The Green Man and the Sacred Masculine

A Profile of a Native American as a Symbol of the Green Man Naturally Formed at the Base of a Redwood Tree
photo taken by David Lawrence Brown, Jedediah Smith State Park, Boy Scout Trail, 2013

And Technology Was ...
In the recent years we have experienced technology becoming more dominant with cell phones and other devices as an extension of our bodies, minds, and emotions. More communications are becoming digital. The pace of life seems to have accelerated, in part due to technology and speeds of information processing. Has the Internet taken over our lives?

What Does Nature Say if We Can or Cannot Hear the Message ?
Yet Nature also has her say in all of this. Since the total eclipse of the sun on August 21st 2017 , we have seen numerous disasters in Nature, including fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, record sized solar flares, and changing weather. Some or all may be attributed to global warming, and some may be the result of the eclipse, or other natural and unpredictable happenings of the Earth and Nature. Whatever the causes, Nature speaks with weather, storms, hurricanes, Full Moons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, tsunamis, and fires. Some call them acts of God. The Earth is what it is.

The Hidden Spirituality of Men and the Green Man
A book came into my life recently as a gift from a friend. The Hidden Spirituality of Men - Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine. The author is Matthew Fox, who was a member of the Dominican Order for 34 years and the founder of the creation spirituality which was considered heretical by the Catholic hierarchy and he was expelled from the Dominican Order and the Catholic college where he was teaching. This book focuses on ten archetypes or metaphors of authentic masculinity, a sacred masculine that is not always openly acknowledged in our modern culture.  The Green Man is one of those archetypes.

Yin-Yang in Balance
In the circular symbol of  the Yin (feminine) and Yang (masculine) in Taoist philosophy, the two halves of the circle - the Yin and Yang - are in perfect balance, which is a message in itself ; the sacred feminine and the sacred masculine need to be in balance to fully reflect the divine metaphor of the unity of two as one. In theory this is inspiring. In reality we have a different experience.

The sacred masculine is connected to the Yang energy of the circle, and yet how is this Yang energy channeled, or used? It is more than obvious that in our history and culture it has been channeled as the "profane" masculine rather than the sacred masculine, as a general rule with exceptions. Fox describes how we need a "relationship of equality between the Yang and Yin powers within ourselves and within our cultural institutions". We are still a long way from that in our individual and collective experience. Yet we also know that things are changing in ways that may increase this relationship of equality.

Metaphors, Myths and Archetypes
Metaphors, myths and archetypes are still there deep within our instinctive memories, both individually and collectively. They are covered up by our busy lives, technology, cell phones, computers and the frenetic pace of modern culture. "Ultimately men are not 'problems to be solved', but deep, impenetrable mysteries. Each one carries many stories, many ancestors, many metaphors, and many archetypes in often hidden places." Do we need to discover more of the mystery of the sacred masculine in our lives?

The Green Man Archetype
The Green Man is one archetype that has come to the forefront recently with the dramatic natural disasters of 2017. Fox refers to another book that is a classic on this topic - "The Green Man: The Archetype of Our Oneness with the Earth" by Clive Hicks and the poet William Anderson. The Green Man is all about oneness with Nature, relationship to Nature, as opposed to the archetype of the modern era of "mastering Nature". What is the wisdom that we received from the natural disasters in terms of the Green Man archetype?

The Green Man is about wisdom in our relationship to the Earth, and a prime example is from Native American traditions that celebrated and respected the plants and trees that are the "green" life of the Earth. It is interesting to note that in the stories and traditions of many cultures as well as religious traditions, plants and trees have been used as metaphors to describe the sacredness of life. The tree of life, branches, seeds, vines, forest, fruits, and roots all strike a deep resonance within us if we are open to the wisdom of the Green Man and the sacred masculine.  It is no coincidence that the modern green movement uses the same color as the archetype. It shows a more conscious integration of the wisdom of honoring the Earth with recycling, preservation, and justice for protecting the Earth, oceans, and forests.

The Green Man archetype is also connected to the silence of Nature, as in silent seeds that contain the potential to become active in creation with a certain catalyst, or in the deep forest such as the redwoods where silence has its own language. The green man represents the yang in balance with yin in Nature. The sacred masculine in balance with the sacred feminine. The oneness of the two as shown in the circular symbol with a curving line between both.

There is a connection also of the Green Man archetype to Father Christmas, and ancient portrayals of him wearing a green suit, and with the tradition and symbolism of the Christmas Tree and the Winter Solstice celebrations.

How is a man's wisdom in relationship to the Earth an important part of spiritual practice, mindfulness, and daily conscious focus? Is it to celebrate the oneness of Nature and ourselves as a sacred and holy part of the creation? Is it to become one with the Green Man archetype in which we can love, support, enjoy, and respect the Divine Spirit in Nature, especially the "green" life of the Earth? Is it to acknowledge the balance of the sacred feminine or Yin within Nature, the Earth, and also as a part of ourselves? In a prior blog - The Ancient Redwoods Spoke to Me - I describe a profound experience of discovering a profile of a Native American naturally formed at the base of a redwood tree and the experience of silence in the redwood forest. It is the photo at the top of this blog. It also is a perfect example of the Green Man not only as a metaphor, but as a "living symbol" of the sacred masculine.

The Green Man is just one of ten archetypes or metaphors described in the book  The Hidden Spirituality of Men - Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine. The others are Father Sky, Icarus and Daedalus, Hunter-Gatherers, Spiritual Warriors, Masculine Sexuality - Numinous Sexuality, Our Cosmic and Animal Bodies, The Blue Man, Earth Father: The Fatherly Heart, Grandfather Sky: The Grandfather Heart. Maybe some or all are calling to us now in new ways, waiting for us to listen, respond, and become more aware of their presence in our lives.

On some level we already know the messages being sent from the sacred archetypes, since we carry the stories, the DNA of our ancestors, and the metaphors of life hidden within our sacred masculinity, our individual and collective memory, our sacred rituals, and our souls.






 

Towards the One - Henosis

"The invitation of the keyword “Oneness” is to explore the concept of unity and “find the reality of oneness.” In the classical ancient Greek language, “Henosis” is the word for mystical oneness, union, or unity. The concept has been applied to the unity that we have in spirit with the Divine Spirit, or God, that has been experienced by mystics and sages throughout the ages. There are many theories and paths towards oneness – as an isolated experience or as a permanent shift in consciousness. As Einstein so brilliantly stated, and as the ancient teachings in many traditions describe, we are already in a reality of Oneness. We just need to break through from our perceived duality and separateness from all of creation. We can have compassion to honor this process in ourselves and others."  ~ 333 Keywords to Change Your Life

The concept of oneness or the unity of all things and within all things is more than a concept when it is either experienced or celebrated on various levels and lived as a vision, an intent, a realization, or a joyful moment.

All of our life we are engaged in so many distractions, and rarely do we have time or create time to go within, deeply, to commune with Spirit and experience, even for a moment, a taste of eternity, of a divine moment, or of the oneness in all things. And yet it can happen in any given moment, when singing, listening to music, being in nature, making love, seeing hubble telescope images of the universe, dancing, doing yoga, or being inspired by wisdom, stories, and the resilience of the human spirit.

If there is a past behind us and a future ahead of us where are we going in Spirit? Towards the One?
What does that mean? It must be different for everyone, even if the same keywords are used.

What if the One is already here and now and there is no where to go? Yet we know where we have been and we are definitely not there anymore in our consciousness, our experience, our knowledge, and our world. We are here now, and in this moment, if we are mindful and conscious of our experience, then there may seem to be movement or progress towards something. Maybe that something is elusive, as we don't really know what it is or how it will manifest. Maybe we have a specific vision, idea, or intent of where we want to be.

It would seem that to move towards the One in time could also mean moving towards the One within the present moment. Like layers of an onion that are peeled off, we may experience the underlying Oneness beneath everything else piled on top of it.

How big can that pile be? Could it include some memories that we cannot seem to shake off as they had a deep impact on us? Could it include memories of people who wronged us or the wrongs that we did to others (imagined or real?). Could it include the changes in families, relationships, lost loved ones, births, marriages, and the blood that has been spilled in wars and violence in the history of the  world that we may carry in our collective consciousness, our DNA memory, our souls? If we watch television we feed ourselves a daily diet of this type of news and though we may think we are immune to it maybe there are subtle effects beyond our comprehension. It may seem to be a distraction of moving towards the One, if that is something that we care about.

There are many layers of the onion and maybe they will never all be peeled off and we will really see so much more about what reality is really like from the other side. What if we already are on the "other side" at the same time we are on "this side"? What if there are no "sides"?

The other side...imagine the possibilities of many different worlds and communities of spirit beings that are working together to help each other and those still here on the Earth plane, and who are still learning and evolving towards the One on the other side. In these places the colors and sounds and music and food and experiences are much more profound and rich than on the Earth. It could be as if the Divine Spirit reveals even more of the immense beauty of Creation at various levels of spiritual awakening on the other side. The concept of heaven and hell as a two story building just doesn't fit into the reality here. There are possibilities beyond our imagination of many mansions, millions of communities, all dedicated to the One, and all experiencing the Oneness in various ways and levels, beyond our Earthly experience.

If this possibility exists, and there are many sources that describe it, then we are on an eternal journey, and the Earth is only a part of the story. This journey towards Oneness could be an eternal one, as we experience Oneness in a million ways, and levels, and realize that the levels never end.

So when we are engaged in mindfulness and affirmations and prayers and thoughts about oneness and moving towards the One, let's remember to honor those who may be helping us from the other side, who are also still moving towards the One, and experiencing the One in ways that we may have not yet. Let's honor those who do not care or know about oneness, as they are also one with us on many levels. And with this reminder, maybe we can think of life as a dance with the One as well as moving towards the One, while at the same time being in the oneness of life every moment.

Written on July 13 2017 and just now updated November 18 2017, these are only a few thoughts that are streaming through on this Thursday summer night (July), and early morning (November). My hope and intent if you have read this far is that you will be blessed on your journey, and share those special moments of the journey with others who are also seeking oneness and deeper spiritual awakening in whatever ways works best for them.

Namaste
David Brown


 

Healthy and Inspiring Treats Before Sleep? Yes!

These treats are so delicious, so inspiring, and so nourishing, that I just had to write about them to share the experience. They have no calories, cause no heartburn, and are easy to swallow.

When I turned age 60 I had an epiphany. I realized that if we sleep an average of eight hours a night, or one third of the 24 hour day that I have been sleeping about one third of my life or twenty years! Like Rip Van Winkle. Then I thought about how I could empower or maximize my sleep time, and enhance one third of my life experience. This is just one of many ideas, and one that I love.


What Happens Right Before Sleep ?
Research or common knowledge has shown that the things that are focused on right before sleep can have a stronger impact on our minds, our subconscious, and our life. In a recent article "Ten Things That Successful People Do Before They Go to Sleep", the way the day ends is just as important as how it begins. LifeHack.org > https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-things-most-successful-people-night-before-sleep.html

"The first thing you do before you go to sleep has a tendency to significantly affect your mindset and energy level the following day, as it regularly decides how well and the amount, you rest. Successful individuals understand that their prosperity begins and finishes with their mental and physical well-being, which is totally dependent upon their getting enough rest. That is the reason great sleep time schedules are a key custom for a significant number of them.This is what numerous successful individuals do just before they go to sleep" 

The Secret Meaning of "Treats" Revealed
What I am referring to as "treats" are not food at all, unless you consider them food for the soul. This is my abbreviated name for "spiritual mind treatments" as taught in the Science of Mind books and courses. A spiritual mind treatment is a form of affirmative prayer in which several things are affirmed within the prayer, allowing the mind to focus on the specific purpose of the prayer, and acknowledge the Divine Spirit as the co-creator of what we say, and desire to create.A spiritual mind treatment begins with a purpose.  The first part of the purpose is to identify the need or intention. This could be anything from I need a job, to wanting a relationship, or prosperity. That statement is re-worded to express the experience that will happen or is happening as a result of the affirmative prayer or spiritual mind treatment. An example would be that "this new job is happening now in my life and is amazing in the compensation, the manager, the people, and the opportunity".

Steps During the Affirmative Prayer / Meditation / Visualization
The first step is a recognition that there is an infinite Divine Spirit that is within all things and yet beyond all things, that transcendent Divine intelligence that is a reality, a blessing, full of Divine love and a peace that passes all understanding.

The next step is a statement of unification in which we affirm that we are one with this Divine Spirit, that there is no separation, and that the expression I am that I Am describes our oneness. We affirm and know and feel that we are already in union with this infinite love, and open to the deepening of 
this realization.

Then the next step is the realization where we accept and affirm the spiritual truth of our purpose. As an example, "this new job is happening now in my life now and is amazing in the compensation, the manager, the people, and the opportunity. This deep feeling of acceptance is felt at the very core of my being. It is happening now as I visualize it, feel it, and love the feeling that it is already done as the Divine Spirit within me and through me is creating it now."

Gratitude and thanksgiving is the fourth step in the spiritual mind treatment and affirmative prayer. We feel deep gratitude for the awareness of the Divine Spirit being present in our life. This outpouring of  thankfulness is felt with an open heart, not just our mind. A spiritual mind treatment is also a spiritual heart treatment, and we let our hearts open and deepen in sincere gratitude with love.

The final step is a release, where we affirm that our purpose and intention is co-created and integrated into the action of the laws of the universe. We let go, trust, and surrender to the process and to the infinite intelligence that knows our intention and purpose. "And so it is" is a closing statement that affirms it as already happening.

These treatments can be done spontaneously, created in the moment, or recorded on a CD in your own voice, or listened to on a pre-recorded CD by an expert in spiritual mind treatments.  I happen to enjoy listening to CD (or the same files uploaded to my Icloud) that has several spiritual mind treatments on it, and I consider them a powerful part of my daily spiritual practice. This includes listening to one or more just before sleep, in the middle of the night if I wake up and cannot go back to sleep, and sometimes in the morning to start the day.

The CD that I use is by Dr Roger Teel, senior minister at Mile Hi Church in Lakewood, a suburb of Denver. The recordings are beautifully worded and include soothing piano music. These are so inspiring as they acknowledge the oneness of my spirit with the Divine Spirit, and within the specific topic of the treatment. It is one of the most inspiring CD's I have ever listened to in my life.
The treatments, or "treats" as I refer to them are on specific topics. These include prosperity, spiritual growth, relationships, guidance, and health. One of the most powerful aspects of these are the affirmation of oneness, and the keywords used to describe this both intellectually and emotionally as a devotional prayer. If I was going to write a full review of this CD, it would get 5 stars and a rave review. It is available at the Works of Heart Bookstore at Mile Hi Church.

If we are going to be sleeping for one third of the rest of our life, then healthy, powerful "treats" are just one idea that can empower our sleep, infuse our subconscious with deep truths, and inspire us as we are listening to words of wisdom with love and gratitude.