PRAYER,
PRACTICE AND TRANSFORMATION
(WINTER 2000)
People everywhere today are talking about their dreams, visions, and life purpose, asking important questions such as, "How do I bring meaning and purpose into my life?" They are working on creating something new in their lives, or changing something that already exists. Many people are seeking a new relationship, job, career, home, or even a new body! Everywhere I look I see the effects of a culture that is in the throes of transformation.
As the calendar turns four digits and we begin a new century, a new decade, and a new year, I am aware of the affluence of a society that, according to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, has begun to move toward the upper rung of the ladder - the rung of self-actualization. Maslow, who was a psychologist and groundbreaking leader in the field of human potential, said that the desire for inner fulfillment, spiritual nourishment, and the expression of ones' fullest potential is the highest level of human need. Those who are actively seeking lives of meaning, purpose, and creativity are self-actualizers - which is what I call being on a spiritual path - a path of growth and transformation.
What are the elements of such a path? Our transformational journey is similar to the cycle of transformation that the earth passes through each year. The four seasons correspond to the four transformational stages of actualization, change, or growth. The stages are: Birth (or Rebirth), Life, Death, and Gestation/Incubation. These stages correspond to Spring (birth and rebirth), Summer (life), Fall (death), and Winter (gestation/incubation). These stages are not linear, but rather exist within a constant cycling of one to the other. There is no actual beginning or end. Within each of these seasons there are essential principles that must be honored if the cycle is to be passed through without unnecessary struggle.
One way to understand the essence of each season or each cycle of the transformational journey is through attunement and observation of the earth's passages. And the best way to honor the principles are through daily practices that express them in action. With the solstice on December 22, we entered the season of Winter. This is a time of gestation and incubation; the earth is seemingly at rest, and many plants are dormant. This part of the cycle requires us to recognize that our life force turns itself down low, just as a bear hibernates until spring. Much is going on under the surface, but it is not what the eye can see. The soul is recharging itself, preparing for the rising of energy that comes in spring. This is a good time for prayer, contemplation, and reflection. The practices that support this season of the transformational journey are quiet, intention-setting, and patience. It is a wonderful time for meditation and personal renewal.
In order to honor the principles of the winter, I encourage you to take the time to sit quietly this season in prayer and contemplation. This is a necessary passage in the cycle of transformation, and without it, the birthing that naturally comes in spring becomes more arduous. Surrendering to the urge for quiet, clarifying your intention for the coming year, and reflecting on the passages of the past year will serve you well as you move toward the creative, fulfilled, and self-actualized life you seek. Even if your outer life requires activity and action, developing a daily practice that honors the principles of the season will enable you to remain in 'right relationship' to this passage. And remember, trusting that spring will come, and with it a period of birth, is a practice that will help you to enter the stillness of the season and get the most out of this dark time.
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