This Week's Quotation:
People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls. They will practice Indian yoga and all its exercises, observe a strict regimen or diet, learn theosophy by heart, or mechanically repeat mystic texts from the literature of the whole world—yet, one does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate. It oppresses. Knowing our own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people. Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.
~ Carl Jung
Spiritual Alchemy
Terri McCartney
The concept of spiritual alchemy came from Carl Jung. Alchemical symbolism eventually suggested to Jung that a process in the unconscious had a goal beyond discharging tension and hiding pain. He termed this process spiritual alchemy.
Freeing our True Self—the Self that is an individuated expression of our Creative Source—is the result of spiritual alchemy. In other words, to untether our consciousness from the separating perceptions of the protected (or egoic) personality. The True Self is silenced by outgrown paradigms, systems, and mandates and held hostage by fears and beliefs the personality conditioned to separation continues to feed.
There’s no finger-pointing. It’s about preparing for the quantum leaps taking place in human consciousness as our perceptions are shifted from a me to a we and from an either/or to a both/and focus. Staying alert and awake is important for these new neural pathways to be laid over the outgrown networks created by fear and separation.
We all have perceptual habits that are so deeply ingrained they exist on autopilot. That's why we need to be gentle with ourselves and others as human consciousness evolves. We are learning to use our multi-dimensional faculties to recalibrate outdated patterns. Think of it as updating our software so that our system is tapped into the unified field and working at maximum capacity.
The ultimate technology is us—all that lies waiting to be activated in our DNA. It’s fascinating to discover that many of our gifts lie hidden in our trials and tribulations. An exercise that liberates these gifts is to ask ourselves, What gifts have I received from the most challenging and wounding experiences of my life?
Every experience is an opportunity to remember the truth of all being and that we are all in this together, evolving to a more refined level of connection and collaboration by moving through our lives with an open and curious heart and mind.
About Open Windows
We, the authors of this blog, dedicate it to the transparent exploration of the world's sacred scripture and enlightened spiritual thought. We believe that the original inspiration of all faiths comes from a common source, named and revered in a myriad of ways. With that understanding, the innumerable symbols, beliefs, and practices of faith cease to divide. They become open windows to a common reality that inspires and unifies us. We find deeper insight and nourishment in our own faith and from the expression of faith from others.
We hope these weekly quotations and meditations speak to your heart and soul.
How beautifully and clearly expressed, I’m inspired,
thank you
So much truth in this blog, thank you Terri for unpacking the evolution of humanity towards embracing the cosmic nature of our being. It is such an important, co-creative conversation in the world right now. As you say: “The ultimate technology is us.”
I think you so rightly suggest, Terri, that even letting go of our false conditioning and any other dark shadows that inhabit our consciousness can be a useful learning experience, and as we bring everything into the Light through spiritual alchemy the world of humanity that we focus is invited to do the same.
True understanding the spirit brings higher self should never oppress our higher power ,always be guided through spirit
What an important observation Terri.. There has been negative judgement of people and circumstances I felt justified in having in the past. This has limited me in my view of the wholeness that is all around me. Loving, forgiving and not judging gives me the chance to see things and people in a new light. Thus freeing me to express the wholeness I am.
Mitch Stewart
Wow. Wow. Wow. I could relate to so much of this given my long personal journey of emotional healing and spiritual growth starting when I gave myself permission to cry at the age of 15. Not many boys do that. But the line that really stopped me in my tracks was about ‘all that lies waiting to be activated in our DNA’. Wow. That was new. I already had/have of a strong sense that we are designed for bliss. Our physiology, neurology and endocrinology are ‘programmed’ to give us the self-reinforcing experience of love, bliss and ecstasy – Intimacy with the Divine -thanks to the release of yummy endogenously released molecules like Dopamine, Anandamide, Serotonin, Oxytocin and even DMT (yes – Dimethyltryptamine) from the Pituitary gland – under the right internal conscious conditions free of stress in the present moment. God knows what else there is to experience when we fully activate our divinely gifted DNA. I want to know that too. Sign me up for more spiritual alchemy.