped in such deep peace. The day had already been so filled with joy and tenderness — the kind that dances quietly long after it’s gone.
Earlier, I’d spent the most wonderful time in my studio with little Luca, gifting him a tiny bouquet and the words, “You feed my soul so deeply.” His smile lit the whole space. As Above, So Below had just sold, and my little book on Coco Chanel went home with Luca’s mum — symbols of creativity, beauty, and divine timing.
Hayley, Luca’s mother, was radiant too. We laughed over my playful dress with the monkeys — they loved it so much they wanted one just like it for a Caribbean-themed Christmas party! The whole studio felt alive with love and laughter, like sunlight dancing through petals.
Later, inspired by British Astrologer Pam Gregory’s reminder to lean into stillness, I felt called to meditate beneath the old pīri tree. A soft breeze whispered through the leaves, carrying peace straight into my heart. I gazed up at the wide, endless sky, feeling so grateful for the beauty that surrounds and flows through my life. And I thought about the beeswax painting I had just sold, As Above, So Below , and thought I must take a photo of the sky.
As I walked back toward the house, still bathed in that gentle serenity, I suddenly felt a sharp prick near my foot — though I barely noticed it at the time. I assumed I’d simply twisted my ankle earlier while walking across the emerald lawn in my little sandals. I usually wander barefoot, feeling the earth’s pulse beneath me, but that morning was different.
By evening, though, my foot had swollen painfully. As Laurie and I drove to pick up a few treats — beer for him, some non-alcoholic drinks for me — I realised I couldn’t even step from the car. The pain was fierce, my foot heavy and inflamed.
Yet even through that discomfort, I could still feel the lingering imprint of love — the laughter of the day, the golden thread of connection, the quiet lesson of the earth reminding me to rest and listen.
Sometimes, the body speaks through sensation what the soul already knows:
Slow down, beloved. Stay grounded in love and light. You are held. You are healing. Watch out for wasps!
I thought about all the ways I have been wronged by my family, scapegoated, and inflicted with pain. And I vowed in that moment, never again.
That night, when the pain assaulted my soul I penned a blog post inspired by Tina Turner who turned her back on her family, prioritsing her health and happiness—and above all peace>>
Then this morning, I leaned into gratitude inspired by recalling the experience of Richard Greene, who was stung by a wasp and suffered a stroke. I write more about this below. I can’t help but think that the combined energy of having done my meditation, the love, light, and laughter in the studio, provided an energetic balm of protection, lessening the impact of the German wasp.
In 2018, bestselling author Robert Greene had just completed his monumental work The Laws of Human Nature when his own body delivered a lesson more powerful than any he had written. While hiking in a park in Los Angeles, he was stung by a wasp on the neck.
At first, he thought little of it. Days later, the sting site became severely inflamed. Greene had a history of high blood pressure, had skipped his medication while travelling, and was prescribed steroids (prednisone) that further raised his blood pressure.
Within days, these combined factors created what his neurologist later called a “perfect storm.” A blood clot formed in the exact place where the wasp had stung him, triggering a stroke. The doctor believed the inflammation caused by the sting damaged the blood vessel, setting off a cascade of physiological reactions.
After the stroke, Greene was left with significant impairment on his left side—his leg and arm weakened—and he faced a long, ongoing recovery.
Even someone active and self-disciplined can be brought to stillness by a single, unforeseen event. Greene, who often hiked and swam, discovered how fragile daily freedoms truly are. What seems minor can transform into something profound.
A man renowned for writing about power and mastery suddenly had to depend on others. Greene describes learning a new kind of strength—accepting help, surrendering to what is, and redesigning his life around new limitations.
Greene says his stroke deepened his empathy for others who live with disability or chronic struggle. His insight is no longer theoretical; it’s embodied. The experience humbled him and opened his heart to shared humanity.
He admits that several small missteps—missing medication, accepting steroids, underestimating the sting—aligned into a lesson on control and surrender. Life, he realised, can change in an instant, and our real mastery lies in how we respond.
Greene speaks of finding “the sublime in the ordinary.” Though he may never regain his former physical ability, he is deliberately reshaping his inner world. His creative focus now turns inward—to stillness, gratitude, and the quiet power of being alive.
Robert Greene’s experience is more than a medical anomaly; it’s a metaphor for transformation. A single sting—a boundary crossed, a moment of irritation—unfolded into a full awakening of the body and spirit.
Physically, it illustrates how fragile health can be when stress, pressure, and inflammation build unnoticed. Symbolically, it mirrors how life often asks us to slow down, reassess, and realign before we take the next step.
At the time of the sting, Greene had just completed one of his most demanding creative works. The body, often wiser than the mind, intervened. It whispered, then shouted: Pause. Rest. Integrate.
For those on a healing or spiritual path, this story reminds us that pain and interruption can be portals to deeper truth. Illness, injury, or unexpected limitation can awaken new levels of compassion, presence, and gratitude.
The neck, where Greene was stung, corresponds energetically to the throat chakra—the centre of truth, expression, and authenticity. A blockage or wound in this area often appears when we are called to speak, listen, or live more truthfully.
The left side of the body represents the feminine, intuitive, receptive aspects of life. When the left side is weakened, it may symbolise an imbalance—too much striving, not enough surrender.
Thus, Greene’s stroke, both literal and symbolic, became an invitation to rebalance masculine drive with feminine grace, and to find power not in dominance but in humility and connection.
“Finally, to those people in my life who have so skillfully used the game of power to manipulate, torture, and cause me pain over the years, I bear you no grudges and I thank you for supplying me with inspiration for The 48 Laws of Power.” ~ Robert Greene
Healing begins when we listen—not only to the pain, but to the message beneath it.
Posted in: Blog
ABOUT CASSANDRA
I am an artist, storyteller, intuitive guide, mentor and Reiki master. All my creations are infused with positive energy , inspiration, and light. I believe in magic and the power of beauty, joy, love, purpose, and creativity to transform your life. My greatest joy is helping your realize your dreams. That makes my soul sing!
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