Let’s Rewire the Word: Desire

“We were taught to purify our desires rather than listen to them.”

As a 43-year-old divorced Catholic, I’ve become deeply skilled at unlearning. Unlearning inherited beliefs. Unlearning guilt. Unlearning the idea that God lives somewhere outside of me. In their place, I’ve grown curious about the magic of the universe and cultivated a direct, one-on-one relationship with God—Divine Source Energy—without intermediaries.

Most of us eventually encounter a word, a place, or a recurring experience that reveals what no longer serves us. These moments show us what needs to be released, what stagnant energy is asking to be transmuted, and what is ready to propel us forward on our spiritual growth journey.

DESIRE.

This article is an invitation to examine, dismantle, and rewire what we’ve been taught about desire—and to explore what it truly means to desire from a place of alignment rather than guilt.

The timing feels intentional. February, the cultural season of love, is also a quieter, more internal season. A time to rest, hibernate, and plant seeds for the year ahead. I love this time for learning new ways of thinking, exploring shadow topics, and allowing healing to take the lead.

In Catholic theology, desire is often framed as temptation—a test of virtue—something to be restrained, redirected, or confessed. When followed to its logical conclusion, desire becomes synonymous with sin. Bodily pleasure, sexual longing, beauty, and the desire for “more” are treated with suspicion. Writing this feels less like theology and more like a therapy session.

For me, this conditioning created a deep disconnection from my intuition and inner knowing. It encouraged spiritual bypassing—using religion to avoid listening to the body, the heart, and the truth rising within. If I’m being honest, I believe that disconnection was part of the design. I learned to feel shame for wanting too much, and even more shame for wanting without justification.

So let’s clear all of that out and look at desire for what it actually is.

Desire lives in the body. It’s primal. It’s part of our relationship with self. Desire shows up as curiosity, as a longing, and as excitement. It rises like a compass, quietly orienting us toward something meaningful. Another way to imagine it is as a lighthouse—steady, patient, sending a signal that guides us home.

Desire is not a command. It doesn’t demand urgency or obedience. It doesn’t operate on deadlines or timelines. And often, it doesn’t make logical sense. That’s not a flaw—it’s a feature. Many of the most profound intuitions, callings, and inner “downloads” arrive long before the mind can explain them.

When desire is stripped of guilt and moral judgment, it reveals itself not as something to control, but as something to listen to. Not something to confess, but something to converse with. Desire is not asking for permission. It is asking for presence.

Desire often whispers before it speaks clearly.

Desire does not need to be purified. It needs to be witnessed. When we stop outsourcing authority over our inner world, desire becomes less overwhelming and more honest. It reveals itself not as temptation, but as guidance—steady, embodied, and deeply personal.

A few intentional journaling prompts – no editing, no justification –  let the words arrive as they are.  Please set aside dedicated time, perhaps 30 minutes to contemplate the following: 

• What desires have I labeled as “too much,” “selfish,” or “unrealistic”?

• Where do I feel desire in my body—and what does it feel like?

• What desire keeps returning, even when I try to ignore it?

Cord-Cutting Exercise: Releasing Inherited Beliefs

This practice is designed to release energetic ties to belief systems, doctrines, and internalized voices that no longer serve your growth to allow for desire to reclaim the position within self!

Find a quiet space. Sit comfortably with your feet on the ground.

Close your eyes and take a few slow breaths - perhaps the 4, 4, 4 method - breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds and slowly release for 4 seconds.

Imagine your body surrounded by light—steady, protective, and calm.

Now bring to mind the belief systems tied to desire that feel heavy or restrictive. These may include guilt, shame, fear of punishment, or the idea that wanting is dangerous or wrong.

Visualize cords extending from your body—perhaps from your heart, solar plexus, or throat—connecting you to these beliefs. There is no judgment here. These cords once served a purpose.

When you’re ready, imagine taking a sword, scissors, a stick and with a gentle but decisive motion, sever the ties that bind and envision the release. Perhaps the cords slowly dissolve into the light and fall away into the distance – allow yourself to choose what feels natural.  

As each cord releases, affirm silently or aloud:

 “I release what no longer serves me. I reclaim my right to desire.”

Take a few breaths to integrate. Imagine your body filling with ease, clarity, and grounded presence.

When finished, place a hand on your heart and return slowly.