FREEDOM FROM SUFFERING
& PAST KARMA, REINCARNATION
The phoenix represents the transformation of our past. It doesn't mean running from it, denying it; or
"burning bridges" with rage. The Phoenix employs an advanced technique described in yoga as the burning of impurities through practice and dedication (tapas). The essence of the phoenix is with us when we realize we have been suffering too long and something must change. We take a stand and decide to live consciously instead of being driven by the unconscious mind and its long list of fears and aversions. At that very moment, the spark of the phoenix is lit, and the great bird helps us burn through our baggage. We no longer run from who we are, what has happened to us, or what we have done. The "stuck-ness" and "dead weight" fall into the ashes and a lightness and clarity emerge. As the stagnancy continues to smolder, the Phoenix lifts our spirits up and up, and we begin to recognize ourselves again. We may catch a glimmer in our eye that wasn't there before. Look closely... it's a sign the fire of transformation is upon your wings.
THE PHOENIX AND THE FIRST CHAKRA
The ancient yogis believed that our heaviest karmas reside in the first chakra. This earthen center is also called Muladhara, or our root. The ascent of the phoenix begins here, and as the entanglement of karmas is slowly burned, it rises from the ash toward the navel center. Again and again it makes this journey from first to third chakra, purifying our essence, freeing us from the past.
Hi friends! There were a lot of Sanskrit terms up there that, if you're not familiar with, I'll explain below. It's nothing crazy... just keep reading:)
Welcome to week #5 of our expedition! Each animal symbolizes a different aspect of our human journey, helping us to better understand and connect to our inner and outer worlds. Every 5 weeks, we cycle through each of the 5 elements (earth, water, fire, air, space) and their respective animals in this card deck. These blog posts expand upon the themes introduced in my public yoga classes. Last week, we learned from the fire ant, who asked us to examine the force that attracts us to people and situations that feed our imbalances rather than those that counter them. After two weeks of bugs, this week, we have a striking visitor. The pheonix demands of us, fierce love and the radical decision, that burns away anything and everything that is holding us back.
This week's card is distinct from the past 4 weeks (earth, water, fire, air) - it is a card of the space element... something unseen, unknown, unfathomable. Space is the container that holds the other four elements. If the first 4 elements represent the qualities of our human experience navigating a material world, the space element represents the qualities of the soul. The space element is the force of the unexplainable mysticism that we experience in our lives. Space, also called ether, is empty... it's nothingness, yet simultaneously, it's everything - this element is the "space" for infinite possibilities. It is the breaking free from everything that we think we could ever know or experience, which can, by faith, lead to monumental shifts within our beliefs (our view of/relationship to life) and explicitly within our lives (what's objectively happening). Pretty big stuff. This is the element of miracles, of radical change, and of revelation... pointing us back home to ultimate connection, love, and purpose.
Here's what the book says about the creatures of the ether:
"The creatures of the spirit element do not live on Earth as we know it. They are inhabitants of a dimension beyond... the cosmic ether. These seven trump cards represent significant challenges or awakenings on the "subtle" level... the level of the inner spirit or soul. Like guardians from another realm, they are watchful and protective when we are at a crossroads in our lives. Several spirit cards indicate the force of life is moving us in new directions. Trust is key with the spirit cards, as life shifts in big ways. Questions night seem unanswerable, the future unknown...but you're in the perfect place. Even if you have the perception that you're in control, you're not. Grace surrounds the situation and steers the wheel."
We may be familiar with the story of the phoenix. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians described a mythical bird called the Phoenix, a magnificent creature that was a symbol of renewal and rebirth. According to legend, each Phoenix lived for 500 years, and only one Phoenix lived at a time. Just before its time was up, the Phoenix built a nest and set itself on fire. Then, a new Phoenix would rise from the ashes.
When we seek growth, we typically seek 'a solving of our problems'. We label and determine that certain things in our lives are wrong, inadequate, or inefficient, and that we need to change... to grow... in order to reach some kind of fulfillment, happiness, or peace. If I were to lay out my list of problems, it could potentially seem massively overwhelming... and I could always find more to add to the list. If I am in a state of overwhelm, I am essentially rejecting my current circumstances and desperately grasping for change. This desperation can lead to overcompensation and extremist thoughts and actions... perhaps even leading us into further misalignment in the attempt to escape our current situation. The wise advise, to when possible, always act from a place of stillness and love, not fear. The phoenix, a powerful powerful symbol, brings about massive transformation not through fear, but through love.
The phoenix asks of us, radical love, fierce love - the kind of love that is required to bring about the dramatic decision necessary to burn everything that is holding us back. Sometimes love is tender and soft, and other times it is a raging flame that engulfs the things we are so entangled in, so attached to, but are not meant for us. In order for our rebirth to occur, in order for our growth, in order for us to step forward into the new version of ourselves, in the new chapter of our lives... something has got to go. And you know it. You can feel it. We cling to the things that once made us feel safe or accepted or comfortable... but at some point, they begin to suffocate us and hold us back. Now, as the card says, this doesn't mean necessarily cutting anyone off or making some kind of extreme change. Maybe... but maybe this purification doesn't change your circumstances, but rather, your relationship to your circumstances. That's freedom. And from that freedom, that fullness, that peace, you can begin to navigate your world in a way that is efficient and effective and aligned with the things that are truly meant for you... those things that are calling you.
It is easier said than done... that is why the phoenix offers a sacrificial fire. He offers surrender. Most of us are way too attached to our habits and beliefs to sacrifice them into the unknown. We cannot predict that there is "something better" waiting for us. We want to play it safe by holding on to our current way of things until the new thing presents itself. A leap of faith is required, to let go of the old outdated ways of being, in order to open up the space for the new. As we cultivate our faith and our trust in the mystery of life, we can continuously practice surrendering our past into the fire of purification, and deepen into the present, to make way for a future where we continuously strive to fully live out our purpose.
This fire of purification, although scary, actually makes our lives easier... more cohesive... and more connected. The fire gets rid of all of the gunk that makes us feel separate, confused, and ineffective... It cleans off the metaphorical windshield of our soul's journey.
Karma means action... it's not good or bad. If you throw an apple into the air, it is that apple's karma to fall down to the earth by gravity. Similarly, we accumulate karmas through action, and those past karmas can weigh us down and entangle us. As we increase our consciousness, we become aware of our ways of ineffective living and untangle ourselves from our karma by way of tapas (purification). Sometimes tapas is slow and gradual, sometimes it happens all at once. No matter the speed of your purification, you are exactly where you need to be - it cannot be forced or rushed. Trust the process.
So when that radical moment of fierce love calls you, offer your past into the fire - burn it all at once - whatever needs to be burnt. Don't even think about it, don't methodize a path to untangle yourself or solve your problem by way of the rational mind. Burn it all. Burn your ineffective ways of relating to your environment, to the people around you, to your self, to your work, to your purpose. If you want freedom and love and meaning enough, you'll find the courage and faith to step into the flames. Afterwards, you will find yourself, as a result, not left with nothing, but left with absolute freedom to intentionally move about life aligned with your highest self and with your purpose on this planet. Just like the phoenix, from the ashes, you rise.
Next week, we'll cycle back to the earth element to learn from another bug ;) the earthworm.
dream extreme!
♡ Kat
excerpts from my journal:
"You teach me to rest my searching mind… because you truly do have it all laid out perfectly for me. If only I can trust and lean into you more. I know that you will take care of me."
"Sometimes I don't want to think or strategize my way into a more aligned existence... I just want to melt into it - melt into you. A complete release. No mind, no effort required, in fact, it's the complete surrender of my mind and will. By offering each and every little piece and fragment of my carefully constructed world into the sanctuary of my heart, you take all of those pieces, and with the power of your love, you burn them all - tapas - the burning away of impurities, all misaligned ego, until all that remains is ash. And in that newfound spaciousness, still lives the essence of everything I've learned and created, there lives the essence of who I am - my true identity in you, that is more powerful than any thought, form, feeling, action, or belief I could ever imagine. By merging with that essence, everything in my external world will effortlessly fall into place - of this I am certain."
Thank you for sharing!