As I wrote in my last post we are in the midst of an epic Trickster workshop. And this week things really amp up as Mars joins the ongoing Uranus-Pluto square creating what’s called a T-Square. A T-Square occurs when two planets (Mars and Uranus) are in opposition aspect (180 degress) to each other and both making a square aspect of (90 degrees) to a third planet (Pluto).
Whenever planets are in aspect of each other we are challenged to bring their energies within our psyche into a co-creative dance.
So when the God of War, Will and Action (Mars) busts in to contribute to the ongoing dance between Uranus (The Trickster God of Revolution, Liberation and The Unexpected) and Pluto (The Underworld God of Deep Transformation, Death and Rebirth) it can get a little spicy!
These three planets ask us to open to a very particular task:
In the midst of a highly activating and volatile state can you recognize where old paradigms (beliefs, identity structures, etc) are restricting your innate freedom and LET GO so something new can be born?
Particular to Mars (action and will power) we are asked to release the fighting will of our small selves (ego) and open to the creative power of the Deep Soul (spiritual warrior).
So not surprisingly, in my personal meditations, and work with clients, the theme that continues to emerge for me is one of Radical Surrender.
In my ongoing inquiry around what radical surrender really is, I’ve made a few distinctions. So here’s what radical surrender is and isn’t:
- Creative action, not reactivity
- Engaged response, not passive collapse
- Saying yes to your collaboration with the Mystery, not fighting the ‘what is’ of reality
- Let go of surface ego desire (what you think you want) and discover the directive imperative of the Deep Soul (what wants to happen through you)
- Transmute discouraging disappointment with strong faith in Mystery’s Plan
And that’s not so easy, is it? Many people in the face of extreme emotional states, powerlessness, uncontrollable outer limits, and core memories/traumas surfacing go more in this directions: Passivity, paralysis, frozen-ness, holding on, gripping tight, blaming, complaining, etc.
I have been meditating since I was 19 when I took my first Vipassana meditation class at UC Berkeley. I was heavy into Buddhism in my early 20’s, reading every Pema Chodron book I could find and being truly transformed by The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle. During that time I learned to cultivate a witness mind and bring loving-kindness to my inner experience. Later in life I met Mary Swanson, and went through her Intuitive Development training, and further cultivated the ability to compassionately observe my energy and collaborate with the deep Imaginal Soul.
I mention this training because I find in these times that I am leaning VERY HEAVILY on my meditation practice. In past years I have been able to rest into a baseline of well-being allowing my practice to be centered in a general practice of mindful living. But I find that I am back to sitting meditation again and for LONG periods of time. These times seem to demand more practice than ever. Cultivating our objective, observing, discerning, loving awareness that CAN BE WITH OUR EXPERIENCE is essential to letting the reactivity in the nervous system, and rigid identification, just BE and move on. It allows you to notice it, but not grab on to it as WHO YOU ARE. It allows identity to be fluid – a necessity to radical surrender and co-creation with life.
So I leave you with two dharma teachings from my current favorite teacher Tara Brach a wonderful guide on the path towards surrendering identity and cultivating the endless well being that can BE WITH the rigid beliefs, feelings, and identifications that may be surfacing for you.
My Trickster monkey theme continues with this clip where she talks about how we all have to play the ball from wherever the monkey throws it. Great Trickster concept: Tara Brach 1
And this clip talks about the “If Only” mind that can really rule our lives and put our creative process on hold: Tara Brach 2
Blessings on the ongoing workshop – we are all in it together!!