Ancestors

Ancestors

I’ve been away for the last month in Turkey, one of those places on my list of places I wanted to see before I pass into truth. I have past life connections with this part of the world (who doesn’t?) and it has called me for many years. As usual, what I found there was quite unexpected. Turkey is a country that has been pivotal to so many great changes in our civilizations. I was especially awed by Ephesus, where so many societies have risen and fallen. Ephesus was founded by the Amazons, according to Greek historical records, in the second millennium BC. Then there is evidence of a temple dedicated to Isis, followed by a temple to Artemis which became one of the seven wonders of the world (there is only one broken pillar left now). Mary, the mother of Jesus lived in retreat above the hills of this area, for the rest of her life following the death of her son and died there with John the apostle. So Ephesus has had a long history of feminine goddess worship and for this reason I was fascinated by the area. Each of these goddess has similar symbols, images and themes, and represent a feminine archetype which is so important for us today.

At many junctions, humanity choose the masculine characteristics (each person has both masculine and feminine characteristics within their souls) over the feminine. The mother goddess with many breasts, Artemis, who gives love, appreciation, pleasure and abundance (think of joyful living compared to stressful living) was replaced with a masculine warrior god who embodies fear, lack of resources, ambition, violence and aggression. Now we are at another nexus point of destroying our environment and all that is essential of our survival because we have taken this voracious archetype into conflict with the earth herself. The economic systems which are the engines for this environmental destruction are running now without any hindrances, and gradually we are witnessing a war in which we are both conqueror and victim. We are now vanquishing ourselves: our families, our environment, our future. This is a kind of insanity that many of us watch with great sadness, perplexity and a sense of utter helplessness.

I sat in the quiet field which was once the greatest temple in the known world, the temple to the many breasted Artemis and wondered- how we had gone so wrong? Using World Metaphoric Therapy I put the question out into the environment. A gaggle of white geese appeared among the ruins, hissing, gaggling, strutting, eating as they waddled over the ancient stones. Then a tour bus came by with another gaggle of tourists. They paused, took pictures, chatted loudly without consideration for the holiness of the site, bought some post cards and climbed back into their bus.  I don’t think any of them really understood the significance of this site. Perhaps this was my answer. While humanity is like a gaggle of geese, consuming, being largely unaware of their environment and the significance of their lives and how they are contributing moment by moment to the world, either positively or negatively, either as takers or givers.

Many breasted Artemis

Autumn is a time of resolving the past.

Aspects from the past are not “let go”. Where would they go? Influences from the past can only be integrated, and with awareness, we can learn, become greater and go on to raise the Great Net of consciousness. If we choose.

The temple of Artemis was deconstructed, and the stones, marble and pillars were hauled into neighbouring villages and later used for the city of Ephesus as well as the construction of St. Sophia (Sophia means wisdom in Greek) in Constantinople. The goddess was destroyed in one culture and raised again in another. The goddess archetype sits on a throne, calm, dignified within the power of her own being. Often she carries a child who often looks strangely like a man, not a child. Or she carries the world in one hand. But her essential characteristics remain the same: compassion; sympathic joy; willingness to help others and equanimity.

Finally the tourists left. I wanted to honour this site in some way. I closed my eyes, and saw a vision of the temple in its zenith, women of all ages celebrated and honoured. Rites of life and death enacted with joy, dance and song. How different our world would be if we could honour the feminine more or as much as the masculine! The mother worshiped greater than the father! The joy was still there, in the very stones that were left behind. In the marble step where I was sitting, where many feet had passed I could sense reverence for our good earth mother.

The day was hot, I was still unused to the heat and I was recovering from a cold. I felt weak but oddly energized by the vision. It would be alright, we would learn. We would resolve the warrior and the mother together into something greater. I felt that strongly. Even with catastrophic climatic changes, wars fought in anger and insecurity, with social systems breaking down. Like this temple, the pillars would be taken to create something new, something more inclusive, greater, of more light.

A man started to play a flute in the shade by the entrance. Carefully, I listened to the sound.

Try This!

1)      Autumn is traditionally a time of resolution with our ancestors. Between now and Halloween (Samhain) is an excellent time to resolve conflicts with family and realign yourself with the intentions of your ancestors. This is part of the development of ancestral good health. Now is an excellent time to find pictures of your ancestors, put them in a shrine within your home, honour them with a small ritual such as lighting a candle, speaking out loud to them, singing to them, giving them presents of flowers, incense or food.

2)      Take some time during the day and go into a meditative state. This could be through a body scan, prayer or whatever technique you have developed. Once in a meditative state, ask for one of your ancestors to appear to you. Take the first person who comes to mind-don’t resist who ever turns up. Your ancestor may also be an animal, place or even a mythological figure. Invite the image to arise and bring it as fully into your awareness as possible.

3   Ask your ancestors these three questions:

4)      What gift do you have for me?

5)      What gift do I have for you?

6)      Between past and present, how can I resolve any conflicts that may be hindering my own light and understanding?

7)      Then listen. When you are finished with this creative imagery, return to everyday consciousness. Record your experiences in some way-writing, drawing, dancing, walking with intention.

Joy in the journey!