Death while living
The story of a true Phoenix rising
Anyone that has experienced profound loss can testify to the pain of such living deaths. Each death is a “sloughing off” of an old identity, an ego state or a deep attachment. Without this initiation process of dying, we can not move forward into the next version of ourselves beyond what was lost. Without this death, we stay stuck in suffering, past narratives, identities, and pain of who we were when.
The mystery is not why this happens, the mystery is how to stay resilient, open hearted and grow stronger while moving through a living death. It’s learning how to brutally accept what is, just as it is, without the personal attachment to it knowing that each next moves is it’s own cause and effect for your life and wellbeing.
A divorce, a betrayal, a sense of abandonment, a loss of a loved one, a loss of a job, loss of health, loss of who you thought you were… These are all examples of circumstances that can cause the immense pain and suffering that feels as though one might die or activate thoughts of wanting to die.
A shattering of the heart. A punch to the gut. A strangling around the throat.
When one goes through such a transformation, the body's response is to shut down in order to protect. There may be an inability to connect with others, a pulling back from being social, in the public, an inability to engage with others, even close ones. There may be a desire to hide, stay in bed, dissociate, turn to addictions, fantasize about death/suicide or self harm.
This is part of the human response to any extreme loss of what we thought we knew to be true, could rely on, was safe in and trusted. A life that was but no longer is.
There is an old saying, “rise like a phoenix from the ashes”, that many cultures/religions reference. The most common stories referring to the mythical bird from Greek and Egyptian mythology. According to this story, the Phoenix is a golden red feathered creature of great size with long talons, massive wings and a golden aura shining around it. Legend proclaims that the radiant Phoenix is associated with the sun God, Helios or Ra. Each Phoenix lived for 500 years before building its own funeral pyre to consciously consume itself in a burst of flames. From its own self destruction, this mythical creature rises out of the ashes, REBORN and RENEWED!!! A powerful symbol of birth, death and REBIRTH… a story of destruction into reconstruction of the immortal Soul as a Self!
A true, ultimate transformation from death to life.
So, remember the ancient Phoenix when your living death occurs and the opportunity for transformation arises. You have the choice to go deep within, rise above circumstances and actively decide to burn the past while creating the future. Choose love. Count your blessings. Look to the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, the cycles of life and know that it’s all just as it is, perhaps it is not personal, it’s just Nature. Be the Phoenix… strong, radiant beauty that knows no defeat. Consciously accept the pain of loss, knowing that each pain is what creates the next pleasure… you just have to endure the inferno of incarnation.
And you can! We all can.
