This state of awareness sets the standard as we move forward. This is where you will not only see the gate but begin the journey through it. We now move to the energy fields that lie behind what manifests physically. We begin to tap into the hidden depths to expose the underlying images. We see now the machinery of the Universe.
It is this stage of awareness that is closely tied to the sexual organs, the act of procreation and of personal relationships. This is the realm of consciousness where we assign meaning, make connections and form relationships.
It is at this stage that you must pass the test of confronting your real self. This is not the self you project to the world (your social persona) but rather your whole self from the interior. This includes the aspects of yourself that you repress or reject. You can imagine this stage of awareness as the large, underwater piece of the iceberg. It is also good to think of it as the surface of water, knowing that their is depth beneath it.
There is great movement in this level of awareness. It bristles with life and the potential for life, not only of physical forms but of dreams, goals and visions. The responsibility here is to be aware that what you focus on expands. Anything you concentrate your attention on will take form in the physical. This is where the blueprints are drawn. That said you must maintain control of your emotions. Things can get frightening at this level as you begin to see parts of yourself that aren’t comforting. This is the way of self realization and individuation. This state is meant to be not only observed but activated. The media and entertainment industries utilize it heavily. Within this state is not only your personal unconscious but the collective unconscious. It is here that we can tap into and explore the collective history of all of humanity. It is here where we can draw upon wisdom that we have not personally achieved.
By mastering our emotions, this state of awareness will allow us to hold mental images clearly and persistently. We are now building a bridge to the higher levels of consciousness.
This state of awareness is reflective, again like water, or like a mirror. This brings us also to the moon, which reflects the light of the sun but has no light of its own. It is a place of balance between body, thought and feeling. It is the place of dream and memory.
Focus on this state can help eliminate habits or form new ones. It is the awareness necessary to recreate a new self image. It is a whirlpool or circle that maintains our identity or sense of self from our beliefs, conditioning and memory.
The vice of this state is the actions and thoughts we take to ‘prove we exist.’ Dangers here are being spiritual to be fashionable, fitting in, playing dumb, our need to climb social ladders, keep up with the Jones’. These conditions bring about a feeling of lack, that we are never quite good enough, nor that we ever quite have enough. If we achieve in this imbalance, it is never satisfying and we ultimately will become bored with whatever success we achieve. This is the idea of the miser, or ‘scrooge’ storing up wealth to prove we are good enough yet losing the joy of having.
This is where we learn we must be truthful, even when it hurts. This is the realm of not bearing false witness against our neighbor. This is because from this state, until we accept fully who we are, we will project our ‘shadow’ onto others around us. We will point out the speck in someone’s eye not stopping to see the log in our own.
This state will give you great faculty for working with dreams and for exploring the movement of life force within all things. This is also where we get our first taste of the order of the universe and our role in it.
Symbols of this stage are: Iceberg Sandals, shoes, travel The Moon Mirror Water Atlas, the man holding up the world. The number 9 The symbol of the iceberg as showing only a small portion above the surface, hiding a great mass underneath. The sandals or shoes, meaning we are not meant to simply observe but to walk through this state, to take an active role. The moon, mirror and water all symbols of reflection. The figure of Atlas, holding up the world, that which supports without being seen. The number 9 is about giving back to the world. In order to give of yourself you must know yourself.
Activating this energy will likely create some intense dreams. Be sure to keep notes of your dreams in your journal. Your dreams are an excellent barometer of your personal progress. Pay particular attention to any details that leave an impression on you, especially if they have associated emotional responses. Spend some time contemplating the meaning or relationship your dream symbols have to you.
You can utilize this state of awareness to create a new you. You do this by imagining a new version of yourself. How do you act, think, feel, believe? What do you look like? What do people perceive about you? Write this vision out as if you were going to create a role for a main character in a movie. Once you have the vision clear, bring it to the mirror and imagine this ‘new you’ being absorbed into your reflection.
Exercise 1:
Gazing in a Mirror
Spend at least 10 minutes once a day gazing at your face in a mirror. Sit quietly and just observe your reflection. Stare into your own eyes. You may see your face change and shift doing this for awhile. Don’t let it disturb you just observe. Restrict your emotions and simply take note of any thoughts you have as you gaze.
Exercise 2:
Exploring Your Conflict
Spend this week contemplating the things you have the most aversion to. Pick something like a relationship problem or something you find yourself pointing out in others and then go back to your mirror. Ask yourself why you dislike this aspect so much. Allow a dialogue to unfold, talk with yourself and see if this conflict isn’t internal. A key to this exercise is to look at things going on, do they produce an observation or a reaction. If they cause a reaction, it is highly likely they are representative of an internal conflict. Allow your shadow self to speak.
