So, I was thinking the other day about how I envision the world. I became curious, for instance, about why I saw the world as more than a place. What I mean is, why do I intuit the spirit in the land where I live? When the birds wake just before dawn or when there’s a lot of chatter in the trees, my whole body responds. I often seek out solitude to deepen the felt sensation that there are multiple dimensions to nature. When people talk about “thin places” in the world, I am one of those individuals who can sense a deep presence there.
I’ve been in a chapter in my life where I am reassembling life’s puzzle. There are sections of the puzzle layout that seemed to be finished but now I’m considering moving some pieces around for a better fit. I’m feeling things are changing – in a positive, enriching way. Enter questions about what I’m seeing.
I began to look at archetypal images showing up in my dreams, in my writing, as well as what inclinations I have or what continues to draw my attention. Potentially this is a long list, so I’ve been focusing on the archetypes that spend the most time with me. I found that the Wise Woman and the Mystic feel the strongest.
Owning myself as wise and mystic comes with some resistance. The old stories I remember learning of mystics are filled with lifelong struggles and extraordinary feats. That tug of resistance brought with it a feeling of awkwardness and prompted a question. How do I fit the characteristics of saintly personalities? I don’t. So, I thought, what if I reconsider what I think I know of the Wise Woman and the Mystic.
In her book Hagitude Sharon Blackie talks about archetypes especially as they refer to the second half of life. The meaning of the word archetype she writes is, “essentially, an original pattern.” These patterns and universal symbols emerge from what Jung call the collective unconscious. With this in mind Sharon says, “they [archetypes] can take on particular and unique meanings and associations for each one of us.” I recommend her book for a more in-depth study.
I like this. The idea of allowing the archetypal meaning of a wise mystic woman to emerge within me versus taking on a role historically associated with it makes more sense. Suddenly owning my archetype is less burdensome. It means I am sharing this emergent energy from the collective unconscious like others who have similar gifts and mission in life.
I understand more clearly now that while I have traces of various archetypal characteristics, I am largely a wise woman mystic. It’s simply owning my way of sensing the spirit of the land, the sacredness of what is around me as I walk the world, and intuitively feeling a union of a multi-dimensional reality within the present moment. The question now becomes what is trying to move through me as I get out of my own way and give these archetypal energies a chance to flourish?
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