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Archive Number 1559

Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 16:18:21 -0400
From: Andrea Steffen
Subject: Re: request: need healing story for friend






It isn't the dark ending to dead tree story that disturbed me...as a Jungian
psychotherapist of nearly 30 years, I deal in the dark forest of human
nature and agree that people need to see it/feel it/own it -- myself
included -- but there is something deeply disturbing when I see a tree dying
in dreams of clients. And...stories are, to me are the same as a collective
dreams. It is a sign of resignation to a death -- not as in: holding
potential for re-birth -- but when it is the tree of life that dies, this is
a significant event which often points to spiritual and physical/literal
death. I think it is a warning story but not an especially healing
story...if that's still what we are talking about here. It was as a healing
story that I thought I was receiving.
Digression:
As a newcomer to these exchanges and dialogues, I have to say I am truly
delighted to have stumbled onto you -- got to you by a series of links, a
labyrinth through the WWW -- I am so impressed and touched by the way the
story (themes and use) deepens and makes so meaningful, rich and complex an
exchange. I have missed this level of contact for many years -- probably
graduate school. At first I reacted the way I usually react to this kind of
exchange -- or at least to what I thought was "this kind of exchange" -- but
I was stopped -- "wait a minute, something different is going on here..."
The deepening and the soulfulness, the thoughtfulness is truly something and
the differences and the toleration for difference (uncommon). I feel
blessed to have found my way to you...to drink deeply from this water. I am
learning a great deal. Thanks to you all -- each of you and your point of
view so important.I am excited...and humbled. Thought I knew how things
would go.

Andrea

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sheila Darr"
To:
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 11:40 AM
Subject: Re: request: need healing story for friend




> I'm with you on this one, Kimberley.
>
> It's always amazing to me when tellers are uncomfortable with the
"difficult
> ending." So long as we humans psychologically resist the DARK--even
> subtlely--it has power over our inner lives (not much we can do about our
> outer lives... but of course that's not really where we LIVE anyway!). As
> long as we feel we *must* fear (or hate) the DARK... to avoid it or
vanquish
> it... then we expend tremendous energy (in thought and emotion as well as
> action) in attempts to be happy that are doomed to fail.
>
> To be truly healed, I think it's important to see the DARK and LIGHT with
> equinanimity. We need to surrender our need for the "hope" that is the
> opposite of "despair"... and instead recognize the higher feeling (can't
> really call it an emotion, although it does have a feeling quality to it)
> ... I guess some might call it "peaceful" ... although this peacefulness
is
> not fatalistic but rather optimistic.
>
> I can't articulate this very well... but I have this sense that the need
for
> a "happy ending" of some sort ultimately cheats us of our full
appreciation
> of the towering stature of the human spirit. I stand in awe of our
profound
> spiritual courage... to experience the harrowing dilemma of "the human
> condition." It's our consciousness/self-awareness that makes our
"condition"
> human... but *every* creature--plant, animal, human--that exists (past,
> present, future) bears the burden of existence (the dark and light) with a
> profound and inherent dignity.
>
> In this story, even though I may regret the tree's death, I *respect* it
> even more. Carrying the burden... doing what MUST be done. And ultimately,
> the rebirth of a sapling from the heart of the tree can *also* be seen as
> doing what must be done... once again picking up the burden of possibility
> (for Light or Dark). But if we RUSH past the dying to the rebirth, we're
> cheating ourselves and each other of the full recognition of the wholeness
> of Life. And it's only in that recognition that we can truly appreciate
how
> magnificent Life truly is.
>
> Just one voice...
>
> Sheila
>
> Sojourner... Stories for the Road of Life
> ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
> "The time will come when, with elation,
> you will greet yourself arriving at your own door..."
> Derek Walcott
>
> Greet me at sojourner@austin.rr.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kimberley King"
> To:
> Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 10:46 PM
> Subject: Re: [HEALINGSTORY] request: need healing story for friend
>
>
> Well, folks, the tree died, but the woman lived. Sometimes things gotta
die
> to keep us alive....
>
> Kimberley
>
>
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