Birth, Death and Rebirth
by Anne Marie Hemmingway
In considering the concept of a
continuum of consciousness that includes an afterlife, it is
important to look to ancient civilizations, who had no
problem in understanding their place in the cosmos. They
lived in close harmony with the rhythms of the natural
world, in which all forms of animal and plant life were, as
they believed, connected. Through observing natural cycles,
these people were able to make sense of the mysteries of
birth, death and rebirth. They understood the symbolic
analogy that nature provided, which enabled them to
experience and feel a cosmic, numinous, sacred higher power
that guided the workings of the universe. Life was
considered to be a continuum of consciousness, controlled by
a form of psychic energy that manifested in symbolic
metaphors. It was during this period that archetypal
divinities made their presence felt in human consciousness.
Nature provided and instilled a
feeling of “oneness” with an expanded form of consciousness,
because the natural world constantly has the ability to
renew itself, and with every death, there follows rebirth.
The process symbolized the eternal life of the soul, and
there were many examples. Each evening, the dying sun –
often at its most luminous point – descended and set like a
golden globe on the horizon. This is the place where the sky
meets the earth, and a thin white line symbolizes the
thinnest of veils that separates the visible from the
invisible world. The moon was also constantly reborn, and
renewed itself each month. The shore of the ocean was hidden
and then exposed by the turn of the unceasing incoming and
outgoing tides, and the barren starkness of winter gave way
to the reemergence of spring and new life.
As the memories of summer begin to
fade and the days become mellow, the subtle changes that are
taking place in the change of season give us the opportunity
to reacquaint ourselves with this ancient wisdom. Through
contemplating how the once vibrant blossom and foliage has
begun to wither and leaves fall gently back to the earth, we
are reminded of the analogy of The Tree of Life,
which provides an image of the macrocosm and the microcosm
and can instill us with a magical sense of connection to the
primordial origins and divine roots of human existence.
In Man’s Search for Meaning,
Viktor Frankl illustrated how this sacred connection could
still be accessed. He related the experience of a young
woman who was dying in the Nazi camps. Through the window of
her hut, she could see a single branch of a chestnut tree
that had two blossoms in flower, and she remarked to Frankl:
This tree here is the only friend I
have in my loneliness. I often talk to this tree…It said to
me, ‘I am here – I am life, eternal life.’
In modern-day Western society, sacred
communion to the natural world no longer exists, as the
ability to maintain our relationship and sense of wonder
with these symbolic images is no longer a part of human
consciousness. We now try to control the forces of nature,
and view ourselves as set apart, rather than as being a part
of the teeming life force of the planet. As a result, the
ability to connect with our Divine legacy has been lost, and
people are unaware of and unable to recognize the archetypal
images that manifest all around them.
Unfortunately, the voice of the
natural world and its divinities can no longer be heard, and
the Swiss Psychiatrist, C.G. Jung described people as only
being able to refer to a belief, because they had
lost this primordial understanding. Jung lamented that
today’s people no longer experience sacred connection to the
natural world, and have no understanding of the real world
that is alive in rivers, oceans, mountains and nature in
general. As a result, they live their lives in exile, with
only unconscious stirrings to remind them of their true
purpose and ultimate destiny
However, as we approach the oncoming
fall and winter and the days become shorter, we have the
opportunity to journey inwards and reconnect with the
powerful, symbolic imagery provided by the natural world to
reflect on how death in nature, symbolizes the hope of
resurrection. This capacity for renewal was also illustrated
through myth, for the ancient gods died during the summer
solstice, as the sun descended in the west into the depths
of winter and crossed the threshold into the darkness of the
underworld. At the winter solstice, the gods were seen to
reappear in the sky, when the returning sun commenced its
journey in the south and heralded the promise and stirrings
of regeneration.
Through meditating on these ancient
myths and primordial images, we can recognize once more the
soul in nature and remember that our own soul is merely
clothed in the physical body, and emanates from the same
life force that is visible everywhere in the natural world.
This understanding can enable us to live life with a sense
of purpose and meaning, as a celebration of our existence
and help us become fully involved in the practice of
conscious living and dying.
Annamaria Hemingway -
Practicing Conscious Living and Dying
Published by O Books, Jan 08.
www.annamariahemingway.com
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