Hello friends,
Where does your mind go when you're not looking?
Does it run in circles? Trip you up?
Is it a cheerleader? A critic? A witness or logical interloper?
MIND is our story today, with a Full Moon in Gemini and Mercury retrograde in the heavens. And with Mars and Neptune making a 90 degree square to our Sun/Moon axis, our 'MINDS' may feel more like MINE-FIELDS than peaceful meadows.
As we have entered the month of Sagittarius, ruler of HIGHER TRUTH and INTUITION, I thought I might talk today about the STRUCTURE of our mind, according to esoteric philosophy.
I've been studying with the indomitable Alan Oken. Talk about a 'mind trip', this man's intellect is something to be reckoned with! And while I am FAR from a master of the Ancient Wisdom he disseminates, I've learned a lot from this guy. And what he teaches me continues to seep in, deeper and deeper, to my cerebral cortex.
I thought you might find it interesting, too.
Peaked your Gemini curiosity? Please come along.
According to the Ancient Wisdom Teachings, our 'mind' operates on 2 dimensions - LOWER and HIGHER.
The LOWER MIND correlates with our lower 3 Chakras and serves, via the intellect, the primal survival needs of our ANIMAL NATURE. Because the lower Chakras rule PERSONAL EMOTIONS and POWER, at this level of thinking we literally 'feel' our thoughts. We use our mind to justify our emotions, and our emotions to justify our mind. Problem is, our astral emotional field is subjective and selfish. The things we 'feel' are generally due to imprinting of familial and social environments, the desire to attain pleasure and avoid pain, or our primal drive to preserve self and tribe. There isn't a lot of 'rational objectivity' or 'compassion' involved in lower mind. This is DESIRE MIND.
At best, our lower minds find brilliant solutions that further our survival and improve life on earth in infinite ways. Yet at worst, the lower mind is judgemental, greedy, fearful, insecure, manipulative, competitive, status-seeking, or power hungry.
To bring this to life: visualize the impassioned politician who inflames the crowd with an emotional 'US vs. THEM' rhetoric, whipping them to a frenzy of support for this pseudo-logical argument underlined with hate. This is lower mind combined with astral emotional manipulation. Not an intuitive 'flash' in the house. And people can rise to the heights of political and economic superiority, firmly seated in the throne of their lower mind. It happens all over the world - even here.
Know any leaders who think this way?
The HIGHER Mind 'thinks' for the higher self, via intuition and knowing, and serves our spiritual nature and upper 3 Chakras. I suppose it is fairly uncommon to find someone who thinks from their higher mind ALL of the time, as our society barely acknowledges its existence! But many of us tap into it, and some spend quite a lot of time there. Perhaps you've met these people - they are calm, objective and present, authentically powerful, and able to offer wisdom that seems to perceive THROUGH words - sensing the TRUTH behind the form. They just KNOW things.
And you somehow trust them. Deep down, in the gut. They're good.
Other higher mind qualities might include collaboration, unconditional love, fairness, curiosity, patience, creativity, inspiration, acceptance, compassion, peace/non-violence, authentic power, 'win/win' orientation, willing to negotiate, big picture view, all-inclusive. DIVINELY INSPIRED.
Know any leaders who think this way?
So... According to the Ancient Wisdom Teachings, a 'HEALTHY HUMAN' embodies a balance between rational/emotional intellect and intuitive spiritual perception. Their lower minds are calm and quiet, in service to the higher partner. They receive intuitive knowing, and use their analytical powers to communicate that perception into life, into form.
This is grounded wisdom. This is making choices based on the highest good, furthering civilization toward equality, fairness, compassion and love.
This sounds amazing.
To be a HEALTHY HUMAN. To perceive MEANING and TRUTH, to serve the world with powerful authentic authority.
But there is one secret to this equation. One very important secret. And this is the reason why many can be POWERFUL AND SMART, but not intuitive.
The secret is Love.
Not gushy romantic love. Rather, the love born of the synthesis of the 4th Chakra - where Harmony comes from Conflict, duality is reconciled, and our tests are won or lost.
You see, according to the Ancient Wisdom, you can't even THINK of accessing your higher mind until you are centered in your heart. It's impossible. The mechanics of the human organism is such that higher mind is shut up tight - NO ENTRY - until the heart is open.
Strikingly similar to the opening of the feminine flower, it seems spirit needs a little foreplay to let her nectar flow. No love? BACK to the lower mind with all the other self serving assholes!
You may get glimpses, but not full access. It's how we're built.
And when we enter the HEART, we begin the exquisite process of building an energetic BRIDGE between our lower and higher minds, called the ANTAHKARANA. This bridge is built of all of the CONSCIOUS CHOICES OF ALIGNMENT that we make, moment to moment. Choices regarding what part of our SELF/MIND we will listen to and act from.... every day. And as we practice, as we grow in our ability to use our WILL to make choices centered in love and higher wisdom, we build this bridge stronger and stronger. It's all up to us.
For better or for worse, we always have free will.
Okay I'm going to wrap this up. We can continue next time, how about that? This a lot of information and I wonder if it has landed. Plus I'm writing this on the Gemini Full Moon, so I'm a little spinny.
The purpose of this musing is to help you identify the structure of how your mind works, according to this philosophical platform. When I learned this, I found it so helpful. I do to this day! And while there is SO MUCH ELSE TO SAY, I feel always a pressure toward brevity.
So please... take this information and use it to examine your own mind, your own heart. Try this on for size. See if it fits.
There is no goal... just inquiry. Curiosity. Wonder. Growth.
Cause when we tap into our intuition, you know what happens? We have all the answers we need. We know exactly what is right and wrong for us. We know exactly who to move toward, and who away from. It is so simple. Yet not simple, because it takes time to grow it strong! And it is in the simple observation that the growing begins.
The bridge is built, one thought at a time.
Gemini musings for a Gemini day.
GEMINI FULL MOON CHALLENGE:
Here is some work, if you choose.
As you walk through your day today:
1. Try to notice your THOUGHTS. Become the observer. See them, get familiar.
2. Try to notice what part of your BODY/SELF these thoughts seems to be 'coming from'.
When you think something judgy or fearful, does your stomach clench?
When you think something about the future, how does your jaw feel? Your hips? Your back?
Or when you have an expanded thought, or are sitting compassionately with a friend, is your body relaxed? Does your spine straighten, your heart warm?
Can you identify the qualitative difference between the lower mind and the higher? The types of things these parts of you actually think about? Try to notice what their qualities feel like, what brings each forward and back in your consciousness.
It's a fascinating game. Alan Oken calls this 'the Periscope'. Put up your periscope... above the emotional chaos... and be the observer of the reality, rather than only the participant.
3. Next, (this is the advanced challenge) try to CHOOSE to empower your heart/higher mind, over your lower mind/solar plexus! Once you can differentiate where thoughts are coming from, you may apply your WILL toward referencing from a higher place within you. And this is not available, we have all month in Sagittarius to practice! And surely we'll talk about this again, next newsletter.
Thank you for hanging out here with me, in Gemini land.
During a Mercury Retrograde Period, as we are in until early December, it is wise to slow down and take responsibility for our mental creations. So hopefully this will stimulate at least that... if not a whole new way of relating to your beautiful mind.
Love to you all, and please write! Tell me if this was interesting, useful, old hat, illuminating or shockingly awful. I want to know!
Sara