First
the fish
needs to say
“Something ain’t right
about this camel ride –
and I’m feeling so
damn thirsty.”
–Hafiz
Life without metaphor is intolerable.
–Marion Woodman
Wild Horses, Wild Stories
A friend of mine had a beautiful dream once where pointing off into the distance at a wild horse she told her friends she longed to get around on the horse instead of her bike. I love this dream and all the images and archetypes it evokes. The dream is saying she is ready to give up an artificial way of living which the man-made bike represents and she is ready to live from a deeper place in her soul. The horse as an archetype is an ancient image that symbolizes our authentic life force; a force that once we have the courage to allow into our lives begins to transform every cell in our being. My friend did in fact choose to get about in the world on a horse instead of a bike and it has changed her life dramatically leading her into a more joyous and trusting way of being in the world.
Patricia Broersma in her wonderful book, Riding into Your Mythic Life shares a powerful story about a single mother whose boyfriend is driving her to the airport to pick up her son. Jealous of her relationship with her son, her boyfriend takes the longer country roads to the airport so that she will be late in meeting him. She feels powerless to confront her boyfriend and frantic about being late to meet her beloved son. She stares out the window helpless, as the country scenes go by, when suddenly coming upon a meadow of horses she demands he stop the car and let her out. Stepping over to the fence all the horses gallop towards her as if expecting her. Their smells, and snorts and wildness take her back to a time as a child on her own family farm with horses. This one moment of being with wild horses gives her back her power. Stepping back into the car she knows she will no longer be a victim to this man’s abusive way.
Archetypes when really felt in our bodies can change us. Learning to discover the images that hold energy and are charged with emotion can make every moment a clue to our Soul’s Story. Understanding these images and archetypes in our lives brings us closer to the inner world. When we don’t see metaphor and archetypes as valuable and only focus on things in the tangible visible world, then life becomes predictable, dry and brittle; safe maybe, and logical but boring.
Giving up our bikes and learning to ride wild horses puts us back on the invisible track the Universe is offering us…
