I would like to invite someone to pick two seemingly opposed forces, and I will illustrate how they interact with each other in the world.

War and peace? Ok, war. There has always been a force of conflict in the world; heat and cold, gravity and energy. Whatever you can consider, it has something that seems to impose conflict on it. War plays out all around us, even if we think there is no war at all. One choice versus the equal and opposite yet still valid choice. War colours everything around us, and yet reality is not by definition war torn. Conflict is not the single defining factor of existence.

Peace. The peace that brings on sleep, that urge to rest after a long day of struggle, that moment of quiet we seek if just for that moment to better hear the world around us. Peace runs all through the world also.

War is like an avalanche in which no snowflake feels responsible, yet every single one is. Excellent, very true. Peace and war are both present with us really at any point in our lives.

To go back to the mall symbolism… When you are shopping in the department store, you have the awareness that you needed to purchase something there. There was a reason you came and you really want to satisfy whatever goal you had, yet you also have to contend with all the tedious elements of shopping. Searching for what you intend to purchase, keeping track of your money in your head and trying to figure out how much the purchase will impact your other choices, and whether or not what you buy will really do what you want it to do anyway. What is this if not war? Seemingly irreconcilable concerns, conflicting interests and feelings, to the point of maybe making you feel real physical pain, and yet at the same time peace is touching you.

There is that part of your mind that says everything is all right. You have been here before, and you will be here again and do you remember that wonderful gift you bought for your spouse not too long ago? It’s an urge, if quieter than the inner war, that if listened to touches on everything you might have been thinking about, and gives it all an entirely different context.

Now it may at first seem these two forces are mutually exclusive, no? It seems that way only. The war is structured by the influence of the peace force. The peace is energized by the touch of the war force. Each conflict eventually comes to a resolution often in such a way that neither side can be described as the winner even by themselves. It’s like some third factor leads it to a conclusion that can allow for future progress, even if the parties involved feel unsatisfied by it.

So, are you saying that peace movements actually energize the very thing they are protesting? I am saying that, but likewise the awareness of conflict and its costs is what inspires us to embrace peace. In moments of peace, we see very clearly our inner passionate side, our petty and selfish aspects as well as a noble and compassionate side, and when we see our ugly side, that can throw people right out of the peace that lead them to perceive this very thing. This is why so many people remain obsessively busy so they need never confront the horror of peace. These two forces play a powerful role in life and our experience, and in the end, reality is whole.

I have a felt sense of my “ugly side” and give it a compassionate hug. That is a better strategy usually. When confronted with those parts of yourself you like least, it is best to allow them to be and not get over reactive about them.

The horror of thinking about whatever is haunting you when you stop being busy. People who have been involved in some trauma tend to want to keep working. Their concerns are real, and also false, and there is a huge trend in telling people their concerns are false. As if that would be sufficient help and then they should feel fine about everything. Illusion is always projected by a reality. They are never separate from each other. All lies are backward truths. All truths are one sided lies, but neither of these statements is truth by itself. You see the picture between the borders of the frame, otherwise you are looking at something else.

My mother in law gets migraines more often since her husband and father passed away. She is a very busy lady with church and visiting family etc. I think they are telling her body to slow down and rest. They are and hopefully she will listen. Slow down, but not shut down.

Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.

Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~