REINVENT YOUR LIFE - JANUARY 2024

 

                                             

 Dear Reader,

                                                                                                                              

I am reflecting on the past year and the events that were special for the world and for all humanity. I am not repeating here the many bad and good things that we all lived through and probably will live in the same way in 2024, but I am, more interested here, is to promote a sense of self reflection as individuals  that are living in the here and now.

My title for this blog is: REINVENT YOURSELF AND YOUR LIFE. Some people may say to you: “why bother? You are OK, and if you attempt a change, the result may be perilous” Then I may say: “Why not? What is the worst that can happen? Take a risk and grow!”

So, I am suggesting here a process that is rather simple if you take the suggestions and do your own thing. The task has two parts: one is a mental shift process, and the other is a body wellness process.

Mental shift process: It is well known by many therapies and cognitive skills to enhance your mind, that all people have a hooked or blocked lifestyle pattern called TRAPS. Here are some “traps” you may study and find the one you may be hooked to:

1.       * Are you constantly drawn to relate to relationships that are toxic?  

2.      *  Do you often feel unloved?

3.       * Are you a helper type that helps others and not yourself?

4.       * Are you being paranoid regarding disease? Any sore throat makes you feel like running to a doctor?

5.       * Even if you are successful in your job and other things, do you feel unhappy an unfulfilled in life?

 

In order to stimulate your own reflections, be free here and now to imagine that one of those aspects written below are some of the traps you may be experiencing:

 

·         Abandonment - this may have its roots in early childhood where you have developed a feeling that your parents have abandoned you and you were left alone without any attention.

·         Dependence - it is a process of attachment to others based on the above abandonment and you feel constantly in need to depend on others no matter how capable you may be as an adult.

·         Mistrust - it's also a history of your early childhood where you may have been abused physically or mentally as you were growing up, so you developed lack of trust as an adult.

·         Vulnerability - you may feel that some major disaster may happen anytime to you.

·         Emotional deprivation - the feeling that you will never get emotional support from others.

·         Social exclusion - a feeling of isolation from others like family or groups.

·         Personal defensiveness - a feeling that something is seriously flawed in you, and that you are incapable of managing.

·         Failure- “I believe that I am incapable to succeed, school, work, or sports”. As a child you were made to feel that you are inferior to others in the family

·         Victim - you feel that you are sacrificing yourself for others without any rewards.

·         Perfectionism - is an obsession that you are not perfect, and you have high expectations of yourself and high standards impossible to achieve.

·         Being special - you feel you deserve everything from others because you are very special and can do anything you wish.

·         Grandiosity - a belief that you and no one else is special and you deserve all the attention from others.

Now, if you have recognised one or more of those patterns that you are living now, be aware that most if not all of those patterns have been learned in childhood as you were growing up within your family environment. How your parents lived and loved you, and understand how those patterns were imposed on you, and how you swallowed those behavioural patterns and now you feel they're part of your life.  If you understand these life pattern/traps, you will note that there are three aspects present: 1: that they are lifelong themes. 2: they are self-destructive to you. 3: they struggle for survival or hold on to you for most of your life unless you become aware and change.

To make a shift from those patterns learned early in life, we must first become aware of them and how they are self-destructive to your ongoing growth and development as an adult. What you need to develop is taking a risk and experience, among other things, basic safety rules, develop emotional strengths with others and create a lifestyle of self-well-being.

Michael Meade, my mentor for many, many years, inspires me to develop a lifestyle by listening to his mythological stories that help me open myself to powerful themes for my journey through life and write memoirs about my journey as an ongoing experience.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY

These days, there is a very popular trend to relax your mind called MINDFULLNESS. What is needed also is a way to care for your body and I am suggesting that you experiment with the following:

1.       *Eat mainly plant-based food and products.

2.       *Aim for a relatively ‘normal’ or healthy weight. (Check out the book: EAT – STOP – EAT.)

3.       *Exercise regularly or at least walk for 30 minutes or more each day.

4.       *Do not smoke and keep the alcohol content low when enjoying wine.

5.       *Make social connections regularly.

In conclusion, the way to change and shift and grow is not easy as mentioned above. Yet, I am proposing here a way you may start your journey to self-awareness and personal development. Explore the following resources:

-                        Create a personal vision for yourself

          Develop an empathic self-confrontation like looking in a mirror and sharing with yourself alone.

-                          Enlisting the help of others

-                          Selecting a therapist, preferably a gestalt therapist

 

We shall not cease from exploration.

 And the end of all our exploring

will be to arrive where we started

and know the place for the first time - here and now.

T.S.Elliot

 

Here are some very useful articles' by Caroline   Myss

 

And here some questions for the Neu Year's reflections

 https://www.myss.com/7-questions-for-the-new-year/

THE WAR WITHIN A WAR

 

THE WAR WITHIN A WAR

Dear reader

We are coming to the final month of 2023, and I am reflecting on the many things that happened over this year. Some are very good events, and some were bad events but all events that we all experienced lead us to learning and to become more to be resilient and find ways to become a better human being. Please reflect: What is your gift to the global human needs?

The wars in Gaza and Ukraine are only a small example of other evil events and deadly wars conducted by psychopathic leaders that are torturing and killing people of all ages just to remain in power and fill up their greed.

My own example here is Putin, as a psychopath who does not stop to not only bombarding Ukraine but also forcing Russian  young people to go to battle for no other reason than to fill his needs to become the “ZAR” our of all Russia.

Michael Meade, my mentor, speaks of War within a War as he describes Putin as the mythological God Cronus. He says that Putin is waging a war also with the Russians that suffer from his lies and false propaganda.  Therefore, the suffering of some people requires the suffering of all people.  We all think of good intentions and to hope and believe that things may be better, but we are at odds with the evil premiering every part of the world. We all suffer like the Ukrainian people suffer as the bombs and killings that destroy towns and many leave their country. It is hard to balance and avoid so much evil that can exist yet, we hope for peace for all in the future, as our parents witnessed the fall of the Nazi Germany.

Yet we know that many Ukrainians are standing up and fighting for freedom and truth for all with a kind of nobility of spirit that can only come from the human soul, the human soul that values truth meaning and beauty and the fullness of a good life.

My reflection is based on Mead’s podcast where he speaks of Putin and is reflecting on the fight for truth and beauty that is not only in Ukraine that also these things are happening also in Russia, where people themselves are protesting but are quickly imprisoned and then many are simply staying passive, and Putin gets all day glory he wants.

This reminds me, as I am reflecting here of Cronos, the God of the ancient Greeks that devoured his children so that they would not grow up and take over his power.

Cronus learned from Gaia and Uranus that he was destined to be overcome by his own children, just as he had overthrown his father. As a result, although he sired the gods Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon by Rhea, he devoured them all as soon as they were born to prevent the prophecy. When the sixth child, Zeus, was born, Rhea sought Gaia to devise a plan to save them and to eventually get retribution on Cronus for his acts against his father and children. (Wikipedia)

 

We must reflect on the CORE ideals of humanity that come to light during the dark times. Do not despair and stay positive, not passive, but stay in the struggle for truth and beauty. We are capable to transform and grow more AWAKE.

HOPE is like a butterfly, it is very beautiful and at the same time very delicate. The podcast is a gift for the New Year and please listen to the podcast below.

THE WISDOM of the BUTTERFLY

Michael Meade

Click here to listed the podcast

This episode of Living Myth looks at both the need to transform and our resistance to change through the lens of the metamorphosis of butterflies. The fact that the Greek word psyche means butterfly implies how we are secretly connected to the essential dynamic of transformation in life. As if compelled by the primordial poetics of transformation, scientists named the cells that carry the potential for a true transformation of the caterpillar “imaginal cells.”

The capacity of the imaginal cells to develop into a butterfly and transform life completely is related to the inner capacity of the human soul to also transform repeatedly in the course of life. In the same sense that the imaginal cells hold all the information and energy for the butterfly to be, there is core imagination and deeper self trying to awaken in the soul of each person.

At the same time, something within us resists changing, even when the time for transforming our lives has come. In the mysterious way of the world, the metamorphosis of the butterfly also offers ways to understand why we resist the exact changes we most need in order to transform ourselves and help change the world. In simple biological terms, an exchange of one kind of cell for a different kind of cell changes a crawling caterpillar to a winged butterfly. In terms of understanding the essential dynamic of change in the world and at the core of the human soul, a great mystery is revealed that can be called the wisdom of the butterfly.

THE LIGHT WITHIN DARK TIMES - NOVEMBER 2023

 

THE LIGHT WITHIN DARK TIMES

Today I am reflecting on the increasing ‘dark times' that the world is entering with another war in Israel with the Gaza terrorists were killing and kidnapping on Oct. 7.

 The war in Ukraine is entering its second year with little chance of peace. Europe and USA are losing its grip on unity and what was once a strong democracy, is disintegrating. In Germany neo-Nazi groups are reviving the old “Reich” and so on.

In times like these, I turn to my Mentor Michael Meade, that for years now, has been bringing hope by speaking out in his podcasts. He makes me believe that it is possible to open our hearts and enter in contact with our spirit and soul to bring the creation of a new world and feel that the light is in all of us. Here is some of my favourite words of encouragement:

“Each soul has treasure buried within it; yet each heart must be broken for the inner gold to shine forth. The heart can be the place of great pain as well as the place of our greatest coherence. Something must break us open to let the spirit that brought us to life emerge more fully. Only the broken heart was seen to have the potential for wholeness. Once wounded, the heart releases a spark of consciousness that has the potential for true transformation.

As nature and culture rattle and old forms crumble, a crisis of imagination occurs, and we are called to see the world with different eyes. Finding and following a genuine vision requires an open heart as well as an open mind. Thus, transforming our lives involves a genuine “change of heart.”

While the heart fosters feelings and love, the heart within the heart is also the seat of imagination and the place of wisdom. What was known as the “eye of the heart” sees with a kind of vision that opens to revelations about us and the world.

The divine word set within the heart’s core is the source of vitality, true resiliency and continuous creativity. Yet, for the heart to open and the spirit of change, to enter us, we must let go of our perceived(false) ideas and restrictive attitudes.

Love is the divine spark in each heart, intended to illuminate the true path of one’s life. Such a path with heart reveals who we are in essence and how we are aimed in life. We are each intended to serve something greater than ourselves; when we serve in that way, we become truly whole-hearted. To be fully alive, growing the soul and incarnating spirit is the only thing that satisfies the longings seeded in the garden of the heart.”

So, in a sense, to really change, to transform, we have to let go the belief as to who we are, in the sense that we believe our own story of how we were wounded and how we were traumatised. Later in life, what originally protected us; that is, the attitudes and the practises of the ego. This will shatter and limit our lives unless we learn to let go. We have all this gold within and that's the core of so many stories found around the world. That is a common fact: that life will break us down and break us open and then there's a psychological fact that we have inner resistance against change when what we really need to do is change and transform if we are to grow, if we are even to sustain ourselves, if we are to find meaning and purpose. And that is a path with heart!

 Your comments and reflections are welcome

Yaro I. Starak

 

 

HEALING SELF AND OTHERS

 

HEALING SELF AND OTHERS

OCTOBER 2023 BLOG - REFLECTIONS YARO

 

Dear reader,

October is my birthday month and I tend to reflect about my life and the life of our world. When I lived in Canada, I looked at the yellowing leaves on the maple trees and felt a nostalgic sense of life ending and that someday new life will emerge in the new spring leaves. Now, living in Australia, I note the spring flowers and the purple Jacaranda trees blooming and here they are re-newing again and life goes on.

 

As I listened to my mentor Michael Mead where in his podcast, he refers to today’s false leaders. He said that old leaders like Putin, will not give up power but instead create wars and destruction. Putin attacked Ukraine last year and the war goes on without any results only much damage and destruction and death to the Ukrainian people defending themselves bravely and will continue do so until they win.

My own reflection is focussed on a sense of deep sorrow that such terrible destruction is happening with the world looking on and perhaps afraid of possible nuclear attacks.

Yet there are other countries also involved in a sectarian war like Armenia in and Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan where over 120,000 people are leaving their homes and seeking shelter food and safety for their families. Here is a news item, September 2023:

 

“Since March 26, 2023, the Azerbaijani government has formalized its blockade of the Republic of Artsakh by seizing strategic ground around the Lachin corridor both within Artsakh and Armenia, installing a military outpost that blocks a bypass dirt road that provided relief, blocking the old section of the Lachin corridor, and installing a checkpoint at the new section. Azerbaijan has ignored calls from the Russian peacekeepers to observe the 2020 ceasefire conditions and return to their initial territorial positions behind the Line of Contact. Azerbaijan has also ignored calls from the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights, and other international entities to restore freedom of movement across the Lachin corridor.”

war in Armenia & Nagorno-Karabakh

 

Mead talks about this senseless leader like Putin who is unwilling to give up claiming more and more power at the expense of destruction and death. We are entering again a time of darkness that is not only covering the specific people running away from war but also the whole world is part of this darkness that is recalling the days of World War I and World War II. In some way, we are all participating in the horror of war due to the high-speed technology and fast changing social and political development. False news is creating much doubt and confusions.

This month reflections are an attempt to propose a model or healing the inner and the outer worlds or self and culture because we are all in this together. This, I hope, will encourage the readers to share ideas and reflections of healing with those around you and help healing the world. If we do not participate in this, we deny our being and our soul and the opportunity of a future generation to live in peace and happiness.

 NOTE! As of this week, the republic of NAGORNO- KARABAGH ceased to exist  as people left and the minister has dissolved the republic.

A HEALING MODEL

 

The current global multiple crises as symptoms of our inner disturbance. Politics, terrorism, pandemics, relationships, religious beliefs, and wars etc. These are some of the sources of anxiety.

Anxiety is ONE of the many symptoms that we experience by attempting to find solutions to our inner self.

 

EXERCISE 1: Open-ended problem solving (you may close your eyes)

 

1.            Select a problem that involves you and the environment.

2.            See the problem as a metaphor or symbol of your inner disturbance

3.            Notice how you feel in your body. What parts of your body are affected?

4.            Check with your ‘spirit body’ or awareness. Allow energy flow all over your body.

5.            Have your ‘spirit body’ show you how this problem looks/feels like when resolved.

6.            How are you affected by your ‘solution’? Catastrophic or anastrophic expectations.

7.            Give a ritual gift – to yourself and the outside or other.

8.            Let go of expectations for success

 

EXERCISE 2:  Finding balance.

 

Most people feel that they are burdened or lack of one of the following:

1             Money

2             Possessions

3             Health

4             Body image & attractiveness

5             Relationships

6             Sex

7             Time

 

Make a list of the above in 3 categories: 1. Deprivation (too little) 2. Excess (too much).  3. Balance (just right)

 

The categories you selected as “too much” or “too little” are the areas of your life where you are lost or are losing power. In the “too much” list, start the ‘destruction’ ritual. Select what you do not want and discard it or let it go. Burning a  written list of things or relationships that you no longer want is another way to discard the unwanted.

In the category of “deprivation” use the ‘creation’ ritual. This is a way of learning to receive a gift. When the ‘spirit world’ offers you a gift of special talents, opportunities or good advice, respect that and do not feel you need to reciprocate. Everything in life is a GIFT. Receive it with grace and honour it. Light a candle and focus your energy on its flame. Allow the ‘gift’ to penetrate you and warm you all over.

 

Now, you are welcome to listen to the podcast by Michael Meade – 

Copy and paste to your web page.

 

 

 D:\MICHAELMEADE\Episode_269_-_The_Edge_of_Nobility_and_Despair.mp3

 

SEPTEMBER - 2023 blog

 

                                       APOCALIPSIS NOW

Dear reader,

On a remote island in Greece called Patmos, a man called John of Patmos wrote about the coming of the end of the world as we know it. In Greek he called it Apocalypsis. The actual meaning is Revelation.

Today, we seem to be coming back to those ancient times where ‘gloom and doom’ was the theme of many so-called prophets. We can clearly name our modern events as apocalyptic. Note the following events taking place in the world today:

-              MAUI VOLCANO

-              FLOODS IN CHINA

-              WAR IN UKRAINE

-              INDIA HEATWAVES BY THE SUN

-              STORMAS IN KOREA

-              HURICANES IN THE NORTH

-              MELTING SNOW IN ANTARICA

 

Michael Meade, a brilliant mythologist today, speaks by way of his many podcasts, the necessity for each human being to be awaken to purpose and meaning. The way to find purpose and meaning today, he says, is to reveal to ourselves the unfolding of soul. Each of us is born which soul that is very specific. It is important then, for each person or Soul to continue revealing our uniqueness and capacity to heal the world. Meade invites us to use our imagination both individual and collective to bring forth healing of nature and culture.

This capacity for creative imagination has been largely forgotten as many people in many countries, are faced with events that block and try to delete this capacity. Yet, the Soul, or the big self within, is eternal and forever available as we learn to be more present to this phenomenon and be aware that the possibility to awaken is always possible.

Forgetting who we are (as soul), leads to despair and confusion and conflict. The more dangerous reaction to loss of soul is addictions and attachments.

We come into the world from being fully at home and feeling that place, we have a little shadow of it. For example, when we come home at the end of the day and put your feet up or relax or have a cup of tea or whatever, there is that feeling of coming to a safe space or feeling back at peace. And when we get separated from that which is our home, that separation is created by the mind.  The mind seeks that  emptiness by filling it with substances or actions that era addictive,

This basic ignorance in the mind, that is the root of suffering,that the Buddha keeps pointing out, is the basic root of all suffering. Once this separation has occurred, there is incredible pain. We can call it being thrown out of the garden of Eden, or we call it original sin, whatever you want to call it. When you're doing something like cooking, the way you turn it into just the joy of the process, or it could be any number of things that reinforces your behaviour and you start to do that behaviour more and more because it feels good, it takes away the pain of the separateness - then we eat more.

The use of drugs, the use of material possessions, the use of relationships. All of this, when you get busy and get upset with relationships and want to get closer and closer to somebody and trying to get to the place where you want to come back into that oneness. Then this becomes an addiction.

Dealing with addictions is a journey of much pain and then a revelation that we can do it! But first comes the self-rejection and dealing with self-esteem. So, I may have some thoughts like:

“I am bad” and then that starts a reaction and then you come down, then you feel guilty. “I must be bad I should have done something else, why didn't I do the practises that would have allowed me to stay well rather than the thing I did”. That may be a short-term solution.

 You see your predicament as it is: an immediate gratification.  It is what is called in psychology the choice of the ‘little candy bar’ now or the ‘big candy bar’ later. Children always grab for the little candy bar now! Because they want what they can get now. They do not have a delay of gratification.

 Spiritual practises are more like delayed gratification versus immediate gratification like coke or alcohol.  Observe your predicament and see what you are doing. There is a way to stop addictions from a spiritual perspective in which you begin without a slight bit of awareness. To extricate yourself from the chain of reactivity you develop the spaciousness, a space of free awareness, you start to look at where you can intervene in the process of the sequence that goes on and as the awareness gets deeper, you intervene at different places in the sequence. For example, the hunger begins, and if you felt unloved as a child, you eat to fill this gap.  You eat and get fat and then you hate yourself.

We usually understand the psychodynamics of that one level, but let's take it from the point of view of the mind.  For example, I had eaten too much to reduce my anxiety because my mother fed me food when I was upset, and I learned that pattern. Instead of going into “I'm no good” I break the chain at that point and then I just go back into my spiritual practises. Developing deep awarenesss!

Spiritual practices do not require that we go to a monastery or temple but require that we become deeply aware of our soul needs. The answer of all difficulties is already inside us.

Copy this link for your computer to learn from THE GITA story about the meaning of life

                                            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK3fg5GclZA

 

                                                                          FEAR IS A KILLER                                                                                                                       

REFLECTIONS YARO - AUGUST 2023

 

LONELINESS IN MEN

                                                                   

Dear reader,

Recently I read an article on the topic of loneliness.The authors stated that 45% of men in Australia suffer of loneliness and deprivation of contact with others.

I am reflecting now on this matter as I am very aware of this large number of men who come to me for counselling almost every day and tell me how disconnected and lonely, they are. Some say that one way of dealing with this issue is consume more alcohol to calm themselves down and not to fall into serious depression. So, I question this: if depression so common in men is it a cause of being lonely?

Alone is different, being alone is a positive state where we withdraw from any contacts on purpose and spend time in meditation end retreat to regenerate our spirit and soul. Yet loneliness is somehow considered a problem in our society.

.

Here is a definition of Loneliness:

Loneliness is an unpleasant emotional response to perceived isolation. Loneliness is also described as social pain – a psychological mechanism which motivates individuals to seek social connections. It is often associated with a perceived lack of connection and intimacy. Loneliness overlaps and yet is distinct from solitude. Solitude is simply the state of being apart from others; not everyone who experiences solitude feels lonely. As a subjective emotion, loneliness can be felt even when a person is surrounded by other people. Hence, there is a distinction between being alone and feeling lonely. Loneliness can be short term (state loneliness) or long term (chronic loneliness). In either case, it can be intense and emotionally painful.

The causes of loneliness are varied. Loneliness can be a result of genetic inheritance, cultural factors, a lack of meaningful relationships, a significant loss, an excessive reliance on passive technologies (notably the Internet in the 21st century), or a self-perpetuating mindset. Research has shown that loneliness is found throughout society, including among people in marriages along with other strong relationships, and those with successful careers. Most people experience loneliness at some points in their lives, and some feel it often. The effects of loneliness are also varied. Transient loneliness (loneliness which exists for a short period of time) is related to positive effects, including an increased focus on the strength of one's relationships. Chronic loneliness (loneliness which exists for a significant amount of time in one's life) is generally correlated with negative effects, including increased obesity, substance use disorder, risk of depression, cardiovascular disease, risk of high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Chronic loneliness is also correlated with an increased risk of death and suicidal thoughts.

Medical treatments for loneliness include beginning therapy and taking antidepressants. Social  and counselling treatments for loneliness generally include an increase in interaction with others, such as group activities (such as exercise or religious activities), re-engaging with old friends or colleagues, and becoming more connected with one's community. Other social treatments for loneliness include the ownership of pets and loneliness-designed technologies, such as meetup services or social robots (although the use of some technologies to combat loneliness is debated). (Wikipedia)

Here are some ideas and actions to deal with loneliness.

Don’t be afraid to reach out - It might sound obvious, but the best place to look for a friend is the friend’s you already have or have had in the past. Reaching out to someone you already know can be intimidating and hard but it is also the shortest route to authentic connection. Keep in mind:

Most people appreciate when an old friend or former colleague reaches out to say hello. Life gets busy, and just because they haven’t said hello to you, it doesn’t mean they don’t want to connect.

Re-establishing a connection is much easier than starting a new one - you’ve already got things to catch up on, shared interests, or old stories to laugh at.

It can be easier to start a conversation with old colleagues, friends of friends, or that interesting person you once met, compared with people you don’t know at all.

Try reaching out to someone you already know. If they don’t reply, or don’t want to connect, don’t be disheartened, it’s likely more of a reflection of their busyness than it is on you.

More ideas for you:

• Schedule activities

• Stay occupied

• Practice gratitude

• Revisit your relationship with social media.

• Practice self-care – yoga & meditation

• Spend time outdoors 

• Set a daily routine

• Try to look forward to alone time

Here is a recent ABC article that you may read in this link and reflect on your own time.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-14/middle-aged-men-experiencing-high-level-loneliness/102563492?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web

 

RFLECTIONS YARO - JULY 2023 - THE WARRIOR

THE WARRIOR ARCHETYPE

 I am now reflecting about what sort of processes in human cultures that create conflicts among people and nations. Why do we continue to experience armed conflicts almost globally today? Why do we continue to experience so many tragedies and no peace talks no arrangements between nations have been helpful. Ask the leaders of Israel and Palestine, African nations, and Russia… In this almost infinite fight they all claim victory over the other but who is the “other”?

 Many aggressive nations use evil propaganda to convince people that the other is a bad one and must be eliminated and in in this way, leaders enter the role of the archetype of the warrior. The warrior role is to fight and win at all costs.

However, some warriors are meant to defend their nation and save people from disasters.

Today my own inspiration of the warrior archetype and protector of the people is the Ukrainian president ZELENSKY. He began to lead Ukraine in 2019 and he not only is a well-seasoned warrior by now, but also a great communicator to his people. He is the leader that pushed Russia away from Ukrainian borders despite their much superior military organisation.

President Zelensky, in his earlier career as an actor off stage and television in Ukrainian sitcoms, became popular already to all Ukrainians. It is interesting that destiny meant to place him as an actor on the world stage defending the Ukrainian people.

Going back to the warrior archetype, here is a quote about the meaning of the warrior from the Jungian perspective:

 

THE WARRIOR ARCHETYPE: MAKING AN IMPACT ON THE WORLD

“The Warrior in his fullness, the mature Warrior, creates order, sets boundaries, and goes out into the world and gets things done. The mature Warrior often has these qualities:

He knows his job is to act in the world in service to the people.

He sets boundaries. He does this with clear understanding of the concept of difference: of an innate knowing about “This is where I stop, and you begin”. He knows how to set a boundary and the difference between “yes” and “no”. He knows what he would die for, and he’s clear about what he would defend to the death.

He tends to see things in black or white. His may be a binary world. Clarity is everything. That way he knows with certainty what needs to be done.

He may act without feeling to get things done. Examples of this include the way fire fighters go into a burning building to save people. This is true Warrior energy: act first, feel the feelings later – if necessary. 

His principles as a Warrior are action, service, loyalty, and justice.

He needs a cause to believe in and fight for.  His cause might be something he believes in on a personal level, or it might be the King’s mission of service in the world. He is motivated to act.

He believes in the motto “Protect and Serve.”

When boundaries are crossed, he reacts with force and goes on the offensive (or defensive). Another expression of his energy is the masculine energy he takes into the world to get things done. Yet another is assertiveness. He knows how to channel the very energy of life, of vitality, for the benefit of those he serves and for himself.” (Wikipedia).

President Zelensky perfectly fits the role of the warrior archetype as described above and I'm looking forward as the final winner of the horrible war that Russia has created since about two years ago.

In order to make this story more “alive” to the readers, I am attaching here a podcast by my mentor Michael Mead where he speaks elegantly about the conflicts in Ukraine from the mythological understanding of human nature, he points out that beauty truth and justice are values that all people deserve and the warrior archetypes is present right now to heal this tragedy.

 

Listen to the podcast: The war within the war 

ARE YOU HOLDING UP? - FATE AND DASTINY - JUNE 2023

REFLECTIONS YARO JUNE 2023

 

 

ARE YOU HOLDING UP? -  FATE AND DASTINY

 

Maturity is the ability to stand, hold and handle the tensions of the opposites we face in life. The immature people face a chaotic life experiencing tension, fragmentation, and a split self. A person may be feeling a need to protect his/her side as real and eventually fight hard to defend and protect that side. Wars and religions are proof of such one sidedness.

As a gestalt therapist, I am constantly impressed about the way the polarity process evolves and creates both chaos and opportunities to grow. The ability to hold the tension of the opposites is a gift that the human soul has and must create new outcomes, new solutions and creative ways to manage the paths in life. Therefore, the burden to change and shift oneself and enable others to do so falls on the human soul – awakening awareness.

As each human being learns to hold the tension of the many heavy burdens in our culture splits today (climate crisis, pandemics, political spits) creative ways of developing new solutions by the creative imagination that is always present in the deep unconscious. Here is a description of what I call “Mystical Polarities“ because these forces are available for us and help us to develop new solutions in the world.

 

MYSTICAL POLARITIES.

 

Mystical polarities refer to the concept of opposing or complementary forces or principles that are often associated with spiritual or mystical experiences and traditions. These polarities are believed to exist within and interact with the realm of the divine or the transcendent. Here are a few examples of mystical polarities:

Light and Darkness: This polarity represents the contrast between illumination and obscurity, symbolizing spiritual enlightenment and ignorance. Light often represents divine wisdom, clarity, and truth, while darkness can signify the unknown, mystery, or the absence of divine knowledge.

Masculine and Feminine: Mystical traditions often incorporate the concept of masculine and feminine energies, sometimes referred to as the anima and animus. These polarities represent complementary forces that exist within individuals and the universe, such as active and passive, assertive and receptive, or rational and intuitive aspects of being.

Unity and Multiplicity: Mystical polarities also explore the relationship between the one and the many. Unity refers to the concept of oneness, interconnectedness, or the divine essence that permeates all existence. Multiplicity, on the other hand, acknowledges the diverse manifestations and expressions of the divine within the physical world.

Transcendence and Immanence: This polarity reflects the balance between the transcendent and immanent aspects of the divine. Transcendence refers to a state or reality beyond the material world, while immanence emphasizes the divine presence within the created world and human experience.

Mystical polarities are often seen as complementary and interdependent, representing different facets of a unified whole. The exploration and integration of these polarities are believed to lead to spiritual growth, self-realization, and a deeper understanding of the nature of existence.

 

FATE AND DESTINY

One of the most important tensions for everyone is the so-called complex FATE AND DESTINY. Fate is described as all the tensions we have within ourselves, and Destiny is the call to awareness and to be fully oneself as a unified individual. It is the path of individuation and completing the journey we were destined to complete. Some believe that fate is a pre-determined text from birth to death, yet, what is encoded in each person is like a story where life is moving like a river, it just flows and flows until it meets the great sea.

Attempting to avoid or disregard Faith, not only removes the potential of Destiny but also makes our lives a rigid and constricted self. Destiny involves the process of being our true Self from within. Destiny is a gift born with each soul bringing insights intended to serve the world. And Fare limits us to a structure and purpose that is not part of the genius of creativity and innovation.

Are you developing your talents and using them freely or do you feel they are not useful in the service of healing the world?  Because at this time, a great weight is surrounding the Earth and its inhabitants. One of the few ways of shifting the global darkness and the great weight, would involve facing our Destiny that gives us the natural talents to bring about  healing to both Natura and Culture.

 

 

 

LA CALAVERA - MAY 2023 BLOG

 

MAY 2023 BLOG - LA CALAVERA

 

Dear Reader,

I am now writing this blog on Australian Labour Day holiday and reflecting on the May events like Mother’s Day and my son’s birthday. There are many non-celebrations in the world today as the war in Ukraine that is in its second year where men, women and children are hurt and dying every day.

This brings me to reflect about birth, development and death and re-birth as a cycle in Nature that is present everywhere. Writing this blog, I found a story that is very popular in Mexico and retold on the Día de Los Muertos (day of the dead) when people go to the cemeteries and celebrate death.

I found a story of LA CALAVERA (the skeleton lady) told by Dr. Clarissa Pikola Estes. She has worked with facilities caring for severely injured 'cast-away' children, 'shell-shocked' war veterans (now called Post Trauma Distress Syndrome), and their families. Her teaching of writing in prisons began in the early 1970s at the Men's Penitentiary in Colorado; the Federal Women's Prison at Dublin, California, and in other 'locked institutions.'

The Calavera story is meant to be a heling and a positive view of Death so that we can find solace and abandon fear and anxiety about this inevitable event in life. She is also called “La Catrina”. Here is a quote from an article by Kimberley Estrada “La Catrina symbolizes the cycle of life, and serves as a reminder to enjoy life, but also embrace death. She is a sacred symbol of the Mexican celebration, Día de Muertos. A historical figure who has been honoured in Mexican culture for centuries. She has been represented in various forms throughout history, but is most commonly recognized as a tall, female skeleton who wears a fancy hat with feathers.” Here is her short story:

There was a man who lost his wife as she gave birth to a lovely baby boy. He wanted to find a good god-mother for his boy and as he walked the sacred path, he met the Devil who offered to be the godfather, the man stated that he is looking for a godmother and the Devil is  someone that tends to show you good  times but very bad at other times and he kept walking. He then met the god of memory and  also refused the offer because memory tends to fail you  by forgetting things. Then he met the rain god who was very kind but water kept pouring down his face and the father said his thanks and kept walking until far in the forest, he met a lady dressed in colourful outfit and a smile that was very kind and open and she introduced herself as LA CALAVERA . She offered to be good godmother to the child and teach him magic healing skills when he is an adult. The father agreed to the deal and was glad to have a good go-mother and also a good teacher for his don.

Years went by and the child grew up into a very capable man with many healing skills. The only malaise he could not heal was Death. He went to see his godmother and begged her to teach him this healing. She stated that as his god-mother, she is obliged to teach him the skill and told him that when he meets a patient in bed sick, he must look where she is standing. If she is at the top of the bed, it means that the patient must die but if she is standing at the bottom of the bed, then the patient will recover, and he must give the patient a certain herb tea to drink.

Soon the word was out about the great healer and many people went to seek him for cures. One day the soldiers came to see him and stated that the King is very ill and asked for him. He rushed to the castle and found the king in bed looking very ill. The king asked for help and if he is cured, he will give the healer half of the kingdom. But the healer saw Death was at the head of the bed and that meant the king must die. So, being very resourceful, he turned the bed around so death was at the bottom of the king’s bed, and he gave tea to the king and the king recovered. As he was leaving the castle vey happy with his fortune, the godmother was sanding outside and said that this cannot be done and not to do this trick again. In some minutes, the soldiers came again, and stated that the keg’s daughter is very ill and the king wants the healer to come back to help and if his daughter gets well, he will give his daughter in marriage to the healer.

“Wow! That was surely a good deal” thought the healer and came to see the king’s daughter. However, death was at the head of the bed and that meant the beautiful daughter must die. He was suddenly in love with her and went and turned the bed around and gave the princess the tea and she as well and completely healed. Suddenly Calavera appeared in front of him looking very upset and said: “You have not obeyed my rule and this calls for a revelation for you” She then took him by his hand and led him to a deep cave and in this huge cave there were millions of candles, and all were lit and also were of many sizes. “What is this godmother”? asked the healer. She explained that each candle represents life on Earth, and some are taller and some shorter meaning that as the candles burn out, finally the light gees out and the person dies. No matter if the person is a baby and adult or old person, the candle will be spent and the person will die, that is the destiny of all human beings.

“Where is my candle “? Asked the healer and Calavera pointed at the small candle with its light almost gone. “NO!” exclaimed the healer, you cannot do this to me as your godson. I have a fortune, half a kingdom and a princess to wed soon” he pleaded and as he looked at the candle it just went out and he fell and died. “YOU CANNOT FOOL DEATH” said the Calavera.

In conclusion, I have noted some points for reflection as you think about the CALAVERA story.

1.     LIFE - DEATH -LIFE cycle: Think about what is supposed to “die” in your life at this time? What will you not give up and be free of attachments?

2.       When is your candle meant to go out? Or how are you afraid that it will go out soon?

3.       LA CALAVERA  lives inside us and has a sense of when you will heal and when you will die – no cheating!

4.       Can you ‘let go’ of things that deaden you in your life or you keep attempting to turn the “bed” around again and again?

5.       Are you living in the HERE AND NOW? Can this story be helpful to practice this skill?

6.       What healing support do you need in your life at this moment?

DYING IS A JOURNEY FULL OF FEAR – YOU CAN SOFTEN THIS FEAR BY LIVING IN THE NOW AND FIND JOY IN EVERYTHING YOU DO AND WHO YOU ARE!