Part I chapter 4: In the Labyrinth of our Psyche

 pages 37-38

 

"There is no way to Happiness,
to be Happy is the Way"
Zen-Buddhist proverb

A Labyrinth is a path or collection of paths, usually from entrance to a goal. In English, the term is denoted by the word "maze", whose literal meaning in Bulgarian is closet, secret dungeon, basement, foundation of a house. 

Fig.5: The labyrinth of Chartres Cathedral, France
pattern creatd by: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Ssolbergj https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartres_Cathedral#/media/File:Labyrinthus.svg

  AlchemY of Аpogee [ Part I: Quality of Life ]

   

 Chapter 4:          In the Labyrinth of our Psyche
 

 

The word "psyche" comes from the Greek word for Soul - "Psyche".

We will treat the psyche as "the Secret Realm" of our feelings, thoughts and emotions into which our searching Spirit must descend in order to discover and realize the innermost essence of our Soul. The ruler of this secret realm is the Ego, which zealously shields its achievements. In order to realize the potential of our Self, we need to persuade the Ego to release the light of our Soul. For this purpose we need to arrange our thoughts, feelings and emotions stored in the Subconscious so as to built a ladder to a higher level of Consciousness so that the Spirit can descend to enlighten the Mind of our Ego. This is the Fourth Dimension of the manifestation of the Self - the Trinity - the union of Spirit with Soul through the Cordiality of our Ego. (p.13,17,19,102,146)

Human history has always been "guided" by ancient myths, legends and folk tales about hidden treasures and adventures in search of them. A number of archaeological digs exploring ancient civilizations have found intricately constructed labyrinths in different parts of the world, the purpose and application of which is still a mystery to science. But what could actually be behind these mysterious labyrinths?

Curiosity and doubt are inherent features of the seeking Ego. It is they who lead human civilization to development and improvement, but doubt can be our "stumbling block." Just as it can motivate us to explore, prove, and discover, doubt can put us in a vicious circle of destructive emotions. When we doubt ourselves, we easily fall prey to the fears, passions, delusions, ambitions and temptations that divert us from the path to our personal Self. (p.15,17,33,34,148)

The tendency of human nature to doubt under the influence of negative emotions is expressively represented by the ancient Greek myth of "Orpheus and Eurydice". Orpheus (the seeking Ego) descends into the underworld - the Secret Realm - to regain his Eurydice - the Light of his Soul. Led by Hermes, (symbol of intuition p. 114-115,175), Orpheus is about to save Eurydice, provided if he does not turn back. Shortly before he succeeds, his fears, arising from memories of lost happiness, tempt him to doubt, and he turns to make sure Eurydice is following him. Thus Orpheus loses his will, but also his Eurydice - his faith - the most valuable wealth of the Soul. (p. 153)

 

Historically, it is the loss of faith that marks the beginning of the decline of Thracian civilization, whose symbol-belief is the "high priest of lost knowledge" - Orpheus.

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The ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur is the only instruction as to the purpose of the mysterious Labyrinths that we have been given so far. Life is the Labyrinth into which we descend to study, develop and realize our personal potential. Each lesson (p. 13) we must learn is taught to us on a nine-year cycle. Every nine years Life tests our psychological foundations in the material, emotional (Soul), spiritual, cordial, intuitive, mental and conscious areas. Depending on how far we have learned and applied the Lessons of Life, at the end of the cycle we will experience the trials as successes, sufferings or difficulties in the seven spheres of our manifestation. In the myth, these tests are represented as seven girls (the talents of the Yin-potential of the seven forces) and seven young men (the Yang-energy forces required to realize the seven talents) who are sacrificed to the inhabitant of the labyrinth every nine years. “The inhabitant” is our Ego in the face of the Minotaur - a symbol of the primary passion for life. In order not to “eat the life” anymore, the Ego must be defeated by our Will (Theseus), which is guided by the Good Sense (the oracle in Delphi), the Love (Aphrodite) and the Intuition (Ariadne) - the four forces of the stable psyche.

If we look at the human brain, we will find that the brain folds not only form the two halves that manage thought and action (Yin and Yang), but also shaping a kind of labyrinth in which our potential lies.

When we apply our will through the primacy of the Ego, we unconsciously let it build barriers of fears, passions, prejudices and delusions on the way to desired gains and lock our potential and talents in the dark labyrinth of emotional cyclicity. But when we let our Mind be guided by the primary power of the Spirit, we courageously open our Consciousness to the next level on the spiral of the mastery and realization of the Seven powers. In this struggle for supremacy between Spirit and Ego arises the duality of our being, which devides the reality into heaven and hell -   ruled by God and Satan.

When we deviate from the path to ourselves, Life sends us trials to awaken our Heart and Intuition and lead us out of the labyrinth of our personal delusion. The essence of our Ego manifests itself in our ability to give and receive, but also in our tendency to take and hold. Unless property is given or withdrawn from the Ego, we cannot know for sure what its nature is. The question is: who are you when you have power over hell and who are you when heaven is entrusted to you: a robber, a judge, a forgiver, or a guardian? Our ability to dismiss the negative manifestations of our Ego from their duties determines our resilience and values, the degree of the Ego's constructive or destructive role in our lives. Our ability to recognize and follow Ariadne's threads can lead us out of the Labyrinth of the Ego.

"To pray Hades for Eurydice", i.e., to convince the Ego to free our Soul from suffering, we must give it with all our love. But it depends on the power of our belief and the freedom of mind whether we will be able to unlock the Heart power and give Light on the way back, and whether our Intuition wakes up to find the way out of the labyrinth. (p.36,39,99,111,117,123,133,137,146-155,192)

The nine years that lead to the entrance or exit of the labyrinth are the nine tests for the "threefold" Self, who seeks the treasures of life in the three spheres of Existence and the three levels of Consciousness. (p. 14,106,191, 197)

AlchemY of Health       [ Part I: Quality of Life] Chapter 4: The Labyrinth of our Psyche         38

Part II Chapter 6: The Spleen and the Pancreas – “The Guardians of the Earth”

 pages 121-123

 

GUARDIANS OF TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE GOODS IN OUR BODY, BUT ALSO IN OUR LIVES

 

The spleen is the largest lymphatic organ in our body, which is subject to the element Earth, and like it has the basic transforming, managing, moving and protective (immune) functions in our body.

The spleen is the size of a fist, located in the upper left part of the abdomen between the stomach and the diaphragm. The spleen supports the immune and lymphatic systems and performs important transport and circulatory functions. The spleen is responsible for removing old red blood cells and producing and storing white blood cells (lymphocytes), which eliminate viruses and bacteria and send important immune signals throughout the body. (p.83,84)  Traditional Chinese medicine considers the Spleen as one of the five major Yin organs in the human body, along with its corresponding Yang organ, the Stomach, but also with the Pancreas, as an integral organ of the Spleen system. The Spleen system is responsible for digestion, processing and transformation of food and fluids into blood and energy, transporting and supplying the whole body with nutrients through the lymphatic and circulatory systems, managing muscle and fat distribution in the body. Every day the lymph renews the fluids in the body, replacing them with new ones and throwing out about 2-3 liters of stagnant fluids. (p.94,112)

 

The significance of the element of Earth for the spleen function

The element of the Earth in our body - our Spleen, is our support and stability, our center, (p.20,21,93) which balances the interactions of other energy carriers in our body - water, wood, fire, metal and air. Here in this center the energy substances supplied by the kidneys, liver, heart and lungs are synthesized, and the pure is separated from the impure, which is taken to the Earth. (p.46,53,182)

When a plant is over-watered, it dies, when it is too hot it withers and dies again, if we over-fertilize the plant, it dies and if it does not feed - too. Without sunlight, most flowers cannot bloom. We, our body, are not much different from plants. The end of summer is the time when the fruits are ripe and ready for harvest, and the Earth begins to purify, rest and regenerate. The end of summer is the time when the Spleen restores the balance of body fluids after the summer heat and prepares the immune system for cold days. It is no coincidence that at this time we experience discomfort in the area of ​​the lymph nodes. (S.20,57-59)

 

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AlchemY of Аpogee [Part II: The Lords of Life ] Chapter 6: Spleen & Pancreas - Guardians of Earth

 

The meaning of the element of Wood for the Earth and the Spleen

Just as the Earth has a vital need for plants and trees in order to be purified and renewed, so the Spleen has a vital need for a healthy and strong Liver - our Tree of Life (p. 104), which supplies the necessary digestive enzymes, vitamins and bile juices. Bile is responsible for the secretion of bile acids in the stomach and duodenum, that break down fats and regulate acidity in the small intestine. (p.71,82,110,127) The spleen function is responsible for the distribution of fat in the body through the lymph. The pancreas secretes in the stomach the necessary juices and hormones for the breakdown of the strong acid-forming proteins supplied by meat, dairy products and eggs (p.22,77,168-169). The pancreas also secretes the enzymes and insulin responsible for breaking down and absorbing sugars, while also regulating bile secretion. (p.109,111) If bile secretion is intense and stimulated by external spontaneous stimuli, it can disrupt pancreatic secretion, lymphatic transport of nutrients and fluids, but also the secretory functions of the small intestine and colon, controlled by the spleen. This can be a prerequisite for activating the destructive energy that dries up or floods the element of Earth in our body. (p.20,47,57-59,112,143,165)

 

The penetrating impact of the element Air on the Earth

The spleen controls the synthesis, distribution and transport of vital energy, with the help of the balancing activity of the stomach, carried out under the influence of the penetrating Air. Only if the stomach manages to separate and send the impure down, then the Spleen will be able to send nourishing blood (rich in mewly sintezised nutrients| up to the heart, lungs, head and eyes. (p.25,46,, 73,125,131,135)

 

The element of Water is driven by the Spleen function

The spleen is the engine that controls the movement of blood in the ducts and blood vessels, keeps the organs in place, preventing them from slipping, and regulates the two distribution directions of movement - up and down.  Through the spleen, our body is supplied with all the necessary material substances: food, oxygen, blood, fluids (water, sweat, urine, saliva, tears, semen, secretions, etc.). Therefore, Chinese healers often call him a "warehouse manager." It manages and coordinates all the activities of our body: eating, drinking, defecating, urinating, sleeping, sex, crying, laughing, etc. The kidneys, which control the element Water in our body, store the Essential Life Energy, and the spleen produces and delivers nourishing life energy and blood to the heart and upper organs of the body. (p.95,121)

 

The transforming effect of the Fire Element on the Earth

The spleen is able to keep our vitality, but it can make us feel exhausted and powerless. It can provide us with a normal intake of water and food, but it can cause vomiting and upset. It can give us a normal sleep and wake up, but it can leave us in bed late in the morning or cause insomnia. It can strengthen the immune and protective function of the skin, but can cause allergies and long-term non-healing wounds. As the main engine of the body's motor functions, the spleen regulates muscle and fat, but also anabolic and catabolic processes. (pp. 21, 43-48, 94)

 

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AlchemY of Аpogee [Part II: The Lords of Life ] Chapter 6: Spleen & Pancreas - Guardians of Earth

 

The mouth is an expression of Love, but also the outer opening of the Spleen. Lips can determine the quality of the spleen function. Therefore, with weakened immunity, canker sores appear in the mouth and cold sores on the lips. Injured corners, for example, are a signal of avitaminosis due to a lack of vitamins A, B, C. (p.63,82) The interaction between the Spleen and the Heart is closely connected. (pp.115-117) The spleen holds the blood in the vessels, and the heart controls the blood circulation. The heart is the ruler of thought and consciousness, but the Thought is ruled by the Spleen. It is the spleen that makes us think about the things of life, but too much thinking and "looping" of thought in a certain direction can cause stagnation of the Spleen’s   transport function. (p.12,25,27,33,47,99,106) This is one of the reasons when we think hard, we experience hunger for sweets, which on the one hand stimulates mental activity at the moment, but on the other hand can bring us in an unwanted metabolic cycle. (p.34-36,57-58,148,158,159,163,175)

As the guardian of Immunity, the Spleen also governs our Soul, concentrated in the energy of the essential blood. (p.22,92,112,131)  The Yang-energy generator of the spleen function is our Stomach, which is also the ruler of our Spiritual Center, (p.13,94,125) where our thoughts and consciousness are unlocked or locked, depending on the Fire with which we ignited our Soul - with the spark of Love, with the passions of the Ego or with the flame of knowledge, governed by the purity of the Heart. (p.21,91,111,115,117,153,173,177)

 

 

THE ASTROLOGICAL GUARDIANS OF THE "DIVINE TREASURE"

If we manage to perceive the Truth with the purity of the Mind and to put in our Hearts the Love, carried by our strong and unshakable Spirit, then our Soul power will be able to resist the hunger, passions and fears of the Ego, purifying it in the flame of Divine Fire. (p.32,86,91,117,155,173,184) If we are good conductors of Love, then we will be able to transform the destructive еnergies  of the Ego into constructive and creative forces. Only then, instead of the "Pandora's box", will we be able to find and unlock the hidden treasure of our Soul - our gifted and capable individuality, striving for perfection. (p.133,146,153,189) Our Spleen, the guardian of our immunity and our Essential Soul Power from the destructive and polluting manifestations of the Ego in the material, mental, spiritual, physical and emotional spheres, governs the material result, i.e. the fruits of these manifestations, through the materializing element of the Earth (yin) - the Sacred Power. (p.13,51,88,157) The elemental, energetic, transforming, protective and purifying action of the Spleen function is performed under the astrological control of the zodiac sign of Virgo. Virgo's astrological task is to consider the results of tangible and intangible manifestations. It is the zodiac sign Virgo that has the honor to discover that the qualities of thought determine the qualities of the material realization of our Soul aspirations, but also the quality flow of Life energy in our bodies and in our lives. (p.17,18,29,93,124,157,175) Sooner or later, the strong mental-material vibration of Virgo will make us realize that our life results do not depend so much on our mental "baggage" as on the way we perceive and apply Love in Life, i.e. from the way, the means and the freedom with which we manifest and preserve our Soul essence. (p. 192) Because every burden draws to the mortal, and Love expands the senses, the mind and the Soul. Virgo is the zodiac sign in which the opposites of the Earthly and Heavenly, the Material and the Intangible, the Divine and the Human, the Good and the Evil, the Visible and the Invisible, the Mortal and the Immortal, the Yin and Yang energies in Nature meet in order to create that eternal essence of Love, without which there is no Life. (p.19,21,86)

 

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AlchemY of Аpogee [Part II: The Lords of Life ] Chapter 6: Spleen & Pancreas - Guardians of Earth