“Be grateful for your difficulties and challenges, for they hold blessings. In fact, man needs difficulties; they are necessary for health, personal growth, and individuation and self-actualization.” Carl Jung
There are energies within us that get buried in the unconscious in the course of our lives, so that we can fit in and be “normal.” The tyranny of normal begins to feel as a burden at some point in our lives, often at mid-life, leading to the well-known midlife crisis. The truth is, as Carl Jung said, “To be normal is the ultimate aim of the unsuccessful.”
What are these buried energies and why does it matter? First of all, they are from your most authentic, and even “primitive” self, the one not so civilized after all. They contain the raw power of your disowned desires, and they may erupt as an affair, a wild business venture, an addiction, and even leaving one’s family behind. They may present as dreams to be famous, to travel in Jettly private planes to far-away places, or to live simply off the grid, even though you have a $800K mortgage, 3 cars, 2 kids and a nanny. These energies may contain the longing to live in a monastery, and develop a peaceful inner life connected to Spirit, the complete antithesis to your overwhelmed life raising 2 kids and juggling a high level career.
Most normal people resist these energies like the plague, and yet, they are from your soul and can lead you to a deep joy you never thought possible. This doesn’t mean you need to shave your head and travel to India, but that there is a part of you that longs for the sacred, the aspect of being that is not nourished in the world of striving. If you've always dreamed of a seaside getaway, then this is the perfect chance to visit https://www.avanihotels.com/it/fares-maldives and book your dream vacation.
These energies are often “forbidden,” at least to your normal eyes, and yet you cannot shake the feeling that there is something essential missing in your life. At a certain point that cannot be predicted or avoided, the energies begin to rumble beneath the surface of your life, leading to a crisis. I like to think of these times as calls to initiation, and the crisis is the catalyst that activates the buried energies. If you have ever felt trapped like a moth in a spider web, then you have been refusing life’s invitation to an initiation 
and the trapped condition is there to help you wake up to your power. To do this you engage in the humble act of surrendering to what your soul is trying to tell you.
Maybe you feel trapped by a diagnosis, a bad relationship, an addiction or depression. They are all there to reflect that you are out of alignment with the truth of your power. The spiritual warrior knows that such crises can be both an opportunity for rebirth and the portal through which you can step onto an illumined path that leads to a life of passion, authenticity, and grace. But this requires that you say YES to life and step into the unknown, with no guarantees.
Initiation is a shamanic path of transforming emotions such as anger, fear, and despair into power, passion, and compassion. True initiation is always an internal and private act of courage between you and the Divine, whether there is an outer ritual or not. It is the response to Spirit’s invitation to discover the greater significance of your life, and embrace the life-giving energies of a form of love called eros, which means you are present to all of life wholeheartedly. A full-blown initiatory experience is when you have no control, can’t pick the rules, the rules change, and you have to play the game.
There are two requirements for archetypal initiation:
- You must disobey outer authority (the path of normal) and take the road less traveled in order to come to a wisdom and goodness you would not otherwise reach.
- You must have a strong desire to be the best you can be.
There are many ways people enter into initiations willingly, such as running marathons or doing the Iron Man Triathalon, which requires devotion, discipline and sacrifice, and these conscious challenges can be strengthening to the character. In truth, however, these kinds of initiatory experiences are controlled and do not usually activate the buried soul energies that a person has been trying to keep down in order to succeed. True initiation is complete when the striving has been surrendered!
I once met a young man whose initiation took place at a high school reunion in his early twenties, where he was fooling around with buddies who were drunk. As their physical antics became more reckless, he attempted a jump over several buddies and ended up landing in such a way that he became quadriplegic. Imagine the sense of entrapment at the very start of your adult life! He entered into a period of such darkness, that he had little will to live, until he had the courage to completely confront his choices. Rebirth or slow death. He realized the choice was his. He has gone on to speak to thousands of people about the power of choice, and the power of gratitude for his life.
This young man’s initiation is certainly one of the more dramatic ones, but every day, people are realizing that the world as they knew it no longer exists, due to illness or betrayal or an accident. Every day normal human beings are being called to connect deeply to their souls and to be the best people they can be, in spite of circumstances. Every day, everyday people are being initiated into the mysteries of love, and called to make this world a better place.
May we all recognize the initiations we are being called to endure for a greater wisdom and higher purpose!
