When I think of the Hero/Heroine archetype, I instantly think of what Joseph Campbell, who was an inspiring teacher, popular lecturer, author, editor and translator of many books that made reference to the journey of the Hero, wrote:  “The dark night of the soul comes just before revelation.”  I have read everything I can get my hands on regarding this journey of the soul.  It all stemmed from that one experience that many of us have and ask that all too familiar question, “Why?”

The Hero/Heroine, as you will read in this issue of the newsletter, can have a thousand faces.  Caroline Myss writes in her book Sacred Contracts “…an individual goes on a journey of initiation to awaken an inner knowing or spiritual power…” (392).  This initiation for me, came when I was 16 years old and had a breakdown.  At that time, it was something that you would be confined for in a locked ward of a hospital.  They didn’t have wards for children with this kind of temporary psychological/emotional imbalance.  What they did was medicate you, lock you up with adults, and then have you creatively describe what inkblots looked like to figure out if and when you were ready to be discharged.  Healed, I guess. This experience was actually a time that I fondly look back on and see that, in the midst of the darkness, I somehow aligned with God to show me the way out.  

I would lie in bed at night and pray and pray and pray.  Like any transformational process, in God’s time I was allowed to come out of the fog, the darkness, and re-emerge back into reality - a new reality.  I was never the same.  I had a deeper understanding of life, and I looked at things differently.  I had a sense of compassion for others that struggle through the darkness and live in fear that I had never had before.  I had, what a lot of mystics and Native Americans call, a breakthrough, not a breakdown.  I am not saying that my life fell nicely into place; I am saying that I committed to the call to live a more conscious life - one that calls me to take responsibility for my life.  

When I look back at my life thus far, I see that the moments that seemed to be great failures followed by wreckage were the incidents that shaped my life I now have.  I see that this is really true.  Nothing can happen to me that is not positive.  Even though it looks and feels at the moment like a negative crisis, it is not.  The crisis throws me back, and when I am required to exhibit strength, it comes - by the grace of God. 

I stopped asking “Why?" and now ask, “Why not?”

The dark night of the soul

comes just before revelation.

When everything is lost,

and all seems darkness,

then comes the new life

and all that is needed.

                                      - Joseph Campbell

May you know peace and find strength, in whatever keeps your heart heavy, to guide you through the darkness and find new life.  AND remember – you are loved!

Kendra

THE HERO/HEROINE ARCHETYPE

A HERO/HEROINE TESTIMONIAL

by Kiki Nicolopoulos

Turning lemons into lemonade or rather coal into gold…

“We may not realize it at the time, but where one door closes another ones always opens.” 

This is a quote that I have been doing my best to live by for many years now. Sometimes it feels easier to believe in than others. I wouldn’t exactly call myself a heroine – just an average woman that has had extraordinary events take place in my life over the past 4 years, for which I have to constantly remind myself I co-created their existence with the Divine, however horrible they may have appeared at the time. My story was a pretty simple one. I was a mom of three beautiful young kids, a 6-year old daughter and twin 3-year old sons. My husband and I did not live without our challenges, but we were pretty happy living in a one-family home in Bayside, Queens with our children. He was beginning to reap the benefits of all of the hard work it took to build a new business. I was the primary caregiver for our children but had very strong aspirations for resuming my career as an industrial/organizational psychologist. So after being home with the kids for a couple of years, I was launching my own coaching/consulting company and balancing life as best as I could.

It was summer of 2009, and my parents who I trusted unconditionally asked if they could take our daughter on vacation to Greece for three weeks along with my sister’s two young daughters. My sister was also in the process of buying a pediatric medical practice, and as much as we resisted, we decided to let the girls go. After all, who was better than our own parents to be with our kids when we couldn’t be? The week leading up to the trip was a horror. It would take way too many pages to get into detail here, but looking back, I can now see that the signs were lining themselves up laying out the path that was before us, and they were crystal clear. So, on the morning of July 11th, 2009, we gathered all together at the airport with heavy hearts and hugged and kissed our parents and our children and watched as they disappeared with huge grins on their faces into the terminal.

I went to sleep that night at 2:00 a.m. after I found out the plane had landed safely. I turned to my husband who told me they were all well and said, “Yes, but they have not yet arrived at their destination.” Three hours later, I was literally shoved awake. I jumped up, but no one was there besides my husband, who was sound asleep. It was 5:10 a.m. I tried to fall back asleep but couldn’t; so, I got up and made a pot of coffee. I went outside to my porch and felt a deep sense of calm overcome me. I picked up my new book that I had not had the chance to read yet and started reading it. Ironically, it was a book by John Edwards, Crossing Over - not a topic I usually read about. About two hours later, I spoke with my sister, and she told me that she had spoken to the girls and our mom when they landed and they were all so happy. All of a sudden, I had an overwhelming feeling that I needed to call them.  I hung up with her and dialed a cell phone number; I had no idea why that number was committed to my memory. A man answered the phone and referred to me by name, but his voice was very formal and definitely not familiar. My legs froze. I asked who he was, and he said he was a state trooper. That instant my life changed forever, and a supernatural force took over and lifted me through the most difficult 9 days of my life. There had been a car accident he said… 

Literally 24 hours after we saw our family off on what should have been a beautiful vacation, we were now on board a plane to Greece to get our family; only this time, only two little girls would be returning home with us alive – their innocence wiped away from them in an instant. Both of our parents and our 6-year old niece perished in the car accident. 

One week later, we were burying them in New York and visiting the two survivors in the hospital. The journey of healing began. It’s a journey, which in so many ways I do not think will ever be totally completed until I too come face to face with the Source after my own passing. So much was taken away and gifted in the same moment. Our daughter miraculously survived. My focus shifted from the loss to the blessing. Caring for her, my surviving niece, and two young boys became the focus of my survival and the source of my strength.

I don’t know what is so heroic about that, but I guess some might see it that way. For me it was never a choice. It was understood that the kids come first and I was determined to make life as happy for them and as normal for them as I possibly could. I watched these beautiful kids begin to speak about God, angels, and Heaven with such clarity that it took my breath away. As a mom, I wish I could have sheltered them from loss and death for at least a little while longer, but as a soul and spirit temporarily residing in this physical incarnation, I knew there was no point in that. The divide between spirit and physical was completely broken for my family on July 12th, and I am so happy and grateful for that each and every day.

Loss just kept coming for our family for the next three years. Six months later, my husband lost his business. As a result, a year after that we had to sell our house and move into a rental. More tears, change, and loss… We chose to make a new beginning and moved to a new neighborhood and different school district. This was met with a lot of resistance from our extended family who accused us of selfishly turning our back on them and on our foundation. We, however, held hands and moved forward. Yet again we were amazed by the courage of our little ones, especially of our daughter who had already been through so much. 

Within a month of our being in this new house, my dad’s brother, who my children had begun to rely on as an alternate grandfather and I as a surrogate dad, died of cancer. I remember crying more that week than I had at my own parents’ funerals. The grief felt like it was going to swallow me up alive. And then last June, my own first cousin, who shared my baptismal name and was the closest thing to me other than my own sister, died of a rare cancer leaving behind two young twin boys of her own. 

Fast forward to the spring of 2013 - I will not lie and pretend that because of my ever-growing faith I have not and do not continue to grieve, cry, and miss them each and every day. I will not pretend that any of it has been easy. I can only share with you what I have learned and what I continue to learn on this journey and do my best to help you in your own life’s transitions. I do, however, continue to maintain that life is beautiful. It is a gift. It is precious. No one can avoid loss, change, or transition. It is a natural part of the journey. We cannot control that. What we can control is how we respond to life’s transitions and how we choose to cope. I have dedicated my life to helping others on this path with my practice at Peaceful Integration Therapies and will continue to do so in this life and in the next. Some days are easier than others to cope with. When they are not, just remember angels surround us, and they are here to help us each and every step of the way. Surrender your healing to them, and they will carry you the rest of the way. 

Namaste! 

Kiki Nicolopoulos, Ph.D
www.peacefulintegrationtherapies.com

 

 

INSPIRED POETRY

WISDOM FROM ANIMALS

by Anne Barton

So here is how this animal came to be featured this month.  I got centered, said a prayer of intention to provide information that would benefit all who read this newsletter, and then I thought about the archetype we are featuring this month – the Hero/Heroine.  Then I picked a card.  And my first reaction, which is the common reaction whenever this card is picked, was to think, “Huh… really?”  Many people I’ve done Animal Guide readings for have picked Skunk as one of their 9 Life Animal Guides, and they all react the same.  Their nose sort of reflexively twitches and scrunches, as if one of the offensive little creatures is actually present!  Then I share the wisdom of this animal, and it becomes quite clear that this is a valuable guide to have on your side!  

Read on to learn about how this small but powerful creature can teach us one of the most important lessons of all …

SKUNK/Reputation, Self Respect

• Walk your talk, project self-respect; strength and an honored reputation will follow.
•  Be aware of your power to attract and repel.
• What you believe about yourself is the ultimate protection.
• See the pros and cons in yourself. 
• If ego is not your amigo, you know it stinks.

So imagine a confrontation between one of the smaller animals of the forest with any larger creature.  Seems like an unfair fight, until the skunk is provoked into using his unique defense system.  I couldn’t describe it better than this excerpt from Animal Wisdom by Susie Green:  “Two vivid white stripes run from Skunk’s white blazoned head to meet again on her long, impressively furred tail.  Skunk, peaceable in her spirit, amiable in her wanderings, is gently warning potential adversaries to stay out of her way and treat her with respect.  Even when predators approach, Skunk does not immediately employ her noxious, debilitating perfume, but employs an impressive armory of other behavioral threats.  She arches her back, hair bristling, and walks to her foe showing no fear; she stamps her feet, hisses savagely, clicks her teeth and finally performs a handstand with tail raised as a clear message of intent.  If her adversary still persists, Skunk delivers a blast of oily sulphur alcohol, a potent musk, intensely nauseating and excruciatingly irritating, which creatures great and small remember graphically.  Few care to repeat the encounter.”

Unlike other predatory animals, Skunk does not threaten your life but threatens your senses.  That “Go ahead and try it!” attitude commands you, as the observer, to respect its space by mere reputation alone.

So what can we learn from this?  Skunk is teaching us that by walking our talk and by respecting ourselves, we create a position of strength and honored reputation. How we carry ourselves expresses what we believe about ourselves.  There is an energy field around us that is projected through the senses.  Self-esteem radiates from our body’s energy and is recognized and honored on an extrasensory level by others.  When you know who you are, when your sense of self is strong, there is no need to bully, irritate, torture or overpower other beings. 

When you learn to assert without ego who you are, respect follows.  Your self-respectful attitude will repel those who are not of like mind, and yet it will attract those who choose the same pathway.  When skunk medicine is on your side, you have the ability to attract others; you become charismatic.  At the same time, the other side of this power is to repel those who seek to take energy from you without recycling the gifts they have taken.

If Skunk is one of your Animal Guides, it is important to learn how to manage energy flow and body language.  Are you leaking energy?  Are you sending misleading messages?  If you are not aware of your own energy, you could be leaking sexual energy, for example, even if you are not looking for a mate.  This can be dangerous, putting you into a situation where you attract others who have an interest in you because you are, in a sense, saying, “I’m available.”  Misunderstandings and disrespect may follow when the truth comes out.  In the end, this leaked energy could have been used in a more constructive way.

When we understand that the energy we project into the world comes back to us, then we have a powerful tool for creating our experiences.  If we do not like who or what we attract, we must only look within and at our self-respect to find the path to transforming our experience. 

 

Works Cited & Resources

WISDOM FROM YOGA

In yoga, the concept of the hero, or peaceful warrior, is rendered by the term “vira,” which shows up across a range of Eastern traditions. It is the root of the English word “virility,” encapsulating as it does the essence of true masculinity. This is not to say that a woman cannot be heroic or a warrior. Nevertheless, since so many men in today’s society lack clear guidelines for how to best relate to their gender identity, it is the man as vira that I will focus on here.

For many men, the archetype of the Hero presents an attractive ideal. It conjures images of power, physicality, contest, and struggle. But the “heroic” role models we are bombarded with in movies and the media today are a far cry from the true hero of vira. While the silver screen hero is often aggressive and violent, the yogic hero is poised and peace loving. Certainly, he is mightily strong and capable of great feats. But he is sufficiently confident of his own strength that he does not feel the need to seek out or contrive opportunities to show it off.   

Virasana is a posture that prompts physiological changes to match the psychological orientation of the peaceful warrior. In virasana, you kneel down and sit on your heels. If this is painful in the knees, you can place a thick folded blanket or firm cushion over your heels. If it bothers your ankles, you can place rolled-up hand towels under your ankles. If you want to go deeper, you can separate your heels and sit down between them if the knees will allow. As a half-way house, you can place something firm like a wood block between your heels and sit on that.

The pose should be comfortable, as you want to hold the pose for at least a minute. In this pose, the hands are on the thighs, with the arms straight. The head is lifting tall, but the chest is soft. The breath is steady with equal emphasis on the inhalation and exhalation (a technique called sama vrtti).

The pose encapsulates the essence of the hero: the lifting of the head and the straightening of the arms implies courage to face the world. On the other hand, the softening of the chest and the fact that you are kneeling collectively represent the humility and contentment of the true hero. Rather than imposing his will on the world or puffing up his chest to inflate his appearance of strength, he calmly lets his true strength radiate out. Rather than boisterously seeking to force his imprint onto nature, he is more interested in becoming one with its ways. It is no coincidence that Shaolin monks were instructed to meditate in virasana by the Indian yogi Bodidharma who first brought kung fu to China. 

One etymology of vira interprets it as meaning “resplendent like the sun.” The sun does not have anything to prove – it cannot help but shine. As you go about your daily duties, let your chest soften and your head lift. Notice how this simple but powerful adjustment to your posture almost immediately alters how you feel and, therefore, how you behave. Recent research has shown that such postural shifts actually alter your hormonal balance.

By practicing this and the virasana pose regularly, you will gradually train yourself to let go of your boyish need to prove your worth. In its place, you can let the radiance of your mature masculinity shine forth like the sun.

- David

WISDOM FROM ASTROLOGY

by Vidya Dasi

Jupiter’s Positive Influence in Gemini

At this very passionate and creative time when 5 planets are transiting the sign of Aries,  there is a window for creative potential when life’s parameters can be broadened and wealth on all levels may increase.  We must guard against over-activity, feelings of being burdened and take care that our activities do not create a re-entry into the material world.  This great productive, passionate and possibly angry and frustrated period will dissipate as the month goes on and more of the planets leave the vigorous sign of Aries and move into other parts of our charts.

On May 30th at 5 pm PST the mighty and spiritually influential positive planet of Jupiter will move from Taurus into Gemini.  Jupiter stays in a sign for approximately 1 year and its movements are the most challenging to the rising signs of Cancer and Taurus.  Jupiter represents expansion in many aspects of our lives.  It represents our mates, our families, our spirituality, our philosophy, and our wealth.  It is horizontal expansiveness and is almost always benevolent in nature.

As stated in Issue #3, Jupiter in Taurus brought us an increased interest in finances and ways to increase our finances.  It also gave us opportunities for improving and increasing our loving relationships with mates and others and improving our family relationships.  Jupiter in Taurus bestows expansiveness in our homes, in beauty, in artistic endeavors, fitness issues, and improvements in our living situations and specifically our homes.  These areas of expansion will now become less important and other aspects of our lives will now have an opportunity to improve due to Jupiter’s positive influence in the sign of Gemini.  

Jupiter in the sign of Gemini will bring an increase in religiosity and happiness.  Communication with family, friends, business associates, and partners will improve.  Celebrations, particularly family ones, will occur and be successful.  Your generosity will increase.  Your friendships and comfortable living conditions should improve.  Your thinking and writing skills will expand.  Any weaknesses that you might experience should be viewed from their positive affect on your accomplishments and life.

This year will be a good one for scholarly endeavors, travel and increasing one’s critical and intellectual endeavors.  Poetic and oratorical abilities will increase.  You must be watchful for over-endeavoring, being overly critical of religious beliefs, and being superficial.  Otherwise Jupiter in Gemini will bring resourcefulness on many levels.

You will be sympathetic, truthful and trustworthy.  You will be attracted to the opposite sex and helpful to others.

If you are Gemini rising then Jupiter will be moving into your first house, which will protect every aspect of your life.  It is the most auspicious and powerful position of Jupiter and will bring abundance, wisdom, optimism, cheerfulness and generosity.  You will be called upon to give advice, consultations and ministering during this year.  You will be respected and famous and will feel divinely blessed.  You will find yourself conversant in all forms of knowledge and you will be able to attain the positive goals that you set.  Even your vision of the future will prove to be correct.  You will be self-confident and determined.  Your finances may not increase as much as you desire and females may have some difficulty with their partners.

If Gemini rules your second house then when Jupiter moves into Gemini you will experience expansion of wealth and prosperity.  You will be comfortable, polite and friendly.  You may take some courses in some new field.  You will have opportunities and abilities to speak your truth.  There should be gains through government, business, law, insurance, education, literature, banking and/or travels.  Family life should be more enjoyable and you will be more charitable and virtuous than usual.  There will be sumptuous food and your face will be more attractive during this year.  You must guard against wastefulness and overspending.

When Gemini rules your third house then when Jupiter moves into Gemini you will feel determined and philosophical.  Your intelligence and communications will be heightened.  Your writing and/or artistic skills will become improved and emphasized.

You will benefit from neighbors, siblings, education, travel and publishing.  You will feel attracted to artistic endeavors and will be cheerful and considerate.  There may be an increase in your popularity and you may be blessed with fame and wealth.  You may experience some humiliation.

If Gemini rules your fourth house then when Jupiter moves into Gemini you will find expansion in your life through knowledge and family.  Your fixed assets and perhaps property will increase.  You will earn respect and your family life will be happy.  You may get some assistance from your parents, guru or guides.  Your professional life and business prospects should be successful.  You may make plans to continue your education.  Your interest in spiritual aspects of your life will expand and increase.  You may find yourself more interested in spiritual practices, and must honor your mother and mother figures in your life.

If Gemini rules your fifth house then when Jupiter moves into Gemini you will find increased blessings from your intellect, your children or those you mentor.  Your business prospects will increase and you may be given more leadership responsibilities.  You will feel noble and cheerful.  Affection and romance and imagination will increase.  You must be particular in your diet and be attentive to your children and loved ones.  Be careful in your business dealings and much increase should be experienced.  The strength of life’s purpose will even increase during this year.   

If Gemini rules your sixth house then when Jupiter moves into Gemini you will find that you receive benefits from helpers.  Your opponents will not be able to defeat you.  You will become clever at protecting your interests.  You will have travel opportunities and many comforts.  You will be helpful to others, cheerful, sympathetic, kind-hearted and charming.  This is a good position for increased wealth and becoming proficient in detail work.  There may be some fame experienced this year.  You must be extra careful of health issues and must be careful not to create quarrels with others.

If Gemini rules your seventh house then when Jupiter moves into Gemini you will experience travel for business and/or spiritual purposes.  Your mate will increase their spiritual attributes.  Friendships will increase and happiness through partnerships will be there.  Your life this year will be fortunate and charmed.  Your diplomatic skills will increase and you will feel more compassionate.  Respect will increase and even more beauty will be there.  You must guard against pride and wastefulness.

If Gemini rules your eighth house then when Jupiter moves into Gemini you will experience an increase in mystical and intuitive abilities.  There may be benefits from wills, legacies and/or insurance.  You must be careful of disease and eat very healthily. Your enemies will disappear.  You may visit spiritual or religious places and must guard against pretentiousness or untruthfulness.  Your expansion will come through transcendental aspects of your life.  You will experience clear dreams and your wealth will increase.  You must increase your healing and spiritual practices.

If Gemini rules your ninth house then when Jupiter moves into Gemini you will  experience expansion through higher knowledge.  You will get good teachers and gurus.  You will travel and expand your fortune.  You will be philanthropic and compassionate and there will be overall good fortune this year.  You will become more secure financially and your fame may increase.  Your position in life will also improve.  You may have prophetic dreams.  Your sense of faith and devotion will improve.  You will be wise and virtuous and extremely lucky.  Try to curb extravagance and take care in communications.

When Gemini rules your tenth house then when Jupiter moves into Gemini at the end of May you can expect that your occupation will expand and increase.  You will feel more devoted to your parents.  You will be clever, prosperous and successful in undertakings.  Your conveyances and wealth, name and fame may increase.  You will gain respect and public recognition.  You may be a calm and benevolent advisor.  You must guard against recklessness with money and must spend more time with your children.

When Gemini rules your eleventh house then when Jupiter moves into Gemini at the end of May you should expect great growth of opportunities and profits.  There should be good cash flow and the capacity to develop opportunities.  There should be a chance to hear from self-realized souls.  There should be an accumulation of wealth and you will experience high-minded dreams.  You will be faithful and true and honest and will acquire beneficial friends.  You will speak influentially.  You must guard against being over-zealous.

When Gemini rules your twelfth house then when Jupiter moves into Gemini at the end of May you may find yourself seeking more seclusion.  You will have success over your troubles and will be inclined toward spiritual studies.  You may travel a lot.  Your life will be full and simple.  There will be victory over your enemies and even gain through them.  There may be gains through foreign lands.  You will be supportive and your children may show signs of spirituality.  You must guard against over-indulgence and being hypocritical.  You will do pious deeds and experience success over troubles.  There is a good opportunity here for you to increase your chances for enlightenment.

Jupiter will remain in Gemini for over one year and will enter its exalted sign of Cancer

in mid-June of 2014.  During this next transit the benefits of Jupiter will be at their height.  Jupiter in Gemini should offer some wonderful opportunities for everyone in the area where the planet occurs so we can capitalize on these opportunities with fore-knowledge.

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