Dreamtime Consulting

"I am not afraid of the storm, for I am learning to steer my boat." Louisa May Alcott

What a wonderful passage for those of us who find ourselves in the center of spiritual storms. Anyone who has found themselves upon a spiritual road, questing in search of whatever grail lies within the depths of a Fisher-King fortress, knows that sooner or later the winds of chaos will sweep through the landscape and from the clouds will step the divine tricksters, the fathers of chaos and often times the very essence of creation.

Like "Alice's Adventures Underground", we receive our call and then tumble into the dark places. For many, the rumble of thunder heralds a nightmare of unthinkable power, with waves of such size our spiritual vessels is plunged into the reefs where sirens await us. However, for others such as Lousia May Alcott, the storm becomes the herald of a greater presence and as the clouds clear we catch the scent of the isle of Avalon, or the sweet bird song from the birds of Rhiannon.

In one of his lectures, Jonathan Young,(founder of The Center for Story and Symbol in Santa Barbara, CA) suggests we view Chaos as a "Divine Visitation." In Jungian Psychology, Chaos comes in the form of an Archetype, called the shadow which is the dark aspects of ourselves, which are present and real. Jung went on to explain, as do many traditions, this aspect of life will never go away, it will always be there. Indeed to ignore it invites very disastrous results. Jung likened it to injecting ourselves with negative energy which would destroy the psyche, and the physical as well. The negative energy must be diverted into positive, healing energy. In the very act of being chaotic, the energy produces a paradox and becomes itself healing, transforming.

In one version of Islam, Lucifer becomes fallen not because of rebellion, but because prior to him there was a dark energy and in the very act of defeating it something must take its place. This by no means is intended to exalt Lucifer, but to simply illustrate chaos and darkness are components of the spiritual quest which we will encounter weather we wish to or not. In many traditions the first "official" step on the quest often involves chaos, or events which throw us out of the realm of the material world and into the realms of myth. An initiate is blind folded and walked to the sacred point, the center where physical sight is not to be relied upon, but spiritual sight bestowed. Another is dressed in clothing which is designed to be paradoxical in itself(clothed and not clothed). Vision quests often include leaving the community, our a Shamanic journey into the underworld where the Shaman is disassembled and reassembled.

Even the most accomplished adept or priest can still perish in the chaos if they focus on the clouds and lightning, as opposed to steering their vessel through it. Those who have found themselves in the midst of a storm know that the storm itself can be very awesome. It's beauty comes from the sublime, but that beauty is what will kill us if we do not focus on navigating our way through it, or around it. Even when our vessel is swamped or over turned, we must still swim and not focus upon the waves, wind or clouds.

The holy ground, face of god and even the grail itself can be deadly for those encounter them. Yet, as the Ying and Yang symbol suggests, from both come the counterpart and yet both are needed for us to survive our spiritual quests. From the heart and blood of the buffalo came the strength and wisdom of the tribe. The interdependence of all those who quest is unavoidable, and a Chief Seattle suggested, what is done to one part of the web effects the other parts.

In the depths of Nazi death camps, Victor Frankl and others like him found meaning. In the dark night of the soul, as St. John of the Cross calls it, there the holy of holies is. The darkness stands before us, threatening, all consuming wrought with as much power we give it. Will we stand and rage at the darkness, or take our staff and travel in darkness knowing at the end of the quest we will find the grail awaiting us, or the apples of Avalon, or the gates of paradise?