In my most recent post, I introduced the notion of Webs of Fate. Here, I’d like to connect this idea to the ideal of living a fulfilling life, before I further explore and refine the cosmic field of play.
To support this connection, I have two questions: (1) what does it mean to live a fulfilling life?, and (2) how does the prospect of living a fulfilling life connect to this exotic notion of Webs of Fate?
In giving substance to the prospect of living a fulfilling life, I’ve been directing my attention towards exploring, for the past thirty weeks, what it means to realize the ultimate in personal fulfillment.
At this point, I’ve come to an impasse.
This impasse is a fundamental reality that seems not only integral but inherent to (i.e., an inescapable part of) the lives of most if not all souls incarnated on earth at this time (myself included).
Quite simply, this impasse is the reality of attachment (attachment to people, places, things; ideas, ideals, viewpoints; effects, results, and outcomes) and the presence required to maintain it.
In taking a moment to reflect on what I just wrote, I’ve come to this fundamental realization concerning soul and spirit: if attachment is a matter of soul, then evolvement is a matter of spirit.
Aside: evolvement seems like a strange word to use in reference to the spirit, suggesting as it does a merely natural and spontaneous development or progression of spirit without any input from the ego, but the sense in which I use this term can be expressed this way: when I say “evolvement”, I mean conscious, intentional evolvement – an evolvement of spirit directed by an ego in harmony with the Self.
Again, if attachment is a matter of soul, then evolvement is a matter of spirit.
If attachment, no matter how loosely or tightly contained, serves to satisfy a need of the soul, then evolvement, no matter how carefully or carelessly conveyed, serves to fulfill a desire of the spirit.
Allow me to illustrate.
Consider these common needs of heart and soul, which I express in nested form: “I need the company of others; I need to connect with others; I need to be visible to myself through others; and I need to know who I am so that I can learn what I need and desire.”
These are pretty basic needs, and I presently assume that they’re universal needs of a heart and soul.
Now consider this thought experiment: perhaps the most basic practical intention in this life, in this world, at this time, is to be at choice about everything I say and do in relation to myself and others.
This is a scary proposition – a very scary proposition – because it opens up the Self, by way of the mature or maturing and decisive ego, to letting be and letting go, to really letting be and letting go.
Here it is again, in a somewhat more elaborated form: I allow myself to be at choice about everything I say and do in relation to myself and others (even when I think I don’t have any viable options).
Now, what does this statement of intent mean in practice? If attachment is optional, then evolvement is fluid, flexible, and flowing, but how do I put this declaration, this intention, into practice?
First, do yourself this favor: write it down; better yet, create an artwork around it (it’s that important); commit it to memory and be sure to remember the emphasis on everything. Second, realize that, with the exception of this declaration (which can be held loosely and lightly), attachment to anyone or anything is wholly optional; always remember this. Third, appreciate that your enslavement evolvement may not always be (and feel) as fluid, as flexible, or as flowing as you would like; there are very good reasons for this, some of which have nothing to do with you. Fourth, honor thyself with due respect given to this exercise, this thought experiment, this declaration, this intention, taking it as slow or as fast as you feel you need to take it. Fifth, realize that you’ve made certain agreements with others (before birth, as a soul, and after, as a person incarnate), which, if twisted or broken, have consequences (are you willing to face them, are you willing to bear them?). Sixth, appreciate that this experiment is not an exercise in irresponsiblity, but an opportunity to realize more deeply and fully how fated you are. Seventh, understand that your fate is the soil from which a personal destiny can be grown, and a big part of your purpose in life is to run rich and fertile soil through your fingers. To do all of this, and to do it well, I strongly recommend that you create an energetic container to be aware that you have hidden potentials (both light and dark) and to receive, accept, and expand the realizations of your soul in connection with an energetic conveyor to express and experience the projections of your spirit.
What am I talking about here? I’m talking about being the consummate creator of your own experience of reality, the creator of your own life (addressing the who, the what, and the why), and the creator of your own lifestyle (addressing the when, the where, and the how), where manifesting desired effects, results, and outcomes is par for the course. I’m talking about creating your own energetic container to hold the realizations of your fate (both passive and active) and I’m talking about creating a spiritual conveyor to seed the soul of your fate with desired afformations of personal destiny.
Okay, I admit, that was a mouthful.
One primary aim here is to realize just how fated you are (I know, I know, not a pleasant topic, but please bear with me) so that you can press the realizations of your fate into service, accepting some of them, perhaps, and being at choice about the others, either with the intention to utilize them or to transform them in your favor. In spiritual and healing circles, this is pretty standard stuff. What I’d like to do is to make this whole process as meaningful and conscious as possible (Suggested afformation: “how is it that I’m able to make this whole process so clear, concise, and comprehensive, so easy and enjoyable?”).
The container for the soul of fate that I have in mind is an energetic womb of creation, which serves to consciously receive and expand the realizations that keep us feeling fated, that keep us feeling repressed, suppressed, or oppressed (in the light zone), that keep us feeling obsessed, compelled, or distracted (in the gray zone), that keep us feeling deceived, manipulated, or exploited (in the dark zone). The soul of fate, which I presently see as a softly bounded sphere of vulnerability that holds a kind of amniotic fluid for the nourishment of heart and soul, contains many actual and potential realizations floating around on the inside. I say “potential realizations” for a very good and simple reason: no one likes to talk about them in casual conversation. They have the potential to see the light of day but … but, but, but they also have the potential to remain hidden, in the dark, or the light!, or somewhere in between – the perfect breeding ground for shame, for shameful thoughts and feelings, for shameful urges and impulses. I’ve identified what I call four kinds of fateful influence: dark potentials that remain hidden (e.g., “I didn’t know this was adversely affecting my image, until now”), light potentials that remain hidden (e.g., I didn’t know I could do this until I realized just how worthy and valuable I am”) passive realizations of fate (e.g., “I know I have this habit, but I just can’t bring myself to do anything about it right now”), and active realizations of fate that have the potential to become the focus of attention (e.g., “I know this job is killing me, which is why I’ve decided to do something about it”).
This graphic representation of soul and spirit, of fate and destiny, is a harmonic unity of feminine and masculine energies. As some of you may already know, and at the risk of alienating a large number of people, I am very liberal when it comes to playing with these energies, very comfortable in using them to receptively contain quality by way of heart and soul and to assertively express vitality by way of mind and spirit. Unlike many people I’ve known in this lifetime, who remain attached to feminine energy as being associated exclusively with female and who remain attached to masculine energy as being associated exclusively with male, I am wholly accepting of these energies being associated with either gender, with some exotic mix of gender, with gender in transition, or with no gender at all. For me, this loving, caring awareness and acceptance of difference is crucial to my personal identity, and goes hand in hand with this popular motto: “live and let live”. With this rather elaborate qualification in mind, allow me to explain what the symbols in this graphic mean: the central element in the womb of creation is the ego, presented as pure white, which is indicative of a reclamation of the pure ego, the most intimate sense of I that brooks no rival, the modulating, regulating part of us with no cross to bear and no axe to grind, a powerful potential part of us that serves to make sound and sane decisions that support us in being authentic, sincere, honest, integrous, and genuine, which is not to be confused with any egoic image that is projected unconsciously, that judges harshly, that criticizes unfairly, that shamelessly deceives, manipulates, and exploits others without rhyme or reason. The starbursts in the womb of creation (you might call them “starbursts of fate”) are of two types: passive (grey in color) and active (blue in color). These are conscious realizations about yourself that you don’t particularly like, that you view as holding you back, that you feel are keeping you stuck. If you presently don’t feel particularly motivated to do anything about them, they remain passive; if you do, they become active, in which case they have the potential to become the focus of your conscious attention in an attempt to utilize or transform them (as seen in the tip of the blue arrow). The solid circles in the womb of creation are your light and dark potentials – not yet realized or realized fully, they nevertheless have a hidden influence on your thinking and feeling, on your urges and impulses, on your behavior and conduct, on your choices and actions. As you grow in love with yourself, with esteem for yourself, with feeling ever more worthy of yourself, the light potentials blossom into being, and as you grow ever more aware and accepting of your dark side, the darker potentials of your fate come into view, to be used or transformed as you see fit. Finally, the graphic inside the tip of the arrow of spirit represents a peaceful egoic attempt to do something with one of your realizations of fate. For example, “I no longer belong here, which is why I’ve decided to seek another place or space in which to belong”. In my estimation, this graphic is by far the most powerful amalgam of symbols I’ve created to date. Intuitively, however, I sense rather strongly and clearly that this just one more graphic along the way to a realization of the ultimate in personal fulfillment for body, mind, heart, soul, and spirit.
In my next post, and in light of the foregoing considerations, I’ll return to these questions: (1) what does it actually mean to live a fulfilling life, especially for those who feel caught in webs of fate?, and (2) how does the prospect of living a fulfilling life connect to this exotic notion of Webs of Fate? (which, again, I introduced here, in this recent post).
I must say: my exploration (and growing realization) of what it means to approach and realize the ultimate in personal fulfillment is beginning to explode expand in many different directions. I just hope I don’t get overwhelmed by it all, to the point where my motivation in approaching the ultimate collapses under the weight of my own aspirations. In closing, I’d like to share some of my favorite afformations of personal destiny, to give you a taste of where I’m headed hearted:
Why am I having so much fun
with this notion of living life to the fullest?Why oh why am I finding it so easy
to be at choice about everything I say and do?Why am I finding it so enjoyable
to be in the flow, to go with the flow?How is it that I can follow my bliss
so easily, so effortlessly, day after day?Why am I suddenly finding it so easy to be
authentic, sincere, honest, integrous, genuine?Why have I become such a magnet
for all that I really and truly love and desire?And why have I been so blessed to be able
to receive and enjoy all that I love and desire?Please, tell me; tell me now …
I have so much I wish to share, so much more that I could share, but I must be patient, even as it’s all becoming increasingly, unnervingly cosmic in scope, and more than merely Promethean.
Thank goodness (thank God?) for this thing called fate.
Note: my evolving outline on the ultimate in personal fulfillment can now be found here, accessible from the nav menu under “Be Here Now”. I’ll be sure to inform readers of any updates.
Next: Ultimate Fulfillment 32
Note: this ever growing perspective began here: Ultimate Perspective