vigilance Archives - Owl Medicine: Shamanic Healing

Photo: L.Weikel

State of Our Union

Naah, I’m not going to talk politics. But I did watch it (the so-called SOTU); and I watched Stacey Abrams’s response. And all I’ll say is that I felt inspired listening to Stacey Abrams. I felt heartened by her vision of working together, searching for and implementing innovative responses to our country’s issues for the benefit of us all.

And it felt rejuvenating to contemplate just how quickly so many of our current, existential issues can still be turned around – before it’s too late – if we work together.

Our Ability to Share is Based In the Power of Knowing What We Have

We can do this. We must not give in to fear. We must not give in to the cynical fatalism that encourages people to take as much as they can from whomever they can get it because it’s every man for himself.

I loved the story she told of her father walking home in the pouring rain from his job, soaked and shivering when Stacey and her mom and siblings went out to meet him in their car. I loved that he gave away his coat, knowing he would be soaked and freezing cold, but knowing also that he was going home to his family; knowing they would take care of him, get him warm, and give him dinner. Giving his coat to the homeless man was a no-brainer for Mr. Abrams because that man didn’t have Mr. Abrams’s knew and felt certain of the power of greatest resource: his family.

I think that’s the single most important realization we can make in these times: we need each other. Whether we know each other or not, we must be family for each other.

We Need to Offer Of Ourselves

Yes, some of us are lucky enough to have that support system readily in place in the traditional sense. By that I mean siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins living in relatively close proximity to us. But a pretty significant portion of us do not have that comfort and sense of stability close at hand.

Instead, we’re asked to look to our left and look to our right. Some of us are starting to realize we need to reach out to our friends – and maybe even our neighbors. We need to offer our friendship and support, offer our unique skills. Offer our selves.

We’ve all seen that every time a catastrophe happens, people rally. We come together and offer what we have. We pitch in to help each other, scrounge up sustenance, and provide emotional and energetic support (if not also tangible and fiscal support as well). We don’t stop to ask about politics or who you voted for. We tap into our humanity. We tap into our shared experience.

Embrace Beaver Energy

I yearn to be challenged by our leaders to be visionary and innovative. Don’t you?

So much more is possible when we work together and hold each other up. So much more is possible when we embrace our Beaver energy.

Come on. You knew I’d bring some archetypal animal medicine into this, didn’t you?

Embrace your hope. Embrace your wit. Embrace your intelligence, your inspiration, and your passion. And be vigilant about giving your power to or believing anyone who would tell you that your woes and miseries are someone else’s ‘fault.’ That the ‘other’ (who would actually give you the coat off their back) is someone to be feared, hated, or bullied.

We are in this together. We need to believe. In us.

(T-1025)

recinet.ca

Weird Day

The weather was cranky and miserable today, mirroring a lot of people’s moods, I suspect. It feels like no one knows what to expect anymore. We sort of lurch from day to day, hoping nothing earth shattering (either literal or figurative) happens.

I’m noticing this sense of edginess all around us, from the micro level to the macro. So many people are dealing with really big – I’m talking tectonic – shifts in their lives and reality. From continents to countries, states, and towns to people world-wide, nation-wide, and all around us. Quite possibly right in our very own homes. Radical change is upon us.

And we need to know we’re not alone.

Holding the Center

Those of us who may not be experiencing direct seismic activity in our lives at this moment need to hold the center for those who are feeling the ground move beneath their feet and watching structures they never thought would crumble do so.

Indeed, I had a long conversation today with a good friend who has had her share of times in the wringer. She, too, is feeling the present sense that her energy is best spent in holding the center, being a light, allowing others to reach out and hold her hand as the gale force winds buffet them and threaten to sweep them away.

And that takes energy.

It’s hard sometimes to appreciate just how much energy it takes to hold a calm and peaceful center for others (and ourselves). And it can look from the outside as if we’re not doing anything, which can sometimes make our contributions easier to ignore or at least remain unappreciated. And certainly, for some of us at least, we have no way of being compensated for our efforts. Even if we could quantify it, we probably wouldn’t.

We Need Each Other

All of which is to say: we need each other. And we need to be vigilant in these chaotic times to pay attention to each other and listen. Because sometimes the ones who seem to be holding it all together are actually hanging on by the thinnest of gossamer threads.

The good news is, gossamer threads can be woven together and become nearly indestructible in the blink of an eye. So, it feels like we should honor that possibility. Keep an eye on each other, and take care not to necessarily buy the ‘looks great on the outside’ façade. Listen to each other with our entire beings (and not just our ears).

I feel like a lot of the people I know and love are going through some really trying shit right now. And I want you to know, I’m doing my best to hold the center. You’re not alone.