fear - Waking Spirals

My Dogma is Running From My Karma

“Every dogmatism, whether ecclesiastical-political or state-political, necessarily takes each thought and deed that seems to deviate from it, or that actually does deviate from it, to be in essential agreement with what is inimical to the dogmatism—whether it be the pagans and the godless or the Jews and Communists. A peculiar strength lies in this kind of thinking—not a strength of thinking—but the power to make one’s own gospel prevail.”
— Martin Heidegger

It is difficult for me to avoid being political these days. I have gotten caught up in the soap opera of the Republican debates and indeed what a show it’s been. I have also been watching the comments on social media and for an ex-patriot American living in Canada things back home look mighty confusing. So much fear is being spread about Islam and there seems to be confusion for many about whether to be afraid of the terrorists who call themselves the Islamic State or just any follower of the religion. Some people have such a strong knee-jerk reaction to the concept of Islam that they can’t handle when it is discussed in their children’s social studies classes. A few months ago the same people were up in arms about gay marriage and how allowing it would either piss off God or cause moral implosion everywhere. There is fear about being forced to give up their guns and fear of people who are indiscriminately shooting at others. It must be pretty uncomfortable to live somewhere where people are constantly told what they need to be afraid of.
I have been told that the reason why Canadians can be so relatively care-free and liberal about these subjects is because we know that the United States will protect us against any attack. If that is true, then shouldn’t people living in the States feel even safer? It makes the mind boggle.
Blessings, G

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She Carries Forth by G A Rosenberg

Life/Death in a Rainbow Rock by G A Rosenberg

Fear Advisedly

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.”
— Jack Canfied

“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche

It’s amazing how much of a commodity fear can be. It’s an easy place to go to when things are uncertain and we live in pretty uncertain times. Tho as I typed that it occurred to me that there are not too many times in history when that cannot be said. Expose yourself to any media these days and you can see people willing to nurture and direct your fear. They will tell you who and what to fear and why. The current presidential election will most likely be won by the person who can best marshall the fear of the general public and direct it at the same time as they suggest that they have the best methods of conquering the very fear that they nurture.

Be weary of those who seek to direct your fear. Fear too often can turn off our critical thinking capacity and when we fear as a group, we can all too easily become ruled by a mob mentality as everyone seeks to either fight or flee. A mob is too easily controlled by those who wish to manipulate others for their own advantage. There is a lot of that going around these days.

Fear is a natural and primal reaction to the unknown. It is also natural to fear something that has the ability to either injure or kill us. It is not the only reaction tho. It is possible to face something dangerous with respect rather than fear. Most people get over their fear of other people driving on the road or of flying in planes. Both are inherently dangerous yet both are in most cases survived. Knowing that we are taking a risk can teach us to act responsibly and mindfully obeying the rules of the road to avoid an accident. We can use our fear as a wise advisor rather than the monster whom we must fight or flee.

Blessings, G

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Entranceway by G A Rosenberg

Warrior Spirit Helm by G A Rosenberg

Who Do We Want To Be?

“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”
― Brené Brown

Who do I want to be in this world? How can my actions reflect my true inner self? Only I can control this. If I pass the reign to others, then I surrender myself. If I act or refrain from acting because I am worried about the response than I become something lesser. Authenticity is addictive. The more we act as ourselves, the easier it becomes to do so. The more we compromise ourselves, the easier that becomes as well and it is a slippery slope that leads to all forms of distress both physically and emotionally.
Blessings, G

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Goddess Reposed by G A Rosenberg

More Than a Cutout Cog by G A Rosenberg

Something About Fear

“Bran thought about it. ‘Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?’
‘That is the only time a man can be brave,’ his father told him.”
― George R.R. Martin

Fear is healthy and at times it is necessary. We are often taught tho that it is something to be overcome. A few nights ago I posted my feelings about some of the reactions that I had then read about last week’s shootings in Paris. I felt that people were being way too critical about how others were reacting to the shootings. Tonight a friend of mine replied that she agreed but she also had a problem with people ‘fear-shaming’. She felt that there were those who weren’t being compassionate towards others who may be concerned about letting possibly dangerous refugees into their countries and communities. She was clear that she was neither a ‘truth’ who believed that the incidents didn’t happen (my feelings about that may be food for another posting one day soon) nor was she a new-ager who believed that people should never show fear.
I agree with her to an extent. People need to be able to feel whatever they feel without others telling them they are wrong. Fear is an honest response to terror. It is the response that ‘terrorists’ wish to evoke. However it would be a sad thing for fear to stop us from obeying the dictates of our hearts and our wills. Fear cannot stop us from helping those in need and doing what we can to help others. We cannot let fear make us lesser than we can be. If we let that happen than no matter what else happens, the terrorists will have achieved their goal. This is when bravery and facing our fear has to take precedent. We need to decide who we want to be, both as individuals and as a nation.
Blessings, G

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Ready to Start by G A Rosenberg

Owl Spirit Watching and Rising by G A Rosenberg

Truths and Lies

“All you have to do is write one true sentence.”
— Ernest Hemingway

I don’t know the truth yet at least part of me wishes to know it. There is also part that loves the mystery and the not knowing. I have known love and treated it badly and well. I have known crushing despair. I have also know joy. There are parts of myself that are rarely satisfied. I seek knowledge yet run from it. I carry contradictions. There are many whom I love. Hate takes a lot of energy. Annoyance is relatively easier. Tho the previous statements are all the truth as I know it, I wonder how many contain lies as well.
Blessings, G

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Nevermore by G A Rosenberg

Self-Consuming by G A Rosenberg

What I Owe My Fears

“Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage.”
— Rainer Maria Rilke

My fears have given me so much that I will feel forever in their debt. Without my fear I would never know bravery or at least bravado. They have taught me to face them because avoidance of my fears stopped working. They have taught me transformation. When I was able to face my fears, some transformed into smoke and vanished while others transformed into teachers and dancing partners. They have shown me strength by exposing my weakness and love by standing in its way. They have removed my doubts because my doubts have always belonged to them. Most of all they have taught me gratitude in their passing because my fears have always given me so much.
Blessings, G

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Gryphon Helm by G A Rosenberg

Nucleus Dividing by G A Rosenberg

Fear of Dreaming

“Why do we stop believing in ourselves? Why do we let facts and figures and anything but dreams rule our lives?”
— Cecelia Ahern

Frank Herbert said fear was the mind killer and he had a point. Even more tho, fear is a dream killer. How many more of our dreams would become reality if not for fear. We fear that we are powerless and become disempowered to realize our dreams. We may fear the consequences of accomplishing our dreams and that too leaves them still born. We wrap up our dreams in our fears and hide them both away. In order to have any chance of our dreams becoming real, we have to first unwrap our fears and face them head on. At the very least we have to acknowledge them and let them out. Only then do we have a chance of freeing our dreams and possibly seeing them through as well.
Blessings, G

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Ram Sees by G A Rosenberg

Night Flame Flower by G A Rosenberg

The Only Way Out is Through

“You must be the person you have never had the courage to be. Gradually, you will discover that you are that person, but until you can see this clearly, you must pretend and invent.”
— Paulo Coelho

Fear
of not measuring up
of not keeping up
of not being enough
of being too much
of not being right
at the right time
in the right place
when needed or not needed
Feeling the fears fed
by predators
of heart and bed
both outside and inside my head.
Screams
in the night
of delight?
well insight
in spite of the fear
or because of it
Seeking comfort in strange gods
and new headspace
for a way out
or a way in
or a way through
Stripping myself
of tears
and fears
and years
exposing myself
naked vulnerable
and pushing it all away
I am more than this
and I never lost my strength
Letting it all go
and letting it all flow.
— G A Rosenberg

Blessings, G

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Manifestation by G A Rosenberg

Her Awareness and Malachite by G A Rosenberg

The Dust of Broken Memories

“And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.”
― T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land

The dust of broken memories
shows me strange dreams
scattered and strewn
of happy children
and shadowed times
Too many tears shattered
over dim futures
and a yearning for a time
that never was.
I feared to tell you how I felt
and your hurt silence echoed mine
We walked for hours not holding
and then it was time for the sun
Maybe someday but that will be the dust
of another’s hand.
— G A Rosenberg

Blessings, G

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A State of Balance by G A Rosenberg

A Platter for a Gorgon by G A Rosenberg

Consciousness Stream of Fear

“I know how you feel,“ I said. “You run into something you totally don’t get, and it’s scary as hell. But once you learn something about it, it gets easier to handle. Knowledge counters fear. It always has.”
— Jim Butcher

Fear
A footstep in the dark
A whisper when you are home alone
A job interview
Meeting a perspective date or friend or employer
Going home with someone
First steps into unknown places
yet fear is a portent
It signals a lesson to come
knowledge to be won
a test of the soul
becoming more whole
yet it also signals a death
an end to the person you were
before the fear was faced
and a new life for the making.
— G A Rosenberg

Blessings, G

Click on images to see full-sized:

Envenomed Wisdom by G A Rosenberg

Fire Pit Challenge by G A Rosenberg