What's Your Pearl?
I invite you to reflect and dig into a question that matters...
This morning, as I lay awake in that soft space between sleep and waking, I found myself aligning with the beauty, magic, and wonder that is always present in the world. I do this often, connecting with the Great Mother, the giver of all life on this planet. I attune myself to the sources of our air, our water, our food, the animals, the sunlight, the love. It's a way of re-centering, of inviting my mind, body, and energetic field to prepare for the day ahead.
And in that still moment, I found myself thinking about a session I had yesterday with my dear friend Katie Steinle, a brilliant human design astrologist who has an extraordinary gift for helping people come back into alignment with their energetic truth. It had been a while since we worked together, but she was the one who first introduced me to Human Design. And wow, did it blow my mind. The things she was able to share about how I've been wired my whole life—my little quirks, idiosyncrasies, the ways I think and move through the world that always felt so natural to me, even if others didn't quite get it.
Finding Your Natural Flow
That feeling of being "a little different" is probably familiar to many of you reading this. That's why I often use the handle "Rare Birds." I've always felt like one. Growing up, I'd hear:
"Who thinks like that?"
"Why would you want to do that?"
"Isn't that a bit much?"
Or the classic: "You've gone too far."
But to me, it all felt normal. Natural. Just me being me.
Katie and I have known each other for almost a decade now, and we've shared many adventures, especially at some of Gaia's power spots around the world. But back when she first introduced me to Human Design, about six years ago, it opened up a whole new layer of understanding. One part of Human Design that stood out to me was something called the Pearl. It's essentially the unique gift or essence you bring to the world. The quality that guides your navigation of life.
My pearl is humor.
My pearl is the ability to say hard things with levity and grace.
And it's true. It's so true. I've always been able to deliver truths, sometimes difficult ones, in ways that make people laugh, or at least smile. It softens the blow. It gets through. My grandmother used to say, "A joke is laced with the truth," and I never forgot that. Long before I ever knew about Human Design, I was living my pearl.
Balancing in a Noisy World
Lately, I've been deeply focused on balancing my nervous system, taking real ownership over what stimulates me, what triggers me, and what I allow into my energetic space. This modern world is loud. So much is designed to throw us off-center. The news, social media, even those relentless texts from political campaigns… it's so easy to lose our balance in a matter of seconds.
But here's the truth: we allow those disruptions. We might not want to admit it, but we do.
We allow them to disturb our peace, to shift us out of alignment. Yes, the feelings that come up are real. And yes, your opinions about the world matter. But we still have the power to choose what gets in. We can choose to stay in our center.
And maybe, maybe your pearl can help you do that.
The Question That Matters
Maybe you already know what your pearl is. Or maybe it has nothing to do with Human Design at all. But I invite you to pause, even just for a moment, and ask yourself:
What's my pearl?
That thing I carry that helps me make sense of the world. That gift I bring. That essence that keeps me connected, even in the chaos.
You might not get an answer right away. It might come later today, or tomorrow, or next week. But it will come. Someone will say something. You'll notice a pattern. A memory will return. And you'll know. You'll know: That's my pearl.
Because it's your pearl that will help you cross the rainbow bridge.
Yes, that rainbow bridge, the one we imagined as children. The one that promised a pot of gold at the end. Really, what we're all longing for is peace, love, harmony, and joy. A sparkling, technicolor world. And your pearl? It's your touchstone. Your reminder. The thing you hold close, like prayer beads. It brings you back to center when the world pulls you away.
It's what helps you stay in that soft parasympathetic space. The space where you can rest, digest, create, dream. The space we're supposed to live in, not the hyper-alert, always-running-from-the-tiger state we've been conditioned to operate in.
So again, I ask:
What's your pearl?
A Dream Journey
And I want to share something else, something beautiful that came up during my session with Katie. If you're ever drawn to experience her work, I'll include her link below. You won't regret it. She's the real deal, insightful, kind, deeply grounded in wisdom that's both ancient and cosmic.
During our session, something she said sparked a memory of a lucid dream I had not long ago.
In the dream, I was visiting an ancient temple, Aztec or Mayan, one of those massive stepped pyramids. I've visited many ruins like this in the Yucatán Peninsula, especially those that are hidden and overgrown, off the tourist path. I'm always drawn to those forgotten places. The energy there… it's beyond words.
So in the dream, I climbed to the top of this pyramid and found a doorway. I entered into a high chamber, smooth stone walls, a few carvings, a warm, womb-like glow. The sound inside was cavernous but gentle, like being wrapped in a hush. There was nothing in the room except a staircase leading down.
And so I followed it.
I kept descending. Down and down and down. Deeper than I'd gone up. It felt like I was descending into the earth itself. The space widened as I went, but the stairs remained narrow, focused.
That's when I noticed something: my feet had become paws.
Black, sleek, feline paws. I looked down and realized I was no longer walking—I was gliding. I had become a black panther.
In lucid dreams, there's this incredible moment where you can see yourself from outside and within at the same time. I could see my panther body—strong, shining, elegant, focused.
And at the bottom of the staircase, there it was:
A pearl.
A gigantic pearl resting in an open clamshell, set upon a dusting of red powder. Its surface was luminous—white with that ethereal, unicorn shimmer. I stared, mesmerized. Then I heard a voice say:
"This is yours. This is you. This is what you take with you."
I looked into the pearl, and it reflected me back—my panther self, with emerald green eyes, black fur shining like midnight. And I said to myself, This is me. And this is my pearl.
Remember Your Magic
I woke from that dream glowing. Centered. Remembering that we live in a deeply magical world. And yes, there are forces working to distract us, to dull our senses, to sell us fear and division. But none of that is real magic. None of it is soul. None of it is the truth of who we are.
The truth is:
We are all holding a pearl.
Some of us just forgot.
So I ask you again, gently, lovingly, powerfully,
What's your pearl?
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*To learn more about Katie… https://katiesteinle.com*
*This article is accompanied by an original artwork featuring hand-scripted text exploring the concept of "What’s My Pearl”Subscribe for more Robynisms—reflections on mindfulness, authentic connection, and finding peace in our digital age.*
