“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Wayne Dyer
Change is a word that can trigger a variety of emotions and feelings. For some, it can create tension and resistance, while for others it can ignite inspiration and creativity. While change is a necessary part of our lives, it is often an experience that many do not enjoy having, especially when it deals with patterns or things in our lives that we have come to enjoy, normalize, and grow accustomed to having.
I’ve often wondered if the struggle around change is really about change at all or rather with what the pattern of change is in relation to.
For example, if you dislike cold weather and shorter days, then you probably feel happy when the weather changes to warmer temperatures and the days get longer. However, if you prefer the winter season then you probably don’t enjoy it as much when the weather starts to get warmer. (By the way, this is something I see every year living in New Hampshire). Back to my point…in the first example, change actually brings upon a positive feeling whereas in the second example, change brings upon a less than positive feeling.
This then begs the question, is our challenge and struggle around change really about change? Or is our struggle around change rooted in what change is in relationship to?”
These last 16 months have brought upon unprecedented change for everyone across the globe. Whether you consciously invited change into your life or not, it showed up in waves and continues to ripple through our lives each and every day. As a practitioner that works with clients and groups on a regular basis, I have seen the way individuals from all walks of life have responded and reacted to change in their lives. In some cases, people have risen above the tension and resistance and in other cases, people have felt lost, confused and even paralyzed and unable to cope with change in a healthy and sustainable manner.
Ultimately, my message to clients has always been the same. You can either see life as happening TO you or you can see life as happening FOR you, and THIS is where each of us can access and connect with our power and become true spiritual alchemists in the face of change.
You see, in the Dagara tradition of West-African Shamanism, there is an indigenous wisdom and perspective of how life exists and how we can navigate through life in balance with each of the elements, 5 to be specific: Earth, Water, Fire, Nature, and Mineral.
According to this tradition, each of the elements is expressed through us and each of us can express these elements from a place of alignment as well as from a place of misalignment. The cosmology of this tradition connects each of us with an element based on the last digit of the year of our birth.
Earth people are born in a year that ends in 0 or 5.
Water people are born in a year that ends in 1 or 6.
Fire people are born in a year that ends in 2 or 7.
Nature people are born in a year that ends in 3 or 8.
Mineral people are born in a year that ends in 4 or 9.
Now, just to be clear, if you are born in a year that ends in 7 like I am, it doesn’t mean that you are a Fire person and that’s that. There are aspects of me that are expressions of each of the other elements as well, but my Fire is where I begin to look to see if I am living in balance or if I’m living my life like an uncontrolled blaze that is consuming and depleting in an unsustainable way. More on Fire in a future article!
Let’s look at the element of Nature. Nature is the element that symbolizes change. In fact, Nature invites us to embrace change and change consciously.
The Element of Nature also connects with the energy of Spiritual Alchemy. This energy helps us transmute patterns that don’t feel useful into patterns that are capable of moving us into stratospheres that help us transcend our experiences rather than avoiding them and hoping they don’t come back to haunt us.
When we are in a healthy relationship with Nature, we harmonize with Humor, Playfulness, and Joy. We become the magician or the creatrix once again and we see the world through the lens of possibility. In essence, we remember that we are all incredibly powerful manifestors. It is from this place of personal power, that we can move WITH change and align with our creative gifts to transform ourselves and our lives into what we truly desire and deserve.
However, when we close ourselves to being in alignment with Nature, we end up walking hand in hand with the shadow of Nature which is the Victim…the Saboteur. This is what happens when we see life as happening TO us. It renders us powerless and incapable of manifesting what we truly want to experience in our lives.
You see, these forces are our allies, but only when we choose to step into a healthy, functional relationship with them.
As I mentioned earlier, If you were born in a year that ends in 3 or 8, then you are part of the Nature clan and perhaps this article is giving you a sense or making sense of the things that probably make you tick.
For the rest of us, this is an opportunity to notice how we are moving through life with our relationship to Nature and its different branches of how Nature is expressed in our lives.
Everything in life is relational and it is important to allow ourselves the freedom to own how we truly feel around change. From that place of ownership, we can then access our inner alchemical power and transmute the pieces of ourselves that are no longer supporting our journey moving forward in life.
Again, Life is not happening to us, it’s happening for us. When we are reminded of this universal truth, then we can embrace change and choose consciously in a way that aligns with our Path and our Purpose.
This is the magic that is available with the element of Nature. Nature medicine is available for you at all times, and all you need to do is create the time and space to connect with Nature and be in relationship with Nature so that you can harness the energies during this amazing time of change and transform yourself and your life into what you are ready to experience.
So go and make the most of your days and spend time in Nature, connecting to the frequency of Nature and reconnect with your Authentic Self, Your Inner Magician or Creatrix, Your Alchemist, Your Manifestor, Your POWER!!
Peace Be The Journey
