Feature - Riding the Wave

There are not really any steps to growth in consciousness (or spiritual growth) that are set in stone. Each person has their own path to travel in expansion, compassion, mindfulness and consciousness - and to quote Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead… “that path is for your steps alone.” (“Ripple”)

For the past few months, Aquarius has been using the amazing and mind-blowing art of Keith Prossick to identify and explore various factors along the path of consciousness and spiritual growth. We’ve called this series “Breaking the Mandala”, because growth in consciousness is more likely than not going to be a disruptive and challenging process, and will often disguise itself as being shockingly unspiritual and even destructive.

The first painting in the series (September) was “Ganesh”, and portrays the Hindu deity Ganesh bursting through a carefully constructed mandala. Ganesh is the deity who removes obstacles…and usually does so by destroying the obstacle. In our spiritual development, the main obstacles are usually our carefully constructed ideas, world views, and patterns of behavior that give us the illusion of control. Our conscious awakening happens most often as a reaction to trouble, pain or disturbance of some kind…in other words, our “mandala” gets broken, and opportunities for growth emerge.

The second painting in the series (October) was “Pagoda”. It portrays a beautiful pagoda in an idyllic setting, and reminds us that as we begin to experience the turbulence of spiritual expansion, we seek for (and often create) a “place” of Sanctuary. Sanctuary is wherever or whatever we need to process and begin to understand and cooperate with the evolution of our consciousness. It may be a group, an idea, a practice, a person, or just a time of day…but it is where we can safely reflect and begin to understand the new world of consciousness that is opening before us. It is also a place we can rest and heal as we deal with the turbulence of conscious awakening.

This month, the third painting in the series is “The Great Wave.” And wow…prepare yourselves!!

At some point in your spiritual journey, you will be overwhelmed with the Mystery, the Magic, and the Sacred Uncertainty of higher consciousness. You will feel the rolling of a Great Wave, and you will experience being swept away.

One of the things that happens in conscious awakening is an opening to a new way of perceiving the world and reality. You have probably seen pictures of a Lotus Flower; in many eastern spiritual traditions, the lotus flower (in full bloom) is representative of the multi-layered process of awakening and the opening (blooming) of consciousness.

Often, this “new way” of seeing the world and reality occurs as a wave washing over you. You may feel unexpected and hard to define feelings. You may have unusual occurrences. You may begin to see patterns where none existed before.

The craziness goes on. People have seen entities, heard voices, talked to loved ones who have passed on, seen energy auras around people. Some have chosen to leave their previous lifestyle to devote themselves to helping others, teaching, coaching, or pursuing dreams of creative expression or social transformation.

I call it “craziness” because, in our programmed society, these actions and experiences often look “crazy” - that is, they are way outside of the ordinary and common-place. People who begin to experience the Great Wave of conscious awakening are often mocked, ridiculed, scorned or deemed unhealthy.

The age of Aquarius (the astrological age we are entering as a human race) will see more and more of this type of conscious awakening…a new step in the evolution of human consciousness. More and more people, even whole nations, will “wake up.” Spiritual eyes will be opened, and new value systems - based on love, respect, cooperation, unity and connectedness - will begin to emerge. Just as the Great Wave has personal implications, it has social implications as well. Human culture, globally, will look very different hundreds of years into the age of Aquarius.

There are two aspects of this Wave that washes over us in spiritual awakening that I want to focus on. One is Current, the other is Connection.

Current

Increasingly, science is affirming what mystics have known for centuries…everything is Energy. From the background energy field observed in the Universe, to the paper (or smartphone!) being held in your hands, everything is energy. You are energy - your thoughts, feelings and your physical/material body are all manifestations of energy, vibrating at different rates or frequencies.

Call this Energy “the Current”, and you will begin to see how this aspect of the Great Wave impacts and influences you. The Great Wave is Energy itself, and as you awaken, you become aware of this Energy which surrounds you and is you. And because you become aware of it, you begin to open yourself to it. You begin to experience the Current of Energy, moving through you. You perceive life and thought and action as a Flow. Increasingly, you become a part of this Flow; and the more you are a part of the Flow, the more you want to be.

Connection

As you become more aware of the Energy that is the basis of reality, you begin to experience a second aspect of the Great Wave - and that is connection.

The Current flows through everything, and indeed everything is the Current. The fundamental truth of this reality is that everything and everyone is connected. Our consciousness extends beyond ourselves and connects with every other conscious on the planet, which itself connects with a Universal Consciousness…which is the Energy that is everything.

One reason that spiritual awakening can be so overwhelming is that we begin to understand that everything is connected…and our experience of Reality is just a perception. We connect with humans, non-humans, plants, rocks, extra-terrestrials, other dimensional entities, even those who have died (because energy does not cease, it simply transforms). As we become aware of and experience this connection, we get carried away to more amazing and unimaginable spiritual experiences.

Current and Connection…two aspects of the Great Wave that sweep us away into the bliss of expanding consciousness. As you read in Aquarius this monh, let your imagination run free at the idea of being swept up in a Great Wave that is rushing over the entire human race. Let yourself feel in the Current and Connected. You will be amazed at what you see, know and experience.

Here’s to Riding the Wave together!! Namaste!

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