There is an old Chinese proverb that says “May you live in interesting times.”
Although these feelings of unease during this transitional time can be difficult, the process of the change itself is actually establishing a new and more vital reality. Over the past 60-plus years, I have been watching the turmoil as it has been steadily increasing, fueled by events of planetary changes in the form of natural disasters on a global scale, human prejudices, fear, uncertainty, terrorism, and apathy. As this crescendo is heightening and awareness is growing, it is just about now that humanity is truly looking for the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel.” It is clear that we are not only experiencing interesting times, but are also in the throes of transiting from the old Age of Pisces into the new era of the Age of Aquarius. As we move into the coming age, even though energies are impacting human consciousness, as well as all the lives on Earth – from sources ranging from the Sun, Moon, planets, stars, our galaxy, and beyond – they are still only dimly being perceived by the collective, resulting in feelings of unease and disorientation.
My understanding of the crisis we are all experiencing is [that] the social, economic, political, and religious chaos now taking place will ultimately give rise to a time of peace, open-mindedness, cooperation, and the unity of nations. There are a number of clues this is happening. For example, there are already those who are seeking an understanding of the distresses of modern immoralities of life in the contemporary world, and who are relying on what I call their “gut feelings” – their intuition – to have a sense of what has to happen. They are working at a higher vibration in various ways to help “thin the veils” that divide the inner and outer realms of reality.
Another clue is the sense that time is speeding up! As a result, we live in the midst of a quickened pace of modern living that often translates into the hectic and disordered lives experienced by so many. Paradigms and cultural narratives are changing quickly and frequently due to the constant fluctuations of human consciousness. And then there is the clue of the emergence of the feminine aspect that has been reaching its peak over the past several decades. Since the Founding Fathers first eked out the Constitution, Americans have, for all practical purposes, lived under a patriarchal, masculine-focused society. Since the days of women’s suffrage, the pendulum of the clock has been slowly swinging to the other side.
The women’s movement of the '60s and '70s saw the beginning, in full force, of the fight for equality for women in the workplace, as well as for equal pay. Also, the metaphysical literature of the last three decades has hailed the “rebirth” of The Goddess, The Mother of the World, activated in earnest with Jean Shinoda Bolen’s Goddesses In Every Woman and comparable publications. And now, for the first time in history, a woman has been selected as candidate for the highest office in the land.
The evidence indicates that America is moving closer and closer to being a society where the feminine principle is recognized and valued. Let’s suppose for a moment that there is truth in what I am saying about the gradual paradigm shift from a masculine-dominated one to a society where the feminine principle is recognized as a vibrant key element to the well-being of society – a shift that will affect the entire world.
In a patriarchal or masculine-dominated society, men are considered superior to women. Patriarchs also dominate animals, are not stewards of Mother Earth, turn to violence to settle differences, and judge each other’s true worth by their degree of wealth and power. Patriarchs operate through the guise of the major religions, governments, and other institutions. In a patriarchy, men are portrayed as the rulers of the home and of women. However, today, another clue that the paradigm is changing is this one – not all men are going along with the demands and expectations of this out-of-balance patriarchal orientation!
With all this in mind, understanding what is happening in world affairs is a tremendous challenge in these tumultuous times. A higher point of view is required. It is easy to become so caught up in the effects and events that insight becomes distorted. Signs of synthesis can be crushed by the alternating forces of separation and separateness. To understand the great transition that is occurring, the intellect is not sufficient for the simple fact that that it succumbs to illusion. The intellect must be used in conjunction with intuition if we are to be awarded true awareness and insights regarding the very real possibility that we are already engaged in our passage into the bright and shining future.
The women’s movement of the '60s and '70s saw the beginning, in full force, of the fight for equality for women in the workplace, as well as for equal pay. Also, the metaphysical literature of the last three decades has hailed the “rebirth” of The Goddess, The Mother of the World, activated in earnest with Jean Shinoda Bolen’s Goddesses In Every Woman and comparable publications. And now, for the first time in history, a woman has been selected as candidate for the highest office in the land.
The evidence indicates that America is moving closer and closer to being a society where the feminine principle is recognized and valued. Let’s suppose for a moment that there is truth in what I am saying about the gradual paradigm shift from a masculine-dominated one to a society where the feminine principle is recognized as a vibrant key element to the well-being of society – a shift that will affect the entire world.
In a patriarchal or masculine-dominated society, men are considered superior to women. Patriarchs also dominate animals, are not stewards of Mother Earth, turn to violence to settle differences, and judge each other’s true worth by their degree of wealth and power. Patriarchs operate through the guise of the major religions, governments, and other institutions. In a patriarchy, men are portrayed as the rulers of the home and of women. However, today, another clue that the paradigm is changing is this one – not all men are going along with the demands and expectations of this out-of-balance patriarchal orientation!
With all this in mind, understanding what is happening in world affairs is a tremendous challenge in these tumultuous times. A higher point of view is required. It is easy to become so caught up in the effects and events that insight becomes distorted. Signs of synthesis can be crushed by the alternating forces of separation and separateness. To understand the great transition that is occurring, the intellect is not sufficient for the simple fact that that it succumbs to illusion. The intellect must be used in conjunction with intuition if we are to be awarded true awareness and insights regarding the very real possibility that we are already engaged in our passage into the bright and shining future.
Some thoughts about “intuition”Everyone is intuitive… and everyone can develop it further. Intuition is not the same as psychic ability. Psychic ability says, “I get a feeling,” whereas intuition says, “I know” – that’s a big difference. There is no knowledge, no feeling, and no insight that is a revelation of truth greater than what your intuition reveals to you. Intuition is your inner guidance, a mechanism for knowing… it is instinctive… it is “something” you know, without knowing you know it. It is actually an alternative way of knowing on another level of awareness.
Carl Jung commented on the value of intuition: “I regard intuition as a basic psychological function that mediates perception in an unconscious way. Intuition enables us to divine the possibilities of a situation.” Keep in mind that intuition neither knows nor responds to the boundaries or limitations set by religion, politics, or social or economic status. Do not fall into the trap of allowing your intellect to try to reason with intuitive revelations. The intellect relies on logic and reason, and is no doubt a necessary and valuable mental function. However, when it comes to the intuition, the intellect gets in the way of the clear knowing that intuition reveals.
To learn to recognize and come to rely on your intuition, there are three simple steps that anyone can take in order to awaken this ancient part of human consciousness.
The first step is to learn to trust and rely upon your “gut feelings,” sometimes called hunches. If something doesn’t feel right to you, chances are it isn’t! When you feel or think that something is or is not right for you, for no apparent reason, listen. Follow that inner guidance, that inner voice. Learning to trust is not easy, but the payoff can be remarkable.
The second step involves finding a few minutes each day to be quiet… to enter into and experience the silence… to get above the hectic lives most of us live. Quiet time helps you become accustomed to letting go of the habit of having to think. Taking this quiet time helps you to relax physically, emotionally, and mentally.
The third step is understanding that intuition uses information gathered by the conscious mind. The more you have, the better and clearer the intuition will be. Also, knowledge and insight gathered from your experiences – positive and negative – help tremendously. The subconscious mind transmits all this information to the conscious mind through intuition.
Take note: Oftentimes intuition sends you knowledge in quick flashes. No matter how it speaks to you, it will do no good unless you listen! Listen to your inner voice; listen to your feelings; listen to your hunches. Developing your intuition requires practice, and the more you practice, the stronger it will become.
Page Bryant, October 2016. First published in the December 2016 issue of WNC WOMAN, a print/Web publication of Infinite Circles, Inc., http://www.wncwoman.com/. Reprinted with permission. Images courtesy of Fotolia.com.
Carl Jung commented on the value of intuition: “I regard intuition as a basic psychological function that mediates perception in an unconscious way. Intuition enables us to divine the possibilities of a situation.” Keep in mind that intuition neither knows nor responds to the boundaries or limitations set by religion, politics, or social or economic status. Do not fall into the trap of allowing your intellect to try to reason with intuitive revelations. The intellect relies on logic and reason, and is no doubt a necessary and valuable mental function. However, when it comes to the intuition, the intellect gets in the way of the clear knowing that intuition reveals.
To learn to recognize and come to rely on your intuition, there are three simple steps that anyone can take in order to awaken this ancient part of human consciousness.
The first step is to learn to trust and rely upon your “gut feelings,” sometimes called hunches. If something doesn’t feel right to you, chances are it isn’t! When you feel or think that something is or is not right for you, for no apparent reason, listen. Follow that inner guidance, that inner voice. Learning to trust is not easy, but the payoff can be remarkable.
The second step involves finding a few minutes each day to be quiet… to enter into and experience the silence… to get above the hectic lives most of us live. Quiet time helps you become accustomed to letting go of the habit of having to think. Taking this quiet time helps you to relax physically, emotionally, and mentally.
The third step is understanding that intuition uses information gathered by the conscious mind. The more you have, the better and clearer the intuition will be. Also, knowledge and insight gathered from your experiences – positive and negative – help tremendously. The subconscious mind transmits all this information to the conscious mind through intuition.
Take note: Oftentimes intuition sends you knowledge in quick flashes. No matter how it speaks to you, it will do no good unless you listen! Listen to your inner voice; listen to your feelings; listen to your hunches. Developing your intuition requires practice, and the more you practice, the stronger it will become.
Page Bryant, October 2016. First published in the December 2016 issue of WNC WOMAN, a print/Web publication of Infinite Circles, Inc., http://www.wncwoman.com/. Reprinted with permission. Images courtesy of Fotolia.com.