Holding the Tension of the Opposites
A word by Marion Woodman
Have you ever felt like there are two polar opposite personalities living within you?
I’ve felt that way for most of my life, but I rarely told anybody, because I didn’t want people to think I was crazy. In recent years, however, different readers would make mention of my duality and its affect on me.
“They’re each so strong,” one told me. “No wonder you’re exhausted.”
“You’re pitting them against each other,” another said. “They want you to integrate both of them together.”
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how annoying it was to try and figure out 1) what these seemingly contradicting aspects of myself meant, and 2) how the f—k to even begin to integrate them.
Throughout the course of the last year and a half specifically, I’ve made it a focus of mine to integrate my duality. That involved a lot of shadow work, a lot of inner child work, a lot of work, in general. And it continues.
When my therapist sent me this video of Marion Woodman, I felt seen in a way I hadn’t been in a really long time. Finally, I thought, someone gets it.
Woodman was a Canadian mythopoetic author and women's movement figure. She was a Jungian analyst trained at the C. G. Jung Institute in Zürich, Switzerland, and was one of the most widely read authors on feminine psychology.
The video above is a talk based on her book Holding the Tension of the Opposites, where Woodman explains that life's great challenge is in developing an integration between the spirit and body. From this integration, there arises a divine "tension,” allowing for a new consciousness to unfold.
If any of this resonates with you or sparks your interest, I recommend grabbing a notebook and pen (if you’re extra nerdy like me), and perhaps a beverage of choice, and sit back while you enjoy the gems that will be dropped in the video above.
Xo.
Quick reminder—one week from today is my second Reiki Experience on Zoom.
In this Holy Love II Reiki Experience, Holy Love scans your timeline in this life to find the most important experience that needs healing to improve your health and well-being. This could be a physical injury, or it could be an emotional or psychological trauma. It then works with the aspects of the personality and the energies involved to heal the issue.
This is an intimate experience. For that reason, it is my priority to cultivate a safe space. The event will involve engagement from participants, a guided meditation, and time to journal/share afterwards.
You can attend this Reiki experience regardless of whether or not you attended Holy Love I.
Hope to see you there!