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Five Ways to Transform Lambs into Lions

Issues

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November 1, 2015

“Rise and rise again until lambs become lions.” ~ Robin Hood

Metaphors can be powerful literary tools. They are the main reason why the pen is mightier than the sword. The metaphors lamb, wolf, and lion are no less powerful when used as tools toward a deeper understanding of the human condition and a healthier flourishing of human potential.

In a world of blind obedience to authority, it takes a particular type of courage to wake up the blindly obedient to the level of their ignorance, and to poke holes in the unhealthy, unsustainable and illusory power constructs built by entrenched authority. The blindly obedient are the lambs.

The entrenched authority are the wolves. And the uncommonly courageous are the lions. Let’s break it down.

Here are five ways to transform lambs into lions. (My deepest apologies to this most beautiful and magical creature: the noble wolf. Please forgive my crude metaphor.)

1) Break the shepherd’s spell

“Belief is a wound that knowledge heals.” ~ Ursula K. Le Guin

A Shepherd (a wolf in sheep’s clothing) is any authority claiming that it needs to keep you contained for your own “safety.” Whether that authority is religious, political, cultural, nationalistic, or racist in nature, these Shepherds of the Psyche capitalize on the ignorance of the lamb in order to maintain their power and influence.

We break the spell by turning the tables on our own ignorance. We break the spell by questioning first ourselves, second the perceived authority of the shepherd and, finally, the most difficult questioning of all, the questioning of our own belief and worldview.

But, as Daniel Dennett shrewdly put it, “There is no polite way to suggest to someone that they have devoted their life to a folly.” And so too there is no polite way to suggest to ourselves that we have devoted our lives to a folly.

Cognitive dissonance is sure to arise. But we need only remember these words: “When an honest man realizes that he is mistaken, he will either cease being mistaken or cease being honest.” This decision is critical in whether one becomes a wolf or a lion.

2) Transform fear into courage

“Those who learned to know death, rather than to fear and fight it, become our teachers about life.” ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Lambs are too afraid. Wolves are too intent upon keeping everyone afraid. The lion breaks the vicious cycle with small and large acts of courage. But how does a lamb transform fear into courage and thus become the brave lion who is capable of keeping wolves in check?

Lambs need to learn how not to be afraid of change. They need to learn that everything changes. There is no permanence. All things die. Lambs are lambs because they are clinging to the known, to what they love, afraid of the unknown.

And they are so afraid of losing what they love that they become puppets to their fear. But things will always change; even what is “known” will change. Even love changes, though agape-love, cosmic love, is ever-present.

The key is to embrace change, then change the fear into courage, and then use that courage to face the unknown. But it’s a tricky tightrope between fear and courage, and the menacing maw of the abyss is ever-present beneath it. The way is not for the faint of heart. Which is probably why there are so few lions among men.

As George Orwell said, “Until they become conscious they will never rebel, and until after they have rebelled they cannot become conscious.”

Becoming conscious is becoming aware that things change, and embracing and appreciating the terribly beautiful impermanence of it all. But beneath that appreciative embrace is the roar of a lion.

3) Teach mastery not obedience

“Disobedience is he true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

Don’t be a boss, be a Leader. Don’t be an apprentice, be a potential master. Learn from great leaders, but always question them –be they great or not. If they are truly great, then they will lead by example and will honestly embrace your questioning. If they are not great, they will reject your questioning and order you around.

But you must learn what not to do from this type of “leader” as well.

Like Anthony de Mello said, “You are only a disciple because your eyes are closed. The day you open them you will see there is nothing you can learn from me or anyone. What then is a Master for? To make you see the uselessness of having one.”

We don’t need masters, we need mastery. We don’t need leaders, we need to become leaders. I don’t mean leaders who are intent upon leading blind followers into battle. I mean leading by example.

I mean leading yourself first, opening doors, shining the light, and moving on with your mastery in tow. If people want to follow your example and shine their own light by your side, so be it.

But you are not their master. Nor are you their leader. You are simply a fallible human being shining your light upon other fallible human beings. That’s it. Some will get your light, and some will not. But you should not be looking for obedient servants. The world needs more mastery, not more obedience.

Like Howard Zinn wrote, “Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience.”

Lead by fearless lionhearted example, and then watch as the lambs transform themselves into lions.

4) Teach young David how not to be a victim to Goliath

“We are all ready to be savage in some cause. The difference between a good man and a bad one is the choice of the cause.” ~ William James

If, as Matt Langdon said, “The opposite of a hero isn’t a villain; it’s a bystander,” then lambs are the “innocent” bystanders sitting safely on the sidelines while the lionhearted Davids are taking on the overreaching behemoth that is Goliath. Goliath is any bloated and entrenched system of oppression that has the monopoly on military, money, and power.

It’s any system that is intent upon keeping itself in power at all costs, even at the expense of fragile ecosystems and innocent lives. It’s a system directly supported by ruthless wolves and indirectly supported by ignorant lambs.

It’s a system that will wail “terrorist!” at anything that attempts to take it down. But, as Howard Zinn said, “They’ll say we’re disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war.”

But the lambs don’t realize that they are the foundation upon which the wolf-built Goliath megastructure is set. It was on the backs of innocent sheep that the aggrandized man-machine, steered by Goliath, was built. Without them, Goliath topples.

Which is the main reason why transforming as many cowardly lambs into courageous lions is so vitally important.

If we can ever achieve a scenario where there are more lions than lambs, then Goliath simply falls under its own unsustainable weight. But until then, we need to teach the lambs how to be brave, and how not to be victims.

So they too can gain the lionhearted courage of a David. We need to help them realize, as Emma Donoghue did: “Scared is what you’re feeling, brave is what you’re doing.”

5) Teach amoral agency over moral complacency

“The unconscious is not just evil by nature, it is also the source of the highest good: not only dark but also light, not only bestial, semi-human, and demonic but superhuman, spiritual, and, in the classical sense of the word, ‘divine’.” ~ Carl Jung

Luckily there is a middle stage between the lamb and the lion: which is the black sheep. In a world of sidelined sheep suffering from moral complacency and fear-based apathy, driven by wolves suffering from bloated egos and unfounded pride, the black sheep is the amoral agent setting the record straight.

They are encouraged by lions, and sometimes they even are lions, who are just moving between being black sheep and lions. A black sheep may or may not have the courage of a lion, but they at least have the wherewithal to be nonconformists and to question the establishment of wolves.

They are harnessing the power of amoral agency in order to wake up the morally complacent sheep and to keep the immorally adjacent wolves in check.

Comfort is addictive. So too is power. The lamb is addicted to the former, and the wolf the latter. The amoral black sheep brings discomfort to the overly-comfortable, while also dismantling the high-horse of power.

Together, along with the courage of lions, they are systematically changing the system for the better. Transforming lambs into lions and sheep into black sheep is the most effective way to keep the corrupt power of wolves from corrupting absolutely.

“The price of being a sheep is boredom,” wrote Hugh Macleod. “The price of being a wolf is loneliness. Choose one or the other with care.” But I say there is a third option. The price of being a lion is being courageous despite fear.

When it comes down to it, there is immense adventure to be had in this life. And being a lion, or at least an amoral black sheep, is really where all the adventure is at.

“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding on what to eat for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.” ~ attributed to Benjamin Franklin

Two Wolves and a Lamb Decide on What to Eat for Lunch

They say I won’t always be a lamb.
Sacrificed for the greater good,
That is my chief end, they say.
But where do they keep all the bullets?
I wonder. Where are the printing presses hidden?
As my fur becomes black their eyes become fear.
And I grow heavy with unimaginable freedom.
They say my evolution defies the one-right-way.
They throw their power. Now the bible.
Now the gunpoint. And though I’m told
That I’m what’s for lunch, I believe
The tables have been turned. My sheep’s clothing
Lies discarded and bleeding in the corner.
My lion-jaw is clinched and flecked.
I eat well, and sneak liberty out by the gallons.

Image source:

Lion & lamb
Banksy quote
Black sheep yin yang

How to Simply Stay True to Yourself

Ester Eckhaus

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October 31, 2015

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“Whatever you are physically…male or female, strong or weak, ill or healthy–all those things matter less than what your heart contains. If you have the soul of a warrior, you are a warrior. All those other things, they are the glass that contains the lamp, but you are the light inside.” ~ Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

Throughout life, other people, and even yourself, will expect things from you. This may be a role, a stage in life, career choices, etc. But the only person who ultimately decides these things, is you. And the person who it needs to be good for is you as well. The problem occurs when you are not sure.

Either because you don’t know yourself enough to know what’s right for you, or if other people’s voices get muddled with yours, leaving you not knowing which way is up. This can leave a person feeling stressed, anxious, and confused; and even more importantly, result in decisions that aren’t right for them and their unique path.

Knowing yourself in order to know your path is one of the most important things you will learn, practice, and relearn, throughout your life. But if you are to take control, and be your own judge, you must learn to discern between your own unique voice and those of others.

Here are a few things that might help:

Have conversations with yourself

How does one stay true to themselves if they do not KNOW themselves? You may know what your friends favorite things are, and what kind of clothes they wear, but you don’t know who they are deep down until you take the time to talk to them. Same for yourself.

Take the time each day to simply chat with yourself (this does not have to be out loud), find out how you’re feeling that day, what would make you feel better when you’re feeling down etc.

A simple “how are you doing in there today?” is enough. Talk to yourself as if you are talking to a friend; without judgment or scolding. Not only will you be happier by creating this loving and healthy relationship with yourself, but you will clearly feel your wants and needs, even if other people try to convince you otherwise.

A shopping trip with friends won’t result in you buying something that is really more suited for them, and big life decisions will be made with a clear and conscious mind, that knows what is truly best for you.

Another way to help know yourself, is to gather all your selves together. Gather yourself, or an image of yourself, in your mind at every age or stage. When you have all your selves gathered, sit down all together and feel how you are all the same continuous person.

This is good for when you have a tough question or decision, and can’t figure out where you stand. It will become clearer to you, as you sit with yourself, what is truly the best thing for (all of) you.

Set boundaries around powerful energies

Especially for a person who is tuned to a slower, or calmer frequency, they are more likely to be overpowered by fast-paced, or intense people. If you are easily drained by social gatherings or whirlwind personalities then you need to know how to protect yourself in those situations, so that you don’t lose all your energy.

I’ve had people tell me “I have a friend, and she’s great and all, but I come away from time with her feeling completely drained and wiped out. She just requires all of my energy, and then there’s none left for me.” Or, people who say “I’m usually such a confident person, but all of a sudden, I’m around certain people or settings, and I shut down.”

These people are being overpowered by stronger or more demanding energies than they themselves put out. There are a few ways to help protect yourself in these situations:

1) Visualize a bubble or barrier around yourself and your space. Take a deep breath, ground yourself, and imagine a protective bubble, wall, or curtain, all around you. It can be any shape or size, and you can keep it around you for as long as you need.

This may take some practice, so practice at home, or wherever you are right now.

The more you practice, the more protective your bubble will feel, and the longer you can keep it up.

This technique is good for when you’re feeling overwhelmed and need a moment to recharge, or hold onto your energy. You can talk to your energetic colleague from inside the bubble, or you can just put it up for a minute to catch your breath.

2) The second technique is for moments when you are feeling threatened; whether it’s a meeting room full of intimidating higher-ups, or a threatening person walking toward you on the street. This is a grounding technique: stand firmly and envision that you are a strong tree, with your roots planted securely in the earth.

Let yourself stand tall and straight and feel the confidence in your chest. You can do this before or during a stressful situation. Take a few deep breaths, stand strong and firm, and feel the peaceful strength that it creates.

Spend time around people who know the real you

Of course, life requires us to spend time around many different kinds of people. Some who may have knows us for years, some who have knows us for a few minutes, and some who seem to have known us before we even did.

And we must accept all these types of friendships and interactions, but to really thrive it is important to make time for the people who really know us. Because they help you see yourself. It is easy to lose sight of yourself sometimes, when you are rushing about in the real world, and dealing with real world problems.

We can sometimes forget about our soul, and our soul people. So, make sure to carve out time for your special people. They were given to you in order to help you know yourself, and guide you down your path.

Take time to respond

When asked a question, take time to respond. If asked for a favor, do not say yes or no right away. If you are normally a person who is inclined to people please, this will help you gather yourself, and your real desires, before you agree to too many favors.

This will also be helpful if you are all too ready to agree with the opinion of others, instead of voicing your own. Taking the time to sit in yourself before responding gives you the time and space to really feel yourself, and voice thought out responses, that really come from the depths of you.

Image source

Awareness of oneself
Authentic self

5 Ways to Meditate Without Actually Meditating

Nikki Sapp

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October 29, 2015

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5 Ways to Meditate Without Actually Meditating

“Enlightenment is bringing a state of meditativeness into the smallest acts of your day to day life in it’s expression of grace, harmony, balance, beauty, each and every movement of the body, each and every act… do it totally perfectly , harmoniously, with your total attention and love and you will see that your deepest center starts connecting to each and every act of yours. This is how you bring the buddha to your life.” ~ Osho

Ok, so we’ve all heard by now that we should be meditating. Doctors and medical professionals in the west are now recognizing it for it’s healing properties and calming effects on the body.

However, what many people may not know is that you don’t actually have to “meditate” to meditate. Meaning… you don’t technically have to sit cross-legged, with palms facing up chanting “ommmmmmm” in a room of complete silence to get the health benefits of a meditation practice.

This is good news for a lot of people, especially since a big part of the population have either never tried meditation, because it still just seems too weird, or have tried it and were able to do it for a minute or two before their pesky little mind stepped and said, “ok, this is getting too weird/boring/out there…. I need to stop.”

So don’t feel bad if you are part of the population that doesn’t seem to be able to grasp this whole meditation thing.

Anyone who has been doing it for a while will tell you that it takes practice to be able to sit still and quiet the mind for extended periods of time, and even then… the conventional method of meditation is not for everyone.

Our bodies and minds do however, need some method of release and relaxation where we are able to de-stress and relax.

Here are some other ways we are able to “meditate without actually meditating” ~

“Don’t meditate to fix yourself, to heal yourself, to improve yourself, to redeem yourself; do it as an act of love, deep warm friendship to yourself. In this way there is no longer any need for the subtle aggression of self-improvement, for the endless guilt of not doing enough. It offers a possibility to the end of the ceaseless round of trying so hard that wraps so many people’s lives in a knot. Instead there is now meditation as an act of love. How endlessly delightful and encouraging.” ~ Bob Sharples, Meditation and Relaxation in Plain English

1) Cook Something

Food is what we nourish our bodies with. We quite literally, are what we eat. Whether you are making something healthy or maybe you are baking a comforting treat for yourself, if you bring presence and love into your cooking you can use cooking as a method of creative meditation.

Focusing on the way we chop the vegetables, spice and season the food just right and then finally plating the food so that it quite literally becomes a visual representation of deliciousness can all be ways that we meditate as we cook. The food that we put in our bodies and that we feed to our friends and family becomes an act of love and friendship.

2) Exercise/ Take a Walk

Yoga is probably the first method of exercise that comes to mind when we think of bringing presence into a physical activity. And while yoga is undoubtedly a wonderful way to bring our attention to the subtle nuances of our body’s movements, it’s not the only way.

In fact, any exercise can be used to love our bodies in an active meditation. Weight lifting, taking a walk, or dancing are all ways that we can move our body and focus on each movement in such a way that we can actually relax while at the same time getting our heart rate up.

Exercising is another act of love towards our own self, so find which way to exercise best suits you and get moving!

3) Sleep

“Sleep is the best meditation.” ~ Dalai Lama

Yes, that’s right.. now you have an excuse to get some more sleep. During sleep our conscious mind takes a rest while our subconscious mind gets to play out and sift through any stresses that our conscious mind did not get to during the day.

Sometimes situations are so stressful that our waking mind does not want to deal with them, so it stuffs these emotions down so that it doesn’t have to think about them and during sleep we are able to deal with these hard to deal with emotions.

For those of us who can’t seem to quiet the mind no matter what, sleep becomes an imperative part of our lives. It becomes the only time in which we are able to de-clutch from our thoughts and truly relax our body, which makes good, quality sleep (meaning sleep with no noise in the background and where we are able to slip into REM sleep) a necessity not just a luxury.

4) Make Art

Art can really be anything these days. It’s not only limited to drawing, sculpting and painting anymore. It can be photography, making a collage, putting on your makeup, sewing, among any number of things. Anytime we create something new we are tapping into the “vortex”, which means we are connecting to source energy.

And anytime we are connected to source energy we are quite literally feeding our soul with what it needs. When we focus on creating something with our hands or voices or instruments or whatever, we turn off our “logical” mind and tap into our imagination.

This can be an act of meditation because creating something can be a highly relaxing activity.

5) Breathe

“Breathing in I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment.” ~ Thich Nhat Hahn

Ironic how the easiest and most effortless thing we do on a day to day basis is actually the one thing that is the most beneficial. When we connect to, focus and become our breath we do the absolute most effective thing in relaxing our minds and bodies.

Every moment becomes another chance to meditate, and when we focus on our breathing we actually are able to deal with life in a calmer and a more responsive (as opposed to reactive) manner.

Breath is life, and at a certain point in our spiritual journey we realize that life is meditation. All of life. The only way to come to this realization is to become our breath.

Meditate without actually meditating

Image Source

Breathe
Julia C R Gray

Axis Mundi ~ Understanding the Connection Between Heaven & Hell

Sonali Bansal

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October 29, 2015

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Axis Mundi ~ Understanding the Connection Between Heaven & Hell

“No tree, it is said, can grow to heaven, unless its roots reach down to hell.” ~ Carl Jung

Universal consciousness connects all that there is and this cosmic connection between heaven and hell, high and low, and the different dimensions is the Axis Mundi. This connecting link or metaphysical axis is a symbol found in every religion, in every place, or in mythology.

It’s like a spine that holds together all of the realms from lowest to highest with the human world in the center. Axis Mundi is also referred as the tree of life, the center of the Earth, World axis, world pillar and so on.

William F. Romain stated in his book, Shamans of the Lost World: A Cognitive Approach to the Prehistoric Religion, “Cross Culturally, the Axis Mundi is expressed in many different ways. In some cultures the Axis Mundi is symbolized as the ‘world tree’ that links the upper and the lower worlds. Other cultures visualize the Axis Mundi as a column or pillar. Yet other describes it as a cosmic mountain. In many cases, the Axis Mundi is symbolized as temples, cities and palaces.”

Different cultures represent the axis mundi with different symbols such as a mountain, a tree, a vine, a column of smoke or fire, or even a tower, a staircase, a totem pole, a pillar, a spire, etc.

Here are some interpretations of the Axis Mundi across different cultures.

Axis Mundi in Hinduism

Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas speak of Axis Mundi in many chapters and customs. The Katha Upanishad describes it as “eternal asvattha (in spiritual literature, this tree is represented as the Upside-down tree with roots exposed above. It is called the Tree of Samsara. Asvattha is the Sanskrit name for the Peepal or fig tree) whose roots rise on high and whose branches grow low. It is pure, the brahman, what is called non-death. All the world rests in it.”

Even in mythological tales, Mount Meru in India and Mount Kailash in Tibet are considered to be the Axis Mundi, the closest point where Earth and sky unite and a clear communication can take place.

Axis Mundi in Shamanism

Shamans travel in time and space to heal and retrieve soul pieces and gather wisdom from other realms. The mystic science of shamanism believes in the presence of Axis Mundi, the central pathway connecting the upper, middle and the lower world, as well as the four dimensions, which allows the shamanic healer to travel in different realms.

H.S. Webb in Exploring Shamanism: Using Ancient Rites to Discover the Unlimited Healing Powers of Cosmos and Consciousness, mentioned that a shaman detaches from his/her ego self and enters a state of possibility. “In this space, a cancerous tumor can shrink and disappear within moments. In this space, the shaman can see the location of the missing child…It is in this place of all –time and no-time, of all space and no-space, that magic is translated into physical world. The space where this happens is known by many names, here called the Axis Mundi, the central pillar of the world.”

Axis Mundi in Buddhism

The Buddha represented the axis mundi, and the Bodhi Tree under which he gained enlightenment serves as image of the Axis Mundi. The tree is considered to be the reconciliation of macrocosm and microcosm.

The book Relics, Ritual, and Representation in Buddhism: Rematerializing the Sri Lankan Theravada Tradition by Kevin Trainor stated, “by bringing a branch of the Bodhi tree to Lanka, the island itself became part of this axiality.” Even the Stupas are considered to be the celestial pole, where communication between higher and lower realms is possible. Just like staircases rising up to the sky are present in various sacred places depicts the rise of the soul to heaven.

Axis Mundi in Human Beings

Situated between the upper and the lower realms, human beings are considered to be a form of Axis Mundi themselves. The whole chakra system is based on the concept of cosmic pole, where the practitioner with the help of meditation can reach a state of nothingness. Its believed that the human body is a temple and with prayer the gap between the two extremes can be bridged. Leonardo Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man represented a symbolic and mathematical exploration of the human form as world axis.

Axis Mundi in Nature

Nature is the biggest teacher to mankind, and through various means it keeps reminding us of the sacred designs and concepts. There have been sacred mountains considered to be the Axis Mundi in various religions. Apart from the two spoken above, Mount Fuji in Japan, Mount Zion from ancient Hebrew, Mount Olympus in Greek mythology and Sioux take the Black Hills as the axis mundi.

Many Hindu temples are placed on high mountain peaks like Vaishno Devi, Amarnath, Tirupati & many more, which shows that the mountains are a sacred place for cosmic union. Mountains act as a perfect gateway for free communication between the two poles and balancing the energy. This is the reason why those seeking eternal bliss have to go to the mountains to begin their spiritual journey.

On the other hand, trees also represent the center of the world. Anther symbolic representation of Axis Mundi is through the cosmic tree, whose branches are the sky, earth is the trunk and the roots are underworld, which depict all the three dimensions. The Bhagavad Gita calls the Banyan tree the Axis Mundi, known as “Ashwath Vrikasha” meaning ‘I am Banyan tree among trees’. In ancient mythology, some of the trees of life known across cultures are sacred fig tree, Bodhi Tree, Yggdrasil in Norse mythology, Thor’s Oak, etc.

The places where Axis Mundi is present are considered to be ‘Omphalos’ or navel in Greek. From centuries men have come in contact with these cosmic poles and have been able to transport to a different realm only to come back with more knowledge. And in modern times, Axis Mundi forms a part of architecture as well like Washington monument, Eiffel Tower, Peace Pagodas etc. With multiple interpretations and acceptance in various cultures, the subject remains of great interest to those seeking deeper understanding of other realms.

Image Source
Photograph by Igor Ballyhoo

Axis Mundi

Non-being, Nothingness, and the Power of the Nexus

Life

Gary Z McGee

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October 27, 2015

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Non-being, Nothingness, and the Power of the Nexus

“Thirty spokes share the wheel’s hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.
Cut doors and windows for a room;
It is the holes which make it useful.
Therefore profit comes from what is there;
Usefulness from what is not there.” ~ Lao Tzu

Between inner and outer there is the center: a pulsing void of glorious nothingness just waiting to become something. Between non-being and being there is becoming. There is a vibrating nexus of potentiality within this becoming, from what has been created to what has yet to be created.

This primordial center, this embryonic becoming, this nascent nexus, is a sacred link between worlds. And those who can tap into its power, are obtaining the key to aligning worlds.

The Mystery of Madness

“Be silent and listen: have you recognized your madness and do you admit it? Have you noticed that all your foundations are completely mired in madness? Do you not want to recognize your madness and welcome it in a friendly manner? You wanted to accept everything. So accept madness too. Let the light of your madness shine, and it will suddenly dawn on you. Madness is not to be despised and not to be feared, but instead you should give it life…If you want to find paths, you should also not spurn madness, since it makes up such a great part of your nature…Be glad that you can recognize it, for you will thus avoid becoming its victim. Madness is a special form of the spirit and clings to all teachings and philosophies, but even more to daily life, since life itself is full of craziness and at bottom utterly illogical. Man strives toward reason only so that he can make rules for himself. Life itself has no rules. That is its mystery and its unknown law. What you call knowledge is an attempt to impose something comprehensible on life.” ~ C.G. Jung, The Red Book

Life is incomprehensible when you stop to think about it. Our desire to make it comprehensible is honorable, but it can also be limiting. Sometimes rolling with the incomprehensible is the wiser course.

Sometimes staring into the abyss and daring the abyss to stare back, is strategically sound when seeking things beyond our current understanding. Sometimes we must subsume madness and desire, through imaginative insurgence, if we are to balance the forces between worlds.

Sometimes, as Clive Barker said, “you just have to trust your own madness.”

When seeking a sacred connection with the Great Mystery, with the mighty nexus, freedom relies upon the efficacy of madness. Madness liberates us from common structure. It melts away preconceived divisions between inner and outer, lower and greater, finite and infinite.

We’re free to slip into foolishness, to double-dog-dare the universe to bring order back into our downward spiral into folly. Seekers of authentic individuation, I beseech you, take “sanity” in moderation and adventure will not elude you. You will discover an adventure unexpected in common hours.

Like Albert Camus suggested, “Always go too far, because that’s where you’ll find the truth.”

Strategic madness proposes a principle of interruption. Certainty is put on notice. Forgone conclusions are disconnected from preconceived notions. Passion, hunger, and appetite are sustained in the face of the quotidian. We learn how to die. We unlearn how to be a slave to time.

As Ahab said in Moby Dick, “What I’ve dared I’ve willed, and what I’ve willed I’ll do. They think me mad. But I am demoniac, I am madness maddened. That wild madness that’s only calm to comprehend itself.”

Indeed. Strategic madness frees us to tap the cornerstone despite the philosopher’s stone, to turn the keystone despite the key-masters, to shake the secure foundations of the human condition despite our condition.

The Secret of Silence

“There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.” ~ Rumi

Solitude is extremely underrated in our time. This is likely because the majority of us are afraid of what silence has to teach us. Fear keeps us married to the hustle and bustle of hyper-reality.

As long as there’s noise, distraction, and common commotion we feel “safe.” As long as we’re in a hurry, rushing through the day, and constantly on the go, we’re less likely to have to confront the things that really matter, or face the demons that keep us fearful.

Like Carl Jung articulated, “People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”

Out there in the wild and secluded places, away from the clanking steel of civility, far from the jackhammer of productivity-at-all-costs, clear of the blaring horns and blurring speed, there is a conversation going on between silence and stillness. These two powerful allies are whispering to each other the secrets of the universe using a language older than words.

This language is sacred food for starving minds; liquid ambrosia for parched souls. They are teaching each other the Middle Way. They are philosophizing over what comes between finitude and infinity, between non-being and being.

And for those who can listen, I mean really listen –with their darkness conscious like a deer in headlights and their fearless light shining into the deepest dark– what has not yet been discovered is being discussed. What has not yet been written is being written back and forth on secret sticky notes that defy time.

The Nexus, the in-between, the sacred crossroad is being pulverized into a billion bridges connecting all things, just waiting for us to cross them. We need only listen with our souls, with soulful intent, to penetrate the deep conversation between silence and stillness.

Like Eckhart Tolle said, “Be the silent watcher of your thoughts and behavior. You are beneath the thinker. You are the stillness beneath the mental noise. You are the love and joy beneath the pain.”

Being in Non-being

“This human capacity to become a nexus of the inner and outer, of non-being and being, of what is written and what is not yet written, is key to aligning the worlds and keeping life in balance. Life was meant to function not as just the outer plane of reality, but as a multidimensional, interrelating reality. And there need to be those who know this secret.” ~ Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

With one foot in nothingness and the other in infinity, with one ear tuned to silence and the other to stillness, we become sentinel, guardian, and periphery keeper. We gradually become more prepared for paradox, for when worlds collide together to reveal the nakedness of the Great Mystery. And have no doubt, the Great Mystery is gloriously naked.

Non-being, like no-mind, is an in-between state experienced by a being capable of balancing madness with genius, silence with the “voices in the head,” and stillness with the movement of all things.

It’s a divine navigation of nothingness, a dive into the void, coming up for nothing but for air: sacred oxygen, soul-breath. It’s learning how to die and unlearning how to be a slave all at once. It’s being so in tune with the nexus that one becomes the nexus.

In the desert of the void, amidst the dreamscape of uncreated emptiness, beneath the hidden face of God, the mighty Nexus is the glue that binds all things, the link that bridges the gap between nothing and something, the essence of non-being. Within Non-being, there is tremendous freedom because there are no limitations.

Because just as the Unbounded is, the Unbounded is not. Just as Non-being is, Non-being is not. There will always be a nothingness within even the most real absolute. There will always be something within even the most unreal emptiness.

When we become the Nexus we gain the power to tap into this sacred state, to work within the void, to channel the energies of Absolute Truth from the vacuum of absolute nothingness, to pull the voice box of God out of the throat of the universe and blow into it like a bullhorn.

And Rumi said: “No more words. In the name of this place we drink in our breathing, stay quiet like a flower. So the nightbirds will start singing.”