The archetype of the Phoenix is a great analogy for what happens when we Meditate. In life, we may be coasting along, thinking everything is fine and dandy. Maybe we find ourselves in place of dull contentment, or we have not the eyes yet to see the bounty and beauty before us. Or maybe we think “Yay this is fucking amazing, I’m loving and living my best life”, but it’s based on some outside condition, such as a relationship, or a living situation, or the perfection of some prized possession, like a car, remaining perfect with no scratches..
Then one day, BOOM, the fire is lit, BAM, the tower falls, KAPOW (appears we have Batman in the house today too, whom is also a totem and harbinger of rebirth) all you thought you knew, all you thought was solid, is is smouldering in the ashes.
What a lot of people don’t realise, is when we Meditate on the big “Who Am I?” question, we begin to see who and what we are NOT. We are invited to place all that we are not in the Sacred Fire of our Conscious Awareness, so we can SEE the absolute Truth of who we are at our very core.
This effectively means that we are given a “choice point”, the opportunity to place our own ego in the fire; to be ruthlessly honest with ourselves and step into that fire willingly. We own our illusions and delusions and doing so we dis-create the unseen threads that bind us to unhelpful, life limiting circumstances. If we don’t do it willingly, or get stuck in some illusion, along comes Mr (or Mrs) Phoenix to help us burn it up, to help us see the uncomfortable Truth, an unfaithful Lover, a habit of impulsiveness, all our compulsions and beliefs that block the flow of Love and Life.
Ignorance is the path of comfort and yet in comfort often there sets in an apathy, a settling for less, a loss of passion and drive, a restlessness or boredom, even if we appear active and manage to convince ourselves that we are doing everything we can to maintain “whatever”, something inside us knows there is more to us, but the mind doesn’t know where to find it and usually looks in every direction except inwards! Sometimes it mistakes where “inwards” actually is..
We forget why we are here and in our sedentary slumber or manic mind fuelled motivation (we can fall either way), we try to fill ourselves up or empty ourselves out from the outside. Whether that’s with cake or cardio, alcohol or obligated abstinence, the imbalance of either yin or yang invokes the Phoenix to come and remind us of, what my Movement Medicine teachers call Yung, the place of Balance and Harmony that exists between these two apparent opposites. Phoenix reminds us of the Mystery of Creation that is constantly expanding and that the dance is indeed Eternal.
Life wants to Live. When we get in the way.. Hello Phoenix!
You are not here, I am not here, to experience dull contentment. I might point out here this has nothing to do with what we “do” or “don’t do”; but to remember that the dance of life is intrinsically made up of the energies of Creation, Maintenance and at some point Dis-Creation (a hopefully less scary way of saying destruction). The latter is necessary. Do not shy away from dis-creating that which no longer is, or maybe never was (if we are going to be very honest) in alignment with a fulfilling Life. Enter into this dance of the Phoenix, if he/she is gracing you with their Presence, with your Consciously aware eye wide open.
The contentment of Santosha, one of the Niyamas (observances) of Yoga is not dull, but the honing of a lasting inner Peace and Joy, that surpasses the experience of what appears to be going on outside. This state of Santosha appears steadier than, for instance, when we enter a Peaceful room or we are enjoying a concert. Both those types of Peace and Joy end when we leave the environments.
It’s more like someone (which is actually YOU, your own Presence!) having your back and that feeling that you can rest into something bigger than your idea of yourself. It’s a growing sense that even when all shit hits the fan, that this “something” that is “no-thing”, is carrying you through. It’s a deep inner knowing that all is in Divine Order even if it looks like chaos on all levels. Watch.. and hopefully, at some point, learn, lol!
I personally am not an advocate of denying our Human experience. All my enquiries are currently based on the questions:
- How can I/we learn to Love each other better?
- How can I/we show up more fully? (ie Live more naturally and authentically)
- How can I/we create more Harmony in this world Now
I do not believe we are living on a prison planet that needs escaping from, yet I do believe we can create a prison in our own mind and project that out.
I don’t believe this world needs transcending, yet I do believe the thoughts and ingrained beliefs that bind us to creating a world of pain and suffering, do.
Transcendance to me is not simply rising above. Ascension to me is not linear. It is the Eternal dance of transformation happening within the unmovable, unshakeable Silence of Consciousness; The Nataraja, dance of Shiva and Shakti, the Yin and the Yang finding Harmony and Balance in the place of Yung, where we can rest fully in the Mystery unfolding, rest in the arms of Grace, as she gives us our own song and shows us the steps to our own dance on the stage of this epic tale that is our Life.
Related Poems
Dancing In Between The I’s: Sometimes the dance steps appear tricky to learn!
The World Is Not Broken: Our perception is…
Things Are Looking Up: A relevant Tarot In Rhyme and reminder that you will rise from the ashes!
Silent Still Space: An attempt to describe the indescribable from my experiences of Meditation!
Meditation Cafe
If you’d like to join us tonight, Monday 26th August 2024, 7.30pm for Meditation Cafe, to explore what burning up erroneous thoughts and sitting in the fires of uncomfortable feelings looks and feels like in Meditation, please join us.
I cannot guarantee an uncomfortable experience mind you, so please don’t be disappointed if you instead find yourself in a state of yogic Bliss! The art of Meditation is to not be attached to, or adverse to, “whatever” (cue harry Enfield’s Kevin the teenager) is happening in the moment. You can register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtcOqqpzMoGtBKgzThLACvybGoSloihAPi
No previous experience necessary. An open mind and willing Heart is helpful. Please read the contraindications on the Meditation Cafe page if you are struggling with your mental health or experiencing any trauma and contact me beforehand if necessary.
Meditation Cafe is part of The Silent Revolution and is free by default. If you’d like to support me in this work, you can if you feel called to, “Buy Me A Coffee” in the Cafe, pay for the tuition received (the going rate is between £5 – £8 for similar online classes) or express your Gratitude with a donation here:
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The Bendy Witch 