MEMOIR LOGO CONCEPT: The aleph and a Sufi mystic inspired my creation and design of the syzygy logo, which I initially based on the symbolism of the yin and yang.
But the concept expanded when I first saw the aleph in Judith Cornell’s
Mandala Healing Kit, My inexplicable attraction to it led me to incorporate it into my logo before I knew what it meant.
I later read that the “Aleph (the first letter of the sacred Hebrew alphabet) embodies the primordial, divine potential of the universe. ... Aleph contains all the universe’s potential and all of its emptiness simultaneously. Aleph represents a dynamic process of movement from unity to diversity and back to unity,” Jennifer Judelsohn, Songs of Creation.
And the mystic poet Rumi inspired me to use the fire and water concept after I read The Question. Here is an excerpt:
“The presence is there in front of me. A fire on the left, a lovely stream on the right.
One group walks toward the fire, into the fire. Another toward the sweet flowing water.
No one knows which are blessed and which are not.
Whoever walks into the fire appears suddenly in the stream.
A head goes under water, and that head pokes out of the fire.”
LOGO ART: Cropped fire and water images from Free Images.
LOTUS LOGO: In spiritual and religious literature, “the lotus is a symbol for the macrocosm and the microcosm, the universe and man. The lotus represents the divinity of the cosmos as well as the divinity of man.
The lotus is the center of the infinite, omnipresent consciousness which connects with the consciousness of the universe. Through the intuition, one of man’s divine gifts, the spiritual student can see the infinite, omnipresent consciousness as the lotus flower within himself.”
LOTUS ART: Courtesy
Homestead, my website service provider. (Temporary art while I design of my own lotus logo.)
TO DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE CHAPTER OF SYZYGY:
THE MEMOIR
TO BUY MEMOIR
(Thru Amazon)
THE MEMOIR
CROSSING THE BRIDGE TO SELF
THE WEBSITE
THE MEMOIR
NEW!
Epilogue & Dedication
“Dorothy has completed her Hero's Journey, come to terms with her four survival archetypes, and with courage consolidated her mind, heart, and will. Her most challenging adversary, the Wicked Witch, had proved to be the one who did the most to expand her soul." [3]
I dedicate my memoir to the “witches” in my life
Dedications usually appear in the fronts of books, but I find it fitting to include my dedication in the epilogue, because it was only through hindsight that I would know that the witches in my life are the greatest catalysts to my growth and development, without which I may still be stuffing myself on a sugar-coated house.
The people in our lives—parents, siblings, bosses, coworkers, in-laws, friends, neighbors, acquaintances—anyone who pushes our buttons, who challenges us, who tries to victimize us, or steal from us, may be the most important catalyst to our development in this life. So rather than struggle with those people, rather than harbor resentment or anger toward them, stop and ask yourself, “What is the Universe trying to teach me through this experience?”
It is difficult to be objective, but like the witches in Hansel and Gretel and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, our witches might actually be fulfilling a sacred contract, in which, as painful as it feels in the moment, is intended to help us move along your spiritual path. Rather than interpret the actions of our “witch” personally, think of them in symbolical terms. Try to understand that most likely the button we blame others for pushing was created in our early childhood, therefore, forgiving the current witch in our life is a moot point.
First and foremost, I dedicate my memoir to the greatest witches in my life, that is, my Mom and Dad, and I no doubt was one of their greatest witches, too, as my memoir does attest. But they were my King and Queen as well, and I have always loved and appreciated them, whether I was conscious of it or not. And of course I love my son, too, who could easily be the subject of another whole book, but who wishes to remain anonymous. He no doubt sees me as both his witch and his queen. But that is the cycle of life. And there is no one to blame. There were countless other witches in my life as well. But like Caroline Myss said to a room full of people who laughed at the irony, “Remember there are just as many people trying to get over having known you as you them.”
But I would like to take a special moment to honor my friend Della, one of my greatest supporters and critics—and my Underdog, that is, no matter what I say about any person, place, or thing—she almost always points out an opposing viewpoint. And as if I was the villain, she takes up the torch for the side opposite mine most of the time, which still infuriates me to this day.
But I’ve realized through the process of some shadow work I’ve begun in March 2015 that Della is pushing the same button that my parents pushed, which I wrote about in the Preface of my memoir, that is, they refused to validate my feelings and thoughts and experiences. It is as if that day—with my head pushed up against the chair rail—that a little program was inserted into my brain and it is still running in my head to this day and to it are attached feelings stemming back to when I was five years old. It is as if when I share my experiences with Della, she is calling me a liar, and I react like the five year old I was, defensive and angry, my hand on my hip.
And so, you see, Della is not personally attacking me. The fact that she can still push that particular button is the Universe’s way of showing me a shadow aspect of my psyche that still needs much work, that is, healing—and validation! (Please join me on my Shadow Work web page as this process of discovery continues.)
No doubt, Della is one of my greatest witches, and I am no doubt one of hers. But she is also one of the greatest, most generous friends I have ever known. For her, I shall plant a tree. ♂ ♀
“There are countless women of the sixties and seventies who so deeply resented the patriarchy which had destroyed their femininity and that of their mothers that they lashed out against that patriarchy but in doing so they identified with the masculine side of their psyches. In some cases, they turned into the very thing they feared. The witch side of their mothers.
It is important to remember the witch in Hansel and Gretel who, wicked as she was in keeping them caged, was at the same time forcing them to develop all their ingenuity in order to escape and survive. And it was the feminine principle, Gretel, who never gave up her faith in life, but continuously encouraged her despairing Hansel. When the right moment came, they were alert enough to throw their negativity into the fire and run. But that witch forced the development of their maturity and their recognition of what was of value to them.” [2]
“That’s my myth….It may not be yours. But if you travel far enough, one day you will recognize yourself coming down the road to meet yourself. And you will say—YES.” [1]
♂ ♀
© 1955–2015 Syzygy: Crossing the Bridge to Self. All Rights Reserved.
Marion Woodman, Addiction to Perfection
