Owning Your Power: A (Sort of) Platonic Dialog

by Berenice Andrews

Hello…Welcome back*…I’m glad to see you again.

Thank you. It’s been a little while.

Yes, it has. But I can tell that you’re still a soul searcher (there’s that furrow between your eyebrows!), and I have the sense that you’re at a big turning point in your journey.

Well, I’m not too sure if it’s a turning or a sticking point—maybe it’s both.

Ah! And that’s an insight into paradox that says you’re ready to plunge into deeper waters.

Thank you. I suppose I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.

So let’s proceed. You’ll recall hearing last time we spoke that when you start experiencing the “both/and” paradox, you’re moving into the expanded consciousness energies of discernment, detachment and clarity. They can indicate a deepening sense of inner empowerment.

Empowerment—that’s the sticking point!

Oh?

I’ve been running into a lot of people who insist that being “spiritual” means being “selfless” and that I’m being “selfish” and “unspiritual” to express the empowerment I’m feeling. They’re telling me that my ego is getting in the way. And I’m torn.

So, would you like to explore what you mean by saying that you’re expressing the empowerment you’re feeling?

OK. This hurts. There were six of us in my spiritual group discussing service to others. I sat listening, while the rest spoke about wonderful people, like Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King, and how their selfless service to others had been such a benefit to mankind. Then there was a pause while the group turned to me.

I took a deep breath and said: “Weren’t those benefactors of mankind doing exactly what they chose to do? And, didn’t they persist in following their path no matter what? So, weren’t they revealing a strong intent and will? And, aren’t these the recognizable signs of empowerment? And, if all of this is so,” I finally finished, “Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King (and all the other great benefactors of humanity), weren’t selfless people.”

Hmm! And then…?

I was told that I didn’t comprehend the essential message of spirituality. So, they were asking me to take time to ponder on my attitude before coming back to the next meeting. Since I was being dismissed, I left. After a few days of pondering and getting nowhere, I contacted you.

I’m glad I was here. Would you like to do what your group suggested; namely, probe into the essential message of spirituality?

Yes, I would.

Then, let’s do it. Here’s a little background. Before there was “civilization” and before there were any written records, there were thousands of years of tribal life, of what could be termed “getting ready for civilization.” During those many, many millennia, there were tribal spiritual leaders—shamans—who, as far as we can tell, spirit journeyed into the Other World (the Spirit World) and taught people about it. So, in the development of humanity, there has probably always been a belief in a world other than this one. Thus, human spirituality is inherent. The ancient cave paintings in France and elsewhere would suggest this.

So, what you’re saying, I think, is that human beings have always craved spirituality and that our evolution has involved seeking to satisfy that hunger.

Yes, that’s well put. Now, let’s go back to our first “dialog,” in which we pondered the gestation of your “True Self.” To review briefly, the basic idea is that you are an “image and likeness” of a Creative Energy that made you out of Itself, in order to express and experience Itself as you. In other words, human beings, who have been slowly evolving out of their “animal natures,” are (and always have been) a microcosmic expression of a macrocosmic “I-AM” creative consciousness energy. Do you recall that?

It’s etched on my memory!

Good! Then you probably also recall that human evolution was likely possible because everyone on planet Earth has chakras. And during our millennia on this earth plane, those centers of consciousness energy—our sacred inheritance—have interacted in an increasingly complex “dance” to produce the physical, emotional, mental and transcendent “bodies” necessary for our evolution.

Yes, I’ve really kept that in mind. It’s been an “interesting” experience.

To be sure, that “dance” has always been very interesting! For many millennia, people have been dealing with their evolutionary challenges, especially those produced by their emotional “bodies.”

That certainly sounds familiar! But how and why did those challenges happen?

It was, oddly enough, part of becoming “civilized”—settling into communities and developing social structures. Within that context, there arose the “secular” and the “sacred” leaders, who were often in conflict with each other, while they worked endlessly to control the populace. And it consisted of people whose survival needs often became more powerful than their emotional and mental abilities to deal with them.

And was the shamanic spirituality negated?

Oh, no. What we’re really seeing (when we observe carefully) is an undercurrent of Spirit-in-Action bringing human evolution along.

How?

In every part of this world, at every critical period in the human journey, there have appeared messengers—I call them “holy helpers”—beginning with those shamans, whose only purpose was to foster and promote mankind’s spirituality. The ancient and modern scriptures are the records of their comings. And to support this idea—during the many centuries when wars went on and on—there came about the development of what we call the “Golden Rule” (the principle of treating others as one would wish to be treated oneself). It was an amazing idea about the brotherhood of man.

So, correct me if I’ve misunderstood, you’re telling me that our inherent spirituality has been evolving with us.

Yes, it has. Spirituality has been an evolutionary unfolding marked by the gradual development of values and beliefs. These were expressed, at first, in the sacrifice of untold thousands of people to their bloodthirsty gods. But, as time passed, the values and beliefs slowly changed until most of us would be horrified by those ancient ones.

I’m starting to get a big picture!

Good! It’s important that we modern people know that what we valued, believed and practiced 50,000, or 5,000, 500 or even 50 years ago is probably not the final word.

I’m listening. In other words, my spirituality isn’t written in stone.

Far from it! Not even the books of wisdom, which many people still regard as having been written in stone, are the final word.

Well! Then what are we (especially me!) to do with those bygone ideas?

We learn from and revere those teachers and teachings of the past. Spirit sent them for that reason. And we keep what serves our lives, while we acknowledge, accept and allow the next stage in our evolution. And because we’re spiritual beings having a human experience, we can trust that Spirit is in there nudging us along.

Then, can you help me to live with what Spirit has been nudging me into?

I can tell you this and your inner guidance will provide the rest: that by acknowledging, accepting and allowing the process, you are owning your power.

Explain!

When we’re “owning” our power, we know and embrace the paradox that as spiritual beings we are admitting to a fact and stating our control over it. That’s the meaning of “owning.” And this is confusing until we recall that Jesus, (one of those “holy helpers”) taught us long ago that in our relationship with the Spirit, it was “done unto [us] as [we] believe.” Matthew 8: 13. Please note that the word is “as” not “what.” (Essentially “as you believe” originates from inner spiritual guidance and “what you believe” originates from outer teaching.) Thus, we’re really dealing with our own type and level of consciousness.

Then by following my spiritual path, I have actually been shaping who I was getting to be?

Yes, I would say so. And there’s more.

I’m listening!

The “power” you are fostering and developing is being generated by your emerging new “body” of values and beliefs. Slowly, they are building in you the foundations you require to be an empowered human being—the “image and likeness” of your Creator.

But for centuries there have been values and beliefs about how we’re to live! We’ve heard over and over that we’ve all “fallen short of the glory.” Not only that, but we’re by nature such “sinners” that we have to seek “salvation” by hating ourselves and being very humble.

Yes…and for animal souls who have been enslaved by their emotional bodies and without any awareness of their centers of consciousness or their own spiritual foundations, those teachings were probably necessary.

And now?

Although this world is a horrible display of violence, lovelessness and other animal soul frenzies, there is an undercurrent of spirituality that’s becoming increasingly focused. It’s a combination of metaphysics and physics. And it’s inching humanity forward on a new path: one that probably does not include the old religions (except the parts that are life-serving—those aspects indicative of the Golden Rule).

And how would following the Golden Rule be owning my power?

You’d discover that being “little lower than the angels” (Psalms 8: 5) is not just a poetic statement. By following the Golden Rule, you’d be realizing that on this earth plane, in this human embodiment, we’re all made out of the same consciousness energies but, since each one of us carries the individual powers of the chakras shaping our personal evolution, we must recognize our own great beingness, while we acknowledge, accept and allow the great beingness of each other.

Wow! That’s pretty heady stuff! And what’s to prevent us from becoming overbearing and insufferable?

Nothing—except our knowing that all the holy helpers who came to teach us had realized this about themselves. They “owned” values and beliefs that were in keeping with their reality as human beings. And all of them were beautiful in their humility, in their sense of being themselves, yet immersed in the energies of a transcendent, macrocosmic selfhood.

And how did they do that?

Although each was unique, there was a common thread. Each revealed a microcosmic/macrocosmic heart/mind-brain/mind connection.

I’m resonating! Tell me more!

It’s a very recent insight derived from HeartMath Institute research. Those scientists are providing the “hard evidence” that the human “mind” is really the result of a complex interactive combination of physical, emotional and mental energies in both brain and heart.

And how would that promote a spiritual path?

This research is suggesting that our evolution has required that we raise the vibration of our root, sacral and solar plexus chakras to a higher frequency so that we can enter into the “birthing cave” of the heart chakra. There we can receive the throat, third eye and crown chakra consciousness energies of Spirit that have always been awaiting us.

And that’s a very old teaching, isn’t it?

Yes, but we’re finally understanding it: that our humanness is the paradox of a compassionate rationality that is both earth-bound and transcendent.

And where do I start?

You already have. I suggest that you continue to summon and work with the Observer. You recall the Observer, that indwelling Presence of silent, focused knowing?

I will admit that at times I have neglected that help.

That’s understandable. But, hereafter, please let the Observer help you to foster and develop your compassionate rationality. Thereby you will increasingly know who you are and what your truly human values and beliefs are.

So, all I really needed was a nudge?

In a manner of speaking! And I’d suggest that you remain on your path even if it’s a solitary one. With the Observer along, you won’t be lonely. And I’m certain that you’ll soon be meeting your Spirit-sent fellow travelers.

Thank you. I’m picking up my soul searcher’s staff and moving forward.

Peace and blessings…until we meet again.

 

*See “Finding Your Purpose: A Conversation about Paradox” in Transformation Magazine October, 2014.

Berenice Andrews is a shamanic teacher/healer. For more details about the healing practices mentioned above, see her book Rebirthing Into Androgyny: Your Quest for Wholeness…And Afterward. See also her articles “Finding Your True Self: A (Sort of) Socratic Dialog,” September, 2014, and “Understanding the Human Energy Being,” June, July and August, 2015 in Transformation Magazine. If you are interested in reading more and/or becoming her student, see her web site: thestonecircleclassroom.com.

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