Visions in the East
Eagle by Gary Rothstein
Life is full of changes. Death. New beginnings. Transitions and Transformations. I recently watched the movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” I was pleasantly surprised at its depth and attention to the human condition. The film offered two messages – “You never know what is coming for you.” and “Nothing ever lasts.” These sentiments can sound a bit depressing, but in reality they speak to our need for mindful attention and appreciation for the moments we do have in life and for the people with whom we share our lives.
This idea of the cyclical and ever changing nature of life has captured me for years. The only thing we can really be sure of is “change.” Helen Keller reminded us, “Security is an illusion.” For me, embracing this unpredictable aspect of life, rather than denying it, has proven beneficial and comforting. During any process of death, there is equally a process of rebirth happening. It is not necessarily something linear as much as simultaneous. An artist will “destroy” a white canvas while giving birth to a painting. A lumberjack will kill a tree to build a house. A negative belief is released in order to heal. We all have to weigh the benefits and costs of each action but there is no escaping this reality of constant birth, death and rebirth.
Coming here to New Mexico was a death of sorts in my own life – letting go of old patterns, habits, people, work, friendships and yet I sense nothing is truly gone. It is integrated; transformed. I carry it all with me – whether I like it or not. My good deeds and intentions as well as my faults and sins are all eternally recorded and yet the miracle is that each moment truly is a moment of grace in which we can be reborn a new. We cannot leave our past behind and yet we are not bound by it either. The past never leaves us and the possibility of the future is always present. We are in the eternal “now”.
I lived near Salamanca, NY, the home of the Seneca Nation. I spent time with Grandmother Twylah Nitsch, keeper of the Wolf Clan Teaching Lodge. She taught me her interpretation of the Medicine Wheel. “Medicine” is our life path – the things in life that teach us and help us grow. It is our lessons, talents, challenges, and choices and our interactions with Spirit, the land and other people. The circle represents all of life – our earth walk and our spirit walk – on our journey to wholeness.
The Medicine Wheel that I was shown designates the east as the sacred door; the place of new beginnings. The east offers us the rising sun, the place of sacred breath and birth ; not just physical birth, but the birth of visions, dreams, and goals. (Various Nations have different interpretations or symbols in the directions.) It is the place of the winged ones – the eagle – who can see far and wide over the land – the bigger picture. The wings are spread open and the heart is exposed to the world. In this place we can feel a bit ungrounded, vulnerable, and uncertain. We can get tossed about or knocked off course easily. Have you ever had a dream or vision and tried to share it with others who did not understand? We can easily be distracted, deterred or feel a need to be protective of our vision when others disapprove. This is a delicate place.
Where are the visions being born in your own life? What have you begun in this new year of 2010 as a resolution or a goal that is now in its infant stage? What dreams do you have that perhaps others people do not share? What has caught your attention in the distance that you cannot quite see yet, nevertheless, is calling for you to explore? What needs to be nurtured and grounded now in your life in order to be made manifest in the world?
It is important for us to have a good grounding cord so we are not soaring only in our visions and dreams but firmly rooted in the earth and in our physical lives. In this way we can offer our unique contribution to life. When we step into the south in the Medicine Wheel we find the “medicine of mouse” which is to be of the earth and see things up close. Mouse is about seeing the details and steps to accomplish something. The south is the place of our daily lives and work and family. It is life exposed in the full noon sun. It is where we labor. The east is only a temporary haven for dreams and visions. They are born there but it is then our job to ground them into form and matter and share them with others. It is hard work.
This birth process can be scary and it is unpredictable. Just like giving birth to a child – we do not know exactly what they will look like or how their personality will be until they are here and allowed to grow. So to, our visions need time and space and most of all nurturing commitment in order to fully mature. I have a sign in my art studio that says “I am your idea. If you do not pay attention to me today I will be gone tomorrow.”
A vision imagined is just a vision unless we can make it manifest in our lives. There is a lot of work to be done but we do not need to do it alone. We can bring our inspirations home and when we live into them we find the world around us makes room, offers support – making the circle bigger. The Mandala of vision begins to take shape crystallizing our thoughts into a reality that is easier to share with others. Our visions gain strength and stability. Other people show up at the right time, opportunities, challenges, and resources light our way. (And sometimes setbacks are blessings.)
This is a quote that Susan, a recent participant visiting The Mandala Center, left for me upon her departure,
“The moment one definitely commits oneself then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise occurred…unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.” Goethe.
For those of you soaring in the east right now; opening and exposing your hearts to new possibilities, I send prayers of support and hope that this New Year brings the Wisdom you seek and the Providence you need. May you make manifest the visions you hold dear. Tish Hewitt manifested her vision here when she began to build The Mandala Center.
Now we are building new visions and moving forward in the process of change and growth. I trust the land, the staff, and the people who journey here, searching for deeper meaning in their own lives, will participate and prepare for the continuing process of rebirth. May the circle bind us in the journey.
Lori Coon, Executive Director