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Last week, I had a chance to talk with a colleague with whom I occasionally discuss clinical ethical dilemmas. She is particularly gifted in this arena, having done this work professionally for years. Our calls always begin with a brief catch up before launching into the issue at hand.
This time, when I asked her how she had been doing and how she liked being more rooted after recently deciding to buy her first home, she told me that she had been living in Asheville, NC when Hurricane Milton hit and that her new home and her possessions were all destroyed. “Everything is just gone” she said. I was taken aback a bit, not sure what to say, imagining the enormous grief she must be feeling at having her new life upended in a matter of hours. I finally managed “How are you?” I was not prepared for her response. “It was a gift.” She went on to add “our family and our dogs all got out safely. We were lucky.” Knowing that my friend has a robust mediation practice, and I asked her how sitting is helping her to manage, and she responded easily “This is what we practice for. Everything changes. Nothing is guaranteed or owed us. I feel like I am grateful.” There is so much to complain about. So many conditions of the world are beyond our understanding, much less our liking. When we set aside the time to meditate, we are literally practicing for the unwelcomed events that will 100% happen as we move through life. We will all lose “everything” in the end. We will all, if we are fortunate, grow old and, along the way, we will all have to say goodbye to those we love. What a gift to have some “practice” in managing our attachments so we do not live lives of fear in anticipation of what is undoubtedly to come. How can we orient ourselves toward gratitude rather than all that disappoints, scares, or irritates us? How can we practice letting go and losing everything? Blessings on your journey, Louisa
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I’ve been doing a deep dive into the concept of Archetypes lately, fascinated by the collective characters and stories that transcend both culture and time. In my work with fairytales, I never cease to marvel at the myriad versions of the same story that originate in different parts of the world, sometimes continents apart, and that still hold wisdom for us in our modern lives. We know in our bones the heroes, the tricksters, and the sovereigns who populate these ageless tales.
This has led me to a deeper curiosity about these archetypal energies and how they present in our modern-day public figures, both heroic and villainous. This lens is particularly rich as we watch the world ramp up in preparation for the upcoming American election. My friends and colleagues from around the world have shared with me that they too feel poised on the precipice of something important and catalyzing as we all watch and wait. I’ve overheard many conversations lately that hint at our need to fight for our values. No matter which set of values you espouse, this sentiment feels urgent and calls to mind the energy of the Warrior archetype. When we think of the warriors in our collective works of literature, cinema, and religious texts, we can identify this same conviction and focus in defending what we believe to be right and just. What I think is often missed in considering how the Warrior in us gets expressed is the importance of preparation for what lies ahead. The Warrior archetype, in its healthy manifestation, does not endorse an impulsive, aggressive stance. They do not run headlong into battle without preparation. This over expression of The Warrior archetype is fueled by hatred and fear. In this maladaptive understanding, one is driven by rigid dogma, discomfort with what is unknown, and a lens of scarcity. The battlefield is full of “us” and “them”. How might one prepare to meet this kind of thoughtless offense? If we are on the path to wholeness and wellness, we must make space for all of us, embracing the multiplicity that our country was founded on. If we are to live the values that we espouse intellectually, we must put into practice the love and generosity at the very time that it is most difficult to do so. If our opponent brings disharmony and divisiveness, might they not be disarmed with compassion and welcoming? When we are called to express our Warrior energies, let us do so with intention, with care and respect for one another, even in, or perhaps especially in, the spaces where we disagree. How are you preparing? What is in your armory? Is it statistics and a self-righteous stance (I have so been guilty of this!)? Or is it a sacred pause, a gentle word, and a willing heart? It is after all, your battle. Blessings on your journey, Louisa |
AuthorLouisa has always enjoyed writing and is thrilled that she now has a way to share her musings with a larger community of like-minded seekers. Her writing is often an extension and exploration of the struggles she faces in integrating her own spirituality, scholarly study, life experience, and nuggets of brilliance from her teachers in the hopes that it might alchemically transform itself into something approximating wisdom. Archives
October 2024
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