Feeding Flame
These two flames are the symbol and metaphor for everything in FlameKeeping. As the central metaphor, of course, they become both imperative to talk about and incredibly difficult to talk about, because anything I say leaves more out than it does in. So there are bits and pieces here and there as I try to explain the Flames.
I speak about them as though they're separate, but really they aren't. They're a single two-headed flame shooting out light and darkness simultaniously. The problem is that we fear the darkness. We fear the selfish, but I think more, we fear the fact that we aren't in control of the darkness. The dark flame is inherently a place which moves us, as opposed to us moving it. In the darkness we aren't simply our own individual self, we are also a mote of the Divine, subject to the influences of that which lies within and outside ourselves.
Question time!
Which flame do I nurture more? My knee-jerk reaction is to say the dark flame. I'm much more comfortable by myself doing religious things than I am with people. On the other hand, I spend a lot of time working on things that I intend to share with other people, like these essays. So I'm not sure if it wouldn't be easier to say that I have an easier time with the dark flame, but spend my effort on nurturing the bright one. It's complicated.
How would I nurture the other flame? Well, I don't have a problem with my dark flame. So I'd nurture the bright flame by actually doing things where I can see an affect .. by talking to people, interacting. Doing things. I should also give money, but I really HATE giving money to charities. It just disappears and I have no idea where it's going or what it's funding, and I never feel like I'm doing anything. Personal issue. I'd volunteer more, but I'm busy mommying .. when he's older, though, and I can leave the house with him. Although I suppose mommying counts as nurturing the bright flame .. I'm doing for someone else and all.
Do I think balancing them is important, and how do they interrelate? Well, that's one question. Balance is important because they interrelate. If you don't nurture your dark flame, you lose the "you" that makes life worth living. If all you do is nurture the dark flame, you also lose the "you" because there's nothing for you to push against, and you're alone in the dark.
We need darkness and we need light. Only when we balance these and grow them both can we grow as a person and better the Divine. Otherwise, all we're doing is chasing ourselves in circles.
I speak about them as though they're separate, but really they aren't. They're a single two-headed flame shooting out light and darkness simultaniously. The problem is that we fear the darkness. We fear the selfish, but I think more, we fear the fact that we aren't in control of the darkness. The dark flame is inherently a place which moves us, as opposed to us moving it. In the darkness we aren't simply our own individual self, we are also a mote of the Divine, subject to the influences of that which lies within and outside ourselves.
Question time!
Which flame do I nurture more? My knee-jerk reaction is to say the dark flame. I'm much more comfortable by myself doing religious things than I am with people. On the other hand, I spend a lot of time working on things that I intend to share with other people, like these essays. So I'm not sure if it wouldn't be easier to say that I have an easier time with the dark flame, but spend my effort on nurturing the bright one. It's complicated.
How would I nurture the other flame? Well, I don't have a problem with my dark flame. So I'd nurture the bright flame by actually doing things where I can see an affect .. by talking to people, interacting. Doing things. I should also give money, but I really HATE giving money to charities. It just disappears and I have no idea where it's going or what it's funding, and I never feel like I'm doing anything. Personal issue. I'd volunteer more, but I'm busy mommying .. when he's older, though, and I can leave the house with him. Although I suppose mommying counts as nurturing the bright flame .. I'm doing for someone else and all.
Do I think balancing them is important, and how do they interrelate? Well, that's one question. Balance is important because they interrelate. If you don't nurture your dark flame, you lose the "you" that makes life worth living. If all you do is nurture the dark flame, you also lose the "you" because there's nothing for you to push against, and you're alone in the dark.
We need darkness and we need light. Only when we balance these and grow them both can we grow as a person and better the Divine. Otherwise, all we're doing is chasing ourselves in circles.
posted by Vieva | 7:44 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home