The Warriors Voice

I don’t want to ruin anyone’s journey through the seventh Harry Potter book, nor indeed any of the series. If you haven’t read them yet I truly recommend them as a great set of books. A story which has changed my life in many ways and given me such joy. Please don’t read past the spoiler warning below if you are reading these books for the first time, or think you might want to look at them, as they can lead you on your own journeys of self discovery.

WARNING!!!!! – CONTAINS SPOILERS

I found reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to be a great story and conclusion to the set. It to Tarra and me about 25 hours to read this book through as we read aloud to each other. However it was not the story that I found intriguing, but some of the synchronicity between the characters lives and my own.

Through the course of the book Harry tries to acquire a sword. It happens to be the sword of “Godric Gryfindor”. This sword would help him in is overall quest. For my self I have commissioned my own sword to be made. I will take part in it’s design and potentially its creation. I decided to get this sword for many reasons, almost all of them symbolic. But the connection between my journey and Harry’s was something that made me sit up and take notice. I don’t know what it means at this point, but it is something for me to notice.

Another connection I found was between my self and Lee Jordan. Lee has been a Quidditch commentator in the past books and in this the last one he starts a ‘pirate’ broadcast radio show. For the sake of the book the radio broadcast was the similar to the voice of the resistance. For me it was symbolic of something I’ve been building towards for a while now. I’m in the process of setting up a podcast called “The Warriors Voice” which will be used in conjunction with this blog. It’s taking a while to get some of the ground work laid and get the technical side set up. but it should come soon. Again I just notice the connection with the books.

Now why have I written about this. At this point I’m not too sure. I do hope to find further clarity around this by ‘discussing’ it for sure, but are there any other reasons. I’m afraid I don’t have answers about this. Perhaps some of you may have clarity around this. Perhaps this may help you to see synchronicity in your own life.

Walk in peace,

Warrior Jevon: In-Service

Last week I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in the theatre. I feel that this is the best of the movies they have made so far. The really managed to distill the book in the a 2 hour movie well and far better than the previous books. It was in discussing this ‘chapter’ of Harry’s life with my spouse, Tarra, that I gained a new respect for the book.

Warning – This contains spoilers

I always felt that this was the book that didn’t need to exist and argued this point regularly. Throughout the book Harry is lead on his journey to find the room of Prophesies. He finds his prophesy and it is destroyed before he can hear it. Just when we think all is lost Dumbledore says, ‘Don’t worry I remember it and can tell you’. Well I thought if that’s the case then why this whole book. it could have been thirty pages long just the last few chapters of all of the info we get. However Tarra said, but that’s not what the book is about. It’s about the shadow and what happens when we refuse to face it.

The obvious example of this is Fudge, Minister for Magic, who refuses to believe Harry and Dumbledore when they say that Voldemort is back. He does every thing in his power to make it not true and as a result gives Voldemort a very strong foothold with no resistance. And when we don’t deal with the shadow it takes over much like the ministry did at Hogwarts. But the piece of the shadow I missed was Dumbledore’s. Dumbledore did not want to make Harry’s life any harder than it had been and tried to keep the prophesy from him. Dumbledore ignored his own shadow. As a result people died and Harry and several of his friends were put in danger because Dumbledore wouldn’t deal with his shadow.

So what can we take from this story on our own journey. Well, for me, I don’t have these massive dark forces trying to kill me or the rest of the world, at least not so obviously as an evil wizard, but I do have my own shadow. When I ignore my shadow side or try to pretend it doesn’t exist, or don’t look at it because it I think it might cause loved ones in my life pain it invariably causes more pain and has greater consequences.

I try to remember that my shadow side has many lessons for me to learn and if I look at it in manageable doses in a safe environment I’m able to get these messages with smaller consequences and limited pain, if any. Something also to note is that when you shine a light on a shadow it disappears and has no power, but when we turn our back on the shadow it has tremendous power over us. The situation is definitely a ‘damned if you don’t', but not a ‘damned if you do’. If you face the shadow, with all the courage it takes and believe me it takes great courage to face it, you can get the lessons you need and become stronger for it.

I hope that this was not to didactic as it’s how I think and feel about this topic although sometimes it scares the hell out of me.

Walk in peace,

Warrior Jevon: In-Service

This past weekend I had a rather rough experience. With all of my effort towards living in the positive masculine (The Warrior) I also have to face the shadow of it.

Firstly, the shadow is not negative. It’s very easy to ‘judge’ as this, which then allows us to dismiss and ignore it. Also note that judgement is a flag of resistance. I’m not saying “Embrace the Dark Side and Rule the Galaxy with me”, but it is important to look at the shadow and learn our lessons from it.

I’ve spent the past two or three weeks trying to embrace the lessons of the ‘Macho’ (from David Deida’s Model) and as a result fell into the ‘Macho’ area. Now the ‘Macho’ is the shadow to be sure, but it has valuable lessons. ‘Macho’ teaches men ‘Strength’ and ‘Leadership’ among other things. However out of balance the ‘Macho’ can be the ‘Wife Beater’. Not a very pleasant person at all.

For me, this trip through the shadow, I believe was a ‘change back move’ to restore things to where I am comfortable with them and stop the change. It scared me away, again, from the macho confirming my believe that Macho has no value. Well, Not Quite, but it definitely scared the hell out of me.

How do I take my journey through the shadow and ‘flip it up’ to the light. I know that in order to move to the ‘Warrior’ the Macho must learn Love. So I wonder what it would look like to bring love to this place?

The word that springs to mind is ‘compassion’. This does not be acquiescing or sacrificing my self for an-others good, but I don’t have to exert force or be dominant either. With compassion I’m able to be in service to my self and others.

Now I look at my journey and see where I might change it up quicker next time. When I notice my self going through there I can bring love and therefore Compassion to my self and those around me. Then I can be in service.

Walk in Peace,

Warrior Jevon:

In-Service