©Tom De Bruyne
"It's time for us to get more of a backbone, instead of a New Age wishbone."
I believe that, like people, nations have their own archetypes. Archetypes are ancient and universal psychological patterns or spiritual energies, such as the Mother, Child, Trickster, Prostitute, and Servant. Archetypes take an active role in our lives as guardians and inner allies, awakening us when we are in danger of falling into destructive behavior. All archetypes have shadow manifestations as well as positive aspects.
Archetypes often emerge in language. Let's look at how we talk about nations. In the U.S. we often refer to "Uncle Sam." Russia is frequently referred to as "Mother Russia." We could say that during the last century Russia and the United States represented a very bad marriage and they fought over the children of the planet. Mother Russia was a very devouring mother; she consumed the nations around her and abused them. We can see how, as their bad marriage collided, other nations were very much like children who could do whatever they wanted because these two captured the attention of the globe.
We carry the energies of our countries within us. Every time we sit across from someone, we're sitting across from the archetypal history of the nation they come from. This is formed in the first chakra, which corresponds to the area where the body makes contact with the earth when seated in the classic posture of meditation. It grounds us in the physical life.
The first chakra connects us to family loyalties, traditions, rituals, social laws, and the elements of society that give us a sense of identity. An enormous supply of our energy is invested in potent beliefs common to thousands or millions of other people. These chakras, like archetypes, are essentially neutral, providing us with either strength or vulnerability depending on how we make use of their energy. The strengths of the first chakra are family identity, bonding, and loyalty. The shadow side can be excluding others, prejudice, and illusions of superiority.
From my experience as a healer, I am increasingly concerned about the shadow side of the United States. The United States has many archetypal patterns, including the Rebel, the Entrepreneur, the Pioneer, the Mystic, and the Judge. This is a magnificent nation founded by individuals who were mystics as well as statesmen. They were inspired by the belief that a human being had a right to be free because it was the essential right of the human spirit. In writing the Constitution and Bill of Rights, these men conceived of a nation that would flourish as the result of creativity and freedom, not aggression and invasion.
Unfortunately, there is an increasing repression of our highest potential taking place and it has a serious impact. For example, we are one of the most litigious nations in the world. It's paradoxical because we think we're so free, but everything is under law here. Lawsuits influence everything from health care to where you park your car.
We also have the invasion of Iraq, for which there was reportedly no justifiable reason. I hardly think historians will record this as America's greatest hour. For those who are aware of these paradoxes, there is a low level of panic and crisis that is very real. Americans no longer have a sense of safety and protection. There has been a shattering of our historic comfort zone.
So if I were to sit down and treat the United States as I treat individuals and assist in our nation's healing, the first thing I would ask is "What is your fundamental spirit nature? What are you formed of in your core?"
At its core the United States was conceived to be a nation of consciousness. Illuminatis founded this country.
Having established the inner template, I would then ask, "Have you been living a conscious life?"
The answer is, "No."
"We dropped the ball."
"When?"
"Oh, somewhere around the late 60s."
Vietnam represented the dropping of the ball. Though I don't care to represent Vietnam as the issue, it was the last time where there was an uprising of consciousness. People took to the streets and said "yay" or "nay." They voiced their opinion and made a difference.
Since that time, consciousness has gone underground. We've gotten very sloppy and turned our attention to freedom of expression of anything we want. We became consumed with the birth of the age of energy—the age of computers, technology, and the Internet. We took our attention off maintaining conscious government, freedom, morals, and integrity—everything that awakened so dramatically in the 1960s.
We have lost our focus. On our watch we've dropped the ball. Now we're looking around saying—"My god, we got attacked, we gotta fight back! Who are we fighting? Who knows? What nation? Just pick a nation!"
We are operating outside our design. We were never meant to be an invading nation. We've become vengeful and frightened. We're not a vengeful people. We have stepped out of our character, we have stepped out of our soul.
For the people who make up the United States, I would ask, "What are you willing to risk to put this country back into a place of consciousness? What are you willing to do? Do you think this nation is in someone else's hands or your own? Do you want to maintain your comfort zone because you think it's someone else's job? Have you read the Patriot Act? Have you really taken a look at legislative matters in Washington? And if you decide that what is going on is fundamentally against the Constitution, are you willing to take to the streets?
It's time for us to get into a political and philosophical conversation with ourselves and look at our relationship to the world if we claim to be conscious people. If we consider ourselves conscious, then out into the world—into the most tumultuous places—is exactly where we should go, instead of withdrawing into a forest Zen comfort zone. How can we say, "I want to be of service to humanity," and then say, "but it's so terrible!"
It's time to get more mature and more honest. It's time for us to get more of a backbone instead of a New Age wishbone. We have to be willing to get our hands dirty in the world again. Consciousness isn't just about you, but it's about going back into this world and making a difference in the dark corners.
I do not want to present myself as a cynic, but as a realist. I want to inspire people. I don't live a soft life and tell everyone else to go in the field. I'm out in the field every day of my life. Sometimes I wonder why don't I just stay home, put my feet up, and write novels? I'm 50 years old. I've been at this for 25 years! My voice is sore. I'm tired of hopping on planes every weekend. But then I look at Washington and this world and I get too mad. I think to myself, "Oh no. No. No. Un-unh. I can't, I can't, I can't. I just gotta keep going."
Carolyn Myss's New York Times bestselling books include Anatomy
of the Spirit, Why People Don't Heal and How They Can, Sacred
Contracts, and Invisible Acts of Power.