shanti wrote:Most people need the intermediate WE ARE realm of mythology and archetypal stories as a bridging place to prepare for the life of the spirit and to learn how to navigate through the various stages of the hero's journey. (Houston, 1994)
Not just for Green man, but for all of us who struggle:
The hero’s journey, when complete, brings one back home (to the shire! :) ).
Until the hero is deconstructed s/he cannot be reconstructed - the reconstructed self hopefully being the stage nominated by Joseph Campbell as the ”apotheosis” - which is brought on by confronting the most fierce opponents, one’s greatest fears or even unimagined trials, tortures or even metaphoric death (leading to resurrection). Think of St John of the Cross’s ”Dark Night of the Soul".
Depth psychologists like Jean Houston don't try to prevent the descent into the chaos or confusion with medications or cheery aphorisms. They create a context and a companionship for the journey, so that the person can feel ‘prepared’ for the journey that must be taken to be able to come out the other side, transformed by overcoming ego, their previous sense of selves (which wants the safety of the known, no matter how uncomfortable).
Ego is past tense. We are always constructing, deconstructing and reconstructing our idea of ”I" based on memory (smritti). Even plans we make are built on predicated assumptions from times gone.
Real change takes courage, to strip naked, to become a stranger to one’s past and throw oneself into the new adventure.
It’s when we crash into ourselves, when we fall under the sway of memories and emotions linked to fallibility and vulnerability, that we have the opportunity to ”break down the wall”. Sometimes we need time behind it, or in the cocoon, to hibernate, gestate, observe, to ripen; but through small actions and keeping one eye observing our process, we can catch the signal that says ”Now. This is it. Time to surface again” - what 70’s psychologists called ”rebirthing” but many only ever served the "instant coffee" version .
What I am wanting to say in this and my previous post here, is that the BK / New Age brigade will let one believe that it is all a matter of what you think and ”positive thinking”. No. It’s (new)
actions, chosen consciously, done and repeated till they become a part of you (in Chinese ”kung fu” - do the work).
That can even include
consciously choosing inaction and withdrawal, allowing time to observe and reflect and make sense, a kind of waking dream processing. But being pulled into moods without choosing it (or noticing it and deciding to go with it) is to continue "being lived” - a victim of life - rather than ”living” life with all it’s light and shade.
As Japanese swordsmen say, if you want to go forward, go forward, if you want to retreat, then retreat, just do it decisively. To prevaricate is death.
Applying this to mental turmoil - either go deep into it all the way down to the bottom to find the solid bedrock; choose to surrender to the mood of withdrawal and spend time - days, weeks, whatever or whenever - resting, reflecting, remembering, hurting, crying, writing, screaming whatever. Indulge the fallibility and understand it. Feminine energy (whether you are male or female) demands time, nurturing, caring, is expectation free and goal-free, accepting as things are. When time is right, the pendulum will swing.
Or go forward, be the person
now that you regretted not being before, do
now what you could have should have would have done. Masculine energy (whether you are male or female) demands determined direction and ex-pression. When time is right, you will pause, look back and see the context
Just don’t drift, half way between, being somewhere yet nowhere at the same time, driftwood half-submerged, going wherever the currents carry you.