A week ago tonight, I was beginning to recover from time spent in the company of the like-minded many who’d come to hear Richard Tarnas speak about what it means to understand our moment in history when contemplated from archetypal, astrological perspectives.
Since returning, I’ve wanted so much, to be able to share a little about this event with members of the alliance. Yet each time the tips of my fingers approached the crisp white letters so faithfully ever present on those smooth, square, lettered black keys, I’d balk at what seemed like a near impossible task. You know, the kind of task I’m talking about. It’s the one that nearly defies description, lest it somehow tarnish the magic, and yes, I’ll say it, the holiness of the event.
I will say, that much was discussed about the impact of Prometheus/Uranus and Hades/Pluto being so currently and intimately involved as two archetypal, astrological factors sure to gain momentum during this historically significant time. Their energy will peak in June, then offer variations on recurring themes over the next six or more years.
As I struggled to produce in writing something that might convey, in even the tiniest way, a bit of what was for me the essence of my experience over that weekend, I recalled those simple, yet potent, diagrams that Rick put on the board. Working off a combination of thinly written notes coupled with intense inspiration, I remembered that several of these almost child-like illustrations were of circles within which were revealed dot-like phases of the emergence of humankind. There was the birth of bi-pedal primitive man, the ego-driven I, or single, human, the pairing of I/ other, I/thou, and finally on to what I believe to be a more cosmically conscious human being immersed in, related to and interpenetrated with and by the sea of humankind, where all were contained within and by a cosmos, anima mundi or world soul. Wow! What a concept. A move from a primitive me, to a human me, to a me and you, a you and us, and all consciously, cosmically contained and interpenetrating. A paltry retrospective description I’m sure . I’m sorry. Wish I could do better, but I could never begin to do justice to the ideas set forth by Tarnas on that weekend, especially while trying to resurrect them days later. So bear with me during my recreation of what I believe might be the ultimate, hopeful emergence of a more cosmically conscious humankind whose future in part, will be fashioned from the future challenge imposed by the astrological transits of Prometheus/Uranus in relationship to Hades/Pluto. Despite what will no doubt be some rocky times ahead, ultimately, these transits just might result in the renewed connection to and conscious embracing and interpenetration with and within the anima mundi, or world soul.
This moment in history asks a question. Can we/will we embrace, reenter, and consciously renew our commitment, participation and conscious acknowledgment as participants within a global community, Anima Mundi, and/or soul of the world? Can we, will we, make the journey from my world to our world? That means safeguarding all plant life, all animal life, including and far beyond an ecology, of earth but of heart, mind and soul, and then some. We will surely be challenged in the ensuing years as Prometheus and Hades test our willingness and commitment throughout the entire globe and beyond,
To those patient readers who have read this far, I leave you with my own living image, and synchronous event that happened as I left the conference. I offer this final bit of personal synchronicity, that for me gave an in the flesh meaning, carried literally on and by the flesh, of this extraordinary man, Richard Tarnas.
On my way to the car, I unexpectedly, and hurriedly passed Rick in the hallway. He moved by me quickly and as he did I impulsively stopped him in order to compliment him on his presentation.
Standing near Rick at incredibly close range, I noticed what appeared to me to be a small circle right in the center of his chin. A faint, shadowy growth of beard filled the space within the circle, providing a shaded background to what to my eyes was a perfect shape. Right there on Rick’s face, my eyes met a mini-image of the metaphor that to me spoke loudest over that entire weekend. Remember those circles with the dots, that Rick drew and used to illustrate humankind’s personal, social, psychological and cosmic evolution? Well, within the circle of Rick’s clefted chin, I saw a tiny dark place or dot, on a background that I could not help but liken to a sea of us. Yes, portrayed on Rick’s human face I saw the ultimate cosmic ideal and curious metaphor of the entire cosmos and beyond.
Was this sighting of mine, a sign, a synchronicity, a personal delusion, a flash of hope, or, my own tricky denial of any personal and/or global trauma to come?
Not sure, but I choose to see it as a synchronous, imaginal, affirmation formed and carried by a perfectly, clefted circle that to me was a powerful reassuring image carried on the anatomy of the person whose, ideas, thoughts, and interest in and about the fate of the world soul and those who inhabit it, remains alive and well., I’ll place my faith there, in that soulful anima mundi and all, of its many permutations.
Replies
Hi Judith,
I am new to this alliance and was drawn by your post's title. I also saw Richard Tarnas recently, on March 8, 2012 at an evening lecture for the Washington Astrologer's Association. He spoke on Romance, Astrology, and Synchronicity and the interesting parallels therein. I was unfortunately unable to see his longer lecture in which he probably spoke about the topics you referenced- they sound very interesting! I have been fascinated by his Cosmos and Psyche book for a long time and so I was thrilled to hear him speak. He spoke about the profound meaning we can learn from romance, synchronicity, and astrology and also how each are susceptible to our own negation as well as projection/illusion. How there is a tight rope we must walk in discerning a state of enchantment which can feel like the anima mundi is coordinating events for our own benefit. Since then I've thought more about how much I can negate meaningful anima mundi events as well as often project my own illusions into scenes in my life. With Neptune in Pisces now we should have ample opportunity to work on discerning when we are projecting illusion as well as gain more confidence in following our magical intuitions. The Uranus-Pluto square that is getting closer and closer now (later in June after some eclipses) will certainly shake it all for all of us. On April 8, 2012 I had the gift of hearing astrologer Mark Jones speak at the NORWAC astrology conference, a lecture partially inspired by a talk Richard Tarnas had given at NORWAC a year earlier. Mark spoke about, among other things, Roberto Assagioli's concept of psychosynthesis and his "egg" diagram of human consciousness. I really found these ideas fascinating and hope to look into them further. I hope you are still finding ways to enjoy all of our connections in our anima mundi.
Thanks for sharing Judith. It sounds like it was quite a night ... actually I know it was. It was around this time last year that I walked into my first lecture held by the local Friends of Jung group -- and the speaker was Richard Tarnas. He certainly took me and everyone there on a great cosmological journey through the historical unfolding of the human psyche into our current moment/predicament/challenge -- and he infused it with a lot of Jungian psychological perspectives -- very nice. It's been quite a year since that time for me -- with much more in-depth explorations of the works of Jung and the many depth psychologists who have followed in his wake. More important than the intellectual explorations of those works, though, is the in-depth explorations of my local community (people, plants, animals , mountains, rivers, etc.) which have been happening with more ease and more frequency.
So I was so impressed with and inspired by Tarnas' lecture that I signed up for his workshop on the following day. I left the workshop in a bit of a daze -- reveling in the breathtaking pattern-filled expanse of what was revealed and explored through the lens of astrological patterns and collective psychological patterns. It is very easy to be filled with a sense of awe when exploring our collective movement around past curves of the human developmental (and relational) spiral and our current movement into this new curve -- into unchartered territory. I do believe that this current time really does have to do with what happens (whatever might happen and is happening) when a significant number of humans move into consciously lived/living contact and relationship with the anima mundi and then anchor that Big Soul of this earth /Gaia in the felt experience of the body and then remember to include it (and/or honor it -- HerStory) in the telling of our stories. In the future no story should be disconnected form the relational field-story of the human, earth, sun, AND moon ... at the very least.