Mysterial Practices During Dark Times

In many of the talks that I have given over the last few years, I have mentioned that the upgrading of our inner operating systems to one I call Mysterial is to prepare us for the dark times ahead. I would imagine you would agree that we are in the midst of these dark times right now. They are not coming sometime in the future.

The global pandemic and the world financial markets reeling make it so evident that we are not separate from the world itself. We are brought back again and again to what it means to hold steady in the midst of chaos and allow the alchemy of these times to be a fire that not only transforms us but also the world.

For that to happen, we will all need to become more comfortable navigating the darkness. I have used the ancient Greek Myth of Persephone and Demeter for many years in my programs because it speaks so powerfully to what is needed NOW. When Kore (Persephone as a maiden) was pulled by Hades into the underworld against her will, she only knew to resist. It wasn’t until right before she was getting ready to leave that she finally ate the pomegranate seeds that were essential for her maturation. This act of taking in the fruits of the underworld meant that she would spend 6 months above and 6 months below. Eventually she became Queen of the Upper World and the Underworld.

It is interesting to note that in the earliest translations of this myth that come from the matriarchal times, Kore was not seized but rather chose to go down to the underworld to help those souls who were crossing over from life to death. It was understood in those earlier times that descent into the territory of the deep Feminine was a natural gift of women.

We are needed now to embody Queen Persephone – to be the ones who know how to cross between the realms and can open ourselves to the alchemical heat of transformation. No matter how this pandemic unfolds we know already there will be millions of deaths globally. This virus will touch everyone, either you will get it or someone very close to you will. These are the statistics. And the requirement to flatten the curve of the virus means social distancing is essential. Life as usual will be curtailed for some time.

The future we wanted, short term and long term, is falling away. The trip that was planned, the workshops to run or attend, the family gathering, the concerts to go to, the visits with family, etc. How we move through these times is everything. We will need to use all of our Feminine and Masculine strengths, as Queen Persephone. This is what it means to be a woman on the edge of evolution.

And this is not easy. We are all in human bodies and the survival mechanism is very strong and primal. The archetypal map that we discovered for women’s development can be very useful right now in order to be sure that we are stabilizing ourselves in all dimensions.

Mysterial Leadership Practices

Below is a list of practices that align with each of the Feminine and Masculine essences on our Mysterial Sequence pathway. I encourage you to try these out and notice which help to stabilize you in these turbulent times:

Self care is critical in these times. We know that we will be required to help others in our families and our communities and we will need to remain resilient ourselves.

How you start your day is critical. If you wake up and check the news right away and attach to the feelings of panic and fear, this is the tone you set for the day. Instead consider the following:

Create an altar to well-being and call in the energies you need to help and support you. Light a candle.

Be with what is. This is one of the primary capacities of the healthy Mother and it allows us to be fierce with reality. Do not over exaggerate with panic or go into denial about the seriousness of this situation. Read and inform yourself about it from credible sources. Do not resist. Be willing to descend and learn to see in the dark.

Allow yourself to feel what you feel but don’t attach to those feelings or ramp them up with fears of the future. Think of your ‘Heart Like an Ocean’ – allow the tide to come in and to go out as it needs to. Reach out to friends who can hold you through the waves of feeling that may need to move as the old passes away. The HeartMath research so clearly articulates that when your heart and brain are communicating in a calm, coherent frequency, it triggers over 1,000 chemical reactions in the body that energizes your immune system. And of course, the converse is true: When your brain is spinning out of control in fear after you spend one-too-many hours consuming the latest coronavirus news, there is a cascade of chemical reactions in the body that, among many other bad things, weakens immune function. Use the Quick Coherence technique.

Use the Mother Capacity of Container Holding to create beauty around you. When fear grabs us, generating the harmonic force of beauty is one of the first things to go… we are just in survival mode. Take time to drop into the Vessel Yin nectar of tuning places toward the frequency of beauty: put fresh flowers in your house, play soothing music, light candles during dinner, etc.

Hold a focused, positive intention for health and wellbeing for you, your family, your community and all beings.The Conscious Intention we are working with in the Mysterial Community and specifically the Mysterial Woman Facebook group, is a powerful way to energize our collective vision:

We are wise, loving and powerful women moving together as a potent guiding force turning ourselves, others close in and the world toward deep peace, compassionate love and unwavering trust in the Great Mystery as She unfolds. We are healthy and well in all ways. 

Be very clear about what is yours to do in the midst of this crisis. You will not be able to do everything and you will need to be very discerning about actions that you need to take. Remember to source your doing from the ground of being, not from panic or pressure.

Boundary setting will be important for you during this time as well. Your healthy No comes from having a strong YES to something else that is more important for you.

Create good structures in your life that allow you to manage everything that will come up during this time of disruptions. Join the communities of belonging where you can resonate with the frequencies of love, peace and well being.

Take the time to express your gratitude and care for others. Kindness will go a long way during this time of fear and panic.

Be a strong stand for sanity, clarity, strength and resilience.

Welcome discomfort and accept it as a force for transformation and not something to run away from.

Remember to play and enjoy yourself when those moments arise. Laughter and joy generate the oxytocin that boosts the immune system.

Take time to dance, be in nature, do visual journaling, sing, and play games.

Allow your creativity to emerge in the midst of the constrictions. Look for creative opportunities in the midst of the breakdowns.

Rest into the Great Mystery and know that you are held and beloved on this earth. Grow more comfortable with the uncertainty and learn to watch around the edges for what is trying to emerge.

Be willing to let things go that must pass away and make space for the new that is trying to arise in time.

Use ritual as a way to ground and settle your unconscious. You might burn sage in your home and ask mother sage to keep the energy in your space clear and full of love.

Remarkably, this poem rings the tone, stanza by stanza of each of the 5 archetypes within The Mysterial Sequence – Mother, Hero, Father, Maiden and Crone. Let us be wild, wise Mysterial Women together!