By reconnecting with our untold stories, we realize a deeper sense of place and belonging. By tending to the wounds and callings of our own heart, we simultaneously tend to the “anima mundi”—the soul of the world.
The heart is a vessel—a container for paradox and contradiction. It is a perceiver, a communicator, and a connector. Both servant and master, the heart lives by its own rules. Each space between beats is surrender, each beat itself, pure will.
In, Facing the World with Soul, Robert Sardello (2004) writes:
“We know when we are connected with the soul of the world when we begin to find ourselves engaging in a new kind of imagination. We develop an ironic imagination. Ironic imagination can hold contradictories together without seeking to resolve the contradictions—holding them until something new, unknown, and unexpected, comes from holding the tension. I weep at the destruction I see in the world, and I sing.”
A Vessel with Many Chambers
In the cave of the heart, there are many chambers. Some have high-up openings that let in the sky. Others are black-velvet dark with crows on guard. Once inside, the laws of earth and man do not apply. In the cave’s hollows, time is suspended, and imagination reigns as queen. There is moss covered stone and deep emerald pools leading to the belly of the anima mundi—where one can dive into the soul of the world. There…there is fire. And, there are bones.
The Perceiving Heart
In, The Thought of Heart and Soul of the World, James Hillman (1992) describes beauty as, “the form of what is presented, that which is breathed in, aisthesis, and by which the value of each particular thing strikes the heart, the organ of aesthetic perception, where judgments are heartfelt responses, not merely critical, mental reflections.”
The chamber of perception is a space of aesthesis—a “breathing in” space of both/and. It is a heart room in which both light and shadow contain the same numinous qualities. There is no hierarchy, and there are no enemies. For, within the heart, each “thing” is contained in its opposite. Within ugliness, lives beauty, within grief, ecstasy, within the knowable…vast mystery. The chamber of perception is a soul space where everything is weighted equal. From this vantage, the heart “sees” through the lenses of our senses and arising emotions. Plainly put, the heart takes in all as beauty.
All that arises…arises as soul. And, all that is soul is beautiful. The human ego would love nothing more than to condemn all that is not light to a dark locked room for hiding. Its very nature is that of judgment and separation. Thankfully, the perceiving heart will not have it. All the arises within the cave of the heart is imbued with equal grace.
The Communicating Heart
Ancient, non-linear and organic in nature, storytelling resides within the marrow of our bones. Communication via the heart is a form of storytelling of the soul. In the chamber of communication, the language spoken is sensation and symbolic imagery. We just have to be still enough to listen. Really listen. We must listen with the stillness of such intense compassion that both the butterflies and the monsters feel safe enough to emerge and to speak. To find this stillness, we must be brave enough to take a journey into our own subconscious—to traverse the dark and deep recesses of our heart. It is best not to resist. Borne of resilience, with a spirit for adventure, healing and growth…it is possible for us to descend into our own depth safely and willingly.
The Connecting Heart: Descent and Return
There comes a time to face and embrace our shadows. This we do by entering “the valley”—our own heart of darkness. In silence, we enter the cave of the heart from above, seemingly alone. Descending, we discover we are safely connected to the vastness of all things, and to no-thing as well. We come to rest in the seat of One Soul. In the center of this heart hollow there is a fire. After sitting awhile, and enjoying its glow…shadows begin to dance on the cave’s walls. They appear many times larger than they actually are. In the crackle of the fire, we hear drums. The flickering figures begin to dance. We hold our place. With our heart voice we call, “Tell me your story. I can feel you are hurting. I am ready to hear.” One-by-one we come to face our own shadows: grief, fear, memories, insecurity, addiction, shame, arrogance, greed, passivity, possessiveness, and pride. In objective compassion we listen as they speak.
We return from the cave forever changed—keepers of new stories, both dark and light.
A Community of Storytellers
Since the beginning of time, we have gathered to drum, to paint, to sing, and, to dance. We gather to tell stories. Our stories. Stories of descent into the heart and back. Together, we weep and we laugh. Within the safety of our stories and the strength of community we feel empowered and connected. In the arms of this connection, we continue to call up what is hidden in the depths of our hearts. Our shadows speak. Our wise ones speak. We are no longer afraid to give them voice.
The heart is a vessel—a container…a cave. She is a perceiver, a communicator, and a connector. By reconnecting with our heart and her endless untold stories, we realize a deeper sense of place and belonging. By tending to her wounds and callings, we simultaneously tend to the anima mundi—the soul of the world. We discover our dwelling place in forever.
References
Hillman, J. (1992). The thought of the heart and the soul of the world. New York, NY: Spring Publications
Sardello, R. (2004). Facing the world with soul: The reimagination of modern life. Great Barrington, MA: Lindisfarne Press
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