By Priya Logan
I previously wrote a post about identifying and even celebrating your “inputs and outputs”, as a human that is a complicated, sometimes fun and organic practice. That is unless you just think of it as a put food and water in — -> get waste out. Of course, we all know that much of what makes us energised and fulfilled is a bit more ephemeral than that — that is once we are able to easily meet those basic needs. It’s also good to also take a moment regularly to acknowlege our wealth if we have no subsistence problems.
I have learned for years that pregnancy, for instance, is a liminal time — this is both a power and opportunity. We have a culture that is primarily devoted to stasis — things staying the same and on the other hand novelty/ accumulation. Transformation isn’t something that we have a map for, and there certainly aren’t spaces and mentors for a lot of us to work out where we have been in our lives energetically and where we are pointed — that is about more than functionality in an often predetermined system.
So, how do we start to eke the power to transform back into our own hands and lives? I am pretty sure that most of us need “North Stars” of some type — this is why celebrities exist and before that Monarchs or heads of state and mostly always in human history — gods. We all know people we project as carriers of divine attributes onto. And some of this may be fanciful and able to be cast aside as indulgence or distraction. Another way to interpret it is that it may be an indicator.
On land, it is possible to understand the soil you are standing on by looking at plants that naturally grow there. Likewise, if certain beliefs or behaviours show up repeatedly in our lives instead of eliminating them, we can look at what they are showing us. This is a keystone of the branch of psychology referred to as Depth Psychology which seeks to address soul and spiritual levels of being as founded by Jung.
I have been reading a very stimulating and inspiring book, that references this, called “This is Womans Work” by educator and poet Dominique Christina. It is a full and dynamic introduction ( though not exhaustive ) to the many archetypal energies that lie within us. It is primarily focused on women’s archetypes though it may inspire anyone. It also delves into many ways of accessing and celebrating our inner and outer biodiversity.
When we are considering needs and responsibilities, it is vital in as much as we can to remember we are far more richly able than any previously defined narrowness of role that may be assigned to us here or there. We are all of those and much more.
I would recommend this book for a guide on working with a broader palate. Dominique gives us many intriguing characters and ways to work creatively with them — If other resources speak to you, I will encourage you to follow them and interact. Widen what is possible. What does a previously ignored or slumbering part of yourself require in terms of needs to flourish. Can you honour that fiercely — can you start to paint or dance without official permission — can you imagine yourself as walking differently or thinking in new ways. And then gently tend the garden.
It is a great start to plant the seeds too with observing what characters repel or fascinate us what challenges and realigns. The world is a kaleidoscope of possibilities once we start to interact and discover- and we are also capable of much more than is often accommodated in a day to day sense. We can start by creating space for new things to take root.
