Blogging is the way I begin my day. It has become a cycle. Honouring the events of the previous day using the blog as a journal. As I write I connect with insights to carry me forward. What I am feeling in that moment. What are the textures, the sensations that are urging me forward, following the cycle of personal evolution.
Is this cycle only a single circle that I’m stuck on or is it a spiral, an ever upward evolution of my Soul. As I ponder this I return to the Hero’s Journey and the work of Carol Pearson who developed a system of 12 archetypes that assist the path of evolution for our soul.
The journey evolves through 3 stages – the preparation, the initiation, and the return. Within those 3 stages there are 4 archetypes encountered as we assimilate the rememberings required to move to the next stage. The archetypes of preparation are the innocent, the orphan, the warrior, the caregiver. In the initiatory stage we have the seeker, lover, destroyer, and the creator. Finally on our return we are governed by the ruler, the magician, the sage and the fool.
In her book Awakening the Heroes Within: 12 Archetypes to Help Us Find Ourselves and Transform the World she describes the path as a spiral. It may be informing different areas of our lives and in each area we may be in a different stage. Another complexity alongside those we spoke of yesterday. Our career may involve one Hero’s Journey and our relationships another.
As I was pondering this a few years ago I wondered what it would look like and came up with this rendering. It seemed as though this described both the entirety of a life and also different excursions within that life. What was named then as the Fool, Pearson now refers to as the Jester.
And all this had to do with what yesterday? On the day of the cyclical, I cycled. Back to Bottle Lake Forest Park via the place where I am working my temping assignment so that I can get the lay of the land. After discussion with the Sous Chef it seemed pretty straight forward, with some more instruction today and there’ll be others around to assist. It’s been probably 12 years since I worked as a temp and at that time I had some mixed experiences from nurturing, to mundane, to almost absolute disaster. I guess there may be a demon to confront here. Have I evolved since that time? I was honest that my skills were rusty when it came to restaurant style fare and was assured by the chef that it was pretty basic and simple. Onwards.
Onwards to the forest from there, and full of energy, the tyres were pumped and everything was running smoothly. I was aware of the place I came off last time I was out there and successfully negotiated that. I detoured from usual circuit to take in another track I hadn’t taken for a while. The forest had grown around it and it appeared totally different to how I’d experienced before. They seemed to have made some additions to the track that created extra challenges. I was so energized when I got to the end I turned around and took in some more of the trails. Magic. Again I’m reminded of the labyrinth as I consider the trails weaving through the forest.
Labyrinths describe a circuitous route inward and in medieval times was used as a substitute for the pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It was also believed to be symbolic of the journey from Life to Death and may have been a calendar or astronomical device. My preference would be to consider it as symbolic. How do I want to be on that journey?
For me I see life as working towards a defining moment that is symbolised by reaching the centre of the labyrinth. We have collected many experiences along the way and have come to the centre. It’s from here that we turn outwards taking the path until we are completed by death. The turning outwards is about sharing the path of self knowledge with the wider community.
Each of us walks our own internal labyrinth. Our mind. Our feelings. There is an almost never ending cycle of thought. And beyond that the universal cycle of time both linear and eternal. And even further still the Circle of Life. The Completeness of all manifestations of experience.
Another of the symbols that represent this cyclical nature is the Ouroboros. This is depicted as a serpent devouring its own tail. It is nature in a constant cycle recreating itself anew through eternity. It is evolution.
When I returned from the ride I was able to catch up my blog. I was a day behind from earlier in the week.
Later I had to pick up some money that I was owed. I found it quite difficult to be positive about it. It seemed that it was all going to be gone in a instant. That it was just going to slip through my hands. I noticed a lot of frustration around that. I was still feeling that when i got home. Checked my account in case Winz had put some money in. No such luck. I feel now the downward spiral this created for me. It was only momentary and will pass.
Overall it was a good day.
Blessings
