Dancing In The Footsteps of Eve

Mentor Alice O. Howell reminds us of a Tibetan teaching that we fall into the trap of thinking of death as the opposite polarity to life. Death and birth are really the portals of consciousness that we enter and exit in the continuity of life’s process. Is this linguistic trick one that increases our fear of our own mortality?

We have just ended our High Holy Day season. Some of the poetry and prose we read from The Gates of Repentance during Yom Kippur are very powerful and give pause for though about birth, life and death:

“Birth is a beginning
and death is a destination
and life is a journey . . .
from childhood to maturity
and youth to age.
from innocence to awareness
and from ignorance to knowing
and foolishness to discretion
and then, perhaps, to wisdom;
from strength to weakness
and often, back again;
from health to sickness
and back, we pray, to health;
from offense to forgiveness,
from loneliness to love,
from joy to gratitude,
from pain to compassion,
and from grief to understanding;
from fear to faith
from defeat to defeat to defeat
until, looking back, or ahead
we see that victory lies
not at some high place
along the way
but in having made the journey
stage by stage
a sacred pilgrimage
to life everlasting. “

Another beautiful passage from the same prayer book:

“If some messenger were to come to us with the offer that death should be overthrown, but with the inseparable condition that birth should also cease; if the existing generation were given the chance to live forever, but on the clear understanding that never again would there be a child, or a youth, or a first love, never again new persons with new hopes, new ideas, new achievements; ourselves for always and never any others— could the answer be in doubt.”

The New Age order calls for building the global society in harmony with the natural world. It is being grounded by conscious individuals who are learning to replace the old world fear of difference with a celebration of diversity. Nowhere are the two models better demonstrated than the political arena in these weeks before the 2008 election. With the collapse of the financial structures worldwide and the opportunity for new beginnings, we are feeling the stress of hard times ahead, as they did in Europe in the thirties. The fear of difference that was manipulated then— played, exaggerated, stretched and implemented in the minds of the unconscious masses is now part of human history, a tragedy that defies description.Shame on those who are willfully attempting to use the same tactics in our political arena now, manipulating those unconscious rally attendees who are responding with outrageous comments that hearken back to those dreadful days.

John O Donahue, the late Irish poet and philosopher, reminds us that fear is about the ‘force of falsification’ and has nothing to do with the truth. Fear blocks creativity, beauty and joy, and lies, like a heavy rock, over these human qualities, causing them to stultify. For those of us who recognize that weight of fear within, let it go. Visualize with me a critical mass of awakened Americans holding the balance.

David Spangler, in his book, Revelation: The Birth of a New Age, described a world scene in which we would become increasingly aware of two world views, existing side by side, seemingly unaware of one another. How true this seems during this political season when American’s living by in close physical proximity view reality so very differently. The new consciousness is bring inclusivity, mutuality and an awareness of the very life force of Nature and the earth. Any teaching, idea, thought or communication that increases fear, separation and exclusivity is of the old order and will pass away. It seems that Tolle’s teaching is a most useful and timely tool to assist us to awaken to consciousness and choose to move into the new reality.

Is it in the stars or far closer— in our own genetic makeup? What shapes us and forms the basis of our interests, likes and passions? Like the answer to all paradoxical questions, I guess the answer to the dilemma is “yes.” Having had a detailed astrological chart drawn up, we realize that in the interconnections of the various constellations at the time of our birth, lies the blue print to all that interests us. This came as an amazing insight when I had my chart drawn up several years ago. It was all there— from my penchant to calligraphy to an abiding call to investigate the mysteries in our lives from the world of myth, mysticism and in particular, the meaning and influence of the Sacred Feminine in human affairs.

Then I watched the movie “Signs out of Time” that tells the story of Marija Gimbutas, amazing scholar, thinker, archeo-mythologist and teacher who introduced a novel way of viewing antiquities that makes pre-patriarchal culture come alive. The possibility that the patriarchal worldview of hierarchy and separation (of ourselves from Divinity, from one another and from nature) was not always the way human beings interacted, gives us great hope for the future.

Marija was born in Lithuania and through her profound wisdom, she was able to take the knowledge of the language, the songs, the stories and mythology of the region, and craft an intuitive vision of the past. As I watched the movie, I realized that my grandparents all came from Lithuania. They were forced to flee at the end of the 19th century because of rampant anti-semitism at the time. I have no idea of how long my family roots connect back to this geographic location as it is very difficult to trace our genealogy. What struck me was how deeply moved I was when I first heard Riane Eisler talking about Gimbutas’ findings some 25 years ago and how it resonated within me. I was very aware of being in the midst of a paradox – history as it was taught to me, or ‘herstory’ as felt real when I started studying Gimbutas’ book Language of the Goddess.

In the stars or our genetic memory? I celebrate the dilemma and the result.

On NPR this morning I heard an interview with a man from a homeless shelter who was taken by FaithVotes to a polling station in Ohio for early voting. His commented that he was going to vote for the Republican candidate because his running mate was cute!!! Reminds me of the old story of a woman who was asked whether she would rather be intelligent or good looking? Without skipping a beat she replied: “Definitely good looking. Men see better than they think”. Goes to show . . . .

There is an old Jewish tale told about Rabbi Zusya who believed that when he died and appeared before his God, he would not be asked why he was not like Abraham or Moses. He would be asked why he was not Zusya. His concern was that he would not have an answer.

When our lives are ending and we attempt to account how we spent our time on earth, we will not have to ask ourselves why we were not like any other great leader, artist, musician or poet. We should ask were we ourselves? In order to answer this we need to know who we are— a basic question we confront on the start of our spiritual journeys. When asked “who are you” most of us answer with our names and will them go on to list various aspects about ourselves in terms of family relationships, gender, work, religious affiliation, nationality, vocation and interests. For example, I could answer that I am a woman/wife/mother/American /Jew/artist/ writer. How would you answer the question?

As we try to deepen the search, we will perhaps reach a point where we can acknowledge that we are each identical sparks of Divinity robed in totally unique possibilities and potentials. It is awesome to consider that never before and never again will there be an exact replica of ourselves on earth. We each have a totally novel opportunity to affect this world because of who and what we are.

As a New Year 5769 begins, we can take the opportunity for personal assessment. Are we making the most of the gifts that we were given to be used in this life-time? How can we make sure that we are living up the highest potential within us? We can start by asking how much time we invest in those things about which we feel passionate and how much simple joy do we experience each day? The two, I believe go together. How, after death, do we want to be remembered?

We all live very busy lives by choice or by necessity. As women it is so easy to overlook the needs we have to care for ourselves. What better gift can we give ourselves at the start of of a new year than the commitment to take some time each day or week to devote to things that make us happy. Perhaps spending a ten-minute period in daily meditation, or making sure to look at (and actually see and enjoy) the sunset each day. Perhaps we are fulfilled by spending a while each week in nature, reading for pleasure, engaged in a creative hobby or listening to music that relaxes and refreshes. As we list those things that really bring us pleasure, perhaps we are close to knowing who we are and what we want to do with our time.

We all have much to do and many people who need our time and attention. On any airplane voyage we are told in case of emergency, to put on our own oxygen masks first before we try to assist anyone else. Great advice for our everyday lives too. As we begin to get in touch with who we really are, we can start to think about whether we are expressing all that we might and if not, where we can start to make some small changes that will allow us to answer the question “who am I” with the answer: “At least some of the time, I am a fulfilled and content spiritual being on this human journey as I fulfill my roles to the best of my ability”.

In Judaism, no-one ever dies as long as someone remembers them. For this reason, on the anniversary of a loved one’s death, the Kaddish, a prayer of remembrance, is said by those who hold dear the memories of the deceased. And what is it we really remember?

Ultimately it is not the height, weight, complexion or the color of eyes or hair that remain with us after the death of a loved one. It is something of the spirit of the person that lingers— often the values that motivated their behavior, comical or wistful, that we recall.

Memory can be kind. When we think of parents long gone, parents who may have suffered from lingering illnesses at the end of their lives, many of us find that those painful memories are not the ones that bubble to consciousness when we remember them. Our memory bank opens for us to other times and seasons. Images resurface of our loved ones still healthy and vigorous.

A recent Japanese film entitled After Life presents a waiting room where those recently deceased, spend a short time before moving on. During the week they have access to the waiting room, they are asked to think about their lives and choose the one memory they wish to keep with them for eternity. All other memories will be lost to them. What would be the defining memory of each of our lives, if we had to choose? For how many of us would that image take us back to our own childhood or adolescence? Would such a memory link us to a beloved life partner or to our children or grandchildren?

On the occasion of our eighteenth wedding anniversary, I decided to gift my husband with an 18-page photo album, each page representing one year of our lives spent together. Selecting a single photograph from our overstuffed albums to represent each year was challenging enough. Just one image from our entire lives? Indulging in a reflective exercise of this nature is a fascinating way to review our lives to this point and may leave us with the question as to what those people most intimately involved in our lives today would select as their memory of choice. Hopefully such consideration may lead to us re-evaluate how we conduct ourselves and how we relate to others as we try to leave an imprint for goodness in our relationships, families and communities.

Our understanding of God is challenged each time we have to confront those things in our lives that are painful or negative. For most of us, it is easy to see that Divinity is the source of the love, compassion, joy and fulfillment that hopefully is part of what we all experience. How do we see God when our vision is veiled by our tears and our inhumanity of one to another, defies comprehension?

Each time I teach a class in kaballa, it seems that the ultimate challenge we face is trying to understand how Divinity and “evil” can live side by side. Unlike other faith traditions, Judaism does not focus on a separate, external force that others label “evil” or “Satan.” We believe that the Wholly One is the just that, a singular source of all that we experience. So how then do we understand the cruel behavior that continues to plague humanity? Jewish mysticism teaches that we were given free will as a basic privilege and responsibility as spiritual beings on this human journey. Our time on this earth is the opportunity we have to learn to use that gift with understanding and wisdom. Some people, through choice, genetic predisposition or tragic circumstances in their own nurturing as children, make decisions to behave in ways that are ungodly, motivated by ego rather than godliness.

Ego, psychotherapists will explain, is the center within each of us that moderates our interchange with physical reality. A strong and healthy ego is essential to guide and protect us in our physical lives. A spiritual awareness that connects us to Divinity, that Source of all that was, is and shall be, is our channel to true morality and ethics as we find ways to live with others in celebration our individuality and diversity. It would seem then, that when the balance between the ego and the spiritual is disturbed, we find people behaving in amoral and ungodly ways and “evil” enters the world. Understanding free-will means we have to realize that as recipients of this gift, we cannot hold God responsible for the holocausts and tragedies of our world. We must hold ourselves accountable. When we choose to follow the dictates of an ego that is out of balance, the choices we make will be harmful to others and ourselves.

The more important issue then, is how do we deal with circumstances in which godliness is absent? We need to acknowledge that such circumstances do exist— but not because of some outside source. We can choose to carefully moderate our choices and see the long-term results of what we are doing. Do our actions ultimately harm ourselves, others or the environment? Do we act constructively or destructively? With compassion and tenderness we can interact with others who have been deeply, psychically wounded by the cruelty they have experienced at the hands of others. We should applaud the efforts they make to turn their painful experiences into ways in which they can help others.

Ultimately we need to realize that discernment rather than judgment is a kinder and gentler approach to living, and that our lives are enhanced by putting our energy into “attitudes of gratitude” for all the blessings we enjoy rather than squander energy by standing in judgment of those around us. From the place of gratitude within will come that sense of compassion and love that the world needs. The choice to do so is ours.