Into the Mystery n2themystery

As we enter the solstice, there is a quality of breakdown, a quality by which the shadow elements of our Being can emerge to be cleared, making way for that day represented by the solstice and by Christmas where the light returns … something within us re-emerges out of the dark. This episode is an encouragement to discover that inner luminosity again. 

What does it mean to live from the heart rather than the head? As we clear away the residue of past conditioning, traumas, desires, and resistance, it becomes increasingly possible to embrace and even love those aspects of our existence that we might otherwise avoid. And in doing so, we unlock the secret to experiencing a love we may have sought for a lifetime, and indeed one more powerful than we imagined possible.

In the second half of our masculine/feminine discussion, we dive deeper into the dynamics of Shiva and Shakti, clarify some concepts from episode 1 such as the “chaotic” nature of feminine/yin energy, and throw around the word “phallocentric.” 
 

Although society traditionally associates “masculine” with male biology and “feminine” with female biology, in truth every individual possesses and expresses aspects of both. When we look at the movement of Divine masculine and feminine energies independent of one’s sex, we begin to see the beautiful dance they create together.
Humans need access to the full spectrum of masculine and feminine energies in order to enjoy a full, creative life, and trouble can arise when we overemphasize one side at the expense of the other. The beauty, as always, is found in the balance — whether in an individual or between two Beings in relationship. 
 

In spiritual work, we sometimes refer to “the Longing.” We can think of it as an inner sense of something we desperately want but can’t quite define; for many people it is this unspecified sense of craving that brings us to practice in the first place.
In this episode, we explore: What is it? What does it want? How do we satisfy it? Can it be satisfied? As we dive deeper, we discover that this capital-L Longing isn’t about fulfilling the common desires of life for possessions, connection or status (though it is most often mistaken for that). Instead, our experience of this Longing can reveal to us the deepest truths of Creation.

Our defense mechanisms help protect us from experiencing our original existential wound, which is our sense of separation from our Divinity. If we are to overcome them, we must begin to allow ourselves to be vulnerable — to embrace those parts of our personalities we’ve split off and rejected, to stand calmly in the face of attack, and to grow more comfortable with uncertainty. Doing so will reveal our inherent inner peace, strength, and ultimate invulnerability as Spirit.