Birth of a soul

For many of us, our lives are mostly centered around mundane tasks and reality that we need to tune into in order to survive and or to fit in with the society we are a part of. 

This means the more mystical, esoteric, spiritual, metaphysical parts of ourselves and our consciousness takes a back seat to the more mundane activities and way of thinking. Some folks may have a holy book and they might spend part of their week interacting with this book and what it teaches. Some folks work to integrate teachings from one or more faiths that uplift them, help them with life or just inform them in a way they appreciate. 

Some of us walk around the planet thinking about the metaphysical reality, wanting to discuss it or trying to discuss it and we may be met with judgement or dismissal. Fewer of us engage in overtly spiritual talks, finding refuge and acceptance. All that said, there is a common word that is woven throughout some of these discussions and that word is "soul". This word has varying definitions and there are varying levels of belief in whether or not we each have souls. 

I struggled with the idea of the soul in past years, unsure of what was the truth about the matter of souls and individual spirits. I have come to work with a definition of soul that resonates, and I define a soul as an accumulation of energy and consciousness working together within an individual that contains the very essence, power and life force allotted to that person for the entire duration of their existence, including, but not limited to, a whole lifetime. 

Now, it has occurred to me that there might be a beginning and an end to a soul. I think of it as a similar lifespan to that of a star. Or, a soul might be the part of us that is eternal. Since I am not an expert on any of this and perhaps nobody is, I will entertain multiple possibilities. 

If there is one all powerful Creator or Source of Creation from which our souls emerge, I feel that giving thanks for that on a regular basis makes the most sense. If souls arise without specific directions from a Source or Creator God/Goddess, they may function as independent spiritual agents. If that is so, the birth and evolution of souls would appear to be fascinating phenomenon that have serious depth to it beyond anything we have as of yet begun to comprehend. 

How would a soul be born? Who would or could birth a soul? Why and how would a soul come into existence? Why would an entire planet of animated souls come into existence? Lots of us have speculated we are here to experience ourselves at deeper and deeper levels through the sacred formulas of ancestral lineages, cosmic identities, the elements of earth, water, fire and air, many, seemingly endless kinds of lessons and truths that are hard to come by and so on. The possible answers go on and on, I can think of a whole lot!! 

This is just to encourage you to think, to consider, to imagine! I am not intending to draw final conclusions, more so just to get us started, to create a jumping off place so the reader, you, can dive into your own crashing waves of possibilities. I wish you safe and exciting travels. I will be back soon with more exploration and intentions to play, think, conceive, dream, and more. 

Why we need the Goddess

Have you noticed that when it comes to representation for the Goddess and her followers, most often she is portrayed in ways that belittle her, make fun of her or her people, and put down the Goddess centered worldview? Often, the characters in shows and movies that associate with her are boundary- less hippies who we do not ever take seriously. Or, they show people who are "crazy" and also are not taken seriously. Rarely if ever, do I see representation in the media where the Goddess is seen as a fierce force to be reckoned with, alongside many other aspects of her that are feminine, softer, more yin against the contrast of yang. I long to see her many aspects represented in ways that empower human women, and allow men, trans and non binary people to thrive in her compassion. 

The Goddess, how I understand her, fits into a real worldview. She is embodied in nature and in our human selves, our bodies, our minds, our spirits. She is both archetypal and totally literal and real. She is the moonlight, the patterns of stars, the blood in all of our blood lines, the forests, the oceans, the animals. She is imbued in all of creation and she is a Creator. Her aspects show up in archetypal ways, and we have given names to those ways, Tara, Athena, Brigid, Inanna, Yemaya and many more. All over the world, her powers and her energies show up. The gates she guards open onto sacred ground, sacred waters. All of this earth and the elements are sacred in her ancient -turned -modern rites. 

I call this Blog "Tara's Tongue" after an awakening to the idea that the mother tongue of our species is a compassionate one and that Tara, is a Matron goddess in her own right, of transcendent compassion. So the language of compassion is her trademark. When we speak, think and act with compassion, we are met with her strength and support. She will guide your speech and your actions if you ask her to and open to her. If that is not for you, you can still find many other paths of inspiration within the practices of Goddess religion, if you choose to. 

So, why do we need her? I have named more than a couple reasons already here. However, if you still are unsure why we need or could benefit from a Goddess centered worldview, I will paint more of a picture of our circumstances. Many of you know that patriarchal religions now rule the world and that the patriarchy is embedded into world cultures. Followers of pagan and Goddess religions are the minority, although their numbers are growing. Surviving the patriarchy, for so many of us, involves a kind of going underground, changing who we are and wearing masks we do not really want to wear. We are forced to wear masks and change our way of thinking and being because violence and oppression has been and is threatened if we do not comply. For so many men and boys, being "feminine" means being too vulnerable and can result in being harmed. For others, being too masculine is punished. A Goddess centered worldview provides relief from this kind of pain. All genders are welcome and accepted in this worldview. 

Seeing divinity defined by male Gods exclusively does harm to our collective psyche and our individual psychology. It makes us unbalanced and off balance in our assessments of ourselves and each other. If we have a broken mirror that constantly reinforces a broken view, we need healing from this and a new method of mirror gazing/self reflection.

There is much more to say but for now I will pause here. 

the dream of the dance

embracing mortality 

for the relief it brings

because the suffering in existence

has its end. a finality, a blessing. 

and there is no real end, 

only transformation, endless ascension

eventual absolution if you can call it that

I am comforted to know, I will age and let go

let it all slip from me

like a so very distant memory

until the screen is blank and the

game is reset

and the start is a fresh one

unless human again, unless mortal again

unless back into form.

but that formlessness, that release into the ethers

is a gift. and it is all mystery

where consciousness goes as matter composts

changing its composition and becoming nutrition

for other creatures. that magic in the balance of the dance

the dream of the dance, the longing that dwells in 

the hearts of waking ones. how will I wake up?

How will I look up when my perspective is altered 

by heavy experience interwoven into my very limited human awareness

Maybe I will look up for the clouds, the birds, the tree branches pushing at the sky

maybe I will let that be enough to liberate my perspective. 

calling back in all the beauty that eluded me when I was distracted.

becoming present for new moments. new beauty. new forms to enlist,

new ways to insist

in the meaning behind the incarnations, and that there can be peace

in these formations.