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The Six Realms of Samsara in Tibetan Buddhism

Spirituality

Lauren

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August 10, 2015

The Six Realms of Samsara in Tibetan Buddhism

The Realm of Beings in Hell: Naraka-gati/Jigokudō

Yes, even Buddhists believe in Hell, and their notion of it is no less torturous and fiery than the Abrahamic religions depict it to be. This is the intense experience of suffering that we might go through as a human but all in the physical form; hunger, thirst, dismemberment and pain.

However, some teachers such as Sogyal Rinpoche, writer of the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying and Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements draw parallels between Hell beings and the average human; “If you look at any religious description of hell, it is the same as human society, the way we dream.” Could it be that the realm of the Hell Beings is simply a metaphor for our state of consciousness and suffering before we begin to awaken?

It’s certainly possible. Although according to Khenpo Ngawang Palzang, one of the most influential Dzogchen masters of the 20^th century: “The bodies of hell beings are four times as big as those of the inhabitants of this world, and the color of boiled blood. Their skin is as delicate as that of a newborn prince, as fragile as gossamer-fine strands of wool.

Their bodies are fully fleshed and tender, and exquisitely sensitive to touch, like the eye. Their hair swirls upward, their eyes are triangular, the hairs on their bodies stand on end, and they have big hands and feet and large bellies. The mere sight of these hell beings, like wrathful deities, would be enough to make a person from our world faint.”

Whatever they look like, the obstacle that stands in the way of the Hell Beings is that of intense and unwavering anger. Transcend this, and they might just stand a chance of cleansing their karma and moving on to the next realm of Samsara.

Chinese Healing Traditions : The Six Realms of Existence in Buddhism

The Realm of Hungry Ghosts or Spirits: Preta-gati/Gakidō

The realm of the Hungry Ghosts are characterized by having a great craving, one that they never seem to be able to satisfy. It is as if they are in a state of eternal starvation and are again referred to by Sogyal Rinpoche as desperate souls in human form, perhaps more of a metaphor for stock brokers in Wall Street, those who will never have their craving satisfied. Or perhaps they haunt the lives of every addict who has ever stepped out on that long and desperate path of drug or gambling addiction:

“[In a psychological sense, the hungry ghost realms] exist wherever people, though immensely rich, are never satisfied, craving to take over this company or that one, or endlessly playing out their greed in court cases.”

In Sanskrit the word ‘Preta’ literally means the ‘departed’ and, being ghosts, this realm supports no visceral pleasures or comforting sensations. Instead the landscape is void of any nourishment; no food or drink, (many illustrations of them depict them as having paper thin necks to represent this particular cause of their suffering), and no clothes or warmth.

Their emancipated figures represent their addictions to things other than worldly necessities and their state needed to transcend is the gaunt and thorny vacuum of miserliness.

Due to their swift and violent deaths they are said to be the ones who haunt the living, completely invisible and troubled by unfinished business they spend their time watching and wishing to rejoin the living, but may not until their penance is up and their sins paid for.

The Realm of Animals: Tiryagyoni-gati/Chikushōdō

The realm of Animals is easy to get trapped in as the cause of their suffering is ignorance. However, as with all the realms from this point on there is also a positive aspect to this state, as animals ‘below’ the human realm are able to enjoy the present moment and certain aspects of contentment and simplicity.

The Animal realm deals with that of survival and brutality, but also pack, certain perks that light beings or humans would neither be able to enjoy such as flying or swinging from trees or the multitude of other wonders that spring from the animal world.

In traditional Buddhism the view is a little more harsh. Those born in the animal realm are seen to be paying for past sins and within this dogma one can transgress and be thrown back into previous realms one thought they had ‘completed’. The payment usually comes with being born as livestock and living a grueling life pulling carts, being whipped and general mistreated.

As animals function primarily from instinct they are unable to generate good karma and can be stuck in this cycle for hundreds of thousands of earth years. This is also where the Buddhist notion of vegetarianism comes from – the understanding of the soul within – and was spread by Buddha in protest to the prevalence of killing and animal sacrifice popular in his lifetime and beyond. Their only hope that a human might show them love and compassion as a pet, helping them to feel the beginnings of the next stage; human.

The Realm of Being Human: Manusya-gati/Nindō

The Human realm, though not the ‘highest’ realm is the most coveted as, despite the strong pull that karmically binds us to this state it is the one we are most likely to reach enlightenment from.

Having equal amounts of suffering and glimpse of bliss, being human strikes the right balance and incentive needed for us to seek out Nirvana and try to pull ourselves out of the mire. With the aptitude denied of animals and the negative aspect of desire, we have within ourselves the ingredients to recognize the cycle of samsara and stop it in its tracks for good.

As with all the archetypes of the human psyche, to be human is to be a perfect yin yang; both good and evil; with light and shadow in equal measure.

“As conscious moral agents, human beings have agency that the beings in other realms do not; this clearly underscores the importance of moral action and spiritual development.” – James G. Lochtefeld.

Though inevitably consumed by earthly desires, to be human is to enjoy those pleasure yet desire for meaning in their bottomless-like existence. According to Buddhism, in the human realm we are affected by our past decisions yet able to easily change the future with our present decisions.

The Realm of Asura: Asura-gati/Ashuradō

The Asuras are Demi-Gods committed to jealousy and are, not unlike the bickering Gods of the Greek Parthenon are both good and evil.

“They are powerful and intelligent beings who dwell in cavities inside Mount Meru down to the universal golden basis and whose pleasures and abundance rival those of the gods. The dominant characteristic of the demi-gods is paranoia and jealousy, so they spend all their time fighting and quarreling among themselves over possessions and territories.”

These Demi-Goods seem to like to think they are Divine, but, having transcended the desire of the Human realm still somehow have the Human ego still firmly attached. They are Humans in God form, promoted yet still not heavenly. And entirely drunk on power.

You might liken them to any politician or C.E.O who, so ecstatic at winning their population vote will now do anything to protect their position, guarding it jealously and consistently comparing themselves to others.

The Realm of Deva: Deva-gati/Tendō

And so with the negative aspect of the Gods, is Pride. Enriched by worldly devotion and great and kind deeds they also persist on seeing the distinction, trying to be higher than creation.

Rewarded with intense pleasure or bliss, they reign over celestial kingdoms and live in splendor, perhaps deceptively so often they forget the whole point of them being in existence and vanish away into nothingness having not quite completed their goal.

As Sogyal Rinpoche puts it: “The main feature of the realm of the gods, is that it is devoid of suffering, a realm of changeless beauty and sensual ecstasy. Imagine the gods: tall, blond surfers, lounging on beaches and in gardens flooded by brilliant sunshine, listening to any kind of music they choose, intoxicated by every kind of stimulant, high on meditation, yoga, bodywork, and ways of improving themselves, but never taxing their brains, never confronting any complex or painful situation, never conscious of their true nature, and so anesthetized that they are never aware of what their condition really is.”

You might imagine the Gods to be perfect beings who have been entrusted with great power but yet are still battling their lack of humility and understanding that there are no boundaries between us. They still battle their misunderstanding of the illusion of power and the true lesson lying within like an oyster in the grit.

Reference

Six realms

Image Source
Centre-Piece
Craving, Aversion, Delusion

Five Yoga Poses to Help Children Relax & Keep Calm

Life
Yoga

Sonali Bansal

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August 9, 2015

1

Five Yoga Poses to Help Children Relax & Keep Calm

Our attitude and approach towards life is defined in the early years of our childhood. Just like a potter carefully molding clay on the wheel to create beautiful pieces, children if nurtured with mindful practices like yoga and meditation can become healthy adults.

Stress and mental health issues are not only common in adults, but even children and adolescents face the challenges posed by modern day society, competition, peers and so on.

Research by the US national library of Medicines stated that the ancient practice of yoga may help children and young people cope with stress and thus contribute positively to their mental health.

Benefits of Yoga for Children

Regular practice of yoga not only contributes positively towards children’s mental growth, but also emotionally regulates their thought process & behavior patterns. Some of the health benefits of yoga for children –

Develops core strength and proper physical alignment
Helps them connect to their inner feelings
It enhances their academic performance
Boost their immune system
It improves concentration, focus, self awareness and self confidence
Help them learn how to stay calm and be present in the moment

Here are some simple and easy yoga poses for children to practice with the help of adults at least three times a week. You can turn this practice into a fun and playful activity to get them interested.

Start by getting the kids to come in the center of their yoga mat and join their hands in a Namaste position while the feet are close together.

Take 5 to 7 deep breaths with eyes closed and tell them to mentally prepare their mind for a yoga session.

(An important thing to remember here is that they should have a positive experience of yoga, and not so rigid about keeping their front leg at a perfect 90-degree angle or hands are straight in a certain pose. They will eventually learn with practice.)

Downward dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana

How to: Ask the child to come in an inverted V-shaped mountain pose by going in a forward bend and placing the hands on the floor. Gradually make them walk back with the feet while the hands stay in the same position. Now try to press the heels on the floor.

Initially, if a child is unable to ground his heels, allow him to stay in the pose which he is most comfortable in. The shoulder will be away from the ears and the gaze is fixed on the navel center. Make them stay in this pose for 5 to 7 breaths.

Why to: Downward dog is a semi-inverted pose and increases the flow of blood to the brain. Opening the back, it strengthens the entire body and prepares the child for advanced poses in the future. Also the pose improves their posture, calms the mind and stretches the spinal column, which aids in opening the root chakra at an early age.

Cat pose or Marjariasana

How to: Ask the child to come in a table top position. Make sure his knees and hands are in a line, and his shoulders are in line with the hands. Ask him to inhale and look up, creating a concave bent in the back. The hips are out and the eyes are looking up and not in forward direction. And as he exhales, ask him to look down and create an arch in the back, in a convex shape. Stay here for 10 to 15 breaths and relax.

Why to: You can make it a fun exercise by telling the child that they have to imitate a cat. And just how a cat expands and contracts its back when it moves, they have to do the same. The movement of contraction and expansion, allows a deep relaxation in the back, shoulders and neck.

Frog pose or Ardha Bhekasana

How to: Make the child squat on the floor with entire body weight on the toes (or feet in case the child is able to) whereas the knees are wide open with maximum spacing between them. The hands are placed in between the legs, on the floor. If you want to test their balance ask them to place the hands in a Namaste position in front of their heart centre. Ask them to stay in the pose for 10 to 15 breaths.

Why to: Another fun pose, the kids can hold the frog pose longer as their hip joints are more flexible than the adults. Frog pose induces a sense of harmony and activates the sacral plexus chakra. Balancing the emotional center of the body, it is also helpful in inducing healthy sleep pattern.

Child’s pose or Balasana

How to: Ask the child to come in thunderbolt pose and be seated for some time. Then inhale deeply, raise his hands to gain length, and as he exhales, he should bend down keeping the back straight and the forehead resting on the floor. The palms of the hands are placed on the floor as well.

The hips are usually glued to the heels, but in case the child is unable to do that, ask him to open his knees wide open whereas the feet stays in the same position as earlier. The pose should be held for 10 to 15 breaths or more. Also, if the child is feeling anxious, making him do this pose immediately can help.

Why to: Child’s pose is an easy yet a very effective pose when it comes to relaxation and restoration. Just like downward dog this pose too increases the flow of the blood to the head and offers extended relaxation. The back and shoulders find ease and balance in this form.

Corpse pose or Savasana

How to: The last pose of the sequence, Savasana is the most difficult pose especially for children. As they find it difficult to stay in this position due to their active nature. Ask them to lie down on the floor, feet 2 to 3 feet apart, hands placed away from the body and the palms are facing upwards. Keep the eyes closed and ensure their entire body is in one line. Ask them to stay in the pose for 15 to 20 breaths or more.

Why to: Savasana is a restorative pose as it induces immediate relaxation. It increases the energy flow in the body, restores focus and balance and removes insomnia and stress. A magical posture, if a child gains control of the pose, he will never have the problem of insomnia in his entire life.

Children have the ability to understand, learn and repeat the pose in a much faster manner than an adult beginner. With daily practice, they will develop essential skills that will stay with them and promote a lifetime of health and wellness in mind, body and spirit. Parents must cultivate a sense of daily yoga practice in their child’s routine and if they can, practice with them as well.

Here’s some more yoga for children in the video below

Reference
Yoga for kids

Think like a Human of Action, Act like a Human of Thought

Gary Z McGee

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August 8, 2015

3

Think like a Human of Action, Act like a Human of Thought

“A revolutionary age is an age of action; ours is an age of advertisement and publicity. The age of the great and good actions is past, the present age is the age of anticipation where even recognition is received in advance.” ~ Kierkegaard

Can we transform this “age of anticipation” into an age of liberation, an age of revolution? Can we move from this state of inert, one-track-minded expectation to a state of proactive, open-minded insight?

The odds aren’t in our favor. But then again, as human beings, they never have been in our favor. So we might as well give it a shot. One huge step in the right direction may be to take Henri Louis Bergson up on his sound advice: “Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought.”

In a world where the vast majority of people allow authority to do their thinking for them, it is vitally important that we have people with the capacity to think for themselves and then act wisely upon those thoughts.

A nation of unthinking people inevitably leads to a nation of sheep governed by wolves. Thinking like a human of action and acting like a human of thought is a way of transforming ourselves from sheep into lions who have the power to keep the wolves in check. Let’s break it down.

Think like a Human of Action

“We have self-respect when our actions stem from principles or deep convictions, rather than motives of expediency or gain.” ~ Alexander Lowen

Pretense is mere makeup, the action is the thing. But first there must be thought. Thinking like a human of action is simply thinking before you act, but with the intent to act. Thought through the medium of proactive intention is the most powerful form of thought. It sets the stage for choice to coincide with achievement.

It’s the birthplace of all discovery. The seat of imagination. The cornerstone of the philosopher’s stone. Here, logic and reason are handmaidens to the creative process. Fear is merely a stepping stone. Like Robert Rowland Smith said, “The only thing to fear is oneself, and if you can control that, then volition and action may at last coincide.”

Thinking like a human of action is disclosing the world with the purpose of freeing it for further disclosure, and by the same action freeing others from enclosure into disclosure. It allows for a sacred space, a place where we are free to meditate, to think deeply, to connect dots that otherwise could not have been connected.

From such important connections, action becomes manifest.

Like Frank Outlaw said, “Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

The epitome of thinking like a human of action is the ability to question things. Questions liberate us from the prison of our answers. They free us to imagine new ways of perceiving reality, revealing novel approaches to being an ever-evolving human being in an ever-changing cosmos.

Sincere questioning is profoundly humbling, making us less certain and more circumspect about our place in the grand scheme of things. Such humility leaves us in awe before the vast universe of our misunderstanding, and we are less likely to act carelessly or thoughtlessly in all manner of things.

Like Richard Feynman said, “People search for certainty. But there is no certainty. People are terrified—how can you live and not know? It is not odd at all. You only think you know, as a matter of fact. And most of your actions are based on incomplete knowledge and you really don’t know what it is all about, or what the purpose of the world is, or know a great deal of other things. It is possible to live and not know.”

Act like a Human of Thought

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” ~ Helen Keller

A Human being is defined not only by what he loves, but by what he refuses to hate. Acting like a human of thought is acting with compassion, empathy, and love. It’s taking the world into deep consideration, seeing how everything is connected, and then acting interdependently as a being fully aware that, despite appearances, all things are one.

Like Brian Cox said, “We are the cosmos made conscious and life is the means by which the universe understands itself.”

When we act under such a perception of the world, our heart chakra vibrates magnetically with cosmos, our throat chakra sings true, and our third eye opens wide. The mind is stripped of all cognitive fictions, an empty cup eager to be filled.

We are fit for the trials and tribulations of progressive action. The suffering of which further magnifies the heart, fine-tunes the throat, and widens the third eye. Our soul is strengthened, our ambition inspired, and our success achieved. Through such wisdom we see how we are an interdependent force of nature first, and an independent human second.

As a force of nature, we are free to act like a human of thought. Our actions are fearless but compassionate, ruthless but non-violent, pitiless but loving. Having stood upon the shoulders of giants, we’re able to see further than they did, and act accordingly.

We’re able to draw a line in the sand and declare ourselves against any and all comers. We’re able to stand like a courageous David against any and all overreaching Goliaths. We are capable of turning the tables on power itself, ridding tyranny of its hegemony. We’re able to gauge the moral-immoral dilemma through an amoral dynamic.

We’re able to become outlaws in a world where freedom has been outlawed. Nothing is out of our reach. Nothing is off limits. Truth is our medium as we surf the waves of change. And we have no fear of falling, because we have become skilled at “swimming.”

For those few of us who act like humans of thought, our character has become our destiny and the world has been alerted. There is no time for vacillation or decidaphobia. The correct action is clear, wrung through the sieve of cosmic law and disclosed by a language older than words.

The choice between love and fear is clear cut: screw fear! We don’t fear fear, we transform it into a courage of the most high. When acting like a human of thought, fear is merely useful information, a necessary tool, a stepping stone toward fearless, vulnerable love.

Like Dan Millman said, “A peaceful warrior’s life is not about imagined perfection or victory; it is about love. Love is a warrior’s sword; wherever it cuts, it gives life, not death.”

Likewise, the action of a human of thought is always one of love: be it tough love or loving kindness. Love is how a lion holds a wolf accountable. Love is how a lion gains the courage to awaken sheep. “Love is the whole thing,” writes Rumi, “we are only pieces.”

Image source

Vitruvian chakras
Ladder thought
Heart-mind balance

5 Ways to Awaken the Master Inside of You

Nikki Sapp

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August 7, 2015

9

5 Ways to Awaken the Master Inside of You

“A master awakens the master in others.” ~ Matt Kahn

I have yet to come across one teacher on the spiritual journey that has not at one time been a student. In fact, it’s the discovery that there is so much that is not known and so much to be learned that inspires most of us to start our spiritual journeys in the first place.

The countless questions and thirst for more understanding is what characterizes a student, whereas a master is characterized by the one who has the answers.

Often many spiritual seekers take on the role of the diligent student. They read the material, listen to the teachings, perform the rituals but at some point their own inner wisdom and knowing must trump everything.

And while both archetypes, student and master, are required to be experienced in any journey (meaning one is no ‘better’ than the other, but simply stages what any seeker goes through), we would all be lying to ourselves if we said we wanted to stay a student forever.

So how exactly does this switch take place? At what point does the student turn into the master?

Below are 5 things the Master knows, that the student doesn’t:

“A good teacher is like a candle-it consumes itself to light the way for others.” ~ Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

1) Teachings are taught, but Wisdom can only be known

It is one thing to read the teachings, memorize verses or quotes from our favorite spiritual teachers, but it is an entirely different experience to “know” the wisdom that is being taught. In most cases, life gives us an actual experience where we are able to integrate the teachings that we have read.

At the point of the integration, we can see the difference between wisdom and knowledge. While knowledge requires some “belief” in something or someone outside of ourselves in order to be conceptualized, integrated wisdom is felt on a deeper level.

It is felt so deep that we often “become” the wisdom, and at that point instead of just knowing the teachings, or trying to convince ourselves or others of them, we begin to embody and live out the teachings themselves.

A master knows that until one has integrated the wisdom as a result of direct experience, the teachings can not truly be “known.”

2) The master knows he is the master (but knows the student is as well)

The master trusts himself and his own intuition, while the student is always looking for validation from the master. However, a true master is only trying to awaken the master inside of the student. At each stage of our spiritual journey, new “truths” become obvious.

And no matter how many times we tell someone what they “should” believe, there is no greater understanding than the intuition our own hearts will provide.

The student becomes the master when he realizes that everything that he knows, he has already known deep inside of himself. At the point where the student’s faith lies in the hands of himself and the universe, he becomes the master.

The master always trusts his own wisdom above anyone else’s, and the master also knows that everything he needs to know for that exact moment, he already knows. The minute more wisdom is needed, it will be provided by a higher intelligence, therefore there is no need for a constant wanting of more information.

3) Only love is the ultimate truth

Sometimes when the hunger for more knowledge and understanding takes precedence over tending to our own hearts and embracing our own innocence, a person may find themselves right in the depths of spiritual ego or the “over-thinker.”

And what we get from that is a highly intelligent person that has lots of facts and knowledge, but unfortunately is not a very pleasant to be around. Is it any coincidence that the greatest spiritual teachers have also been the kindest?

Perhaps they knew something that we often forget in our quest for knowledge. In the present moment, all the knowledge in the world is still just a concept in our minds, the truth of any moment is inner stillness, emptiness or also known as love.

Because the master recognizes love as the only truth, the love inside of him draws forth the love inside the other, and at that point spiritual understanding becomes irrelevant. The master knows that only love will awaken and open the student’s heart, and only love will transform the world.

4) There is really nothing to be known, and nothing to be “taught”

“One repays a teacher badly if one always remains nothing but a pupil.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

At a certain point of complete liberation all facts and knowledge become only concepts. Yes, of course, they can be interesting to talk or learn about, but in the present moment does any of it really matter? At the point of this understanding, life becomes joyful.

Everything we do isn’t taken so seriously because we can find as much understanding from watching a sunset as we can from talking to a great spiritual guru. The irony of the universe is that when one is no longer “wanting” more and more understanding, the greatest understanding in the world occurs.

Life no longer becomes a riddle that we are trying to find the answer to, but rather a mystery to only be experienced.

5) Eventually, all paths must be dropped

“I have abandoned all particular forms of devotion, all prayer techniques. My only prayer practice is attention. I carry on a habitual, silent and secret conversation with God that fills me with overwhelming joy.” ~ Brother Lawrence, Zen teacher

When a person climbs a huge mountain and gets to the top, would they look down the entire time, looking at the path they took? No, because to do that would waste the view from the top.

Exactly like this is our spiritual journey. It doesn’t matter what path you took to get to the top of the mountain, because at a certain point all paths lead to the same place, and from that place which path one took becomes irrelevant.

The master never clings to any “this way is the right and only way” ideologies because the master knows that every path is right and relevant for any particular person. When everything in the universe is made from the “all that is”, there is no wrong way to find it… you already are it.

The Path of Mastery - Matt Kahn

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Buddhism
Dalai Lama

The Wild Woman Archetype and the Power of Intuition

Life

Lauren

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August 5, 2015

1

The Wild Woman Archetype and the Power of Intuition

“Why do women keep trying to bend and fold themselves into shapes that are not theirs? I must say, from years of clinical observation of this problem, that most of the time it is not because of deep-seated masochism or a malignant dedication to self-destruction or anything of that nature. More often it is because the woman simply doesn’t know any better. She is unmothered.” ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

As it becomes increasingly apparent that along with the threads of new paradigm that are speedily plaiting themselves together and becoming rapidly distinctive in design, gender and the dissolving boundaries between our two perceived ones is also beginning to melt.

The slow and inexorable tick of the clock is becoming more like a drumbeat and woman are increasingly waking up and saying No. This is not right. We will no longer put up with this.

Contrary to this feeling that a revolution on all inequality and discriminations is coming, women have probably always felt this disconnection with their true essence – the wild woman – and even those who have the freedom and incentive to try to step out and express her, like any student stepping into the unknown, will probably feel like the precarious path she attempts to walk is invisible and entirely dangerous.

‘Women don’t know any better. She is unmothered’ really strikes a chord.

Not only do we condition young girls from an early age to hide their true being —the raw and unfettered essence that authentically expresses the human self —but the path does not speak the language we are familiar with.

The path is not written or logical, it is not structured or plain to see but sensations in the body, an echo of something bigger and pure unadulterated intuition and instinct. To say the wild woman is animalistic is accurate, but for many who misunderstand and fear that side of the self (in both men and women), seeing that the only acceptable way to be civilized is to conform and suppress.

The Wild Woman Archetype

The wild woman, in my experience is animalist in the right way… in a shamanistic and spiritual way that can lead to greater actions and high thinking. The wild woman is not reptilian and racked with greed, nor is she savage and irrational like a beast in a cage.

The wild woman is like a wolf; only bearing her teeth when her family or nature is questioned, but otherwise completely in touch with her natural rhythm and cycles. She is also unashamed, something which the patriarchal societies and Abrahamic religions fear beyond anything.

That is why woman has been turned into a marketing pawn and pumped with fear, much more than men, because she is to be feared in her natural state.

The wild woman cannot be controlled by society. She is the original rebel, the original revolutionary. With the anger of the lion and the wisdom of the child she is everything the establishment are afraid of, and more. And that is why many are coming to understand that a rebalance of the feminine is the only way out of our current system.

The wild woman doesn’t discriminate, is not jealous, hysterical or dangerous as traditional mythology paints her. She doesn’t need to be lost in the mysteries of the night or the shallow waters of suicide (most likely caused by the denial of this aspect of her being) and post natal depression.

We need to write new myths and bring the wild woman to the forefront of our minds because she stirs in all of us. The oppression of the female, in the non-physical, psychological sense comes from the need to put her as consort rather than heroine.

This is what all religions, even paganism, Buddhism and other esoteric religions that are supposedly progressive or free from restriction – even Native American ideology – paint her as. But actually, in our ancient memories, those that existed before even the ancient Egyptians ruled and have resurfaced from time to time before being plummeted back down by the system are that of her being free of the rib of Adam.

She was an individual, not for man’s enjoyment, not to assist him to rule, or counsel him, or mother him, or make any other part of his life easier… but actually be there on her own merit. This is why we are unschooled in her. We (men and women) feel we must keep our appreciation of woman on the quiet, hidden behind beauty magazines and love of our mothers.

The wild woman represents that unshaken and integral part of us that is a sacred true being. And it’s perhaps for this reason that for a woman to discover it is so much more of a powerful act than it would be if a man were to do so.

We’ve already seen what happens when a man balances the genders within himself; look at any prophet and you will probably find something close. But for a woman to do so, without pretending in any way to be a man or adhere to the expectations of a leader who leads in a masculine and tyrannical way, then wow.

I think we’ve all sensed her. After a long time spent in natural surroundings, when our vibrations realign with the earths and become authentic again. Or perhaps when we practice yoga, a very gentle and self-loving exercise that often works on the hips.

Then we are able to release those ancient fears of rejection and disconnection with our true ontology. After that, we may shine if only for five minutes before we remember to hide her again.

Wild woman is not just us reverting to our tribal way of functioning, where jealousy and gossip still reign, but using the release of this long buried archetype to use it for spiritual progression and move back in alignment with our higher selves. Wild woman is resurfacing and calling to you. If you only stop to listen.

Patriarchy Recycled | The Distorted Feminine

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Art by Gaia Orion
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Woman

Fractal Enlightenment