“Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.” ~ Pema Chodron
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
~ C. G. Jung
What if you were to take what Jung wrote about here and expand upon it: consciously observing your own reaction while an exchange with someone plays out, witnessing the transformation in the moment.
And could you take this experiment a step further: completely open your energy up to that other person, in acknowledgement of him or her as an equal Divine soul. Using your heart, instead of your intellect, even for just a few moments, to feel or sense the connection between you. With whom would you feel comfortable sharing such an experience? And perhaps more importantly, who would you not feel comfortable with and why?
One of the gifts of interacting with people who are very different from us is the opportunity it presents to see ourselves reflected back in the “mirror” they are holding up. Whether we are enjoying an exchange or not, our own reactions always tell us more about ourselves than they do about the other person – if only we have the courage to really examine them.
“Where love rules, there is no will to power, and where power predominates, love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.” - C. G. Jung, "On the Psychology of the Unconsciousness", 1917
WAR
FEAR
Chaos
Despair
Disconnection
Misunderstanding
Opposing sides, so far apart. The choice between DARKNESS and LIGHT, always seems so clear… but really, who is RIGHT? And who is WRONG? When blinded by our own perspective, it’s impossible to tell. What is it REALLY all about, anyway?
Is it realistic for us to hold out hope for eventual peace in a world that has been built upon so much senseless tragedy? As a society, have we grown too numb by all the violence around us to believe that this is even possible? I pray that there are enough of us who have not given up on this dream, because the first step in being able to change anything is embracing the belief that peace is possible.
It really isn’t that complicated an issue – or at least it shouldn’t be. When broken down into its simplest component, the choice for a peaceful existence begins with the individual. If each one of us made it our personal mission to consistently act from a place of love, things such as fear, hate and war could simply not fit into the equation. But of course, this is not how it is on planet Earth… not yet.
So then, where do we go from here? We begin by taking personal responsibility on the home front: with ourselves, our families and friends, our communities and the world. We need to get involved whenever we see injustice. Write to our elected officials. Sign petitions - start petitions! Speak out. Write. Protest. Spread the Light. And BELIEVE!
Whenever we take the time to care, it has a ripple effect… and the LOVE expands exponentially. So where is the love? Right here, right now and radiating through me to you!
Most of us go through life with the fundamental understanding that it is important to be good and moral human beings – and as a general rule, the majority follow this edict quite well. But why? Is it from a fear of God - the idea that He’s watching and deviant behaviour could lead to repercussions in the afterlife? Or is it our logical sense persuading us that anarchy would not be in any of our best interests? Or perhaps the perks a materialistic society bestows on those who go with the flow have a little something to do with our overall willingness to follow conventional norms. But could it also be an innate knowingness that the reward of becoming the best possible versions of us could result in something far greater on a spiritual level?
One of the primary purposes behind the ancient practice of alchemy was to turn lead and other base metals into gold. Likewise, an internal alchemist is someone who actively seeks out the “lead” within and aspires to transform it into spiritual gold. In the process, unfavourable personality traits that hold one back from reaching one’s full potential are excavated, analyzed, and reconfigured… not an easy thing for anyone to do!
It is my belief that none of us is here by accident, but rather by certain Divine design. And I am equally convinced that our main purpose in being a part of this Earth school is to learn from one another and to grow as spiritual beings. But there is passive learning that takes place when life happens to us, and then there is active learning, that occurs as a result of truly looking inward for the answers.
Alchemy is not a practice for anyone who prefers the shelter of his or her own illusions. It can be emotionally very difficult as the ego begins to lose its grip and the soul ascends out of the mire. As we start to take responsibility for our actions, forgiveness of others as well as ourselves is a vital part of the process. We also need to recognize that the events of our past – the good and the bad – have all presented important opportunities for learning and growth and it is never too late to salvage something positive from any of our experiences. It is only after we have truly made peace with these issues, that moving forward toward new challenges and opportunities becomes possible. That alone is motivation enough for me to do the work required; I can’t imagine anything worse than to be stuck, perpetually reliving past unpleasantness. Can you?
