Remain heart centered. Let not words of rage from outside of you interfere with words of love coming from within you, for in turning to the heart there will not be fear nor worry pouring forth but only kindness and concern for the welfare of all. In turning to the heart, loving kindness will emerge as the only antidote to a troubled world where one side turns against another, where anger and fear turn their backs on that which truly works to unify and reconnect the many to the true needs of all. Let love guide you now so that love may also guide the many. In love’s interest, turn to your own heart, sit in calmness, and let its truth guide you to be as loving as you can.
Maintain sacred inner space for loving kindness to grow, for fear to abate, for worry to die out, for that which causes distress and concern to find solace and peace. In inner solitude find the way to touch the Great Mystery, the Oneness that you are, for though you may perceive yourself as a bundle of bones and flesh you are so much more than that, and really so much less as well. You are All That Is and you are Nothing At All as well, so much and so little, part of it all and yet one tiny speck of light and love, so small and yet so capable. Do not forget the power of this smallness and this greatness that you are, for it is what you ultimately seek, unity within the loving aspect of self, the great and the small within. Strive for it now while chaos reigns and experience its bliss while in human form, for the good of the self and good of all. It is all you need now, to be loving within and loving without. Strive for that.
Maintain balance no matter what transpires, for balance is key to attaining stability in mind, body, and spirit. Balance is key to holding onto positive thoughts and positive energy so that you may weather through all adversity with strength and fortitude. Keep a good balance in heart, mind, and spirit so that not only you remain positive but so that all you come in contact with may remain so as well. For what effects the one effects the many; all play a part in what happens to the whole.
Maintain a calm center even in the midst of chaos, for it is always appropriate to act from a place of calmness rather than fear, from a heart that is still and knowing rather than from a heart that is stirred by outside influences to act impetuously and without spiritual counsel. Give your heart the time it needs to calm down, and then give it time to stir up the love it naturally feels. From a place of love, right action and right decision will arise that is in alignment with a good spirit rising, within and without, turning chaos into loving kindness and compassion, the true intent of the calm and loving heart within you all.
“There is nothing that is not divine.” – Aurobindo – Photo by Chuck Ketchel
From a shamanic perspective, the cosmic dance of now lays bare the power of belief in generating the reality we live in. Our belief system is largely shaped by the messages we internalize from the outside world that become the internal dialogue that interprets our reality. The belief system we sign up for becomes our reality.
At present, the mass of humanity is engaged in a civil war of conflicting belief systems. The consequence of such disagreement is an instability of worldview that threatens basic security, both within the individual and in the world at large. Without a collective boundary of belief, the world is subject to a barrage of all that has been suppressed and repressed in the individual and in the collective human psyche as well.
Civilization has, at its root, civility, defined as a politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech. Clearly we are in a time that has overturned politeness and courtesy in behavior and speech. What’s been unleashed is the repressed energy that lies beneath the surface ripple of civilization, what Freud called the Id and what Jung called the shadow. Civilization is currently overrun by the power of these discontented parts of its psyche.
Our fragile civilization is charged with addressing the truth of its discontents. A new balance is called for. This balance must consider the animal within the human being. That animal has long been the sequestered Minotaur, lost in the labyrinth of the unconscious.
That shameful human, with animal head and tail, is filled with rage toward the civilized human it blames for its rejection. Meanwhile, its human counterpart is both terrified by its power and hungry for its passion. Clearly these two spheres of existence have a place in human reconciliation. Domination of the unconscious as a defense strategy to protect civilization is unstable and cuts off a wellspring of vital energy needed for a fulfilling life.
The opportunity of now is to construct a belief system that values and reconciles all parts of being human. Thus the human animal and human spirit are recognized as valid parts of a human being that both contribute to and enhance human life. Both centers of being are valued for their inherent knowledge and creative potential.
Alexander Lowen, Wilhelm Reich’s protege, pointed out that human beings rarely experience full orgasm in their sexual contact because they have lost their connection to their animal core that truly knows how to physically move. Thus, human sexuality is rarely fulfilling, dominated as it is by the ego’s mental control and expectations.
A belief system that incorporates both our inherited nature and our ability to elevate it to the spiritual heights of love, offers a reconciliation of the human condition that may better serve our evolving civilization.
As always, be empowered to begin within. All the forces without that both attract and repel us are also our own projections from within. All that we hate and fear are as much a part of us as all that we love and long for. A belief system that accepts this equation is poised to find true stability and wholeness within. Wholeness within, wholeness without.
Optimistically,
Chuck
NOTE: Taking a week off, so no writings from either Jan or I next week, including Soulbytes. We look forward to reconnecting starting the week of September 14, 2020.
