You are not now,
nor have you ever been, ordinary,
only misguided and misperceived.
A mistake has been made.
You have misunderstood yourself
to be less than you actually are
– you have simply miss-taken yourself
for someone or something less
than your deepest self.
The truth is much simpler
than it would appear in day-to-day life.
You are an extraordinary being
living in an ordinary world.
Like a square peg
attempting to fit into a round
and too small space,
you don’t fit.
You never will fit there.
You were born to express
the extraordinary being
that you are deep down
under the morass of lies
that you have been told.
Therein lies your joy.
I believe in you.
I know who you are,
even when you forget.
Light and dark are frequently used to represent the basic polarity of good and evil. The shadow is the indeterminate space between light and dark where one shades into the other, the deeper the shadow the darker the nature of what lives there. The shadow is also a term that originates in Jungian psychology and which refers to a nebulous unconscious repository of what we fear and dislike in ourselves.
Wherever there is a shadow it is cast by something standing in the way of the light. The brighter the sun shines, the harder the shadows. And when the light is really bright it can be difficult, if not impossible, to see anything beyond the intensity of the glare. When we want to see clearly in bright sunshine we seek the shade to look out from, and if we can't find any we create some with a hand to the eyes. So our physical experience of the phenomena of light and dark is that we can see things more clearly by standing in the shadow.
This is an allegory that is very useful for the inner process. The more the light of the soul shines through, the clearer will be the issues that inhabit the shadow, but we have to stand in the shade in order to see these clearly. We have to stop looking the other way.
The trouble is when we look into our shadow most of us see things we not only wish weren't there, but often things we are thoroughly ashamed of. Because of the intensity of the shame our automatic impulse is to bury its cause so deep within that this can never again see the light of day. This enables us to continue living with ourselves, but the truth lurks somewhere within and we know it.
What lives in the shadow is everything that we reject about ourselves, everything we refuse to love. This is every aspect of our existence that fails to comply with the ideal social specification of our self-identity. We are terrified it will be discovered and cause our downfall. We pretend it doesn't exist, but we know it's there, full of resentment for its denial, that's why there's such a widespread fear of the dark. But deep transformation occurs when we embrace what we fear.
A spiritually intelligent perspective understands that the shadow is the facilitator of our growth. Its very existence is a sign that there is a purpose to our being here, that we have a job to do. When issues begin to surface out of the shadow it's not a sign that something is wrong, but quite the reverse. It's a sign that we are holding more of our light. The light is simply showing us where it is still blocked. We are being guided to the next step in the process of self-empowerment. Convention says we must find an answer so the problem goes away, wisdom says the problem is my friend trying to tell me something I'm reluctant to hear.
Whenever the possibility arises that something we've consigned to the shadow in this way might be revealed to us - or worse, to others - we are likely to experience the emotional responses of fear and anger. Owing to the supreme efficiency of our denial processes, we are normally in a condition of blissful ignorance of what's been hidden in the shadow. Our emotional responses can therefore be intensely reactive. This is the surest sign that we've uncovered an aspect of ourselves that requires understanding and compassion - something that really is me but which is incongruent with the self-image I hold.
The key to transforming all of the issues lurking in the shadow is the principle of presence. By staying present with anything that arises, remaining aware of our breathing and letting any feelings express, we eventually feel the sadness locked into the part of ourselves we consigned to the shadow. We feel its mistrust, its fear and its abject loneliness. Simply allowing this to be is a process of acceptance, recognizing that it is all ok brings us a step closer to a realization of self-mastery. This is not necessarily easy, it takes courage and persistence.
From this perspective the shadow can be seen as the friend it truly is. It is only waiting for us to love it. The issues it will then show us are the keys to self-empowerment. This is its gift.
To be truly conscious we must embrace the potential of the shadow individually and collectively. For as long as we continue to deny it, it will keep manifesting destructively in an increasingly less convenient manner. The shadow provides us with the raw material and the opportunity to transmute fear into love. One of the greatest services we can offer is to engage with this process. Just opening up to the possibility that this is a valid assessment of the dynamic of the shadow is a huge shift out of the consensus rut. Giving intent to clear our shadow is the next step. Continuing this journey is to follow our own light, which will ultimately shine unimpeded.
Altazar Rossiter, Ph.D., is the author of "Developing Spiritual Intelligence… "The Power of You"
(This is the outline of our Wednesday Earth Healing Circle Meditation)
Rainbow Crystal healing Ceremony
You need a crystal that you do not use for other healing. They tend to not work well for other ceremonies after being used in this one. Smudging material: Tobacco for the east, sage for the south, cedar for the west, sweetgrass for the north.
Smudge yourself and the crystal. Place the crystal on ground, pointing upward. Shield yourself before you start ceremony, there is a lot of energy being used.
Take a few deep breaths, allowing your breath to fill as much of your body as possible.
Be aware of your posture. Your back should be straight but not stiff. Your knees should be bent slightly. Your stomach and jaw muscles should be as relaxed as possible.
On you inhale, go to the sacred energy within you and see if there is a part of this energy you feel comfortable in sharing today. Do not be a hero nor a miser. As you exhale, sent the energy you choose to share on your breath to the crystal and allow the energy to merge with the crystal's energy.
See a beam of sunlight touch the crystal. From the crystal comes forth a perfect rainbow composed of all the colors of the spectrum from black to infrared, red orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, ultraviolet and white. Know that each band of the rainbow contains an energy for helping and healing anything it touches.
See the rainbow stretch upward toward the sky, then see it bend and go into the earth. See it go through the solid layers we walk on, through the liquids beneath, through the gasses and the ethers, until the rainbow merges with the light that is the center of the earth.
See the rainbow merging with the earth light. Know the earth will take from this rainbow whatever it needs now to help it and heal it. Know also that the earth will give you, through the rainbow any gifts she has for you at this time.
When the merging is complete, bring the rainbow up through the layers of the earth.
Allow the rainbow to enter through the bottom of your feet and move up your legs, spine, neck, and head. Allow the rainbow to go out through the crown of your head.
Send the rainbow up toward the sun and allow the energy of the rainbow to merge with the energy of the sun. Know that the sun can take from the rainbow whatever it needs for healing, and know that it will give you any gifts it has for you at this time.
When the merging is complete, bring the rainbow once again to the crystal. Allow the energy of the rainbow to rest in the crystal for a time.
Once again, see a beam of sunlight touch the crystal and bring the rainbow forth. This time, you will send the rainbow over the piece of land on which you are standing. Know that as the rainbow covers this land all of the beings on it-the elements, plants, animals, and humans-can take from it whatever it is they need to heal them and to help them.
Now send the rainbow arcing northward until it reaches the North Pole of the planet.
Send the rainbow arcing southward until it reaches the South Pole of the planet. Lift up the middle so you see one arc of rainbow light stretching from North to South over whatever part of the earth you stand on. Remember that the colors, the energies of the rainbow, can give to all the earth's children whatever it is they need right now to help them and heal them.
Now, as though you are unrolling a carpet, send the rainbow in an eastward direction around the globe, naming each of the continents and waters the rainbow covers, until you see the whole of the earth wrapped in a rainbow of light. Know that all of your relations on the earth can take from this rainbow whatever it is they need to help them and heal them.
While the rainbow is covering the earth, it is a good time to send out blessngs to those you know who have special needs or to those who particularly touch your heart. Remember the elements, plants, animals and spirit forces as well as humans.
When you are finished making all your blessings, begin to roll the rainbow back into its original arc. Then bring the arc back into the crystal.
Become aware of your breathing and of the circle of energy that surrounds you and protects you.
On your next inhalation, draw your energy from the crystal back into your own sphere. Know that only energies that will help you grow can come through this sphere. Feel whether and how your energy has changed from this opportunity of sharing and merging with all your relations.
Be sure you feel grounded in your body. If you do not, kneel on the earth and put your head on her until you do. When you open your eyes, look first at the sky, trees, and plants around you. See if they look different. Look closely at the beauties of nature that are always around you.
A lady found the fawn under her step (they think the doe might have been hit by a car) .. Her Ridge Back dog is helping look after it. The family named the fawn Bella. Once she has regained her strength (she was not in good shape when the family found her) they are going to send her to some friends who (in the past) raised two orphan deer and released them to the wild. Right now she is being bottle fed. Their dog (Hogan) has basically taken over. The fawn even shares his bed.
A Walk-in Story