FATEMAG.COM

Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Supermarket:

Initiation in the Modern Age

by Patricia Ariadne PhD

The great metaphors from all spiritual traditions — grace, liberation, being born again, awakening from illusion — testify that it is possible to transcend the conditioning of my past and do a new thing. 


         ~Sam Keen, Hymns to an Unknown God

Change Begins Within

In my psychotherapy practice, I see individuals going through life’s most difficult transitions—divorce, death of a loved one, illness and disability, loss of home or job, a broken heart.  In the last several years, I have often witnessed how these crises trigger profound transformations of a spiritual nature in people willing to navigate the complex process of spiritual awakening. For my book, Drinking the Dragon:  Stories of the Dark Night of Soul, I interviewed people undergoing intensive changes activated by distress and adversity. I believe that what I am seeing is not limited to my own practice but is an indication of a wider cultural trend triggered by environmental, economic, social, and political upheavals.

We can see what is taking place in the wider culture by simply witnessing the deep-seated changes taking place in the persons around us, including relatives, neighbors, and co-workers. Outer trials and tribulations can bring us to our knees, putting us in the frame of mind to question our former life priorities and motivations. When things are at their worst, we begin to ask, “What is life all about? Is there a purpose? Is there meaning in what is happening to me?”  It’s clear that if we continue to enjoy the status quo, and all remains well with our world, we rarely begin asking the questions that lead us to ponder our purpose, the seeming inequities of life, and the apparent randomness of events.

It’s possible to see this emerging shift in consciousness in the popular media, particularly in movies, television, and books. This shift can be seen in recent movies that question consensual reality, such as Cloud Atlas, Inception, Sliding Doors, and The Matrix; or in TV shows such as Fringe and FlashForward. In recent years, a smattering of TV shows, such as Joan of Arcadia and Saving Grace, have directly explored the main character’s relationship to God or Source. In some modern fiction, the main character embarks on a journey or quest to find more meaning in life, such as in The Road, Eat Pray Love, and The Alchemist. Read the rest of this entry »

Tools for Transition

Relax.

Slow down. Cut back on activities. Turn off TV, limit time on the phone or computer. Walk, take a yoga class. Breathe deeply. Contemplate or meditate. Visualize a place of peace and beauty. Garden. Make soup.

Face the problem.

Avoid trying to escape your difficulty through the use  of recreational or prescription drugs, with compulsive eating, drinking, exercising, or sex or by increased social or work activity. It’s important to ask, “What is this situation trying to teach me?”

Mourn the Loss.

Change involves loss. Honor the past, remembering the things that were meaningful or significant. Create a ritual (write a letter, make a blessing) to say goodbye to certain aspects of the past that you now need to leave behind. Allow yourself a certain time to mourn,knowing that this will later give you the freedom to move on. Read the rest of this entry »