Warriors and Wild Women
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The attribute of the warrior or hero who sets upon this course of adventure never knows what will happen to them and must remain responsive to whatever may befall. At that moment, the adrenal glands, which are a primary source of energy for this type, are immediately engaged. Their energy turns on, they live on the edge, Jack and Jill And whenever that same young girl or boy lands their fear charges their vitality. on their head, much like the childrens' rhyme of The Walkabout Jack and Jill, when Jack fell In order to emerge from this down and broke his crown and initiation, the warrior's innate Jill came tumbling after and survival skills are made availconsequently stitches are reEachone able to them, be they man or quired, surely mom or dad can't of us woman one must go on the possibly be thrilled. This is also journey, what many tribes an example exhibiting the walking proclaim as the Walkabout, a primary personality we refer to term used in Aboriginal Austraon our as the Warrior or Wild Woman. lia. The Walkabout is similar to own has This type is representative of the Quest or the Vision Quest. passion and can take action a Each one of us walking on our impetuously prior to checking own must ride the rhythm and things out. In order to go after rhythm on the journey, become sure that big account or fight the beyond doubt about that in dragon in the forest, we must be which we believe. It is during this journey that fearless, without much forethought of what might, in fact, happen to us physically. We also we become closer to God and Spirit, our steady companion, beyond those who come and go have to experience this behavior ALONE. uponthis journey called Life. It is during this The Warrior adventure that we finally come to terms with our true Self. The Self that is unique from all. The warrior who tramps through the jungle others. doesn't usually have mom or dad around to protect them. It is a journey of one. I.E. Tarzan It is also on this journey that we must face death who is abandoned by his parents in the jungle. overtaking us at any turn; that is another factor henever a young child jumps out of a tree into a field below, wailing a loud and robust war cry, he or she is exhibiting one of the most primary archetypes, that of the Warrior or Wild Woman.
Depression is anger turned inward and deep, psychological wounding can backfire. An The planet that is associated example of this may be the "good" citizen, who is working hard trying to be a good family with this energy in astrology is person, hold on to a job, and who is still struggling to just make it and follows all the rules. the planet Mars, who is the Suddenly something happens after holding in all Roman War God. And in the their frustrations and they snap and go on a frenzy destroying everything they touch. The earlier Greek Mythologies, we surrounding environment is riddled with frustrahave Ares, a different god with tion and created is a negative soul residue, which feeds seeds of destruction, distrust, and a similar nature. sometimes even disease. If you are one who has this sign prominently The challenge then is to reverse and take conplaced in your chart at birth (and that can be decided by either reading this material or con- scious measures to create a Preventative Attisulting an astrologer who can determine that for tude. The soul thrives on vision; time for ourselves and creative projects so that we don't you), the challenges are all faced "head on". exhibit the negative manifestations of destrucTheir ultimate challenge in life is to learn to tion. move beyond reactive, explosive responses to stimuli and instead to clearly think before they This is not meant to imply that this type may at act, strategize before they do, and remember to sometime or another literally encounter gun shots or depression, but there is a high probabilistay in the moment and in their center at all times so that they do not lose or abuse the power ty that, in fact, they will experience some type of wounding or severing, either physically or they hold. mentally, or both and the challenge must be met When the warrior individual has this prominent to become a Warrior or Hero. in their chart, at some point in their life, they It is at this point, each time, when they are receive a scar from either accidents, repeated surgeries, gun wounds, possible physical abuse, wounded, that they are constantly challenged with the choice of life or death. the list goes on and on. Wounds usually generate blood. There are also The choice to live and transform the other wounds, the more psychological wounds, pain to love is the "choice of that are more difficult to come to terms with and champions". Their greatest evolutionary development may come by moving anger which may lie latent leading to some type of to love. depressive behavior at some point in their Victory is important to these types. To develop development, particularly when fear sets in. the will to love and thusly achieve balance in that we find quite common with this type.
found, particularly the archetype of the Warrior or Wild Woman. Some of these are: Indra in India; Pyerun, Slavonic myth; Donar-Thor, the god of thunder, Wotan or Odin; the Egyptian Anhur, the good. However,for the sake of simplicity we will stay with the Western stories of Ares and Mars. Ares, was the son of Hera, Zeus' spouse. The zodiacal name for Ares is translated into Aries and is traditionally symbolized by a Ram and the sign of the zodiac is ruled by the planet, Mars, the Roman War God aforementioned. The ram arouses easily and finds itself constantly in battle with contenders; butting its head at another without fear of death or wounding. However, one does not need to be an individual born under the zodiacal sign of Aries in order to have in them this warrior or wild woman archetype.
gladiator, even though he was not afraid and he could fight, he had to think before he acted; This is a learned skill. It is not something we just know at birth. It is this ability to think before one acts and to strategize, which differentiates a less or more evolved Hero/Heroine type. Mars is accompanied by his two aids, Deimos— Anger and Phobos—Fear (both are the named moons of the planet Mars). These are also the emotions that are more readily released in the less developed warrior or wild woman archetype. True anger and fear are found in all of us, but one of the challenges of the warrior is to move past anger and fear into courage, light and love no matter what the odds. Ares was passionately drawn to Aphrodite, who Like the ram, Ares in Greek mythology, was married to Hephaestus, the blacksmith in was an immature god of impulse, marching into battles indiscriminately. service to all the gods. At mention of conflict, he eagerly Ares and Aphrodite's clandestine meetings were attacked without any sense of fueled by their passions. They would, as a discrimination. result, meet impulsively without plans and were The young, bloodthirsty Ares, the son of Hera, caught in the act and humiliated by the other loved the kill. There was no discrimination gods. between what was a just cause and what wasn't. He fought for no king or god. He simply loved The varied stories of Ares paint for us an undeveloped, primal energy whose primary focus is action. love of the kill and the conquest. There is As the Roman Mythologies developed, nothing beyond that. This comment is supported we find ourselves faced with the god, in the Iliad, when Zeus says to his son Ares, Mars, who, like Ares, both rule the sign "thou art the most odious to me; for thou of Aries in the zodiac. Mars, however, enjoyest nothing but strife, war and battles. was more mature, more developed, Thou hast the obstinate and unmanageable perhaps more weathered. His body as shown in many of the statues was disposition of thy mother Hera, whom I can scarcely control with my words...." that of a well-developed male, and like the
These are the qualities of the lesser developed hero. As he or she develops and matures, however, he or she becomes more like the Roman version of the god, Mars, the mature, gladiator like warrior. For everything negative that Ares depicts, we find a positive counterpart in Mars. Whereas, we may see manipulation in Ares, we see strategic planning in Mars. Primal, sexual desire is still inherent in both types, but the first has as its base, sheer lust, while the more developed Mars, the Roman God, has developed the heart and the will to love. We also have female goddesses that are warriors with whom we can identify. The warrior goddess, Athena, springs forth from her father, Zeus' head after he devours her mother Metis, the wisest woman in Greece. She springs forth in full armor with a warrior cry, all her weapons and tools (symbols associated with these types) and a fully-developed strategist. Like her male counterparts, she holds the weapon that can, if she is antagonized, wound...her sword. Swords, knives, guns, arrows, bows are all associated with these types. Any type of heavy percussion instruments like drums and tambourines are also associated with the warrior type Again, Athena becomes a primary consultant for the heroes of Greece. If she believes in their cause, she will supply them with the information and the tools by which to make their quest successful. But first she must "believe" in them and this is a primary need for this type—to totally believe in a cause. Athena is sometimes associated with the zodiacal sign of Libra, the opposite of the astrological
sign, Aries, which is ruled by the planet, Mars. Well-developed Librans may have developed their strategic skills as well as their ability to make decisions, rather than the less-developed trait of procrastination or inability to decide which may sometimes be a symptom of Libra influences. Artemis, according to Edith Hamilton, was the "Lady of Wild Things". A virgin goddess who is probably the original "Wild Woman" archetype that Clarissa Pinkola Estes discusses in her recently released book, "Women Who Run With The Wolves". Artemis never marries and is the sister of the sun god, Apollo. She is very important as a facilitator of childbirth though she never births her own children and is associated with the astrological sign of Sagittarius. Her sacred grove of deer (she is also called the Moon Goddess), is where she privately walks with her dogs. At one point in one of the stories, she is washing herself in a sacred pool in her private grove of deer and realizes that a young man is spying on her from the bushes. Without any hesitation, she turns him into a stag and sets her dogs upon him, who proceed to kill and devour him. Her space is sacred and the young man she destroys does not respect this need. Or, perhaps, he was totally untrained and made aware of the boundaries of this goddess. Artemis' stories remind me of a matriarchal aunt, who had been widowed for several years, and who died at age 92. Aunt Rita lived in such a "sacred grove of deer". She never had children of her own and was always on the move.
doing, because Aunt Rita's people did not travel in a social circle that would understand this : tradition. Regardless, the pomegranate is the fruit which we eat during our stay in the underworld and after we make the passage across the river of death. It is associated with the sign of Scorpio, which occurs in late October and November, the month in which she died. The night before she died I had a dream of hundreds of deer that were all sizes. They wandered freely in and out of old doorways on some old familiar property. A property very similar to the one on which she lived for decades. If you were lucky enough, you might catch a glimpse of those same deer as you left her home from one of the clan's many parties. They were magic and if you looked hard enough you could see the spirit light around them. Deer are the goddess Artemis' sacred animals. It There was something about her energy—a light is Artemis, the warrior goddess, who facilitated that always shone from very deep within. It was and assisted in the birth of children. Her grove a light that was rare in people. It was as a of Sacred Deer were hers and you would only practicing Zen master with total inner enter if, in fact, you were invited, peace. The truth was, she probably much like this aunt's "sacred Deer are the never heard of Zen, but then, you grove". goddess Artemis' never really knew with her. sacred animals. At the rosary, one of her godchilThe home at which she lived for It is Artemis, the dren spoke of how her aunt had decades was bountiful with fruits, warrior goddess, been a model for all the young vegetable, and deer wandering all who facilitated girls of the family and instead of around. She was Catholic and at her and assisted in playing traditional "house" when rosary, they had laid out a piece of the birth of they visited her as young girls, fruit and a pomegranate, the tradichildren. they played business women". tional food of the underworld. Each year we were invited for at least one party and, in fact, her space had many parties that would last well into the night. Into this space would wander the deer in the area, particularly emerging late at night. When Aunt Rita died and everyone attended her funeral, it occurred to me that there was a correlation between Artemis and this aunt. These are some thoughts on her. I didn't know her very well and yet I knew her. A man next to me in the pew at church asked me if I was related? I told him, "Once I was." He was a fourth cousin, once removed. She was 92 and very involved in community, particularly in the Catholic Community. She never had children, even though she had been married for well over 60 years.But there was something about her. She knew everything, but never said anything. She was the prime observer and messenger for the large clan of which she was a part. She had 52 godchildren on last count!
I am sure they were unaware of what they were
In the midst of the enormous family in which she found herself, this aunt was a rare bird indeed, always a part of the family, but never part of tradition, a non-cook, a nonhousecleaner, always writing in her diary and attending to her thousands of pieces of correspondence with a loving hand and unique handwriting. If she had been born later in the century, she probably would have been a master word-processor! For a few of the women, still a part of the family and some of us who no longer are, there was something about her that we'll always remember. That something is the belief that anything can happen if you desire it badly enough.
is ruled by the Moon, which is associated with deer, and the "Moon" goddess, Artemis. It is archetypically also the Great or Cosmic Mother. When in this sign of the zodiac, it particularly addresses issues concerning families, clans, and "feeling" nurtured. The dream images of deer came nightly. Some nights the deer wandered through my dreams freely and joyfully and on other nights, the deer were slaughtered in bloody baths. The bloody dreams were the most upsetting and yet the most enlightening, because they foretold my ability to cut away from my familial past and its importance in moving forward as a warrior woman, who could finally and joyfully embrace her own wildness. Inside each and every one of us is that light that guides us to what is possible Wounding and severing occurs so that we move and is the essence of ail creation. forward. In my case, the week after this aunt's death and after some dreams of deer being During this same, remarkable period of time when I cut away my old life, I was in the midst slaughtered, several woundings occurred. The first was that a developing friendship, which had of a divorce, severing all parts of my past— potential for a love relationship, suddenly ended trying to re-acquaint myself with my warrior woman side. During the writing of this chapter, quite unexpectedly, then a very "dear" friend of mine found out she had breast cancer (the moon I also found myself dreaming about deer a lot and the zodiacal sign of Cancer rules the breasts) particularly just prior to some shattering emoand she had to have a radical mastectomy, then tional events. my son became quite ill with pneumonia, the list During this period, the planet Mars, which goes on and on. travels on a 26 month orbit around the sun, was looking as if it was going backwards (what we During this entire period, I found myself repeatedly dreaming about deer. The first dream about call retrograde in the sky) for over ten weeks. deer was the dream the night before the aunt (It does this every two years and some of the things we observe in the materialized world are died, the dream where the deer were wandering in and out of doors. people are unable to plan, they stop spending, they misfire their energies). The night before the potential love relationship It happened that during this time it was travel- abruptly ended, I dreamt about deer, again. In ling through the constellation of Cancer, which my dream, I was staying in a hotel and the hotel
was overrun by deer (symbols for emotion). It became quite clear that these deer were in charge and had to be controlled in some way. In order to achieve this, the proprietor said that they had to be caught off guard. That sounded like a good plan, but what I didn't realize in the dream is that the proprietor was plotting to completely destroy all the deer in a very violent manner— cutting off all "emotional connections". This part of the dream becomes quite hazy—but I remember one of the "strategies" of the manager of the hotel was to coax the deer to go directly through the halls of the hotel on its upper floors and then, unknowingly, jump in pairs out of the window to their death. This was a terrifying part of the dream to me, for in my waking state, I recalled an old Greek song that was called the "Horos Tou Zallogou", The Dance of Zallogou, which was about how a Greek village being invaded by Barbarians, had only women left in the town. All the men had gone off to the war. In order to escape the atrocities that the Barbarians would surely inflict upon the women, the women joined hands in Greek circle dance tradition, and danced themselves off a cliff. They danced in sorrow and joy as proud warriors who were saying, "This is who we are, we have come this far, let us live with dignity and an intact sense of self and if we cannot, we will die trying."
blood everywhere, I was horrified at the sight, but still felt compelled to bring the bloody carcasses to my lips, the dripping blood still warm, and-then kiss them good-bye. In the midst of pain was a beginning. Like the women of Zallogou, the deer represent emotions, feelings, and self-love that has no recourse but to do what is necessary in order to maintain their individuality, love for themselves and for those they love. Like the warrior, these heroines are courageous but they also have learned to love themselves. Self-actualized, they destroy themselves without compromise. This is a kind of modern day parable of the film "Thelma and Louise." The next morning after this horrifying dream, I awoke anxiously, and three to four hours later, my relationship ended. Suddenly, I understood the dream—it was about cutting away the past and an old way of dealing with emotions so that I might begin a new life and forge forward and go on my own search for "self, my walkabout, without compromise.
The hero who has not selfactualized must sometimes let go of emotional attachments in order to move towards a fuller life.
Until that self-actualization takes place, one may have a difficult time in relationships. UltiIt is at this point in the dream, as the deer are mately, however, we can achieve successful jumping off the second floor in pairs, this dream relationships when we complete the "self. segues into my seeing the carcasses strewn In these days of multiple marriages, we see across the lawn, their bodies cut in half with
people divorcing and then quite instantly remarrying. Without giving the "self any time to redirect its energy into becoming an individual who stands alone and is fully individuated. What then may happen in many of these situations is that the same patterns, the same issues, and the same problems emerge, but with a new partner. When we divorce or separate after a long-term committed relationship, there is an energy field that we have exchanged with the other person for so long, an energy that moves out of us and into the other that creates a kind of grand symbiosis, like a cellular communication system. When the "other" departs either through separation or death, the energy is still rotating out of the "self sphere and into an empty space—a void. So many of us grab onto any energy that moves into that vulnerable space and, thereby, delay our own search for self or vision quest. We are doing ourselves as well as the other person involved a major "soul disservice" when we haven't achieved and/or fully attempted selfactualization. We do not have a "self to give away and we must.
When marital disputes and separations arise and the parties separate, their is a great emptiness that is felt and what that emptiness is is the loss of one of the parts of the whole. In other words, neither "part" in the original model is entirely whole. When separation occurs (associated with Mars, knives and severing), that empty half can only find another empty half looking to complete themselves into one "whole". And in doing that, they really create two incomplete halves or selves. When you as an individual are entirely functioning both emotionally and in the outer world, then the only possible type that you can connect with successfully is another fully integrated "whole" person. The integration of the two (Venus and Mars) is the prototype of the new model in relationship. THE WILL
The month of March is named after Marte, the Roman war god, Mars, and the day of the week which we call Tuesday is ruled by the planet Mars and is named after the god, Tiw, in Teutonic myth. Originally a god of government, but later relegated to the battlefield, one of his Generally speaking, most women in the past have served as the spiritual conscience for their symbols is the spear—a sign of judicial power men. The men taking the more traditional role (we may also relate this to any instrument that creates a wound). of logic and task while women take the more traditional role of intuition and support. It is as When we begin our weeks with Tuesdays, though they are zygotes—they divide and pair because we have Monday holidays, the weeks off. may consist of an inordinate amount of tragedies When this occurs, each party retains the role of and violence of a higher percentage than may be the One as the conscience in the relationship and found in a full five-day work week. This was brought to my attention by a friend of mine who Two the activity necessary to continue in the heads a major department of a major American outer world.
corporation. He has observed that those four day weeks that begin with Tuesday have been the weeks in which his company has experienced major fires, tragedies, and crises! Recently, the archetype of warriors and heroines fighting for that in which they believe recently surfaced in this country in the form of the Persian Gulf Crisis... or so it seemed. There was a great deal of "rah-rah" hype where American Eagle T-shirts and red, white and blue striped everything were blasted all over the media. This is not a comment on whether this was bad or good, but rather an observation of how this type is still a part of a "contemporary" pantheon of gods, whose rules include the statement that when things get "too peaceful", we haul out our big guns. It used to be that you weren't a "man" unless you served in the armed forces or made your first kill in the jungle. In contemporary times, it is about severing from the root from which you were born to activate a new life or direction at some other point on earth. So that, in fact, the life process continues. In order to accomplish this, we must develop a certain amount of will. The will develops from the human journey, and it still may not necessarily manifest for all people. It is most predominant when the warrior or heroinefindsthemselves at a fork in the road and is about to embark upon the process of change and transformation.
months!! It can first be recognized by extreme anxiety and a deep knowing that at some point we have to leave our tribe and our "mother". This journey is something that every young man and woman must make in order to mature and become an adult. In the United States, our culture which is predominantly ruled by the sign, of Cancer, the symbol for the Great Mother. Our country was founded July 4,1776, during the time the earth moves through the constellation of Cancer. The zodiacal sign of Cancer is concerned with security, food, homes and vehemently protective of family. As a result, in the United States, we do not always allow our children to leave home at the appropriate age, because we are exhibiting our protective nature as a country.
We coddle them, we worry about what fate lies ahead of them in the outer world and we overly protect them. Whereby in other cultures, the boys are taken from their mothers at age 13 and sometimes younger. And the girls become wives or mothers at close to that same age. Adolescent rebellion is about needing to leave the clan and straggling with a culture that says you are not old enough. Or, a culture which gives mixed messages that you are old enough, but if you get hurt, we, mom and dad, will bail you out. In order to be prepared to leave the clan, first must come real training and preparation for that moment. This can happen for anyone whether or not their The young man or woman attempting to go and basic type is that of warrior or heroine. At some fight the dragons and sever from the family in point in each of our lives, this type may come to order to move on with their life, eventually self""visit" and stay for a few days, weeks or actualizes or individuates, but has to get bruised
and banged up somewhere along the way or they The biggest motivation in life is to champion never do grow up to be complete withiin them- causes that are believed in. They will defend their company, their mates, or any ideal in selves. which they believe. Impulsive, spontaneous, and The United States is particularly guilty of fiery, their zeal is powerful, and they go after the coddling its teenagers. Many parents as opposite side with an explosive force. well as the court system, do not make their children accountable for their Winning is everything. Once the challenge and actions. the excitement of the battle overtakes them, they When trouble comes, what results? Many forge onward with an untiring energy. They are young people are afraid to venture forth and leaders in the battle, and when everyone else discover their life and their soul. A tires, this type continues on. person who has done this is able to They have tremendous inner develop a strength of character that reserves of energy and tenacity. only comes from worldly experiThey know the job has to get They will ence. This example is similar to the done, and they do it if they defend newly separated individual menbelieve in what they are doing. their c o m tioned earlier. They are willing to go down pany, their with the ship for the cause. For those who take this journey, mates, or there is a tremendous amount of any ideal They are, primarily, task oripassion and joie du'vivre—a fancy ented. They inspire others to do believed word for joy of life, or, life force. the same. Great initiators, they in start many aggressive camThese risk takers fight for the paigns, and then allow others to causes in which they believe. They whom they learn to delegate to follow through learn on the road of experience to develop a deep faith due to "knowing" how to survive their for them. Delegating is a chief lesson for a choices, beliefs, investments, applications, and warrior or heroine type to learn. attuning to rhythm of their own heart. They also Their great gift is the ability to inspire learn to trust that the universe has a much better and motivate others by the example plan than we do as human beings, yes they are which they set. warriors who ultimately must surrender to the The negative manifestation of this type, the less truth their journey reveals. developed, type, may be a personality that is Those that are idealists bring to the world the either self-important, a non-listener, or one who sincere hope that you can achieve your dreams, may be overbearing or selfish. and that anything is possible, if you fight for what you want...and don't give up. And if you Obviously, there is a great deal of passion associated with this type. At their best, they are willing to pay the price. may be a well of spirit, energy and action.
We know that the warrior or wild woman is at some time in our lives alive within us no matter how meek or shy we may be. We know it when we hear the throbbing sounds of drums and the urge to participate in the great dance overcomes us. We know that wild women, like Dionysus' Maenads, help send us into the state of ecstasy, which is where we find the soul. In recent years, more and more men and women and children are joining in in drumming circles which recapture this magic of times past and unleashes a part of us that is lost in modern society. It is raw sensuality. Many people continue to have relationships in which they only have "sexual" partners and then there is nothing else in the relationship. As a psychic acquaintance of mine says who is also a healer, these relationships are indicative of a blocked second chakra, (the sexual energy center in the lower spine). She states that a blocked second chakra prevents the energy from moving up through the spine to the heart, which is where the love center is located, and which is the bridge of energy for the entire body.
They may be plagued by constant emotional flare-ups, rage, and explosive reactions. In nature they could be volcanoes, hurricanes, tidal waves—elements out of balance. Quite like the less developed god, Ares, in the earlier Greek version of mythology, they rage from a deep base of fear (remember the two moons of Mars, Fear and Anger, Phobos and Deimos).
Appropriately, these types may be drawn to the color red, the color of the will and the color of blood. When we need energy, we naturally choose a red color or eat hot and spicy foods to trigger this type in all of us.
We see the warrior types in such chosen professions as professional sports, athletes, weight or body builders, security and law enforcement. They may have mechanical ability. An ability to determine the best way in which to "fix" something. At night either the young or mature heroine or warrior may make one last trek through the house to check the doors to make sure they are locked. This type is concerned with how their body appears to others. They may spend many hours working out. As they mature and bring more balance into the life, there is still a concern for In his or her less the body, but the care of the body will not be out developed state, the of balance with the care of their soul. This warrior or wild woman may occurs only when the warrior or heroine allows act without a conscience love into their life and they set their emotional nature'free. Compulsion of anything we overdo or consciousness. can be subjugated when we allow in the feeling These types can be recognized for the amount of and emotional nature. violence they incur, which, if the conscience or awareness is developed, translates into passion These men and women usually walk with their heads tilted slightly forward and with a deter and courage, which is positive manifestation.
Page 26 gait. They must exercise, because if they do not, then their fiery energy can backfire on them and be quite destructive. Action personifies this type. A young warrior or heroine cannot just sit. As young children, they constantly bombard their parents with the same question, "What are we going to do today...and tomorrow...and tomorrow...?"
grow under their feet because they are in a constant state of movement. Job hopping may "' occur if they have not moved past the fear aspect of this type and into facing their own true psychological demons. Some other industries that appeal to the contemporary hero or heroine may be as criminal attorneys, surgeons, builders, military strategists, troubleshooters, mechanics, draftspeople, There is an absence of stillness in the tool and die makers, race car drivers, and even lesser developed warrior, which may be astronauts. We find that heroic archetype in the the result of not feeling comfortable with mother whose child has been suddenly struck by deeply intimate relationships. a car and, in that moment, in a totally instinctive As a result, this Achilles Heel may keep them way, lifts the car off of her child. In that moforever bound in only the world of the soldier ment, the heroine is born in that mother. and very rarely in the world of the general. For Even though our primary archetype may not be stillness is the stuff from which emerges the that of the warrior, at different times during the vision and the dream—the possibilities. In life, he or she does pass in and out of our lives Acupuncture it is called the Stillpoint. Like Don Quixote, there is a place for tilting at in order for us to make major life changes. windmills, but we cannot forever do this. At This process may be identified by some type of some point one must come home, and provide uneasiness in the current life situation, where the impetus for others' growth. some type of severing or cutting away must take In the Native American tribes, the warriors, the place. This may be from a fixed family, secure men would bring home the game and hand it to job, or long-standing relationship. the women who would "do" something with The "wound" whether it is psychological or what was brought to them. This "exchange" was physiological can either be self-imposed or a balance between creativity and assertion. imposed by someone else as in such cases as Assertiveness or aggressiveness is a prominent battered husbands or wives. At this point, one characteristic in the lives of successful entrepre- has a choice, to remain a victim, or keep things together to maintain the status quo. neurs. These trailblazers enjoy challenge and taking risks. They enjoy developing their prod- Once we move on, then the adventure is usually ucts and ideas (creating). earmarked by some type of self-imposed journey They are busy and maintain their life force through continual challenge that they embrace throughout their lives. They do not let grass
Once we move on, then the adventure is usually earmarked by some type of self-imposed journey alone or self-imposed exile, where we test our mettle. Once the journey is completed, we change and become self-actualized and move into the greater vision, the bigger picture that allows us to share our experience and act as bridges upon which we invite others to cross, the role of the teacher or mentor or leader, the role of the sage. Postscript thought: This is the first part of the on-going series called The Turquoise Horse. If you would like to be notified when the next two chapters are ready for publication, please call Georgia Stathis at Starcycles Publishing in Pleasant Hill, California at (510) 689-0750: fax us your requests at (510) 689-0751.