May 01, 2017
At The Edge Of The Forest
As our legends have it, there is usually a mysterious man or woman who lives just outside the community, at the edge of the forest. They have been rumored to have strange powers, and because they are always alone, they are often feared. Rarely do they have partners, nor children, but animals are quite instinctively drawn to them. You may even see an owl or a raven perched on their shoulder, or perhaps a wolf or deer standing near their walking stick.
There is a reason they live at the edge of civilization. It is quieter there and their connection to Nature is profoundly more accessible outside the distractions of civilization. Further, they may have gifts and wisdom that don’t quite fit in with the cultural paradigms that have spawned them, so they retreat from the pressures of assimilation, and beat to the rhythm of their own drums.
We distrust these people, however, because we want people to mirror to us that our actions and life choices have value and purpose. Because there is an emphasis on family and partnering in our culture, they reflect our shadows instead. They show us our fears of being alone, of being an outcast and of not belonging, even of dying alone. The truth is, we all harbor these feelings of being an outsider at some time or another. Many long for deep connections they cannot seem to cultivate.
Having broken ourselves away from belonging to tribes, where the burdens, and the joys, of raising children are shared by all, we now collect into little nuclear families. Parents within them are often burdened and overworked, and many lose their connections to each other over time. Further, within these families, the dysfunctions of the parents, and the parent’s parents, become amplified without an outside influence. In this vacuum the children can mistakenly interpret any abuse, or lack of connection, as reflective of their own value. They may find themselves believing that if they can just win over the right person, they will finally have love.
The Q’ero Indians of Peru have a word for love in their vocabulary, called Munay. It is not romantic love, however, but impersonal love, the vibration of creation. It is within everything. This love is actually free, no one has to win it, or earn it from another. We are all part of this divine creation, built from, and nurtured by, Mother Earth. When we retreat to Nature we are invited to feel this Mother’s love in everything.
By taking a trip to the edge of the forest and living in that solitude for a spell, we face our fears of being alone and abandoned. Separation begins in the mind. It comes from self judgement, doubt and the sense of unworthiness we developed in childhood. At the edge of the forest we can experience connection and inclusion, because when we push away all of the people who reflect our unworthiness, we find only ourselves and that we are part of a loving Creation! Love is reflected to us, everywhere, in the tree in the yard, the gentle wisp of wind across our face, and in the gurgling of a creek. It is absolutely everywhere.
Take a little time away from the concrete jungle, and from the people you are trying to win over, and go to the edge of the forest. There you will find the arms of complete acceptance. As you allow yourself to be accepted by the Mother, you open to self acceptance, and in that, the magic of your divine light. It may seem lonely but you are not alone. Instead of brewing the judgement and protection that comes with needing to belong, you will spread the seeds of compassion that come from Munay.
Christina Allen’s work as an Intuitive, Healer, Teacher and Founder and Director of the Austin Shamanic Center, combines a strong science background (BA Physics, MS Neuroscience) with decades of applied ancient spiritual wisdom (Master Yogi, Reiki Master, and profound Shamanic Healing based in part on Q’ero Indian traditions of Peru). Learn more about making private appointments, and upcoming classes, at www.AustinShamanicCenter.com or (512) 391-9829.
© Austin All Natural, May 2017.