~ from cats, dogs and nature to the flowering of body, mind and spirit ~

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Reach Out to Fear

SoulCards(c) Deborah Koff-Chapin
Sometimes I hide myself away, my essence occluded by the darkness. The weight can come heavy upon me like a mudslide, thick and sticky. I hold my hands in defense yet resistance only increases the stagnant energy sucking the life from my marrow. And yet, all around me, I can still sense the clear air and the sea-green foam of Her waves . . . in and out, in and out . . . the rhythm eases into me and I feel myself absorbing, taking Her in, accepting, opening, and through this I feel the darkness recede through the clogged channels and the mud thins, Her cleansing tears washing through me, dissolving the weight of the coagulated earth. A grotto beckons, a luminescence from within, blue and green and gold shimmering within the mirror of Her womb where She waits to cradle my battered soul.


I see Fear inside myself, its dark body cringing and cowering, trying to pull away, to hide from the world, from decisions, from taking risks. Sneaky little devil that slinks around in the mud, or pops out of it from the rising gas and heat and air trapped beneath the surface. And Fear can appear without warning, even in the midst of exciting adventure and opportunity, teasing with its dark secrets of past mistakes or tugging and nagging to beware the doom of the unknown with its "I can't" or "What if" that poke and prod with sharpened stick.


Yet Fear is not to be stuffed down or hidden away or treated with anything less than compassion. Fear is a child of Survival, yet it can grow into knots and become misshapen if we don't soothe it and nourish its soil. Allow Fear to be present, feel it, see it, look at the muddy face hiding behind hands raised to shield itself from "trying" something new or being courageous in the onslaught of someone else's attempts to control. Gently call to Fear as to a wounded animal or child. Softly but firmly wash away the grime from fear's cheeks and begin to reveal the truth. Poor little thing, hiding and cowering, not knowing where to go or how to heal or even the source of its behavior. 


Reach out to Fear with the Light of Compassion . . . 
_____________________________________


A drawn card can elicit memories, inviting me to visit the past as this one did . . . such a precious journey . . .

5 comments:

  1. This is timely for me, as I've recently realized just how much fear pervades my life and sometimes keeps me from moving forward. An interesting idea to imagine treating my fear with compassion, as my usual way of coping is to run away from it as fast as I can or hide from it.

    Nice writing, Darla.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rich, unique imagery. And it rings true, doesn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Fear is a child of survival" - Yes. That is my experience too... I like to think of her as an orphaned child, or as you say, the wounded child. The little orphan out on the streets, fending for herself, that never got the nurturing or support she needed... All our little orphans just want to come home... Lovely imagery - Christine...

    ReplyDelete
  4. This was absolutely beautiful and resonated within me so powerfully this morning, as I am consumed by fear and insecurities right at this moment.
    How eloquently you put the essence of fear and what it means, into words.
    Thank you for putting my mind at ease...

    Thank you also for your kind visit and a lovely comment at my place, please do come back again.;)
    Love your writing.

    Greetings from Denmark,
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beth, fear is an interesting expression of our living in the world; I have faith that you will discover your own beautiful way of befriending your fear-child.

    Brenda, yes, this image caught at me in a deep truth.

    Christine, I like that, the orphan who just wants to come home.

    Zuzana, I'm pleased that the imagery resonates in a healing way with you. And thank you for stopping by!

    For all of us, a (((BIGHUG))) to our own fear-child. Bright Blessings!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by. With open heart, I welcome your thoughts however you wish to share them, whether via personal email or as a comment here. ~ Bright Blessings ~

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...