There are times in our lives when change is so profound, it is apparent that there is no going back to how things once were, how you were or who you thought you were. The birth of a child, the becoming a young man or woman, meeting the love of your life, menopause, the death of one so prescious in your life – all of these transform us on a personal or family level. Then there are the collective experiences; news that changes closely held beliefs, war, famine, regime change, revolutions in industry and technology, global pandemics, events or actions so profound that life changes forever. These are the physical, intellectual, emotional, and situational rites of passage in our lives. Rites of passage are always a time to see the lessons that have not yet been learned and to chart a course for a new, better, more inclusive way of Being.
The events unfolding now on the world stage are CRAZY! This crazy in the world is asking us to become more aware, to change how we do things. The personal and collective pain are the same as growing pains in sudden growth spurts in young bodies, or birth pains of women giving birth. When it is time to give birth, when the cascade of hormones start the contractions, there is no going back. A woman going through this process knows that at bone level. The bones soften and begin to stretch to accommodate the passage of the child through the birth canal. There is pain. There is blood.
When the birth is complete there is then the process of learning how to take responsibility for this new life. You must know your strengths and weaknesses, and what stands in the way of you at any time of attaining the goal of a happy, healthy family, which includes you as well.
We are in the process of a collective birth. We are in the process where the contractions are growing stronger and the Human Collective Body must soften it rigid stances, stretch and accommodate the birthing processs. This is especially true for those that hold rigid, tight beliefs and cling to entitlement, authoritarianism, fundamentalism, selfishness, Power Over dynamics, and the refusal to take responsibility for what has been created.
Rites of passage that my indigenous teachers shared with me were always marked in Ceremony that included tests, to see if the individual was ready. In other words, one had to make it through the trials and tests in order to be given the Rite TO Passage.
Ceremony is the way to hone ones attention to the moment by moment unfolding of Time in order to achieve conscious connection to LIFE as it presents itself. The callenges or hardship in the testing time prepares you to go from one way of Being to a more encompassing one. If you choose to see it this way the passage is smoother. In other words, you (your ego) gets out of the way. The pain is still there but not the same pain as if you resisted the change.
Winter Solstice is the time to reflect on this. It is a time to reflect on the year that has passed and be willing to see what lessons have not yet been learned. This is pointed out to you personally and collectively where there is conflict, pain, unhappiness, resistence, disassociation, cruelty and negiligence. As we move closer to the Solstice we are asked to look where and how this shows up in our personal lives. It is about making it safe for yourself to be honest about this. It is not about blaming or shaming yourself. For how then can you learn? Allow yourself to See Clearly in order to be ready for the next phase that happens after Solstice, which is developing the path forward to do better, to create greater connection and wholeness in yourself, your family, your community and your world.
This is the the time to Let Go. To Release. To Grieve. To learn from the Past – what was there and what is yet to come. The ultimate goal is to be the Best you can be in Service to Others. For this you need alignment, sychronization, resonance and a deepening of your relationship with your Soul Self.
Connect to the Self.
Restore your Relationship with Cosmic Intelligence.
Be Teachable.
Listen Deeply.
Embrace Simplicity.
It Begins with You.
All my Love,
Kumu