We're in the most dangerous time. I'm not really talking about Ukraine, but it's part of the larger picture. In the northern climes, winter is just beginning to release its grasp, and more visible signs of spring are beginning to emerge. But because the days get above freezing and the nights dip down below, this is actually the most dangerous time for slipping and falling, with many patches of smooth ice, often hidden under a thin layer of new snow.
This roller coaster between the melt and the refreeze is where we are on the wheel of weather, and it's also where we are psychically. In Celtic myth, this is the story of Beira, the goddess of winter, fighting against Brigid, the bringer of springtime. It’s the pendulum between the old trying to hold onto its waning power, and the new shape of things inexorably emerging. We know winter is done for, we know spring cannot be held back. in this liminal time, we need to take even greater care in our steps than we had to in the depths of January.
You and I cannot have a direct effect on what's happening in Ukraine. So, where can we put this energy rising up in us – the fear and grief? First, try to expand your view, and have faith, that Ukraine is a very visible form of the melt/refreeze. Putin is a dinosaur, but even the last T-Rex on earth is very dangerous. The world's reaction to his invasion shows a unity we have not seen in very long time, the kind of unity that must emerge if we will actually attend to the most serious global issues. This is the new world emerging.
Nature moves slowly. We are in a hurry because we are filled with grief and fear, and the new world cannot arrive soon enough for us. But it will take the time it takes. In the meantime, each of us can only do what the Buddhists advise: Take a few moments to consciously NOT numb the sadness or run from it. When we run or numb, we leave our body and we leave the present moment. We have to be in the present moment and in our body to be in a place of useful power for our life. So, take a few moments to formally and prayerfully acknowledge the fear and sadness (or whatever emotion comes up) as teachers. In a roundabout way, by acknowledging them, they teach us not to be controlled by them.
Take a few moments each day to try this practice. I suggest doing each "breath" several times. Take take time to sink into this practice:
Breathing in, I know the sadness is here.
Breathing out, I say hello to the sadness.
Breathing in, I come home to my body
Breathing out, I know I am home in my body.
Breathing in, I welcome the new world
Breathing out, I release the old world.
As you do this, it not only helps to calm your body, it sends this new consciousness into the field of energy to help feed the emergence of the new world.
This roller coaster between the melt and the refreeze is where we are on the wheel of weather, and it's also where we are psychically. In Celtic myth, this is the story of Beira, the goddess of winter, fighting against Brigid, the bringer of springtime. It’s the pendulum between the old trying to hold onto its waning power, and the new shape of things inexorably emerging. We know winter is done for, we know spring cannot be held back. in this liminal time, we need to take even greater care in our steps than we had to in the depths of January.
You and I cannot have a direct effect on what's happening in Ukraine. So, where can we put this energy rising up in us – the fear and grief? First, try to expand your view, and have faith, that Ukraine is a very visible form of the melt/refreeze. Putin is a dinosaur, but even the last T-Rex on earth is very dangerous. The world's reaction to his invasion shows a unity we have not seen in very long time, the kind of unity that must emerge if we will actually attend to the most serious global issues. This is the new world emerging.
Nature moves slowly. We are in a hurry because we are filled with grief and fear, and the new world cannot arrive soon enough for us. But it will take the time it takes. In the meantime, each of us can only do what the Buddhists advise: Take a few moments to consciously NOT numb the sadness or run from it. When we run or numb, we leave our body and we leave the present moment. We have to be in the present moment and in our body to be in a place of useful power for our life. So, take a few moments to formally and prayerfully acknowledge the fear and sadness (or whatever emotion comes up) as teachers. In a roundabout way, by acknowledging them, they teach us not to be controlled by them.
Take a few moments each day to try this practice. I suggest doing each "breath" several times. Take take time to sink into this practice:
Breathing in, I know the sadness is here.
Breathing out, I say hello to the sadness.
Breathing in, I come home to my body
Breathing out, I know I am home in my body.
Breathing in, I welcome the new world
Breathing out, I release the old world.
As you do this, it not only helps to calm your body, it sends this new consciousness into the field of energy to help feed the emergence of the new world.
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