Encounters with a Goddess
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, a Jungian psychologist, 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.
The Soul Connection.
On the surface of our western culture, we are seeing seismic shifts and cracks in our collective understanding of what it means to be a true male or female. It appears the circuit is broken. We’ve nearly lost our connection to soul. Is there an image of ‘soul’ within us that we can identify with? What does it look like?
The soul resides in the unconscious realms, reaching us through dreams, fantasy, visions, and sublime acts of imagination. It is beyond ego. The soul manifests itself as symbols flowing from within these inner worlds. But we are conditioned to dismiss these symbols and visions as fantasy. How many times have we been told – ‘stop your daydreaming, it’s only your imagination.’ Of course it is! And so is this reality we are currently living in. It is a collective dream (nightmare?) created by humanity, originating in the deeper realms of the subconscious and manifesting in the outer world. This collective dream can change. It’s a simple act of inspired imagination realized one person at a time.
'For men, the symbol for soul is the image of woman. If a man is aware of this and knows when he is using the image of woman as the symbol of his own soul, then he can learn to relate to that image as symbol and to live his soul inwardly.' Jung says, 'it belongs to him, this perilous image of woman'. In understanding this symbol within, a man can learn to relate to his hidden desires and motives in relation to women. There is a personal power in this knowing. 'anima is that force for men: She is the soul'
So for a man, the goddess can have profound meaning if she is recognized within. As she arises from the depths of his soul, she teaches, she nurtures and maybe she dances. The real question here remains to be answered: Are modern men willing to acknowledge and embrace these potent energies in a meaningful way? Can they look at their partners with a fresh perspective? I ask this because I have seen this sacred feminine force on the horizon, and she is dancing her way into our consciousness, whether we are ready for it or not. It is time we bring these awesome energies into balance.