My first dream of 2015. Intention: Show me the best things I can help to bring through in the year ahead.
EXPANDING JUNG'S REACH
I am engaged in a busy, enjoyable round of publishing, conferences and workshops. I have made creative connections with scholars and psychologists who are dedicated to Jung's work. One is a woman who has written a fascinating new study of the history and legends of the Ancient Deer in Europe. I read many pages of this text with great care. All this work, and especially the paper on the Ancient Deer, is making Jung's central ideas more accessible to ordinary people.
You can see this going on in the street. I watch an attractive younger woman who is part of our circle standing in front of row houses with a long pole, tall enough to reach the second floor. She is swaying a little, but I see that she knows what she is doing. With the pole, she looks like a lamplighter from the gaslamp era. I understand, as I watch her, that what we are doing is turning people's lights on.
Feelings: happy and very intrigued.
Reality: I greatly admire Jung, have studied his life and his writings rather deeply, and part of my current book is a kind of circumambulation (one of his favorite words) of his theory and practice of synchronicity.
I have dreamed of Ancient Deer and have led shamanic workshops for twenty years on a mountain where the Deer energy is strong. The woman lamplighter reminds me of a younger, more attractive Marie-Louise von Franz. I hope our paths converge.
Reality: I greatly admire Jung, have studied his life and his writings rather deeply, and part of my current book is a kind of circumambulation (one of his favorite words) of his theory and practice of synchronicity.
I have dreamed of Ancient Deer and have led shamanic workshops for twenty years on a mountain where the Deer energy is strong. The woman lamplighter reminds me of a younger, more attractive Marie-Louise von Franz. I hope our paths converge.
Snapper: We Are Turning People's Lights On.
There are many beautiful and humble lamplighters.
ReplyDeleteOne of them is an old beggar, living in the time of Buddha, called "Relying on Joy". She used to watch people offering to Buddha and she wished to do the same. So, she went out begging but at the end of the day she had only one small, worthless coin. The oil merchant, hearing about her intention, took pity on her and gave the oil for free.
The old woman took the oil to the monastery where she lit the lamp. She made a wish: "I have nothing to offer just this little lamp. But thanks to it may I be blessed with the lamp of wisdom in the future. May I liberate all beings from darkness. May I guide them to enlightenment."
That night all lamps went out, just hers was still burning at dawn. In the morning Buddha´s disciple came and tried to put her lamp out by all means, but couldn´t. Buddha, who observed his pupil´s behaviour all along, said: "My son, even if you poured water from all oceans over this lamp, you wouldn´t put it out. Why? Because it was offered with devotion and purity of heart and mind. To the old beggar Buddha prophesied to become in the future a perfect buddha, called "Light of the Lamp."
In the year 2015 I wish you and all lamplighters to meet many good people whose hearts are ready to receive the light of love and wisdom.