Whose Integrity?
Q: Whose Integrity?
A: Ours. Ultimately the integrity in question is always that which is the most intimate of all. Despite any impulse to look outside ourselves for the wrongdoing of the moment or the action of another, regardless of what is provoked from within us, the journey of reclamation of power begins at home.
Humans are the stewards of vast realities created by ourselves. These realities have an immense impact upon everything touched, spoken to, loved, or unloved. Inside of each of us is a world of worlds and our current state of consciousness can only access so much of this information at a time. The majority of the inner workings of who we don’t know ourselves to be remain unconscious yet completely active under the surface layers of our psyche.
Imagine yourself a planet upon which there is a constant influx of new life and death of the old. You are nature. Where you place your attention, where you water the seeds of life and shine the sun of heart, your garden shall flourish. It is on you to determine which type of garden you want to grow. Is it one of fecund beauty and nourishing food for energy and vibrant life-force? And even if you are flourishing in the gardens of relationships or career are there other areas that are nearly forgotten and covered in thorns?
As with any planet, there is a center of gravity. There are laws that govern us and keep us in the cosmic flow. A universal center beckons us into cycles of life with the eternal glow of the Sun running the course of days into nights. The moon is a mirror of remembrance; the bones of a planet, a previous earth, a foreshadowing future, a teacher of the cycles of life, birth and death.
On a planet such as Earth, there is so much occurring simultaneously. Relationships are born, thriving, and ending. Heartbeats ignite and are brought to a halt. Disease infects while cures are found. Construction is on the rise as old buildings are demolished. Dreams are realized and dissolved at once. Oceans heal and are completely disregarded. The animals roar and are hunted for prize. Words are spoken and promises are broken. Love is made and hatred is sown.
Inner work is the opportunity to orient ourselves in the center of the gravitational pull towards inner knowing. Energy runs high and in every direction. Even sloth as a state of being has a powerful momentum that seeps into a gripped paralyzation disguised as ‘tired’. Regardless of the pace of life or the more filled our schedule appears, our responsibility as beings is only heightened every day. Each thought that circulates within our enclosed sphere of mind births new emotions that spawn words of meaning into action and attitude.
Whose integrity is on the line? Every conscious moment I seek to live this word into realization. We are either in or out of integrity in every aspect of our lives. Observing ourselves and through self-inquiry as a practice, we can stay attuned to our integrity as we peer through the lens of our relating, our work environment, finances, sexual energy, nourishment, family, etc.
The relationships between the planetary bodies represent how these archetypes (indicating behaviors and realms of being) help us to understand the further unknown realities within us. If we anthropomorphize ourselves into an Earthstar, a beating heart of life encircling the Sun, we now relate with other planets just as beings that teach us more about ourselves in reflection.
The Sun is our heart without which we cease to exist. The Moon reminds of the cycles of life and keeps us organized in rhythm to the universe. In relation to Mars we can see our energy materialize into action. With Venus, our values are implied in the ways we relate with others and our resources. Mercury teaches us how to communicate and how our mind works while Saturn holds us accountable to our limitations and assists us in knowing our fears. Jupiter expands our possibilities of self-knowledge and Neptune calls us into realms of service and higher being. Uranus encourages our internal rebel with a cause to shine and Pluto, well, the Lord of the Underworld serves up transformation, ready or not.
I am the world and I am worlds within. The vast landscapes of mind are infinite. Instead of living my life in relation to the status quo, I seek the challenge to swim upstream and against the grain. Change is such a radical experience when I instigate it from a place of integrity. Why stay the same when I can transform myself for the better? I love this question...
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We cannot change the world until we accept we are the world. This is the new conversation.
