Don't bypass the descent (there's GOLD down there)
My friend,
Can I be real with you on something I witness a lot these days?
This really activates my fiery Leo warrior priestess self...
Modern spirituality is full of bypassing.
I see a lot of folks who want love and light, liberation, awakening, enlightenment, the ASCENT...
but they want nothing to do with the grit.
I'm talking about digging in the muck, walking through the darkness, standing still in not-knowing, facing fear and feeling it's hot, foul breath in your face.
This is known as the archetypal DESCENT, and it is CRITICAL to come into your calling.
This is SOUL work.
If you've ever studied the heroines/hero's journey, it is cyclical.
Note: not linear.
The rough breakdown goes something like this:
birth/innocence, feeling of safety
leave the nest and realize the world is not as we thought
discover the darkness of humanity, mistakenly believe it lives only in the evil "other"
confront our own darkness, ego death, forced surrender of everything we know
emergence/rebirth: stronger than ever, now able to empathize + defeat outer darkness from within
victory, at peace with the exquisite tension of all universal forces (creation and destruction)
The phase at the bottom of the circle is appropriately where the heart of darkness lives. That is the ultimate low point in our DESCENT. This is sometimes known as the 'dark mother' or the underwork, and is represented in myths around the planet from various cultures, religions and faiths.
I get it. The 'Dark Mother' is scary as hell.
And, she is the gatekeeper between you and your best work.
In her presence, you will need to admit your deepest fears, feel your worst anxieties, ask for help, and then let the worst parts of you die. The most terrifying part of the Dark Mother myth is there’s NO guarantee you'll emerge.
You may not make it out alive.
The alternative, however, is living a half life.
Living someone else's purpose.
Opting out of taking the risk to travel the path toward your deepest service.
Think this is just a metaphor?
Ghandi. King. Mandela. Not myths.
Real humans who faced darkness and emerged to serve.
It’s taken me a while to realize that my people are the ones who are willing to take the descent, because they know it is absolutely necessary to get to the heart of their soul’s greatest gifts.
If this is you, I bow to you. It's not small, easy work!
This also speaks to the power of knowing who your people are.
Repeat: know. who. your. people. are.
Don’t pass the descent, my love. There is GOLD down there.
I’m by your side, step by step, walking blindly into the arms of Great Mystery.
Trusting the journey,
If you feel a strong resonance as you read these words, please join me for my brand new 3-day workshop series…
I invite you to join me for a brand new 3-day workshop series called Alchemical Leadership, where our aim is to turn your creativity into prosperity & unearth the gold that's at the heart of your deepest service.