Walking a Spiral

Walking a Spiral is a form of walking meditation. As such it is not a meditation I am physically capable of doing, nevertheless, it was required of me this week as part of the art as meditation course I've been taking for the past eight weeks.

So what to do?

Well, I used a little trick I learned from Carl Jung. It is called active imagination and I've been using it since I was a child. Of course, back then I had no idea what I was doing or where it comes from. I was simply doing what seemed to come naturally to me.

And so this week I went into a moonlit forest and laid out a spiral path with smooth white pebbles that glistened in the moonlight and I walked that path, but I did so with a heavy heart and a dark question lurking around the edges.

The poem below came from that 'walk' in the spiral.

WALKING THE SPIRAL

A spiral laid out in my mind
smooth pebbles white in the new moon's light.
the spiral clockwise turning 
Love holds you fast

Smooth pebbles white in the new moon's light.
A question dark within my heart
Love holds you fast
you're not alone they whisper.

A question dark within my heart
the spiral clockwise turning
you're not alone they whisper
A spiral laid out in my mind

Now, you may wonder why I'm telling you about active imagination and walking spirals in moonlit forests of the mind?

Maybe it's because I'm self-isolating, at least as much as a person in my situation can. I'm dependant on carers and those needs, unfortunately, don't dissipate just because the world is facing a really scary pandemic. It is scary, and I have moments of fear. Whatsapp audio files advising you to stockpile while promoting conspiracy theories about biological warfare does not help anyone, least of all me so now I delete them without even listening.

I know this too shall pass, when and how, now that's a whole other matter. It's funny how I started this blog in 2019 talking about the illusion of control, isn't it? That illusion has been properly shattered now I think, for everyone.

Here's what I do know. We can get through this, we will get through this. In the meantime, I'm trying to adapt to the new normal. In doing so I'm discovering peace beneath those moments of fear. I'm learning that I trust God more than I may have thought possible even just a few years ago. (The Shack is really helping me here, so thanks William Paul Young.) I'm also learning that I have the tools I need to get through this...and so do you.

I have no idea what your 'tools' are, but you do. Use them, whether it's prayer or meditation, or strolling in mind forests through active imagination. This too shall pass...

Regards

Freeda Moon

  


Comments

  1. esme23 March 2020 at 01:57

    Absolutely brilliant, relevant and inspiring. <3

    ReplyDelete

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