Dying for a Change
Our world and culture are dying right now before our eyes. As adult humans being at this time on the Earth, continually learning, we are likely to be in different qualities of consciousness at different times and in different situations. We often like to identify ourselves as already in a more adult or elder transpersonal consciousness: “I am a leader, therapist, expert, teacher, master, … and I know the solutions to our problems!” This is of course a childlike or adolescent tendency – this is that from our deep need for recognition, acceptance and love we try to show how good, competent and deserving we are ... “Mummy, see how big I am”.
When we encounter some pain or difficulty on our journey we seem to have a few different options relating to our different qualities of consciousness:
This quality of Shamanic accompaniment works with you to bring consciousness and love to any current situation and the transformative deaths within. There are two principle kinds of death that will inform any rites of passage we perform:
Death by letting go completely
In the end, all stems, branches, leaves, flowers, fruits and nuts, … and even the roots, fall back to be embraced by the earth. Most of these to be eaten and decomposed, to return completely to the earth. A few might pass a long winter of germination and then sprout roots once more for a new cycle.
Often from our early traumas or conflicts, we have separated ourselves from aspects of our family and culture. Sometimes we feel superior to our parents and grandparents. Our modern judeo-christian culture separates us from nature, the Earth and the animal kingdom. Again we believe ourselves to be superior. All our arrogant adolescent attempts to control nature and to control our nature, usually lead to perverse and destructive outcomes. This has the effect of cutting us off from the primary nurturing embrace from the Earth and the ancestors. All shamanic cultures have their ways of re-finding and maintaining these connections, which will give strength and coherence to our personal boundaries and self-esteem.
The Earth does not judge fertile or infertile plants and fruits. Each has their important place in the cycles of life. The Earth does not judge good and bad … there is suffering and violence, there is peace and love, ... all parts of a greater complexity that we cannot understand or control. The Earth embraces all with love and compassion. She holds all of history in her belly, bacteria, algae, mosses, all the micro organisms to re-create life with the alchemy of the elements. The Earth reclaims her own. All our fine projects and plans are broken down back to fine compost.
Letting go into the embrace of the earth - a healing meditation
Find a place where you can lie or sit comfortably for a while - face down directly on the Earth is probably the best, with your arms open to give and receive this embrace.
Imagine that you are the earth – the whole earth in you with all her infinite complexity. There is no way your mind can conceive the details. Just as there is no way your mind can conceive the infinite complexity of all that happens in your own body. You are the Earth - breathe together with her, like a baby in the bosom of her mother. The earth does not judge good and bad … there is suffering and violence, there is peace and love, … they are parts of a greater complexity that we cannot understand. At any moment where you find the mind thinking, judging good or bad, separating yourself, ... let out a deep sigh and fall deeper into the embrace of the wise mother. Earth to Earth and Dust to Dust. Let yourself be eaten by the worms, fungi and bacteria, returning to fine compost. The Earth embraces all the complex cycles of life and death with consciousness and love. So now let yourself rest innocently in this embrace of the Earth, as one.
When we encounter some pain or difficulty on our journey we seem to have a few different options relating to our different qualities of consciousness:
- ignore it, buy more stuff, watch more TV, obsess about politics, celebrities, sport, … This is the infantile response which includes simplistic blaming of some ‘others’ for any problems.
- In our adolescent state we believe that we know how to ‘save the world’, and we act from this arrogance, … We imagine that our science, technology, new politics, some spiritual practice, new economics, …. has the true solutions to human and earthly pain, suffering and death.
- A more mature adult will be be fully present and aware of this amazing, complex, cosmic moment we are in, aware also that we do not really know what is going on. It is much bigger that my consciousness and capacity. We can be fully aware of the pain, death and transformation with love and compassion, without trying to save ourselves or anyone. This is not inaction, on the contrary. Bringing consciousness and love to a painful situation may be the most powerful intervention possible.
This quality of Shamanic accompaniment works with you to bring consciousness and love to any current situation and the transformative deaths within. There are two principle kinds of death that will inform any rites of passage we perform:
- to stand up and show your power, to “walk your talk”, to define and make your own way, to face the world with self esteem and courage, and to 'kill or die' in your defence when necessary - “If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him”.
- to let go of everything, to let go of all attachments, to let go fully into nothing, into the cold darkness of nothing – 'Earth to earth and dust to dust' - the creative cosmic void.
Death by letting go completely
In the end, all stems, branches, leaves, flowers, fruits and nuts, … and even the roots, fall back to be embraced by the earth. Most of these to be eaten and decomposed, to return completely to the earth. A few might pass a long winter of germination and then sprout roots once more for a new cycle.
Often from our early traumas or conflicts, we have separated ourselves from aspects of our family and culture. Sometimes we feel superior to our parents and grandparents. Our modern judeo-christian culture separates us from nature, the Earth and the animal kingdom. Again we believe ourselves to be superior. All our arrogant adolescent attempts to control nature and to control our nature, usually lead to perverse and destructive outcomes. This has the effect of cutting us off from the primary nurturing embrace from the Earth and the ancestors. All shamanic cultures have their ways of re-finding and maintaining these connections, which will give strength and coherence to our personal boundaries and self-esteem.
The Earth does not judge fertile or infertile plants and fruits. Each has their important place in the cycles of life. The Earth does not judge good and bad … there is suffering and violence, there is peace and love, ... all parts of a greater complexity that we cannot understand or control. The Earth embraces all with love and compassion. She holds all of history in her belly, bacteria, algae, mosses, all the micro organisms to re-create life with the alchemy of the elements. The Earth reclaims her own. All our fine projects and plans are broken down back to fine compost.
Letting go into the embrace of the earth - a healing meditation
Find a place where you can lie or sit comfortably for a while - face down directly on the Earth is probably the best, with your arms open to give and receive this embrace.
Imagine that you are the earth – the whole earth in you with all her infinite complexity. There is no way your mind can conceive the details. Just as there is no way your mind can conceive the infinite complexity of all that happens in your own body. You are the Earth - breathe together with her, like a baby in the bosom of her mother. The earth does not judge good and bad … there is suffering and violence, there is peace and love, … they are parts of a greater complexity that we cannot understand. At any moment where you find the mind thinking, judging good or bad, separating yourself, ... let out a deep sigh and fall deeper into the embrace of the wise mother. Earth to Earth and Dust to Dust. Let yourself be eaten by the worms, fungi and bacteria, returning to fine compost. The Earth embraces all the complex cycles of life and death with consciousness and love. So now let yourself rest innocently in this embrace of the Earth, as one.