Create the Life You Imagine ~ December 2019
The Three Triangle Model: Mystery Meets Matter
“My End is My Beginning”
~ T.S. Elliot
Last night we celebrated the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, and with sunrise this morning we began to experience the northern coursing of the Sun as over the next six months the light of each day grows longer and longer until the summer solstice, when the Sun will begin its southern trek and the light will recede a little each day for the following six months. And then the cycle begins again. Nature unfolds in cycles of light and darkness, and our lives follow cycles of light and darkness as well. As we pull our awareness increasingly into our inner life, we allow ourselves to move more effortlessly through these cycles of light and darkness, of coming and receding, of holding and release, of life and death, knowing that we are connected at a deep level to the rhythms of the Universe and we are always moving through the process of transformation—birth, growth, death, new birth.
With each new idea or awareness we give birth to new thoughts, emotions and actions and release old ones that no longer serve us. With each new day we awaken to new possibilities and let go of the day that came before. With every chapter of darkness, challenge or struggle, we loosen our grip on our old ideas, patterns and attachments and free ourselves for something new to emerge. When we surrender to these cycles and attune our consciousness to the process, we can grow in our own awareness and can more mindfully participate in each cycle of life, and each experience of transformation, as opportunities to move to higher states of consciousness. When we resist the cycles of growth and transformation because we are fearful about what’s next, or because we want to control the process, or because we want to maintain the comfort and familiarity of the status quo, or because we want to please, pacify or protect others, or because we don’t trust ourselves to make it through the process, we create imbalances and dysfunctions that show up in our physical bodies, our emotional lives, our relationships with others, or our beliefs about ourselves or about life.
The archetypal image of the transformation process is the butterfly. As we gaze in amazement at the light and beauty of the butterfly we likely forget in that instant that it only emerges following the apparent death of the caterpillar. But as we explored last week, death is just an illusion. The life of the caterpillar doesn’t really end as it enters that cocoon; the energy of the caterpillar is simply transformed through the process. The birth of the butterfly is not the beginning and the death of the caterpillar is not the ending. Nonetheless, I suspect that as it enters that cocoon and begins the process of darkness, decay and decomposition, the caterpillar fails to imagine the new power that is preparing to emerge and is likely astonished as it crawls out of that degenerative soup and the wings of the butterfly unfold and allow it to take flight. But the gift of the caterpillar is its complete alignment with the rhythms of nature and its surrender to the invisible evolutionary movement directing its life without fear, struggle or resistance.
During the course of the past year we have been studying the operating manual for our spiritual operating system in hopes that we could better understand and operate through the seven levels of consciousness that make up our Spiritual Self System. We have learned that we each emerged from the energy of Spirit (Third Triangle) and that our Soul (Upper Triangle) moved that energy into our bodies (Lower Triangle) as we began this human experience. We also learned that the inner wisdom of our Soul is forever guiding our path and is forever moving us forward, ready or not sometimes, through the process of growth, transformation and evolution of our consciousness. We are a lot like that caterpillar being guided by unseen forces into each next experience or cycle of life, except that our Lower Triangle small self isn’t good at surrender. It doesn’t trust what it doesn’t know, and it doesn’t know that the Soul is at the wheel invisibly directing the cycles, movements and changes of our lives in alignment with the Divine energy that is the ground of all Being. Like the caterpillar, we may not consciously know what each cycle of life will bring, but we can learn to trust the process of life and to cultivate a deep sense of belonging to the eternal nature of life, grounded in our ability to rest in alignment with the Divine Force that brings all things into Being, and not in the ever-changing conditions of our physical lives.
As we enter into this Christmas week, many around the world will be celebrating the birth of God on earth through the person of Jesus. The invitation for each of us, is to remember that we all participate in that same Mystery. Metaphorically, the birth of Jesus represents the energy of Spirt moving into Soul and emerging into a human body with the fully embodied spiritual awareness to remain in alignment and connection with the Divine while in human form. To the extent that our consciousness allows, our lives embody the same possibilities as Jesus who taught us through his example about Love without boundaries, Life without ending and Light everlasting. In this season of Light, may you be filled with Divine awareness, may you rest in the invisible warmth and protection of your Soul, and may you be a source of Love and Light to others as you joyfully surrender to the eternal process of Life.
Wishing you the blessings and light of the Soul, as you create the life you imagine.
Tracy
Stepping Stones:
This time of year represents the closing of a cycle and the beginning of a new one. Over the course of the next six months we might think about bringing our emerging spiritual awareness into the light as we allow ourselves to move effortlessly into new levels of consciousness, and to find ways to balance those parts of our life that are calling for our attention. You might consider spending some time journaling this week as you close out this year and prepare for the new year. When we cultivate some stillness and engage our inner awareness, we move more effortlessly with the rhythms of our life and we experience more peace and flow and less struggle and resistance. The more we participate with mindfulness in the process, the less disruptive our life lessons become. Here are some questions that might get you started, but follow your own inner guidance as you go:
Closing the Old Year:
What were the greatest gifts of the past year?
What were my most important accomplishments of the past year?
What experiences brought me the greatest joy in the past year?
What experiences gave me a deeper sense of meaning or connection in the past year?
What were the greatest challenges or struggles of the past year?
If I listen for the voice of my Soul, what lessons was I learning as I moved through those difficulties?
What patterns need to be healed in my life?
Who do I need to forgive (don’t forget yourself)?
Creating the New Year:
What is my Soul asking me to release as I move into the coming year?
What is my Soul inviting me to practice or to learn as I move into the coming year?
What joy is my Soul inviting me to create or to cultivate as I move into the coming year?
Who would I spend more time with this year if I were expanding my joy?
If I surrendered my need for certainty or control, what would I allow to emerge in my life this year, or what new journey would I begin?
You might want to prepare for this journaling by establishing that connection and alignment with the wiser parts of your being first by meditating for a few minutes before you begin. Prepare for the process by finding a time where you won’t be interrupted for thirty to sixty minutes. Find a journal or some nice paper and a nice pen or marker in a color you love. Then light a candle or some incense and consider playing some meditative music as you invite your Soul into the room for this important conversation.
Now, take three deep breaths and as you breathe in and as you breathe out, let your mind grow still, remembering that its only job for the next few moments is to follow your breath with awareness and attention. As other thoughts move in, simply return your attention to your breath, and with each breath in, and each breath out, let every part of your body relax just a little more deeply.
After a few minutes, as your mind and your breathing steadies and slows, imagine a ball of swirling pink-violet light above your head. As you breathe in and breathe out, let that radiant light descend through your body from the top of your head, through the muscles of your face and neck, down your arms and into your heart center, down through your torso, abdomen, and lower back, and down through your legs and feet and out into the earth. Use your inner vision to feel the light and love of the Universe drawing into your body through that beautiful light, penetrating and cleansing every cell, tissue, tendon, muscle, organ and system of your body, restoring your physical body into perfect balance and radiant health, in alignment and harmony with the energy of your Soul. Now imagine resting deeply in that energy of light and love until your whole body feels calm and relaxed.
After ten or fifteen minutes, slowly return your awareness to your body and to the room in which you are sitting, and bless the universe for providing all the connection, support and power you need for your life experience. Place your hands over your heart and let yourself smile as you receive this powerful stream of energy into your body. Now open your eyes and begin to journal on the reflection questions above.
See the images above and below to open your imagination for the meditation.
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