As I embarked on my Quest for sanity many years ago, I gazed out upon the horizon and could see only so far…What lay beyond that horizon line was unknown territory.
So much has been learned since then, the unknown has become known. And yes, the unknown continues to stream forward, an endless mystery laced with anticipation and adventure. Through this act of gazing, I began to discover meaning and purpose in my life.
One day, while journeying deep in meditation, I met a dancing Goddess. She smiled at me with warmth and kindness as she danced in a sweeping figure-eight pattern with light steps on the sandy surface of an immense open terrace. I gazed at her in wonderment, asking ‘who is this fiery woman?’
The response I heard was: ‘inner feminine’. Interesting. I really didn’t understand the full meaning at the time, only later did I see through it. Since then, I have encountered this woman numerous times in my trance meditations. As I recollected this experience with my buddy Peter, he said with all seriousness, ‘do not ignore that woman, if you do, she will make you regret it. Find out what she has to say. Pay attention to her.’ And so I have.
I have learned that she loves to dance, always she dances. There is a natural grace and beauty in her movements. She is sensual, erotic and playful. In observing her I see a goddess-like presence. She laughs at me and with me… and loves me as much as I love her. She’s a lioness protecting her space with a touch of ferocity. There’s no controlling this woman. I learned this in a memorable and punishing lesson (a story for another day). That lesson was important for me, erasing any desire to play the control game… on anyone!
The late Dr. Carl Jung might call her the ‘anima’, and for a woman identifying with her inner male counterpart, her ‘animus’. Jung once said that the shadow work is the apprentice piece, whereas the integration of the anima/animus is the masterpiece. To align to our sacred masculine and sacred feminine is a mystical act of integration. It involves a genuine examination of our inner feelings towards our opposites. These inner masculine and feminine energies are akin to a circuit that flows unimpeded through the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies. When the circuit is connecting properly we see a natural harmony in our relations with others… a reverence emerges.