In this edition I want to share the answers to two great questions from my readers. One wanted to know more about the ending sentences in the previous newsletter, “I still had my capacity for ecstasy” (from Chapter 17 of The Importance of Paris memoir). The other asked about the meaning of the word “mystic” after seeing it on my author website.
This is the perfect time to delve into these topics. On March 20th, the Spring Equinox ushers us into the Enlightenment time on the Wisdom Wheel and that theme covers both questions. Enlightenment happens to be my Birth Law, along with all the other Aries-born folks, whose birthdays we begin celebrating now. I can hardly believe I’ll be 65 on the 27th of March.
The twelve Wisdom Wheel Birth Laws hold clues to our higher purposes and Enlightenment has been my favorite subject since before I knew what to call it. No one ever told me I was a mystic. I had to find out on my own. Hearing a guiding voice, and following my persistent need for personal connection to the Divine, and the ceremonies I underwent, were revelatory experiences. They took me beyond my rational mind. This seeking also inspired me to develop the Wisdom Wheel twenty years ago. It helps others to explore Enlightenment in a well-grounded way and share what they learn.
Historically, those who’ve sought Enlightenment were called mystics and all Faith traditions have them. The terms medicine people and shamans are currently more in vogue but “the capacity for ecstasy” is a shared characteristic. This manifests in myriad forms, from physical orgasms to spiritual revelations, from emotional breakdowns to intellectual breakthroughs, all are escapes from the limits of our conditioned egos.
Publicly declaring myself a mystic last year was a bit like coming out of the closet because owning this label leaves me vulnerable, to ridicule and rejection. But the Enlightenment received thus far is worth whatever comes with it. People are free to agree or not. As the Muslim Sufi mystic Jelaluddin Rumi declared in the 13th century, “Be source, not result.” This means we care more about helping others make their own connections to source than having them believe in our stories or feed off our experiences. Ultimately mysticism is about your personal relationship to All That Is, and that transcends needs for human approval or validation.
Mystics crave first hand experiences of transcendence. We are not satisfied to read second hand stories in the scriptures about what other mystics saw and felt. To seek the source, we do what they did. We follow their examples, going out to do our own fasts, like those who start the Bear Fast this Wednesday. Please eat, drink and pray for them and their Enlightenment.
May you be blessed in the process.
Ceremonies
Next Lodge ceremony is Sunday March 24th in honor of Spring Equinox and end of the Bear Fast. We will hear the teachings from the fasters at that time and break the fast with what the bears eat.
The Memoir
Stay tuned for more news about the book and a peek at the new cover in the next newsletter!
Until next time,
Cynthia F. Davidson