Debt as a Spirit Ally: A New Way to Listen

For most of us, the word “debt” can invoke uncomfortable feelings- dread, heaviness, tension, shame. We might have been taught to view debt as a punishment - a red mark on the ledger of our worth. But what if that’s not the whole story?

What if debt isn’t a punishment at all, but a presence?

What if it’s a spirit—complex, nuanced, and sometimes even kind?

In my Money as a Spirit Ally course, we spent time sitting with the idea that debt doesn’t have to be scary. That we don’t have to demonize it. That we might even begin to meet it with curiosity rather than judgment.

We tend to think of debt as the enemy of abundance. But that binary is too simple. Yes, some debt is predatory or rooted in systems of exploitation. But some debt is born from love. From trust. From longing. From hope. We use debt to buy our homes, to build a business, to create something new.

The intention behind the debt often tells a more interesting story than the number on the balance sheet. Some debts arise because we believed in ourselves enough to invest in a degree, a skill, a dream. Others come from trying to stay afloat after unexpected loss. Some mark the moment we chose care over cost. Or survival over perfection.

And yes, some are simply the result of choices made during hard seasons. But even then, those choices weren’t random. They were ours. And our spirits made them for a reason.

To honor this shift in perception, I wrote the following piece. Think of it as a a lullaby of sorts - for the spiritually fierce and financially tender among us:

Mama Grizzly and the Circle of Debt Spirits

In the quietest parts of the forested glen,

Where time moved in spirals and not like back then.

Mama Grizzly sat with her eyes soft and wide

As Debt Spirits gathered and circled her side.

They weren’t made of chains or cold hearted math –

They were travelers, really, just tired from their path.

Each one held a story, a lesson, a thread,

And none of them came to bring panic or dread.

One debt was a dream, half-baked but sincere,

Another was grief that stayed one more year.

One wore the cloak of a college degree,

And one simply whispered, “You invested in me.”

They sat in a circle, no ledger in sight,

No balances tipped, no wrongs to make right.

Mama said nothing, just nodded and knew

That debts, like all spirits, want to feel true.

“Thank you,” she murmured, “for what you became.

You held her through seasons of worry and blame.

But she’s different now. Her roots have grown deep.

She’s awake to her worth, and she’s earned this sweet sleep.”

The Debt Spirits sighed and they shimmered with peace,

No need for collecting, no craving release.

They curled up beside her like memories spun,

Just part of her story, no battles to be won.

And Mama Grizzly? She stayed through the night.

Her breath slow and steady, her heart full of light.

Keeping watch like a priestess of mercy and grace,

For the soul she adored in that soft dreaming place.

Debt, like any spiritual presence, wants to be seen for what it really is - not just what we fear it to be. When we strip away the shame and storylines, we find that many of our debts have actually helped us. They held us through something. Got us somewhere. Taught us something. They were never meant to define our worth. They simply wanted to be honored.

This doesn’t mean we should be careless with money. Or ignore systemic problems. Or pretend repayment isn’t real. But it does mean we can shift the energy with which we engage.

When we meet debt as a spirit, we stop treating it like a monster. We stop running. We begin to listen.

And when we do, sometimes we hear something astonishing: “I was never here to hurt you. I came to carry you and I’ll go when it’s time.”

Let this be your reminder:

You are not bad because you carry debt. You are not broken because you needed help. You are not unworthy because your path has required borrowing.

You are human. You are learning. And you are still worthy of ease, peace, and more than enough.

I invite you to consider the possibility that debt can be a part of a grace-filled, abundant life if you take the time to get to know and cooperate with its spirit.