Tend to your Altars
A few days before the New Year, I came across this quote on social media
“Tend to your altars and mind the business that pays you.”
I see many quotes that catch my eye. I often find them to be thought provoking and inspirational. However, this simple collection of words has been a particularly present quote that has been difficult to shake, much like a burdock burr. It has surfaced in my subconscious and rattled through my quiet thoughts for several days now. In no uncertain terms, this quote holds some powerful imagery and meaning without needing to put too much thought into it. But the stickiness of these words has peaked my curiosity about the impact that my subconscious was attempting to convey. Today, the true meaning of this quote rang through my awareness like a powerful gong bathing my perspective with clarity.
Today started out as many days have these past months subject to a “new normal” under COVID quarantine. Committed to supporting my daughter in her new online learning ventures, we were discussing her English assignments and debating the meaning of the novel she is currently reading. However, on this day, the focus of our attention was quickly stolen to the events that were urgently unfolding at our Nation’s Capital. A group of violent rioters took the Capital Building under siege at the encouragement of our so-called leader who had just done the unthinkable- incited and encouraged violence. Suddenly the school assignments that we were working so diligently to complete no longer seemed important. This felt very important. One of those “where were you when..” moments that would fall in chronicle with the horrifying events of 911, the demise of the space shuttle Challenger, the President Kennedy assassination, just to name a few. Where were you when the Nation’s Capital Building was stormed and infiltrated by a mob of incited, angry rioters for the first time since 1814?
It felt important. It felt surreal and horrifyingly real all at once. My body tensed as we watched the events unfold. My emotions a whirlwind of fear, disbelief, terror, guttural disgust, sadness, all flowing too quickly to even register or name. The tears finally came when President Elect, Joe Biden, addressed the Nation speaking of his horror and disbelief at the events, and called for the President to end this despicable display. The whole situation felt like the embodiment of the well known adage “watching a train wreck.” I felt paralyzed. I wanted to turn off the inflammatory news and block the turmoil from my consciousness, but it was too gripping and felt too important to look away. I didn’t want to give attention to the terrible events that were transpiring. I felt the conflict in my body build, torn between wanting to feel a sense of control by watching the events live as they were happening, gripped by the uncertainty and tragedy, all while feeling the ever present urge to break free from its grip of terror and escape by running away.
Thankfully, my dog had grown impatient of what must have looked like me sitting motionless staring blankly at the TV screen for what had now been hours, and was ready for her overdue afternoon walk. At her insistence, I resigned to taking a walk in the woods to satisfy her restlessness. Movement ended up being a good thing. Fresh air ended up being a good thing. Being out in Nature ended up being a good thing. Upon returning from our walk, I also found a compulsive need to rearrange the stones in my newly erected, albeit crude, rock collection that had begun to form on my dresser centered around the acquisition of a beautiful crystal ball gifted to me at Christmas from my boyfriend. The loose stones found their way into a semicircle around the glistening crystal ball in rainbow color order. I fussed and fidgeted the stones until they found a pleasing arrangement that was balanced, beautiful and orderly. I looked at the end result with a sense of calm and interestingly, accomplishment. It was in this moment- with the fresh, sharp contrast of feeling torn and out of control swing to the other end of the spectrum, that this quote rang hard and true again through my brain but much louder, clearer, and more profound this time.
“Tend to your altars and mind the business that pays you.”
The meaning that resinated with my Self Energy became glaringly obvious. For me, these words served as a reminder to come back to myself. To remember that in any and all moments where I feel unsafe, out of control and utterly overwhelmed and threatened, the only thing that I can control is how I choose to respond, behave and feel. In the face of the most dramatic example of violence resulting in a deeply disturbing loss of control of all the laws and protections we hold dear, and the encompassing feelings of fear, unrest, terror and threat to safety and freedoms, was a seed of safety and security found in the simple act of taking a walk and arranging some stones. These acts, for me, created a path to returning to my inner self. By tending my “altar,” my inner world, I was able to find more balance and stability to face this travesty with awareness, presence, and calm. Tending my altar didn’t give me an escape or distraction to ignore or deny what was happening, but rather gave me the opportunity to shift my perspective and more completely and presently face the events that were unfolding. It provided me with space to experience and honor my emotions, and then choose how to process them in a supportive and constructive way. It’s also what opened the door to allow me to access my inner wisdom and inspire me to write this piece.
I think this is an important lesson and reminder for all of us in this unprecedented time. Tend YOUR altar, whatever that may be for you. For some, they find their altar in organized religion, for others that altar appears in the context of spirituality or ritual. Perhaps it’s a body centered altar accessed through movement and breath. Those who undertake the brave act of standing in front of a blank, white canvas with a paint brush that creates an ever changing and evolving altar. Any number of altars can be found in all of the natural world. There are no “right” altars, there is only YOUR altar. Your altar is the thing that serves to remind you to reach, connect and strive to be your best self. It’s the place where you find connection to something bigger and far more important that yourself. The place that highlights your humanity. Its where your ego takes a back seat to compassion, understanding, loving kindness, and grace. Its the place you feel safe when the rest of the world feels scary and threatening, and the place where you make the choice to be present rather than be tossed around in the turbulent waves. Finally, its the place that supplies you with the strength to be kind and loving in the face of fear, violence, and hatred.
The World could use more of us right now who choose to tend our altars with the intention of honoring and contributing our Humanity to the greater good. More on that to come in Part II of this blog.
Be well,
Julie
