In Gaia Shamanism’s weekly online journey circle last week, I found myself in impenetrable darkness; with time I realized it was the dark unknowing of these times.
This darkness has a shape and resonance: it was a vast cave, a place of initiation and prayer, a sacred gathering place for the living, dead, and yet-to-be-born of our human family.
The dark cave is part of the shared geography of the soul. This place, which we can explore together by descending from the linear mind down into the expansive vision of the heart, is the incubation space of new life.
But when we are wholly in the dark and can glimpse nothing at all, when we have no sense of the dimension and purpose of our collective unknowing and unraveling, we are tempted to despair.
Despair among the privileged elite (and yes, that’s us) simply won’t do.
We must be willing to descend into the darkness and open our eyes to the felt reality available under the surface of things. We are in training: to see in the dark, to know what is true despite cloaks of deception and displays of power, and to betray the betrayers when the opportunity presents itself. Vision, courage, and soul force are needed now more than ever before.
This week in our weekly circle, we will journey to probe and gain insight into the deepening darkness in which we find ourselves. Together, we will descend beneath the narratives that hold us in the prison of the mind and seek to become conscious of what lives under the surface of things. Together we will visit the dark cave–Gaia’s womb–the shared seat of our subconscious knowing.
We will need the help of Spirit to be able to see and recall the wisdom yielded by the dark cave of our mother and we will ask for it. This could be a journey unto itself. In the cave, we can ask to meet and learn from the guides who will help us navigate the challenges ahead. Or we can ask to be shown what we might offer in the service of our collective transformation.
Journeying together, we will be able to piece together a more complete picture of where we are as souls than we could by journeying alone. But we are only seeking modest answers in our quest, small new seeds of insight to carry and tend in the heart until they bear fruit and ripen into action for a hungry world.
Whenever you find yourself in a dark cave, such as the one we find ourselves in now, it is best to slow down, remain teachable, and move forward on hands and knees lest you bump your head.
Our minds and our thoughts have been shaped by a social order that has declared a war on life for generations. We carry seeds within that we would seek to stamp out in the world. We need to get good at taking our thoughts and ourselves lightly.
The darkness has much to teach us. May we unlearn well.
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This is a free weekly online journey circle offered by Gaia Shamanism at 4-5:30 pm PDT every Wednesday in 2020. Email your interest in joining us at anna@gaiashamanism.com. All skill levels are welcome.