Dear Subscribers,

This might be a mixture of focused and rambling subjects. I want to address the issue of anger from a few angles. First of all, let me start at Emotional Energetics 101 so people have a frame of reference for containing what I want to say.

Everyone has what might be called a primary emotion. Usually this is based on the sign of the Moon at birth. For instance, people with the Moon in Air signs — Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius — tend to panic, meaning the first response to what feels like a crisis is panic. The associated emotion is fear and while we all have fear from time-to-time, the level, persistence, and incapacitation vary. Fear triggers an adrenal reaction which most people associate with fight or flight. I tend to add fright to that list. I.e., there are three possible responses, including emotional paralysis that brings action to a halt. A good example of fight was in the news a few days ago when the Times-Picayune of New Orleans quoted the owner of a charter aircraft company who was asked what he would like to tell the visiting Joe Biden. Butler said, "Lead, follow, or get out of the way." This is a responsible fight response but to understand the fight or flight mechanism better, we need to realize that the psyche makes a choice, usually on a deeply unconscious level, that a situation requires immediate evacuation, flight, or that one can hold one's ground against a challenge and fight to overcome the the issues. It can be argued that there are certain temperaments that habitually take flight and others that try much harder to resist and resolve, but the reality is that the situations triggering the survival mechanisms vary enormously so each person has a repertoire for managing certain issues and a panic button for the others. In most cases, after the initial shock waves, there is some dialogue between the unconscious and conscious minds which tries to submit rational solutions for the consideration of the individual who "owns" all these emotions. For instance, Kindra Arnesen is apparently leaving the Gulf. Many of you have written to me about her but suspicious as I can be at times, I haven't gone as far as some of you.

Personally, I continue to believe that a solution will be forthcoming and it's possible this will have many dimensions. For instance, I would not be packing up today if I thought the A Whale skimming operation were likely to be successful. Secondly, if A Whale falls somewhat short of the highest hopes of all who are impacted, there are still the Dutch ships and perhaps we need to send the administration some scissors to cut the red tape? There are a lot of people who are fed up with excuses. My point is simply that even if the technology to stop the leak is still around the corner, the technology for addressing the oil that has leaked does exist; and as impatience and tempers mount, the pressure on bureaucracies will increase.

It is for this reason that I am not upset by the amount of anger being expressed. Emotions operate one at a time. I was lying in bed last night trying to figure out how best to explain this and I thought of comparing emotions to a radio. You have a choice of AM or FM and there are various stations with jazz, news, classical music, easy listening, rock, etc. and you tune in to one of them. I am sure someone is going to write me telling how you can hear all simultaneously, but really, they broadcast over different frequencies and our emotions also operate on different frequencies. If we get tired of being fearful, we might become practical or angry or compassionate or perhaps, in a worst case scenario, paranoid or delusional. These are stations in our psyches and we can change the dial if we are able to bring attention to our feelings.

To hang in with this perspective, look at all the solutions the public has presented, everything from collecting hair and stuffing it in nylon stockings to oil eating microbes to Costner's separation devices to A Whale and about 30,000 other suggestions that include immense domes, nukes, and relief wells. Add to these the prayers, networks of light, sounds, and even interventions by aliens and/or angels, and the situation is really very far from hopeless but irritation with red tape is nevertheless amply justified.

In my book, there is nothing wrong with any emotion. All emotions are personal reactions to situations and they vary because people vary and the perceptions and interpretations of situations differ. For instance, someone living on the Gulf Coast would, all other things equal, have a much more intense reaction and if the person were deeply emotionally connected to the place or job or life style or history, the level of feelings would be understandably greater. So, before taking up the other emotions, let me tidy up the overview of fear. Fear is nerve wracking and it has to yield sooner or later. Practicality is one way to get a grip over inner tremors. This could, for instance, involve moving or taking precautionary measures such as air and water filtration, detoxifying herbs, or having a few things packed so that if pinch came to shove, one could leave, a very difficult decision and hopefully unnecessary. If many people responded in this way, we would, of course, have a lot of chaos, but it is reasonable for some people to leave.

Faith also stabilizes fear. It is tricky because it basically involves using an aspect of higher dimensionality to banish the concerns of the unconscious. To some extent, the unconscious is always right, but right from its perspective, and to each part of the psyche, the perspective of that part seems right. So, to the believer, faith seems right but even believers have instincts and nervous systems! Faith, of course, takes many forms. For instance, many people writing me believe in Biblical prophecies and they see Revelations unfolding. Others believe this is part of the prefatory events leading to 2012, visitation and disclosure, or 1000 years of paradise. For some, faith is placed in science and the solutions it offers and others believe BP and Obama have a handle on the situation and that they are under no obligation to keep the public informed of their plans. If relying on faith, it is obviously important to choose something in which you can believe. I watched one video last night in which the "explainer" discussed crises in the context of movies. She said that if you don't like the film, you can leave the theater. This evoked images of Avatar for me because I forced myself to watch it even though completely bored. However, her point was that if others are enjoying the film and you walk out, their assessment of you is that you missed something valued by them. Not only that, she is saying we co-create from this collective. That's actually a sobering point of view but only one point of view and we have to find the one that fits our psyches because the others won't work for us. I don't see how we could all get on the same page, especially since we are not even starting with complete information. Now, if the facts were released, there is chance of some like-mindedness but not if we are all functioning from our own idiosyncratic bases.

One last point on fear: practicality is grounding. That, of course, is a massive understatement. We have to ask what we most fear. If it is life, the response might be different than if it is life style. For instance, one may want to move and stock up on sprouting supplies because if transportation is disrupted or acid rain wipes out crops, sprouting provides food within days so a good water filter, sprout tray, and seeds constitute sane contingency planning. If it is life style, the fear may turn to grieving because change seems absolutely inevitable at this point. I will return to this point.

Anger is, of course, a fiery emotion and my students used to tell me that I model fire for them. Those who are upset about what they perceive as anger are mostly projecting their own rejection of anger, not reading deeply enough. We, myself included, have trigger points all over the place for anger. Life for many has been a mine field so anger is equated to volatility, abusive and destructive behavior, danger, rejection, humiliation, and countless other "negative" experiences. However, it is really just another emotion — like fear — and it, too, has an upside as well as the more conspicuous downside. Flippantly, I have said that my mother intuitively understood fire when she used ice cream to sedate me as a child. The problem is that our society is so sedated that anger is almost never expressed effectively much less elegantly. In short, we are awkward and likely to offend rather than to achieve what is necessary which is the overcoming of the insult, injury, injustice, or other situations requiring remediation.

I want to go over how we are sedated. Sugar is a sedative. Think about it for a moment. If blood sugar goes too high, the person slips into a coma. Consumption of sugar is as much per month as it used to be per year. Xenoestrogens from hormones and plastics and petroleum products are neutralizing to fire and the list just goes on and on until we add to it entertainment, fantasy, propaganda, passivity, and even sexual indulgence. Think! Tension builds up and is released and what happens? better sleep! We are actually using all of these habits and behaviors to avoid coming face-to-face with the real demons of disrespect and the tidal waves of consequences from failure to interact in loving and harmonious ways. We are almost numb to the magnitude of injustice, this whether wars, economic inequalities, racial and religious prejudices, gender biases, and so on and so forth. Unless we recognize the issues, we will fail to muster the energy required to rectify the problems of our civilization as well as the imbalances that arise in our private lives. So, I am cautiously optimistic about the anger I am seeing. In this case, I think the enemies have been correctly identified so the next challenge is to frame the strategies that will correct the challenges. This can be done skillfully.

Change does not occur without fire. Air may talk and talk about this or that possibility but not make it happen. Fire does not "ground" the eventuality, it is the catalyst for unlocking the obstacles to change.

As most of you know, I am Buddhist and in the Tibetan tradition, the hands are depicting holding symbols of wisdom and skillful means. I would suggest, for those who are metaphysically inclined, that our evolution was colored by emphasis more on wisdom or more on action and that this emphasis determines the rotation of the first chakra. For instance, if one has developed insight and understanding, one is quick to assemble information and ideas but not as confident about how to address situations practically. These people explain what they know and can be long-winded. Those who are more advanced on the path of action are usually decisive rather than deliberative and they make things happen. The point, however, is that sooner or later, we all need to combine wisdom with skillful means and action with understanding. Fear of falling short of the ideal is not an excuse for not trying so I am, as I said, cautiously optimistic that we now have a galvanizing situation that is bringing a great deal of energy into focus. We just need to keep this energy focused because if we succeed, many problems can be solved. This is why I have felt free to express my own feelings and to encourage others to take action rather than slump down in a chair with a bag of potato chips and can of beer.

There are, of course, other emotions: grief which eventually leads to compassion and we have this in abundance for the dolphins and pelicans but also, I believe, for our friends in the Gulf. There is depression which is really a terrible place to get stuck. It is a place of grim powerlessness where energies are turned against oneself. In most instances, it is relieved by action and a point comes, I believe, when the feeling is so bad that we have to do something about it. So, I am not rejecting any feelings, rather I am acknowledging all of them and urging others to do the same. Look at what you feel and why you feel it and then use consciousness to focus the feelings on a constructive course of action.

Finally, for those who are interested, you can begin to work with your chakra guardians or spirit guides. I have explained how to contact your guides in past emails, but a short reminder might be in order. Start with your first chakra guardian. As you are turning out the lights before bedtime, invoke the appearance of your guardian. Many people doubt they can do this, but none of my students failed. Normally, the guardian will appear as an animal spirit guide, but sometimes the animals look more mythological or angelic. They are invariably happy to be recognized and willing to explain they service to you. My experience is that the form the guardian takes will make explicit sense to the individual but I don't want to put out any suggestions right now, just suggest you do this because you are going feel a lot safer and happier when you meet your guardians.

Meanwhile, for those who prefer something tangible, have a look at the dome being built for the leak:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2010/05/photogalleries/100504-gulf-mexico-oil-spill-containment-science-environment-nation-pictures/#gulf-oil-spill-containment-device-side-view_19881_600x450.jpg

We are going to get through this but, if my hunches are right, it will be as a global network of kindred spirits, not NWO.

On another note, I want to thank you for your hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of emails and links and essays and opinions. My answers have often been brief because I am juggling so much right now myself, including this new labeling challenge. All of the Sacred Medicine single herbs are now going on sale for 15% off until the supplies of each exhaust. I need to explain this. Graviola sold out an hour or so after I made the announcement. It depends on the herb. I have known about the new labels for months but there were delays working out the details and inventory is already intentionally low. In short, in some cases, there are only 3-4 bottles left and in others maybe 20-30, not more. The simplest place to find the herbs is here:

http://www.sacred-medicine.org/sms_products/sms_extracts.php

The Ayurvedic ones are here:

http://www.ayurvedicbazaar.com/specialty_products/rasayana_extracts.php

Right now, my graphic designer and I are playing around with new designs so don't be confused by the variations. This ought also to be sorted out in a few more days.

Many blessings,

Ingrid

Copyright by Ingrid Naiman 2010

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