WINTER

November 6, 2011

November 6 marks the first day of Winter, a three-month period of working outside of physical reality. And as evidenced by the growing movement across the globe, people are indeed waking up to the fact that we are living in a virtual reality. Indeed, it appears that our 2012 awakening is simply that - to discover we have been occupying a virtual reality, one which it appeared that we had no power or control over. Bless the digital natives who brought us the Xbox, Nintendo, computer gaming - each and every one of those minds fed the global web the ideas that have brought us to this moment. If we are indeed simply creating a reality together (and seriously, talk to any one of your friends and family - EVERY ONE OF US lives in our OWN virtual reality) then why have we agreed to create this particular reality? Why not raise the bar and dream in something REALLY big and amazing?

In the 1960's, a wave of change swept over the globe. We knew there was a better way to live, that war was not an answer, that love had more power than hate. What we did NOT have was an older generation who believed in us. (There have always been a few, but never an entire generation). Then we went through the greedy 80's, and the bubbles of the 90's, and the collapse of the twenty-first century. And now here we are, back again in a 60's-like environment, with one huge difference. WE are the generation that can support the new activists.

Let's go back to the digital natives. That term describes those who have grown up with technology as an extension of their brain. Unlike my generation, the digital immigrants, the natives do not see technology as separate from themselves. It is an EXTENSION of themselves. All those hours on the computer, the smart phones, the gaming - the natives have discovered virtual reality. Seeping from their minds to ours is the truth that the realty we currently live in is also virtual. Our young people are pouring their passion and intelligence into understanding how to manipulate reality - something that formerly only belonged to those holding the power. These people are building a true world-wide web - a web based on transparency, sharing information, and a desire to shift our world to a new way of living. They are creating the means in which to share the new stories. It now becomes the responsibility of those of us who lived through the 60's and beyond, to reclaim our ability to believe in miracles, and to tell stories that inspire and motivate.

While I don't read the news or watch TV, I do spend a fair amount of time each week exploring the internet for interesting and synchronistic stories. Reading news from other countries gives me a perspective on how the rest of the World sees America. A country is just like an individual - we are blind to our own shortcomings. We rely on our friends to tell us the truth and bring our attention to those flaws. If however, our friends are afraid to tell us the truth, or we refuse to listen, then our flaws will be revealed more abruptly, and without compassion, by antagonists. This is actually one of the shamanic paths, called "Petty Tyrants. (see Carlos Castaneda for a good example of this.) A petty tyrant is someone we have an unconscious agreement with, that through conflict and strife they will show us exactly where our beliefs are limiting our life's expression. At some point in this path, one wakes up and sees how one has given permission to be tyrannized, and takes a 90 degree turn into a new reality.

The Wall Street journal ran this headline last week: A study believed to be the largest of its kind suggests that the physical aspects of yoga are effective at relieving low back pain, but it didn't find any evidence that yoga provided broader mental benefits. I had to laugh. Another "news" article declared that most Americans support geo-engineering. I don't know where they get their information, but I have yet to meet anybody who thinks geo-engineering (weather manipulation) is a good thing! I am seeing more and more "news" articles which are simply efforts to harvest our beliefs to continue feeding the status quo. The stories being presented as truth are in large part simply propaganda. As a culture that has access to some of the most sophisticated communication in the world, it is now our responsibility to FEEL our way through the stories and give our attention to those that feed a new paradigm.

So, finding news outlets which provide stories that inspires requires a little effort. (See Truthout, Ode Magazine , Yes Magazine, Al-Jazeera, Reality Sandwich, Grit, RevAct, as well as hundreds of bloggers and average citizens). The old systems are breaking down under their lack of integrity, and new systems are being built in garages, in bedroom offices late at night, in passionate discussions both virtual and physical - the energy of change is palpable. There is an excellent article here that eloquently describes what the Occupy Wall Street movement is about at it's most basic level - the desire to live in a world more beautiful, more magical, and more equal. There is a wave of change, a tsunami of consciousness sweeping the globe, and we can no more ignore it or say no to it than we can stop the Winter from coming. As this wave strengthens, the status quo becomes more afraid, and the traditional media outlets are pressured to keep the fear and anxiety high. Pushing stories that keep us in fear has long been an excellent way to divert the energy of change.

And change is what Winter is about. As the tremendous growth of summer dies down, the leaves drop from the trees and the earth prepares for sleep, what becomes apparent is how easy it is to see the underlying structures of things. Look at the trees in your front yard. Without their leaves, it becomes clear which limbs are cracked or broken and might fall off in a storm. You can see the symmetry of the tree's shape, pleasing against a moonlit sky. In the same way, each winter, the underlying structures of our beliefs are revealed. Feeling powerless? When did you accept that others had power over you? Did you have a traumatic experience as a child that has not been resolved? Has this experience been kept alive all these years because it continues to show you how powerless you truly feel? Is this belief system bored with this story, and yearning to be transformed into something greater? Instead of the belief "I am powerless", perhaps this belief wants to believe "I am super-powerful and can create anything I can dream". If your underlying beliefs are itching for transformation, they will poke and prod you in all kinds of ways. In the dark morning hours of winter, when all is still and frozen, your ancestors and guides and multi-dimensional selves will wake you up and whisper in your ear. "Change this", they say, or "what if..." and fantastic images of new ways of living flood your mind.

This is the energy that Winter brings to us. For many though, this 4am conversation simply repeats the worst of the beliefs. "You're nobody, you're nothing, you will never be anybody" may be the thoughts flooding your brain at 4am. Know that these are your old beliefs that are anxious to have help in their transformation. They want you to be working at believing in yourself, not turning over your power to them. They are tired of having this power. They no longer get any pleasure (if they ever did) from keeping you feeling inferior. They long to join the ranks of the global changes. They are tired and old, their journey is over. They want to be reborn into service to you. They want to experience being the foundation of a life that is magical, heroic and epic. This is the time we have been waiting for. Epic stories are everywhere, just waiting for players to walk in. All over the country we are seeing people say, "enough!" and leaving the safety and security of their old lives, opening themselves to new stories, new experiences and new legends.

So this Winter, find the stories that make you sing, then step into a new archetype. Take a news fast at least one day a week, with no newspaper, no radio, no TV. Find the stories that are unfolding all around you, stories of amazing interactions between people, between animals, between all life. Show that being emotional is a strength. Show that sharing makes you richer than hoarding. Share the intimate, unique parts of yourself that you may have hidden for so long. Let the Winter strip you bare, and believe that in your starkness, your beauty will shine forth as a beacon in the night to someone, somewhere, who needs to see you.

Trust that you are here, at this most glorious time in the history of our planet, as a witness and a participant to something so grand, we all had to come here so we could be part of the amazing transformation. Trust yourself and your place in the world. Trust the Earth. Dream big. Tell stories that inspire. Share who you are, and the life experience you have accumulated. KNOW that you are a story the Divine Consciousness is telling itself, and that your story is every bit as important as any other story out there. Let the Winter's energy bring you back to the womb for healing, for inspiration, and to renew and restore. Reveal your heart, and let the world love you.

Blessings!

Cat

The Season of Winter begins the process of inward reflection. By taking our eyes off the external world and looking within, we find patterns and intuitive wisdom we can draw upon for the coming year. Winter is the time of deep healing sleep.