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Passion, Joy, and Fire Magic
Q: At the Joy of Right Living Workshop, Lazaris talked about boundaries of belief (ceiling), floor (love), and walls of imagination and trust. Could you talk about ways you expand the walls of your imagination and trust?
Jach:
Expanding imagination ... well, upcoming is a workshop on the Imaginal Realm where imagination imagines itself ... I suppose that would be a way to begin. [s] However, here's what comes to mind as I think about it now.
What are the components of a living imagination? More than an active imagination, which is a consensus term and a concept highly and successfully developed by Carl Jung, what are the components of a living imagination? More than an active one, a living imagination involves ... passion, compassion, desire, logic/reason, the body, images, and inspiration. Lazaris puts it together much more neatly, but those are the terms I remember. So the way to expand our imagination can begin by exercising and expanding these components.
As we work with our passion, for example, imagination can flow. It does. It can flow from the obvious source of fantasy ... when we awaken or spark our passion, we have fantasies. And those fantasies can be just that -- just fantasy -- and even so, they can trigger and stretch imagination. But those fantasies can also be fantasia ... fantasies that can reveal deeper, unknown, and hidden meaning that is valuable for our growth. Either way, imagination grows. With passion, we feel the urge to create something new or at least something different ... What? Well, our imagination is involved. Using it brings about expansion, it seems to me. I could say "It brings about expansion, I imagine," but I will try to not be so obvious. [s]
It seems to me that as we work with almost any of the other components, our imagination grows. At least it is activated and thus has the potential to grow. In addition, as we focus on being creative and productive, our imaginations can expand, don't you think? It just occurred to me that working with mystery would be a great way to expand imagination. So, those are some ideas that come to mind.
Now to trust ... This is a big one for me right now. I have been thinking about it a lot in the last few days. I have worked with the audiotape Utilizing the Magic of Self-Trust. It's great and I do recommend it for everyone, if trust is something that is in need of expanding at this time. Well, I have worked with that tape, and as I say it is great and really helpful. Beyond that, there are three keys for me. Maybe three ...
First, I focus on being trustworthy. I say without hubris: I know that I am trustworthy ... I am worth or worthy of being trusted. Okay. But to expand trust saying that is not enough. I find that I need to expand being conscious of it. I need to stretch being conscious -- being more conscious -- of that fact.
And I need to honor it. I need to honor the fact that I am trustworthy. To honor: to allow it to matter; to allow it to have significance; to allow it to change me; allow it to have value. I need to let the fact that I am trustworthy matter, be significant, change me, and be valued by me. That's honoring it. I mean, if we know something but don't use it or let it change us, what's the use of knowing it? I mean, where is the value in that? What good is it to be trustworthy but not act or function as though you were? See what I mean? So trustworthiness is the first key.
The second key is confidence. Yes, confidence involves trust ... trust that is cut by or tempered by humility ... but I find that to expand my capacity to trust, I need to exercise my confidence. I need to be confident and to function confidently. Another part of confidence is courage and hope. So I need to function courageously and with hope.
As I know that I am trustworthy and as I know my confidence -- my ability to cope -- I can go ahead and trust. A little voice in my head says, "Why not? What are you waiting for? Go ahead and trust ... what's the worst that could happen?" And whatever that is, I am confident I can deal with it. I can survive it at the least, and I can make it a part of me and become more at the best. So trustworthiness and confidence are two of the three keys.
The third key: I am tired of not trusting. Yeah, it is boring not to trust. The same old story about why I can't or won't trust ... boring!!!!! I am bored with my own story. I am tired of it. I am tired of wondering whether or not I can trust. So ... (expletive not even typed) it ... trust!
So with those three keys, I think trust expands. Well, those are the three keys I am using. I am sure there are others.
Q: Would you talk about how you work with your passion and creativity? I am particularly interested in the beginning times of a project or creative endeavor and getting started, though anything on the subject is appreciated. Thank you.
Jach:
First, I resist. [vbg] Really, in so many ways I am reluctant to change, and I resist change. As much as I do it, it is not something I approach with eagerness. I resist; sometimes I fight it. And there are the times that I plow right into self-pity. I can whine a lot about change ... "Oh no, not again!!!!"
Now, this happens when it becomes apparent that change is necessary and when it seems to come about randomly or by chance. It also happens when I consciously pursue change. Yeah, I know. It's weird. I can be going along just fine, and then I realize ... I am bored or restless. I can wake up feeling an uneasiness, and I know that I need to make some changes. That is, I know that I need to begin something new ... a new project. It's not a necessity, and it isn't random, but I know I have to do it. And then I resist ... "Oh, no, there I go again." I can get angry at myself. But once I move into the resistance, be it pity or anger, I tend to move through it quickly. And then I can find focus. Once over the hump, then the creativity can awaken and then the passion can begin to flow.
I used to have a much harder time with passion. I could never quite define it. But in the more recent workshop on passion, Lazaris said something that cleared this up for me, and it's been much easier to work with my passion ever since. He pointed out that our passion is not really in a thing or an activity or an event. It's in us. The particular activity that we label "our passion" is not really our passion; it is the thing that can trigger it in us. That thing or those events are like matches. They can ignite the passion, but they are not the passion. I don't know, but that made sense to me and cleared the way. I stopped "looking for my passion" and just started letting it find me. [s] Beauty stirs my passion. Beauty in sound, beauty in motion or movement, beauty in a moment ... beauty triggers the passion that is inside me. It also really engages my soul. Tears fill my eyes a lot when I experience beauty ... that love that weeps at the slightest act of injustice or inhumanity and yet rejoices at the slightest act of human kindness ... yeah, beauty triggers my passion and engages my soul. So I resist, and then I move beyond it. Okay. Then I look for the beauty. And my eyes tear up. [s] Then I am inspired, and I get to work. I ride the wave of those tears and that deep appreciation of beauty. And I come to exclaim the beauty of my own "movement" in creating as I think about ideas or as I write about experiences. And in the exclamation (!) the passion and the creativity are wedded.
And then I get out of the way. In the end I am most often incredulous and then mightily pleased with what comes out of it all. And I love the mystery of it all. I find immense beauty in mystery. I am surprised by how much beauty I find in mystery.
Q: Hi, Jach! During the evening "The Magic of Divine Union" Lazaris talked about the passion stealers, including rage. He also mentioned turning rage into the "creative rage." What is "creative rage?" Thanks!!
Jach:
It has been a while since I have worked with passion stealers. But I do remember Lazaris talking about how rage can work as both a passion stealer and as a source of passion. As I recall, he did make a distinction during one of the workshops about being enraged and outraged. Regardless of the dictionary definitions, Lazaris suggested that when we feel rage and then shove that rage down inside in the usual fashion with denial, discounting, defending, and distracting, that inner-directed rage (enrage) can steal our passion.
During those discussions I recall that Lazaris pointed out that in our consensus reality we tend to think of rage as this overly animated, violent, boisterous yelling sort of thing. And rage can be that. But rage can also be silent, deadening, and poisonous. Sometimes rage buried so deep, yet so intense, can cause a person to give up before they begin. This rage can cause someone to be totally silent with a "why bother?" attitude. So, rage that is embedded, even encoded within us, can steal our passion. It can steal our life force; it can kill us. When our rage becomes outrage ... a rage that we find an appropriate means to express ... it can be a very creative energy.
Lazaris pointed out that this doesn't mean that a person with outrage goes around screaming and shouting, they don't go around breaking things. [s] But they are outraged by a situation and find creative ways to vent or to funnel that rage. In this case, I suppose, they would turn to the fluid faces of creation: origination, invention or innovation, and through these faces create change. They might produce, form, or reform (solid faces) but the fuel would be their rage. Lazaris talked about most causes or movements for change based on necessity in the minds of some, or chance in the minds of other, but they were fueled by rage.
Women and men outraged at civil injustice or at unequal rights between men and women, for example ... there were those who were enraged and fell silent; there were those who were outraged and creatively produced change. These are examples of rage being a passion stealer and a passion giver, and as a passion giver, being a fuel for creativity and for creation/manifestation. This is how it seems to me.
Q: Hi, Jach! Lazaris frequently says that "Joy is the Healer." What does this mean? Thanks!
Jach:
The brief answer: I am not altogether sure.
But ... I first think of the water Element ... the metaphor and symbolism of water express several energies. Elemental water is a symbol for transmutation and transformation as well as for growing and changing. It is representative of the strength of character as well as of the power of the possible. Maybe it would be clearer to say that water represents the power of character and the power of the possible. [s]
It is also the Element of joy. Joy is often what emerges as we are in the midst of transmuting and transforming, as we grow and change. If we can be open to the power of the possible while we are transmuting and transforming energies and forces in our growth and change, we can find joy. If we can also rely upon the strength or the power of our character (adhering to our principles that guide us toward our ideals) while we are so engaged, joy is often the product.
Just as power and responsibility peppered with the power of will and the awakening of genius yield freedom (Air Element), so transmuting/transforming and growing/changing seeded with the power of the possible and the power of character can yield joy.
Now, with joy we can both find and bring passion. With joy, we can both find and bring inspiration. And with the combination ... the union ... of passion and inspiration in joy ... healing. Thus, joy is the healer. It is cornerstone to our transmuting/transforming work, or it is cornerstone to our magic. It is keystone to the power of the possible ... without joy, the possible can seem abysmal, right? It is keystone to our character. And all of these are immeasurable parts of healing ... not always of curing or fixing, but definitely immeasurable parts of healing. And then, as passion and inspiration bump up against each other many things can happen. But when passion and inspiration come together and are bound by joy, when joy binds the mixture, healing can lift from creation to manifestation. So that, primarily, is why I think Lazaris says joy is the healer.
And then, again ... joy is a masculine energy. It is the dynamic energy that emerges from the womb of happiness. First, we need a somewhat solid or at least sturdy base of happiness for joy to stand a chance. [s] We need a sense that our needs are satisfied before we can reach beyond them to fulfill our preferences, for example. We need to have a foundation of success before we can stretch beyond and challenge our boundaries and our strengths and supersede or surpass in living our lives. We need to have a sense that the love in our lives is safe before we can stand upon that love and stretch and reach for new levels and new dimensions of love.
All this requires (if you will allow that word) a base of happiness. Then joy ... no matter how fleeting ... can emerge. And joy is fleeting. It's masculine energy and it's the energy of spirit. It is dynamic and constantly on the move and on the go. It does not sit still, or it doesn't sit still for long.
So, joy lifts out of happiness, and even if it does this for a moment, something shifts in us. Something shifts in our world. We change. And I think something is healed. Now, that shifting, changing, and healing doesn't always last long. We can uncreate it faster than we can describe that action. But it is there, and it can last. It can last. Joy is the healer.
Thirdly (more than you wanted to know, right?), Lazaris has talked about how we begin life defining ourselves by what we have ... we have a mom, a dad (or we don't have a mom or dad), we have a house, we have a name ... the things that we have define our existence. As we grow we also expand our definition of self to include what we do. We often define ourselves by our profession ... doctor, lawyer, robber, beggar, thief [s] ... a doctor, lawyer, robber, beggar, or thief who has a mom and dad (or who doesn't). [s]
Most people go through life defining their existence by the having and doing in life. Lazaris points out that in the natural evolution of things, there comes a time when we need to define ourselves -- our existence -- by who we are. That is, we need to define our existence by our beingness or by our state of being. This is hard for most, and most people within the consensus rely more heavily upon the having/doing until they exhaust it. Then they feel like they no longer exist. Their bodies may be alive, they may still be breathing, but they don't feel as if they exist.
Okay, most of us have heard Lazaris talk of such things. But there is something else that Lazaris mentions that perhaps we haven't really heard. When he talks of the Ancients of any land and when he talks of the Shining Ones of Sirius he says that they define their existence by their joy. Beyond what they have or have ever had, beyond what they do (and as Ancients and Shining Ones they do a great deal more than any of us could understand or know), and beyond who they are ... they define their existence by joy. The Ancients and the Shining Ones are exalted ... they are lifted in joy ... and they exist because of their joy.
Okay. So what? Well (aren't rhetorical questions fun? [s]), in the human evolution of consciousness, our definitions move from having and doing to being. And as our consciousness evolves beyond human, our definitions move from being to joy. Joy defines us beyond our humanness. Joy is the healer ... perhaps it is the healer of consciousness. I don't know, but this makes sense to me. But I could be wrong. [vbg]
Q: Could you talk about the relationship of Fire Magic, Muse Magic and the Valued Self? Thank you!
Jach:
Well, Fire Magic and Muse Magic are related to one another and often are interchangeable, I think. Muse Magic is more often related to issues of creativity and creation and often deals with these very directly.
Muse Magic, for those not familiar, is the magic of engaging any one, a few, or several of the Muse when we are seeking to enhance or embellish our creativity or to enhance or embellish our creations. First comes the initiation that originates from our innocence, our tradition, or from a heroic voice deep within us. These are the Muse or the energies/forces that set our creativity in motion.
Once moving, in order to create we need to transmute or transform something. [s] That transformation comes out of movement/dance, dignity or from the more lyrical poetic voice within us.
Set in motion and transforming, the third energy of creativity is a sense of purity. Such can come from music, choral or sacred music, or from something Divine (a celestial voice).
Engaging Muse Magic can be related to the Valued Self in that these various components, these various expressions of resonance, can reveal our Valued Self. I mean, as we appreciate our innocence or our sense of tradition ... stellar of Sirius and our spiritual tradition of Lemuria/Atlantis ... we can become more self-aware or more in touch with our worth and esteem, don't you think? And, likewise, as we listen and listen patiently to the heroic voice within us ... within each of us ... I think it speaks of our value, that is, of our self-love and self-worth. And in that we can find confidence and self-respect.
And so it is with the transforming Muse. In movement (emotional/mental and spiritual movement), in our dignity (obviously), and in the "ballad of our being" we can find ourselves, and we can value what we find. I think working with the Muse of purity leads us in similar directions. So, we may begin by turning to Muse Magic to seek creativity and creation, but we can discover ourselves there.
Now, Fire Magic is a broader, sweeping magic that has more far-reaching scope. Or so it is to me. [s] Fire Magic or the magic of the Staff of Life relates directly with the Valued Self. Again, for those not familiar, Fire Magic engages creativity, and it engages the death/rebirth energies and forces to work magic, to change reality in accordance and compliance with our will, with our imagination, and with our love.
Fire Magic draws upon our perception of the past, present, and future. It calls upon our power to will and upon the strength of our character. With a clear perception of the past, present, and future we have a foundation of strength and resolve. We are not deluding or distracting ourselves, I think. When our will is strong, singular and clear, and our character is strong something quite incredible happens. We discover our individuality.
It's a word that is tossed around a lot. It's easy to say and it's easy for everyone to agree upon. Individuality: It's a good thing. But I find that it is a truly magical thing. I know that when I tap into my individuality, when I refuse to shrink from it, I find power. And I also find that my magic works with greater impeccability. Too often I do shrink from it. Too often I get real concerned about what other people might think or about standing out and being different. But the truth is: I am different! Jeez ... I am different. And when I don't shrink from that ... It does take keen perspective for me; it does take a resolve (will) and a definite strength of character (to adhere to my principles) to stand tall in my individuality. But when I do ... oh, it feels good. I value myself for sure. And my magic can sizzle. [s]
Fire Magic involves these things. There is also great mystery in individuality. I don't know what it is. It's still a mystery to me. [s] And I want to keep it mostly that way. But there is great power and great mystery in individuality. There just has to be great magic, too.
But Fire Magic also involves intimacy and passion. Both have been frightening to me in the past. Okay, they both still frighten me, but just not so much as they used to. But when I feel comfortable being the individual that I am, I also feel more at ease with being intimate. I have more of me with which to be close, tender, vulnerable, and trusting, for example. And I also feel more willing to ignite my passion. I feel more at ease with leaping into my passion and letting go of convention and control. And then I discover how much I care.
And, you know, caring used to frighten me a great deal. I felt okay about loving ... loving is a good thing to do, right? Even though intimacy scared me, I had found a beautiful expression and release for that intimacy with Peny, and with Peny and Michaell. But caring ... oh, man, caring was scary. I could get hurt with caring. It's not that I didn't do it. It wasn't a black/white thing. I cared. It's just that it was sometimes terrifying and I sometimes ran from it. Better said, I hid from it.
But, you know, some of my most miraculous magic happens when I full out blatantly and unabashedly care. I used to tell myself that I used my anger to work magic. And I have done that. I respect my anger. But I have come to see that beneath my anger at a situation or at a reality was my caring. Damn ... I cared so much about this or that or about this person or that person ... and it made me angry. [s] I would use that anger, I would tell myself, to work magic. But what I was really doing was using that caring to work magic. That's Fire Magic.
You know, it just occurred to me: My major Element is Earth with Water as the secondary Element. But it’s Fire that is my Element that guides me to Sirius. It is Fire that is my Element to go into the faerie realm to gather with my friends there. It is the Element of Fire that I must pass through to be with my Lemurian Dreamer. And Fire was always my resistance. Hmm ... And within its magic, I can find more of myself ... more of my Valued Self. Wow. |
