Not opposites
Rather walking together holding hands, and holding us in those hands
Life and death
Our two faithful companions: the goddess of life and the angel of death
In the timeless flow of creation – death creates life
From the formation of soil, to everything that is eaten
Being truly alive is a practice – in gratitude, and needs to be learned
Death awareness is a practice – in curiosity, in being human, and needs to be learned
A challenging idea in a death-phobic culture that doesn’t believe in endings or limits
But rather is self absorbed in seeking comfort and convenience, forever hoping for more
Wonder deeply regarding your hospitality or hostility to death, and it’s inevitable naturalness
Love and grief; openheartedness and heartbreak
Two potent, intense, wildly energetic goddesses
Love leads to grief
And deep grief leads to deeper love
Open-heartedness leads to heartbreak
And true heartbreak leads to greater open-heartedness
Being truly loving (passionate, openheartedness in action) is a practice – in generosity, and needs to be learned
Grieving (the radical sorrow of true mourning) is a practice – in humility, and needs to be learned
Broken-heartedness is a practice – in vulnerability, and needs to be learned
Wonder deeply regarding your honesty or “optimism” in engaging (or suppressing) grief and heartbreak
Does grief come unbidden, throwing you into her swirling cauldron of emotion, or do you invite her in?
As our ecosystems and civilizations transition in chaos, these practices become soul-essential
Contrary to opinion, change isn’t hard for people; it is the endings, regrets and grief that accompanies change that are hard
Acknowledge limits and endings
From delusional safety and security, to a future trembling in uncertainty – as it always has been
What do death awareness, grief and heartbreak ask of us?
How do they change our living?
Don’t hold anything back