There’s an expression purported to be Navajo which goes: you cannot wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep. I keep thinking, well that’s clever, and it’s apparently pretty old. If it’s old, humans have been dealing with this issue of being asleep, and pretending to be asleep, for a long time. For those who ask, ‘When are people going to wake up?’ with this idea you have a clue.
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The concept of ‘asleep’ in the sense of dim awareness is confusing to those who are indeed walking around in a trance. It’s a little like dreaming: you don’t always know that you are, though most of the time you do because a different set of logical rules apply to the world; things are not normal, such as all the cars are purple. But imagine if you were asleep and dreaming for years and years; those unusual rules would start to seem normal. The exaggerated or inappropriate sentiments, the unexplainable situations, and most of all, so much missing (such as green cars), would become part of the ‘natural’ landscape of the world.
Then there’s pretending to be asleep. That would be denial. Denial is not so unconscious as most people imagine; it’s hard work. One must actively strive to shut out information, close off options, veer away from experiences that would teach them something or stay in situations they know to be numbing or harmful.
We’re now in a moment of awakening. That basically means affirmation and awareness. Often awakening is actually a lot more than that — for some it will feel like shedding a skin, entering maturity, telling the truth about who you are for the first time, breaking free of a relationship or telling your parents to fuck off. For some, awakening feels like the outright revolt of divorce, or realizing you’re not cut out (or don’t want) to be a parent. You might figure out that the religion that you’ve been handing your judgment over to all these years is just simply full of it.
Awakening is different for everyone, as is what we awaken to. But if you’re pretending to be asleep, that is, if denial is your way of life, then no amount of stimulation or information or necessity or desire is going to make that change; only you can.
We all have different styles of waking up. Some people play snooze tag and contemplate getting out of bed for an hour. Others burst to life like a flower and face the day cheerfully, then go out birding and bake muffins before settling into a productive day of gardening and real estate transactions. Some wake up feeling like they’re under siege, traumatized and scared. I usually wake up without an alarm clock and my mind is focused on my work within 10 minutes.
If we follow astrology as a guide, we can get some clues about our particular moment of awakening. One description comes in the many outer planets that are changing signs more or less simultaneously — Uranus, Chiron, Neptune and Pluto.
A planet moving through a sign tells a story; I don’t know how it works, but that gradual trek across the 30 degree division is a distinct process. And we happen to be in a moment when there are two very close to the beginning (Uranus and Chiron), one pretty close (Pluto) and a fourth about to begin (Neptune).
At the moment — and I mean at this very moment — we’re on the cusp of Uranus moving from Pisces to Aries. This is one of the most high-energy planets starting over the cycle of the zodiac; the cycle of one of its 84-year seasons. In a sense we begin a new century with this event. Uranus is about to walk over the Aries Point, which ignites both world events and our desire to participate in them. Part of your awakening experience may simply be your desire to get involved — though that may not fit your idea of who you are. So in a practical sense part of waking up is about making an adjustment to that idea of who you are.
You know what I mean? You’ve gone through life for a long time thinking, “I’m this kind of person,” or, “I’m not that kind of person.” Then some practical thing gets your attention: a desire, a necessity, something you want to accomplish or feel that if you don’t your soul is not complete.
This is our moment.
Just remember, it’s not merely about not being something or someone. True, you might need to shed a psychic skin. Then it’s what emerges that matters.
Needing something comforting to read while in waiting rooms, I recently grabbed The Four Agreements [Don Miguel Ruiz] to reread. To review, the fear of awakening is the fear of being authentic, of behaving as fully alive creatures. It’s in the Toltec tradition, as in ACIM, to strip away the Illusion in order to create a happier dream than the one we’re imprinted with from cradle to grave. The ego-driven, attack/defend, please/punish dread we’re programmed into, that’s the human condition. That’s politics, religion, parental authority, yadda ad infinitum. Everything we think of as “normal.”
Me, I’m just terribly grateful to be living in these wondrous “abnormal times” with enough awareness to keep my ass on and offer some encouragement to all those I love. Feeling the energy gather to allow us to make a collective leap is very encouraging, scary and exciting. I have very loving hopes.
This IS our moment — and I’m thrilled to share it with all of you.
This moment is indeed awakening at a level deeper than “normal consciousness”. I can still feel the normal brain fog, my sight still feels kind of detached, but there is something as yet intangible that has become crystal clear.
I can Feel the planets speaking, like great whales emerging from depths. How fascinating, how awe inspiring to Be In This Moment.
I pulled out the Existence card from the Zen Osho tarot cards after I read this, this morning. Part of the commentary goes:
“Now is the time to look at whether you are allowing yourself to receive the extraordinary gift of feeling “at home” wherever you are. If you are, be sure to take time to savour it so it can deepen and remain with you. If on the other hand you’ve been feeling like the world is out to get you, it’s time to take a break, Go outside tonight and look at the stars.”
Osho himself adds:
“You are not an accidental. Existence needs you. Without you something will be missing in existence and nobody can replace it. That’s what gives you dignity, that the whole of existence will miss you. The stars and sun and moon, the tress and birds and earth — everything in the universe will feel a small place is vacant which cannot be filled by anybody else except you. This gives you a tremendous joy, a fulfillment that you are related to existence, and existence cares for you. Once you are clean and clear, you can see tremendous love falling on you from all dimensions.”
It’s my experience that fear is always (??) the underlying motivation for denial. I think this poor man who is coming out in public is a case in point. He must have been terrified to the point of numbness about what he really felt, so that he felt impelled to make a public case AGAINST what he felt and therefore against himself.
How very very painful.
Waking up always sounds so good, and I am definitely in favor of it! but I also know about this pain and fear that underlies the resistance to it, and feel it explains a great deal.
Thank you for this focus today.
Eric,
I’m so glad you wrote about wakefulness and sleeping as it describes consciousness. I’m glad too that you used “feeling” as one of the possibilities for bringing us out of our sleep state. I had never looked for what it might be that caused someone to avoid waking up, although I knew resistance could be found in particular squares in a chart, natally or in transit.
It wasn’t until I realized how many people could be affected by a country’s birthchart, and that the negative power of Neptune, meaning denial in this case, or even illusion, could keep masses of people asleep. There surely must be something in their individual birthcharts that supports the long-time transit of Neptune over the USA Sibly’s Moon, and probably at least one personal planet at odds with an outer planet, natal or progressed too. I myself discovered, through astrology, the denial factor alive and well thanks to natal Venus square natal Neptune.
Amanda’s response regarding the state senator’s “coming out” would no doubt be shown, at least in the timing of the revelation, in his natal chart and the present transits to it. In real estate the phrase “location, location, location” focuses on the prime factor for buying and selling. Astrology’s phrase for stages of awaking and sleeping could be “timing, timing, timing.” I’m thinking that fear can even be possibly unconscious, at least in some people. This would surely express itself as denial in a forceful and blind way, with no possibility of waking, unless maybe over “time”.
I do know what you mean; this is our moment and is more than just about ourselves. It is about being involved in someway with something bigger than ourselves. It takes your breath away!
be
Here is where we get into the sexual, emotional and psychological subtext that underlies all of politics. What we see is the surface, without really tapping into the motives. This seems like a small isolated instance but it’s actually an example of something that is rampant, and that has far reaching effects. If we could subtract the hypocrisy factor: gays who vote against gay rights, women who vote against reproductive rights but take advantage of themselves (etc., etc.) we would see a lot of progress. And it’s not politics that’s holding up that progress — it’s unaddressed personal material.
what’s this about pretending to be asleep/denial?
check it out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8556852.stm
“A conservative US state senator who has voted against gay rights measures during his 14 years in office has announced he is gay.
Republican Roy Ashburn came out during a radio interview in California, where he sits on the state legislature.
He has been on leave since his arrest last week on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Mr Ashburn said his votes reflected the way his constituents wanted him to vote, not his own “internal conflict”.
“I am gay… those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long,” the 55-year-old divorced father-of-four told KERN radio.
Mr Ashburn said he felt the need to address rumours that he had visited a gay nightclub before his arrest on suspicion of drinking and driving in Sacramento on 3 March.
Last year, Mr Ashburn opposed a bill to establish a day of recognition to honour murdered gay rights activist Harvey Milk.
He has also voted in the statehouse against efforts to expand anti-discrimination laws and recognise out-of-state gay marriages.
Mr Ashburn, who represents California’s 18th district, said he does not plan to run for any public office after his term ends later this year.”
Wonderful, Eric. ; – ) Thank you for this today. ♥♥♥