Dance Into Unity Journal: Snake & the Pain of Disconnection

Through my graduate work in clinical psychology and over ten years of study and practice within the fields of homeopathy and archetypal (Jungian) psychology, I have clearly come to appreciate the importance of archetypes (universally recognized symbols or images), their integral role within our individual and collective psyche, and how we can use them as a means to understand ourselves and our lives. And it is from this place within my own journey that I share the following thoughts with you.

In this HUB, I want to talk to you about DISCONNECTION, the universal theme that presumably permeates each and every one of us in our own way, and how not only do we carry the pain of separation, but also its very SOLUTION.

Because it helps to talk about complex themes through simple, visual concepts, or images, I introduce to you the character "Snake" from the soon to be published book, Dance Into Unity through the Heart of Tango© which I have co-authored along with Svetlana David.

In our story, the central character of "Snake" is a disturbing neighbor who creates much controversy amongst the otherwise happy and content inhabitants of "Unity Land". Here is a quote from our story:

Once upon a time, Light and Truth lived happily together in the Land of Unity, in harmony with all the inhabitants of their land.

On the border of their land lived a creature called Snake. Snake guarded the gate to the land where Light could not reach; it was the ruler of that land. Snake always raised doubt among the inhabitants of Unity Land about their so-called happy existence because it was an unhappy and jealous creature. "Why does nobody like me?" Why do I not have legs like others and am doomed to crawl? There is no Truth to that."

As you yourself have probably noticed, there are quite a few ‘charged' ideas that come up in this small paragraph.

First of all, the terms ‘border', ‘guarded' and ‘gate' all imply a paradoxical limitation to the would-be ‘oneness' of Unity Land, pointing out that the Unity carries a division, a fracture within itself.

Secondly, Snake's ability to ‘raise doubt' among the inhabitants of Unity Land brings the idea of challenging the norms of what is currently accepted as truth, or reality in one's world, it disturbs the comfort level of the status quo, so to speak.

Thirdly, Snake's woes of feeling unhappy, jealous, disliked, and different from others, and the claim that there is no truth to that touches the very heart of the matter at hand: our discussion of the PAIN OF DISCONNECTION...

... of being different

... of feeling isolated

... rejected

... misunderstood

... and perhaps ugly... which is really a feeling of shame that comes from not being able to express who we are, freely and creatively...

... and most of us can relate to this, in some way, on some level.

So what's the point of all this, you may ask?

Well, it is through our pain that we are led to find solutions to our suffering - and ultimately to the understanding of what is behind it.

And how do we get there, you may ask?

We offer you a bridge through our book, in which we tell you about the journey of Light and Truth through Snake Land, the land of separation, in their quest to find the "Greater Light".

Much like in our own world, our heroes discover that an essential ‘key' to finding what they seek is the understanding that Snake's pain in not separate from their own, and that within it lies the very solution.

As a start, if we can identify another's suffering or seeming ugliness, not as separate from us, but as a reflection of our own pain screaming to be resolved, as an integral part of the ONE whole that we are, then we are on our way to finding our answers.

It is merely our point of view, our "vantage point" - as one of the most recent films out is aptly titled - that opens up, or alternatively closes down, the possibility of the solutions that lie within our very core in answer to the problems for which we are seeking guidance.

It's all about the way we 'see' things! It is our lens that influences and determines our experience and the outcome of our own quests.

As you travel with us, you will see how this all plays out for our characters in the story - which is really OUR collective story, the amazing outcome of their voyage through this very theme, and the connection of it all as a "dance into unity".