Stuck in time

The other day, I came across either a social media post or a Reddit story. I can’t really remember it all that well, as my brain has reached its maximum capacity for how much information or input it can hold, and it has been that way for quite a while now. Lol. Anyhow, what stood out to me was the number of people who reacted to the post and the fact that they came from different generations, including Gen Z. The post went something like this: “I can’t lie, but ever since COVID, the world doesn’t feel the same. No matter how hard we try to convince ourselves that things feel fine and pretend that something didn’t break or even get stuck in time, something still feels a bit odd or off.”

Many 18-year-olds had the same reply: “I was 12 back then, and I still feel 12.” As if time hasn’t really moved forward at all. Not in the physical sense, but in how we feel on the inside. Then the 23-year-olds had almost the same response. “Me too. I feel stuck in that same period. I still feel like that 16-year-old. It doesn’t feel like anything is all that real anymore. Something feels off, and I still feel like that same teenager.” Then the 30-somethings expressed the exact same sentiment.

I couldn’t see this as a coincidence, so it’s definitely worth mentioning. How could so many people feel the same way? It’s as if the world is moving forward, but somehow, we’re all a little bit out of sync. Something feels almost misaligned, as if we’re still stuck in that period right before COVID. Maybe it’s a trauma response, or maybe there’s something more to it. Who knows? But we can try to speculate anyway.

How we measure time

Before the Roman calendar became the 12-month system we use today, time was usually measured by the cycles of the Moon. A lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, giving us 13 moons in a solar year. Many ancient cultures lived by these natural rhythms, observing the Moon to understand the passing of time and how the seasons change.

The words month and moon share the same linguistic root in Old English, monath. The idea of a 13-month calendar reflects a more cyclical way of experiencing time, rooted in nature rather than the structure of our modern calendar. Historically, there wasn’t one universal 13-moon calendar that Rome replaced, although Ethiopia and the Coptic Christians use a 13-month calendar to this day. The idea of a 13-month calendar was even proposed in the United States in the 1920s. Known as the International Fixed Calendar, it would have had 13 months of 28 days each, with an extra day at the end of the year that did not belong to any day of the week. Although the weeks would still have had seven days, this extra day would have interrupted the continuous seven-day cycle, raising objections from religious groups. The proposal was never adopted.

In Ethiopia, it’s 2019 now, and when COVID was declared a pandemic, it was 2012 there. So maybe the Mayans really were on to something when it came to the end of the world or the end of a great cycle. The Romans had a 10-month calendar before King Numa Pompilius added January and February around the 7th century BCE, after Romulus’s original calendar.

Ancient Egypt had a 12-month calendar, each consisting of 30 days, with 5 extra days left, which they called epagomenal days. They were dedicated to the births of five deities: Osiris, Horus the Elder, Set, Isis, and Nephthys. So, now that we know time is more of a human construct, although there are obviously cycles worth noting in nature, I wonder how we would feel if we considered every day one continuous day? Just food for thought.

The battle of the super senses | Overcoming self-doubt

It’s almost the end of 2026 now, and if there was one concept brought into question in 2020, it was personal sovereignty. This was partially due to the pressure everyone felt around vaccination mandates, which differed from previously administered vaccinations, etc. This was a hot topic back then and for several years, since so many professionals had to resign or were fired, including doctors, people who worked in law enforcement, teachers, etc.

Although, as with any concept, it can be hijacked, misused, or even weaponized, I want to briefly expand on personal sovereignty, as these are concepts that will take us decades to spiritually understand and implement in our lives. I’ve talked about personal sovereignty in my book How to Get on the Good Side of Life, which you can find on Amazon and in the book section of this blog. And yes, I said spiritually, because as I’ve mentioned in other posts, whether we like to admit it or not, everyone is somewhat spiritual in their own way. We all have our yeses and nos, dos and don’ts, and we all have a moral compass we abide by, whether we apply that socially or inwardly, etc.

Now, in a nutshell, personal sovereignty equates to you being the only governor of your own decision-making process. It’s about you implementing the archetype of the King or Queen in your own life, with the decisions you make resting with you and only you. This is not about having a know-it-all attitude toward life or refusing to accept advice when needed, but rather about trusting yourself to be self-governing despite social pressures or outside advice.

Side note: When we had the No Kings protests across the US and other parts of the world, I found it pretty amusing because not only could this subconsciously encourage people to deny their own power and decision-making, but it could also create a divide between the self and the ego, potentially cutting us off from our own internal truth. In order to be truly sovereign in our lives, we have to be deeply connected to ourselves and what we truly want, rather than be swayed by what we should do or what we should want in any given moment. Otherwise, we are still looking to external figures or authorities and not consciously operating from our own sense of sovereignty. But in order to do this, it is imperative that we learn to center ourselves, deeply connect with who we are, and recognize that self-knowing is indispensable.

If we are not able to accept or get in touch with our own subjective perspective, which doesn’t necessarily erase an objective one, as we can hold space for both, we cannot create stability within our own lives and can easily get stuck in the chaos, especially when it comes to our own internal compass. This can lead to emotional instability, even psychosis or other mental breakdowns. Imagine a game of chess with no king or queen. You’d be running around in circles to do what, exactly?

The world really is weird sometimes, and the road to hell really is paved with the best intentions. Lol.

Acceptance and trusting our own boundaries | Stuck in time

Our ability to trust ourselves and create and even maintain healthy boundaries is often shaped by our earliest relationships. The ways we learned to navigate connection, safety, and emotional needs during childhood can follow us into adulthood, shaping the way we relate to others and how easily we lose touch with ourselves.

If primary caregivers were inconsistent, we tend to develop more anxious attachment patterns and learn to abandon our own needs to regulate our caregivers’ emotions and tend to their needs. This can carry into adulthood, making us more susceptible to codependent patterns in romantic, platonic, and even work relationships. Others may have had caregivers who were physically present but emotionally unavailable. As adults, they may become highly independent and successful while struggling with emotional intimacy or empathy due to a lack of emotional connection in childhood. Then some experienced or witnessed significant abuse and neglect, growing up with deep-seated fear. As adults, they may strongly crave connection to survive while simultaneously fearing the people they become close to, leaving them caught between the need for safety and the fear of being hurt.

Without clear boundaries or a clear sense of direction, purpose, and inner knowing, we can become susceptible to external manipulation. We can easily put others’ perspective at the center of our being and get thrown around like a paper bag in the wind. This doesn’t do anyone any justice, so for the sake of our own well-being, we have to learn to be comfortable with the validity of our own subjective experience. For instance, imagine feeling exhausted on a Monday and spiraling a bit about how things are going in your life, only for a friend to tell you that you shouldn’t feel that way because people are starving and going to war every day. We can hold space for both subjective and objective perspectives because reality itself is chaotic, with so many different perspectives and things happening all at once, and if we are around a bunch of other people with other perspectives and ideas, we can easily get sucked into their own. We can lose ourselves and even, in some extreme cases, become victims of gaslighting, manipulation, and even abuse by those deliberately wanting to pull us into their game, dominate us, and knock us off the center of our sovereignty, especially if we don’t see our own subjective experience as a valid compass, a source of wisdom and meaning, and for directing our lives and governing our lives.

This happens often within cults or anywhere, really, where, unfortunately, people who lack a sense of personal sovereignty make their leader and their perspective the center of their own. This can cause deep disconnection as it calls everything into question, creates constant self-doubt, self-gaslighting, and constant rumination on what we should do, how we should feel instead, what we see or don’t see, etc. Perhaps this is also why so many of us feel stuck in time, as if we haven’t quite moved forward since 2020. Maybe there are lessons we are still learning to overcome, cycles we are still trying to break, whether on a personal or collective level, or perhaps both. Sometimes, we keep revisiting the same experiences until we understand something we couldn’t quite grasp before. And perhaps the feeling that something is still unresolved, that something is somehow off, is an indication that there are things we have yet to work through, both within ourselves and as a collective. But that’s only a limited perspective from a tired mind. There may be more to this.

The post Are We Stuck in Time? How to Handle Difficult Emotions in Times of Change appeared first on Sentient Muse.

1. Parvatasana (Seated Mountain)

Parvatasana means a mountain. In this seated variation the arms are stretched over the head with the fingers interlocked. For advanced yogis, sit in Padmasana (Lotus Pose)

How to practice:

-Sit with your legs crossed or Lotus pose. Interlock the fingers, and stretch the hands vertically up over the head. Keep the head bent forward with the chin on the breast bone.

-Stretch the arms up from the latissimus dorsi (near the floating ribs at the back) and the shoulder-blades. The palms should face upwards.

-Hold the pose for a minute or two with deep and even breathing. Change the crossing of the legs and the interock of the fingers and repeat the pose, keeping the back erect.

2. Halasana (Plough)

Hala means a plough, the shape of which this posture resembles, hence the name. It is a part of Sarvangasana I and a continuation thereof.

How to practice:

-Start in Salamba Sarvangasana (supported shoulder stand) or by simply lying flat on your back. Release the chinlock, lower the trunk slightly, moving the arms and legs over the head and resting the toes on the floor.

-Tighten the knees by pulling up the hamstring muscles at the back of the thighs and raise the trunk. Place the hands in the middle of the back and press it to keep the trunk perpendicular to the floor.

-Stretch the arms on the floor in the direction opposite to that of the legs. Interlock the fingers and turn the wrists so that the thumbs rest on the floor. Stretch the palms along with the fingers , tighten the arms at the elbow and pull the floor the shoulders.

-While interlocking fingers, it is advisable to change the interlock. Suppose that the right thumb touchers the floor first, maintain the position for a minute, Then release the grip and bring the left thumb first on the floor, follow the interlock, finger by finger, and stretch out the arms for the same length of time. THis will lead to harmonious development and elasticity of both the shoulders, elbows and wrists.

-In the beginning interlocking will be difficult. By gradual practice of the above mentioned positions, you will interlock the fingers easily. In the beginning it is also difficult to keep the toes firmly on the floor behind the head.

-Stay in this position with normal breathing for at least 3 minutes.

3. Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Downward Facing Tree or Handstand)

Adho Mukha means having teh face downwards. Vrksa means a tree. The pose is the full arm balance in modern gymnastics.

How to practice:

-Stand in Tadasana. Bend forward and place the palms ont h floor about a foot away from a wall. The distance between the palms should be the same as between the shoulders. Keep the arms fully stretched.

-Take the legs back and bend the knees. Exhale, swing the legs up against the wall and balance. IF the hands are kept far from the wall, the when the legs are supported by the wall the curvature of the spine will be great and will cause much strain. IT will also be difficult to balance if the hands are kept away from the wall. Stay in the pose for a minute with normal breathing.

-After learning to balance of the hands against the wall, take the feet away from the wall. Then try the pose in the middle of the room. Keep the legs fully stretched and the toes pointing up. Left the head as far up as you can.

The pose develops the body harmoniously. It strengthens the shoulders, arms and wrists and expands the chest fully.

4. Marichyasana (Sage twist pose)

This asana is dedicated to the sage Marichi, son of the Creator, Brahma. Marichi was the grandfather of Surya (the Sun God).

How to practice:

-Sit on the floor with the legs stretched straight in front. Bend the left knee and place the sole and heel of the left foot flat on the floor. The shin of the left leg should be perpendicular to the floor and the calf should touch the thigh. Place the left heel near the perineum. The inner side of the left foot should touch the inner side of the outstretched right thigh.

-Stretch the left shoulder forward till the left armpit touches the perpendicular left shin. Turn the left arm round the left shin and thigh, bend the left elbow and throw the left forearm behind the back at the level of the waist. Then move the right hand behind the back and clasp the left hand with the right at the wrist or vice versa. If that is not possible then clasp the palms or the fingers.

-Turn the spine to the left, keeping the outstretched right leg straight. Remain in this position gazing at the outstretched right big toe and take a few deep breaths.

-Exhale, and bend forward. Rest the forehead, then the nose, next the lips and lastly the chin on the right knee. While in this position, keep both shoulders parallel to the floor and breathe normally. Stay in the pose for about 30 seconds and see that the back of the entire extended leg rests on the floor throughout.

5. Ardha Matsyendrasana I (Half Lord of the Fishes pose)

This story makes me smile. Ardha means half. In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Matsyendra is mentioned as one of the founders of Hatha Vidya. It is related that once Lord Siva went to a lonely island and explained to his consort Parvati the mysteries of Yoga. A fish near the shore heard everything with concentration and remained motionless while listening. Siva, realising that the fish had learnt Yoga, sprinkled water upon it, and immediately the fish gained divine form an became Matsyendra (Lord of the Fishes) and thereafter spread the knowledge of Yoga. Paripurna Matsyendrasana, where the spine is given the maximum lateral twist, is dedicated to Matsyendra. Ardha Matsyendrasana is a milder version of that asana.

How to practice:

-Sit on the floor, with the legs stretched straight in front. Bend the left knee and join the thigh and calf; raise the seat from the floor, place the left foot under the buttocks and sit on the left foot so that the left heel rests under the left buttock. The foot used as the seat should be kept horizontal on the floor, the outer side of the ankle and the little toe of the foot resting on the ground. If the foot is not so placed, it will be impossible to sit on it. Balance securely in this position.

-Then bend the right knee and lifting the right leg from the floor, place it by the outer side of the left thigh so that the outer side of the right ankle toucher the outer side of the left thigh on the floor. Balance in this position, keeping the right shin perpendicular to the floor,

-Turn the trunk 90 degrees to the right until the left armpit touches the outer side of the right thigh. Bring the arpit over the right knee. Exhale, stretch the left arm from the shoulder and twist it round the right knee. Bend the left elbow and move the left wrist to the back of the waist.

-The left arm should lock the bent right knee tightly and there should be no space between the left armpit and the bent right knee. To achieve this, exhale and move the trunk forward. Stay in this position and take 2 breaths.

-Exhale deeply and swing back the right arm from the shoulder, bend the right elbow, move the right hand behind the waist and either clasp it with the left hand or vice versa. At first you will be able to catch a finger or two. With practice it will be possible to catch the palms and then the wrists behind the back.

-The neck may be turned to the left and the gaze directed over the left shoulder, or to the right, and the gaze fixed at the centre of the eyebrows. The spinal twist will be greater if the neck is turned to the left than when to the right.

-With practice the pose can be held from half a minute to a minute with normal breathing. (Repeat the pose from the other side)

6. Adhomukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

Adho Mukha means having the face downwards. Svana means a dog. The pose resembles a dog stretching itself with head and forelegs down and the hind legs up, hence the name.

How to practice:

-Lie full length on the floor on the stomach, face downwards. THe feet should be kept one foot apart. Rest the palms by the side of the chest, the fingers straight and pointing in the direction of the head.

-Exhale and raise the trunk from the floor. Straighten the arms, move the head inwards towards the feet and place the crown of the head on the floor, keeping the elbows straight and extending the back.

-Keep the legs stiff and do not bend the knees but press the heels down. The heels and soles of the feet should rest completely on the floor, while the feet should be parallel to each other, the toes pointing straight ahead.

-Stay in the pose for about a minute with deep breathing. Then with an exhalation lift the head off the floor, stretch the trunk forward and lower the body gently to the floor and relax.

When exhausted, a longer stay in this pos removes fatigue and brings back the lost energy. The pose is especially good for runners who get tired after a hard race. Sprinters will develop speed and lightness in the legs. The pose relieves pain and stiffness in the heels and helps to soften calcaneal spurts. It strengthens the ankles and makes the legs shapely. The practice of this asana helps to eradicate stiffness in the region of the shoulder-blades, and arthritis of the shoulder joints is relieved. The abdominal muscles are drawn towards the spine and strengthened. As the diaphragm is lifted to the chest cavity the rate of the heart beat is slowed down.

7. Passasana (noose pose)

Pasa means a noose or cord. In this posture, squat on the floor, turn the trunk about 90 degrees to one side, twist one arm round both the thighs and turning the other arm from the shoulder clasp hands behind the back. The arms are used as a noose to hold the trunk to the legs, hence the name.

How to practice:

Squat on the floor with the soles and heels completely on the floor. Keep the knees and feet together, raise the seat from the floor and balance.

-Ater securing the balance, twist the trunk aout 90 degrees to the right until the left armpit is beyond the outer side of the right thigh near the right knee. To achieve the maximum twist, flex the left knee about and inch forward.

-Exhale, extend the left arm from the shoulder, eave no space between the left armpit and the right thigh, turn the left arm round the right thigh and, bending the left elbow toward the left leg, bring the left hand near the left hip. Take a breath.

-Exhale, twist the right arm from the shoulder behind the back, nemd the right elbow and hook the fingers behind the back near the left hip. Gradually clasp the palms and when this becomes easy, clasp the wrists.

-Tighten the calk muscles to maintain the balance, twist the spine as far to the right as you can and stay in the pose from 30 to 60 seconds with normal breathing. Turn the neck and gaze over either shoulder.

-Release the hand clasp and repeat the pose on the other side. Here, twist the trunk to the left, bring the right arm round the left thigh, bend the right elbow and bring the right hand near the right hip. Then with an exhalation turn the left arm back from the shoulder, bend the left elbow and clasp the right hand with the left behind the back near the right hip.

The post 7 Yoga Poses for Deformity in Arms appeared first on Sentient Muse.

The idea of transcendence

The idea of transcendence is mainly rooted in the philosophical traditions of India, particularly in the Upanishads, around 800 BC, and later in the various schools of Yoga and Hindu philosophy. Although “transcendence” itself is an English term, the concept is ancient and refers to moving beyond our ordinary identification with the body, mind, senses, desires, trauma, and the changing world around us. In the Upanishads, the deeper nature of Ātman (the deepest essence of who we are, beyond the body, personality, thoughts, emotions, and changing experiences) is explored, while in Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras, this idea of moving beyond identification is reflected in liberation and the recognition of Puruṣa as distinct from Prakṛti, as described by Sāṃkhya philosophy.

Guilt, shame, and regret are among the emotions that can keep us tied to our past and trauma. Guilt tells us we have wronged someone or done something wrong, while shame can make us feel that something is wrong with who we are. Regret keeps bringing us back to what we wish we had done differently. Although these emotions can sometimes help us recognize our mistakes and grow from them, they can also become a source of suffering when we continue to relive the past and allow it to define how we see ourselves in the present. The inability to move beyond what has already happened can become its own form of bondage and karma, especially when the pattern or cycle continues. These are all qualities of Prakrti, the active and unconscious.

Sadhana | Meditation & self-awareness

Sadhana comes from the Sanskrit root “sādh,” meaning to accomplish, attain, or bring something to completion. In Yoga and other Indian spiritual traditions, Sadhana refers to a disciplined spiritual practice with the intention of moving toward greater awareness, self-knowledge, and ultimately liberation. It can include meditation, yoga, prayer, study, devotion, breathwork, or other forms of practice. But Sadhana is not necessarily about what I am doing, performing a particular practice perfectly, or following a set of rituals. At its heart, it is the ongoing process of becoming aware of what I am thinking, working with myself, and becoming more conscious of what is happening within. You can sit in meditation for an hour, but if you are thinking about that missed opportunity, or what you’re going to cook for dinner, and then worrying about your cat’s medical bills, your “doing” is pretty much futile when it comes to the true practice of Sadhana.

When we want to transform what is happening within us, regardless of our circumstances, we need an anchor of values to guide that transformation. Without a clear understanding of what we value, self-awareness alone can become directionless. We may become very good at observing our thoughts, desires, and emotions without knowing what we are actually trying to cultivate within ourselves. This becomes especially important when we are trying to transform or transcend thoughts rooted in shame, powerlessness, guilt, or fear. We may have learned to see ourselves through these thoughts for so long that they begin to reveal themselves as truth rather than something we have internalized.

We need some kind of framework for questioning our identifications with trauma, rather than simply believing everything the mind tells us. Ethical principles can provide that framework, especially principles that apply to ourselves rather than ones we want to impose on others. These principles can give us an inner compass for the kind of person we want to become. Without some kind of clear anchor or direction, we can mistake change for growth simply because something within us has changed.

When the psyche loses its anchor | Trauma

In the ancient myth of Psyche and Eros, Psyche, a beautiful mortal woman, is so beautiful that Aphrodite becomes jealous and sends her son Eros, the god of love, to punish her. But when Eros sees Psyche, he falls in love with her instead and secretly takes her as his wife, on the condition that she never look at his face. When her sisters plant doubt and fear in her mind, Psyche becomes consumed by uncertainty and secretly looks at him while he sleeps. She is then forced to go through a series of impossible trials in order to win him back. The trials become a journey of transformation, forcing her to develop the strength, discernment, and awareness to move beyond those impulses rather than be governed by them.

What I’d like to offer here is to see Psyche and Eros as complementary forces within ourselves, with their eventual union representing a deeper psychological integration. Eros does not only represent romantic love, but the powerful forces of love, desire, passion, and connection. Psyche, meanwhile, represents the soul and the conscious inner life that must learn to navigate these powerful forces.

When repeated pain or trauma pushes our psyche to its limits, the mind can become increasingly malleable, especially when we have not developed an inner framework of values to anchor us. Without ethical principles that we consciously choose to live by, our thoughts, unchanneled and irrational impulses, fears, and unresolved pain can begin to take over our perception of reality. The psyche can become so consumed by what it has experienced that it seeks an outward, destructive channel to express itself rather than consciously integrate what is happening within. We lose our ability to control ourselves, step back from automatic or negative thoughts, and recognize that they are not necessarily the truth, or our truth. In its most extreme forms, this loss of inner direction can be seen in some of the senseless and violent acts we’ve encountered in the news lately, like the recent stabbings in Times Square. This does not mean that trauma itself causes violence, but that when suffering and negative impulses are left without any internal structure to challenge or contain them, the psyche can become increasingly governed by forces that are destructive rather than conscious.

The post When Trauma Possesses the Soul | The Hidden Battle Over Our Psyche appeared first on Sentient Muse.

Before diving into the world of action, let’s explore some classical yoga traditions and their understanding of it. In the Bhagavad Gita, one of the foundational texts of yoga philosophy, a book that I highly recommend not just to yogis but to any reader, the warrior Arjuna is taught by Krishna to complete his duties without attachment to success or failure. This teaching, known as karma yoga, emphasizes that while we control our actions, we cannot control their results.

Arjuna, the warrior prince and one of the key figures of the Mahabharata, becomes the student of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Caught in a civil war within the same royal family, including his cousins, uncles, teachers, and other relatives, faced with having to kill the people he loves and respects, and consumed by grief, he questions whether the battle is even worth fighting at all. He wants to withdraw from life because action seems morally impossible. Krishna, on the other hand, teaches him that the answer lies not in escaping action, but in transforming one’s relationship with it. Freedom comes from acting ethically and skilfully while surrendering attachment to outcomes.

It’s interesting to go back to this book after having lived a little. The last time I studied it was during my first yoga teacher training in 2013. Good thing I like to be organized sometimes and highlighted what I thought was most interesting throughout the chapters. In Chapter 3, Krishna knows that Arjuna is not the type to disengage himself and go off in search of the mystical vision because an active life is essential to him. The danger, of course, of a life of active engagement in the world is that Arjuna will get caught up in his actions and begin to act out of selfish motives. If this were to happen, he would be doomed to spiritual failure. Having a good deal of self-knowledge, Arjuna senses this danger and asks Krishna a fundamental question: What power binds us to our selfish ways? Even if we wish to act rightly, so often we do the wrong thing. What power moves us?

Krishna replies that anger and selfish desire are our greatest enemies. They are the destructive powers that can compel us to wander away from our purpose, to end up in self-delusion and despair. In Sankhya, one of the six traditional schools of Indian philosophy, selfish desire and anger arise from rajas, one of three gunas. So Krishna warns Arjuna that his true nature, the Atman, is above entanglement in the gunas. Sattva (goodness, light, purity), Rajas (passion, activity, energy), and Tamas (darkness, ignorance, inertia) are the three gunas in Sankhya philosophy. It is taught that spiritual evolution progresses from Tamas to Rajas to Sattva, and final liberation takes the soul beyond the three gunas altogether.

Even if we live intentionally and spiritually, we are still bound by Rajas, whether we like to admit it or not. Of course, we have to make a living and find a way to serve at the same time. But if our desire to serve or achieve a particular milestone outweighs our purpose, we will inevitably suffer. For example, imagine you wrote a book tomorrow about how to make the best chocolate cake in the world, hoping to share your gift, your talent, your story, and what carried you through the most difficult times in your life. If, however, your drive for fame and success outweighs your purpose to share that gift to help others, you remain attached. Your action may appear meaningful on the surface, even to yourself, but your attachment to the outcome keeps you suffering and bound to the world of action, therefore karma. “You have a right to action, but never to its fruits.” (2.47) The most famous verse on action in the Bhagavad Gita highlights that freedom comes from acting wholeheartedly without becoming psychologically dependent on success or failure. Krishna explains that no one can remain without acting even for a moment. The question is not whether we act, but whether action binds us or liberates us.

The Yoga Sutras

In classical Yoga, as presented in the Yoga Sutras (another fundamental text in the practice and study of yoga), Patañjali shares that inner liberation is achieved by stilling the fluctuations of the mind so that our true nature, the Purusha or Self, can be directly realized.

Some verses worth noting from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali:

1. Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind (1.2). This explains why action itself isn’t the problem; the restless mind is.
2. The five kleshas. (Book 2) Ignorance, ego, attachment, aversion, and fear of death are what make action compulsive rather than conscious.
3. Non-attachment (Vairagya) (1.12–1.16). Practice and non-attachment work together. We continue acting, but gradually loosen our dependence on outcomes.
4. In Kriya yoga, as described in the Yoga Sutras, discipline, self-study, and surrender to the Divine are practices that purify action itself.

So, together, these traditions teach that action itself is not necessarily the obstacle, but suffering arises when we identify with the results of action, the ego (the image we project onto the world), and the constant pursuit of pleasure or avoidance of pain. When we act with awareness and without clinging, it becomes a means of spiritual freedom instead of further bondage.

The Eternal Godhead & The World of Action

I randomly opened the Bhagavad Gita again and landed on chapter 8. I like to do that sometimes with old books.

Arjuna:

“O Krishna, what is Brahman, and what is the nature of action? What is adhyatma, the adhibuta, the adhidhaiva? What is the adhiyajna, the supreme sacrifice, and how is it to be offered? How are the self-controlled united with you at the time of death?”

Krishna:

“My highest nature, the imperishable Brahman, gives every creature its existence and lives in every creature as the adhyatma. My action is creation and the bringing forth of creatures. The adhibhuta is the perishable body; the adhidaiva is Purusha, eternal spirit. The adhiyajna, the supreme sacrifice, is made to me as the Lord within you.

Those who remember me at the time of death will come to me. Do not doubt this. Whatever occupies the mind at the time of death determines the destination of the dying; always they will tend toward that state of being. Therefore, remember me at all times and fight on. With your heart and mind, intent on me, you will surely come to me. When you make your mind one-pointed through regular practice of meditation, you will find the supreme glory of the Lord.

The Lord is the supreme poet, the first cause, the sovereign ruler, subtler than the tiniest particle, the support of all, inconceivable, bright as the Sun, beyond darkness. Remembering him in this way at the time of death, through devotion and the power of meditation, with your mind completely stilled and your concentration fixed in the center of spiritual awareness between the eyebrows, you will realize the supreme Lord.”

The chapter goes on to explain the eternal state, the senses, energy, cosmic laws, the six months of the northern path of the sun and the southern path of the sun, etc. I just really liked the start of this chapter and thought it was worth mentioning here. What I’ve gotten from revisiting some of these books is that the world of action is not necessarily evil, something we’re all aware of, but what can make it so are the three fundamental qualities or tendencies of nature. These are the qualities that influence matter, the mind, emotions, and behavior. The true testing ground is not so because of some omnipotent being above the clouds waiting to punish us, but rather because we ourselves are the punishers. We punish ourselves when we lack self-study and become bound to our own actions, and most importantly, to what drives our actions, or in other words, the relationship we have with our own world of action.

The post The World of Action | The True Testing Ground appeared first on Sentient Muse.

Astrology and Asteroids | Chiron

In astrology, everything tends to become meaningful, including planets, stars, and asteroids. To me, asteroids were always these mysterious bodies and strange objects that I was kind of afraid to approach to begin with. I’m not sure why, but I feel many people probably feel the same, especially when they see a natal chart for the first time or images of them online. They’re awkwardly shaped with weird orbits, and honestly, for the most part, they represented something too complex for my brain to grasp. Well, lately, I’m kind of willing to change that. Since they are these mysterious objects that keep tugging at me to understand them in some way, I’ve spent some time learning about them. Essentially, all commonly used asteroids in Astrology derive from myth and are named after mythological figures, as myth is considered the foundation of their symbolism to many astrologers. So, if you stumble upon anything in astrology that is represented by a myth, it’s definitely worth reading into.

The myth of Chiron

Chiron, in Greek mythology, one of the Centaurs (half man, half horse), the son of Titan Cronus and Philyra, an Oceanid or sea nymph, lived at the foot of Mount Pelion in Thessaly. Unlike other Centaurs, who were violent and savage, he was famous for his wisdom and knowledge of medicine. Many Greek heroes, including Heracles, Achilles, Jason, and Asclepius, were taught by him. Chiron frequently appears in the legends of his grandson, Peleus, and his great-grandson, Achilles. During a battle between Heracles and the Centaurs, Chiron was accidentally struck by one of Heracles’ arrows, which had been poisoned with the venom of the Lernaean Hydra. The poison made the wound impossible to heal, and because Chiron was immortal, he could neither recover nor die, condemning him to eternal suffering. To end his agony and secure the release of Prometheus, who had been eternally punished by Zeus for giving fire to humanity, Chiron willingly renounced his immortality. By sacrificing his immortality, he fulfilled the condition for Prometheus’ freedom and was ultimately placed among the stars as the constellation Centaurus.

As mentioned in other posts, I truly believe that Greek myths were written in such a brilliant way that, yes, their moral messages can be grasped universally, but more importantly, anyone can relate to the story in their own way and interpret it through the lens of their own unique life story or psyche. So with that being said, I’m not going to spend too much time interpreting the myth itself, but rather briefly introduce it as something we can all meditate or think about. With thinking, answers come (I hope), and strangely enough, probably because I’m getting old, thinking has become a pleasant experience I really enjoy lately. Ah… the simple art of thinking.

Jokes apart, the obvious universal message we can all grasp here is that sacrificing for a greater cause is as honorable as becoming unforgettable like a constellation in the sky. But on the other hand, another question is raised, and that is how much we can or cannot control in this world. Now, control gives us reassurance in some aspects of life; we can’t deny that, but also a false sense of safety, especially when we lack self-control in the first place. Chiron was faced with a great dilemma, and probably one of the most  hellish realms we all have the “privilege” to face at some point, and that is whether we hope or abandon all hope. It’s about seeing a way out of darkness, out of a trap, when everything around you points otherwise, but until we face that darkness ourselves, we are not able to transform it and make something great of it, as Chiron did.

Yes, he made the greatest sacrifice and gave up immortality, but what was immortality to the Greeks? I think most scholars and most interpreters would say that immortality was the greatest divine privilege, the freedom from death that gods can enjoy. But because we are blessed with the art of thinking, I want to challenge that perspective in some way. We can also see immortality as unrealized, directionless, and mortality as realized and directed. And with that, my mind is bent enough, and I don’t want to give myself another headache.

Chiron | The wounded healer

Astronomers and astrologers didn’t know what to do with Chiron once it was discovered in 1977. It was the first object identified as a “centaur,” a class of bodies orbiting between Saturn and Uranus. Most wanted it to just go away, including astrologers. It couldn’t be classified as an asteroid but was too small to be called a planet, and to add to the confusion, there was no rule in astronomy that defined how large a planet is supposed to be.  Astrologers began incorporating Chiron into chart interpretation, especially during the late 1970s and 1980s, a period when psychology, holistic healing, and alternative spirituality were becoming more prominent, with many astrologers finding it more than fitting given Chiron’s association with healing and woundedness.

According to Astrology, Chiron represents a sacred wound that we all carry. A soul injury that feels ancient yet deeply personal. Chiron represents the deepest wounds that feel unfixable or raw. But within these vulnerabilities lies a profound gift of healing not only ourselves but others as well. When we acknowledge and embrace our pain with kindness, we open the door to healing. Chiron’s energy guides us toward greater wisdom and compassion, showing us that suffering, though difficult, can become a transformative path to inner strength and meaning.

Chiron is a perplexing placement, for lack of a better term, in our chart. Because Chiron could heal others but could never heal himself in the end, our own suffering can become one of the best guides in the areas of life we struggle most, whether that be health, mental health, education, money management, physical endurance, etc.

Now we all carry wounds, whether that be from past lives, something explored in astrology, or wounds we develop due to heredity or in the course of living. I would probably lean toward a more spiritual understanding of our wounds and say that most of our wounds are hereditary, both physically, especially relationally, and psychologically, and the true cause of our karma.

You can find your natal chart calculator and see where your Chiron is aspected for free, like Cafe Astrology or AstroSeek. Also, this is only a brief intro to these aspects. You can also comment below with your Chiron placement and guess where my Chiron is aspected.

Chiron in Aries, First House

Chiron in the first house often points to wounds surrounding identity, self-confidence, self-expression, or the courage to assert oneself. Early struggles in these areas become the foundation for profound personal growth, allowing you to guide and inspire others facing similar challenges. Although you naturally encourage others to recognize their worth, learning to embrace your own value is often part of your lifelong healing journey. Over time, this placement can develop into the qualities of a mentor, healer, or teacher who leads by example.

Chiron in Taurus, Second House

Chiron in the second house often points to wounds surrounding self-worth, money, personal values, talents, or material security. Early experiences may create guilt around receiving, abundance, or enjoying life’s comforts, making it difficult to recognize your own value. Through healing these themes, you develop a healthier relationship with your resources and self-esteem, often helping others appreciate their own worth and unique gifts.

Chiron in Gemini, Third House

Chiron in the third house often points to wounds surrounding communication, learning, self-expression, or feeling understood. Early experiences may lead to self-doubt when speaking, writing, or sharing ideas, yet these very challenges become a source of wisdom. As you heal, you develop the ability to guide, teach, and help others communicate with greater confidence, often offering unique perspectives born from your own experiences.

Chiron in Cancer, Fourth House

Chiron in the fourth house often points to wounds surrounding family, home, emotional security, or a sense of belonging. Early experiences may leave you feeling disconnected or never quite “at home,” shaping a unique approach to nurturing and creating safety. Through healing these themes, you become a source of comfort and support for others, encouraging them to find security within themselves while learning to extend that same compassion to your own inner world.

Chiron in Leo, Fifth House

Chiron in the fifth house often points to wounds surrounding creativity, self-expression, joy, romance, or feeling seen for who you truly are. Early experiences may make it difficult to celebrate your talents or embrace your individuality without guilt or self-consciousness. As you heal, you inspire others to express themselves authentically, unlocking their creative potential while learning to fully honor your own.

Chiron in Virgo, Sixth House

Chiron in the sixth house often points to wounds surrounding work, health, daily routines, or feeling useful and competent. Early experiences may create perfectionism, overwhelm, or insecurities about being productive or “having it all together.” Through healing these themes, you develop valuable insight into wellness, service, and personal growth, often helping others improve their health, habits, and everyday lives while learning to extend the same care to yourself.

Chiron in Libra, Seventh House

Chiron in the seventh house often points to wounds surrounding relationships, trust, equality, or partnership. Early experiences may lead to patterns of overgiving, attracting wounded partners, or struggling to maintain balanced connections. Through healing these themes, you develop profound wisdom about relationships and become a compassionate counselor, helping others build healthier partnerships while learning to create the same balance in your own.

Chiron in Scorpio, Eighth House

Chiron in the eighth house often points to wounds surrounding intimacy, trust, loss, power, sexuality, or transformation. Early experiences may create a fear of vulnerability or losing control, yet they also cultivate profound psychological insight. Through healing these themes, you become a source of wisdom for others navigating grief, change, and emotional transformation while learning to embrace your own capacity for renewal.

Chiron in Sagittarius, Ninth House

Chiron in the ninth house often points to wounds surrounding beliefs, higher education, purpose, spirituality, or the search for meaning. Early experiences may leave you questioning your worldview or feeling limited in expressing your truth. Through healing these themes, you become a seeker, teacher, or guide, inspiring others to develop their own philosophy of life while learning to fully trust your own wisdom and path.

Chiron in Capricorn, Tenth House

Chiron in the tenth house often points to wounds surrounding career, achievement, authority, reputation, or purpose. Early experiences may create pressure to succeed or feelings of never being accomplished enough despite your abilities. Through healing these themes, you become a natural leader, mentor, or guide, helping others find direction and purpose while learning to recognize your own worth and achievements.

Chiron in Aquarius, Eleventh House

Chiron in the eleventh house often points to wounds surrounding friendships, belonging, community, or feeling accepted by a group. Early experiences may leave you feeling like an outsider, yet they also deepen your compassion and appreciation for individuality. Through healing these themes, you become a humanitarian and advocate who inspires others to embrace their uniqueness while learning that true belonging begins with accepting yourself.

Chiron in Pisces, Twelfth House

Chiron in the twelfth house often points to wounds surrounding the subconscious, isolation, guilt, spirituality, or hidden suffering. Early experiences may lead to withdrawal, escapism, or difficulty setting emotional boundaries, despite your deep compassion and intuition. Through healing these themes, you become a gifted healer, counselor, or spiritual guide, learning to care for yourself as deeply as you care for others.

The post Chiron, Our Own Achille’s Heel | Astrology & Asteroids appeared first on Sentient Muse.

If Dog is your spirit animal or comes to you as an omen, whether in real life or the dimension of dreams, Spirit has a message for you. Have you forgotten to be your own best friend lately? Today you are encouraged to love without condition and take care of yourself. Balance is important at this time between work and play. If Dog is your totem, you are a protector and a loyal friend, but remember to love and protect yourself. Don’t let others take advantage of your generous nature.

6 Amazing Attributes

• Discerning
• Obedient
• Loyal
• Vocal
• Brave
• Love

Dog Spirit Animal | Overall message

Dog people have a very kind and loyal nature and are often found helping others and serving humanity. They have an uncanny ability to know the character of others, sniff out problems, and sense the truth. Dogs have acute hearing. This gift helps alert others to impending danger. Spirit is saying that with Dog as your totem, you may be drawn to a life of service. Today, choose to be happy and let your natural enthusiasm inspire others.

The post Dog Spirit Animal Messages | 6 Amazing Attributes appeared first on Sentient Muse.

Cognition and Far-sightedness | Gemini Factor

Whether in psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, spirituality, or religion, the mind, with all its different aspects or creative forces, as mostly characterized and interpreted in spirituality, still remains a mystery to be uncovered. In 2026, many universities around the world continue to conduct research on many different phenomena of the mind, even telepathy and other mental faculties that are still considered taboo. To say that we have a mind is truly a privilege these days, as chaos prevails all around the world and in everyday life, even when it is completely unnecessary. No wonder peace of mind remains one of the greatest luxuries to this day.

Joseph Campbell, one of my favorite scholars, said: “All the gods, all the heavens, all the hells, are within you.” As someone who’s spent years and countless hours in meditation and the art of introspection, I couldn’t agree more. It takes a whole lot of discipline to understand the mind, and not because it needs a forceful tactic to reconcile some of the chaos, but more than anything, it needs patience, self-leniency, emotional tolerance, and psychological flexibility. Without such inner capacity, which we all have the choice to develop in the course of living, the mind cannot become whole, coherent, organized, or harmonious.

In Astrology, the reason why there are so many different problems in life and in the world is mainly because of how people go in circles with themselves, others, or at times, even everybody. When we study astrology, and how it explains certain human faculties, like choosing one thing over another, or choosing a topic to explore at a specific time, or even choosing how we feed our bodies and nurture our emotional needs, it becomes more about reaching beyond. To reach beyond means to have the capacity to be far-sighted through long-range thinking, which in turn deepens our cognition, or the mind’s process of making sense of things. And with these, of course, comes cognitive flexibility, our mind’s ability to shift perspectives, adapt to new information, hold multiple ideas at once, and think beyond fixed patterns, which is essential in becoming more rational, holding space for others, and becoming more grounded and evolved human beings on this little blue planet we call Earth.

Many years ago, when I was in college, to be precise, I had a very peculiar dream. I’m sure it’s logged in one of my journals somewhere, so I don’t have access to all the details now, but I remember sharing this dream with a friend at the time who was much older and wiser. In the dream, I had given birth to a baby with a crystal head. I know it sounds horrific, but there’s always more context, so hear me out. I was on a train, and whatever this journey represented made sense in relation to what was happening in my life at the time, spiritually and materially speaking. But I remember specifically sharing the detail of this little baby with a crystal and see-through skull, a mind so transparent I could see right through it. I was then told about the symbolism of the coherent mind, the purified mind that the soul longs to develop in the course of living. And bingo, it all clicked, and I was able to understand it more as time went on.

In Astrology and in most new age thought today, which was already understood centuries ago through alchemy and philosophy, beyond the brain, there is the faculty of the higher mind, which some people today interpret as more right-brain thinking. This is not how it is interpreted by astrology, though, because right-brain thinking is understood more as that part of the brain used like an antenna or receiver. When it comes to thought patterns, mind, and brain development, many people often get stuck in a loop as a result of unconscious defense mechanisms or projections of the ego, and fail to reach beyond through long-range thinking and cognitive flexibility in order to see clearly. This is why, for example, we often find couples that fight like cats and dogs.

The Realm of Open-mindedness

To reach beyond our head, beyond our brain, into the ether, or the higher self, into the intuitive mind, means to be connected and to pull from a source beyond the limitations of this lifetime, or outside of the space-time continuum, where our experience and model of life become a model for all, and into a different realm of open-mindedness and empathy, free from dogma, bias, favouritism, or stubborn thinking. It means being able to connect to a part of ourselves that can give us a hint, an idea, or a tip that will allow us to get through a certain life situation with less difficulty, with more flow, and with optimum happiness. This is to be able to overcome our Gemini factor in Astrology, which more often represents the challenge of our left-brain function. Whether we have Gemini placements in our chart or not, it does not matter, because we are all influenced by every sign through transits and cycles in one way or another.

Now, the Gemini factor is absolutely essential because without it, we would have no use of our left brain at all, and we wouldn’t be able to function. We wouldn’t be able to think, eat, drink, or dress, etc., so it is essential for us, especially in communion or correlation with the right-brain or antenna-like function, which reaches more into the higher realms of thought, into our soul’s pattern or reincarnation banks (which is another topic in and of itself).

We are all conditioned into a particular way of thinking in life, especially considering how we were raised, and oftentimes, the people who struggle most with the Gemini factor are people who were raised through particularly difficult religious indoctrination or within a cult. When you hear the stories of these individuals, you can truly feel the depth of the pain and how deeply this indoctrination destroys one’s ability to harmonize the Gemini factor within their life and how it pours into every little aspect of it. Even after years of therapy, most of these individuals still struggle to fully heal and live a life free from the pain, shame, and all the garbage that comes from going through that kind of struggle and having the courage to actually break free, especially from fanaticism. This world can become really weird, and when you really think about it all, do try to treasure your greatest asset, your mind. You may lose all the material things in this world, but if you can preserve an open mind, that is the greatest treasure of all.

If you have a lot of planets in the third house, or in Gemini, or if you have an afflicted Mercury in your chart, then you may tend to be a more left-brained, conscious, logical type of person. On the other hand, if you have a lot of planets in water signs like Pisces, Cancer, or Scorpio, or in the twelfth house, decently aspected, or with Neptune trines, etc., then you may be gifted with the ability to be more right-brained or intuitive. Many people have karma connected to this philosophy of the Gemini factor, so it can be useful to dive into our astrological charts at times and perhaps study them a little better.

The post The Gemini Factor | Astrology and the Intuitive Mind appeared first on Sentient Muse.

Life and Death

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time studying Greek myths. If it were me reading these myths seven to eight years ago, I’m sure I wouldn’t understand much about them, except for the clear and blatant moral question. However, now, having passed through many thresholds and armed with a better understanding of the mind-soul phenomena or the intrinsic ways it plays into how we perceive ourselves and life, we are in a position to become a living archetype of transformation. To say I am fascinated by Greek myths is obviously an understatement. My soul puts a big ass grin on my face while I discover all the beautiful and complex stories of the Greeks. Like a child in a candy shop, a silent warmth moves through my soul. Life and death have always been the riddle that was born to be solved but never quite answered since the beginning of time. It’s a constant… like change. One thing we are sure of is change. Seasons change, stories change, people change, and the world along with it. And that’s okay, I guess.

In this post, I will try not to get too philosophical because I happen to have a bad headache again. In my last post, I was also battling a terrible headache and seasonal allergies. Perfect timing, of course. Now, having covered a little bit of what I want to do, I want to focus on the mystery we call life and the other side of the coin, death. While yes, when we think of death, we are mainly referring to the physical process of dying, I want to invite you into the world of the Greeks, poets, mystics, and philosophers, and what death implies beyond the physical manifestation of it. According to the Hindus, every breath we take is an act of dying. When we inhale and exhale, life and death participate in the cosmic drama. When a thought arises and subsides, when love rises and leaves, when the sun rises and sets, when the moon rises and sets, and when a wave forms and breaks, it is also life and death that participate in the cosmic drama.

Still, today we haven’t found an answer we can all agree on about what the purpose of life and death is, and we can’t deny that the question often arises: What’s the point in being born when we all have to die? From a more spiritual and religious sense, although they do differ, the underlying moral message is the same. We are here to get to know God. We are here to serve God and understand God, His power through His magnificent creation. Sometimes, we spiritualists forget this and still get caught in the mundane world, but in the end, we always come to the same experience, maybe from a different path, that yes, we are here to witness God’s creation, give glory to His creation, and hopefully understand what God wants, including our place and purpose in this cosmic drama.

Knowledge, the forbidden fruit

Something that really captured my attention recently, when I read about Hades and Persephone, was the similarity of the story with the biblical drama of Adam and Eve, the temptress. I understand most of the myths intuitively now, and it is kind of mind-blowing when you understand the archetypal narrative to interpret something so human and inward. As I mentioned previously, I probably wouldn’t understand much if it were me reading these myths several years ago, and probably still don’t for the most part, largely due to the genius of how they were written, where the reader is invited to constantly solve a riddle that can to a great extent be understood through lived experience, and where we are constantly contemplating and unraveling the true meaning behind it.

Persephone, the gentle young girl who liked to pick flowers beneath the Sicilian sun, became the queen of the underworld. But who is she really, and how did she become the queen of the underworld? Before I get into that, let me start by saying that the couple, Hades and Persephone, was actually a happy one, contrary to all expectations, of course. Persephone took her role as queen very seriously, as did her role as wife. Her presence brings a new image and understanding of life and death to Western civilization, since the young woman shares her time between the two worlds, the lower one and the upper one. This marriage, though eventually accepted, did not improve the reputation of the lord of the underworld.

Though many stories differ, I can’t help but notice the same underlying message recurring throughout different cultures and eras. In mysticism, the whole idea of dying is a means to know something. Without death, there’s no knowledge. When we look at the story of Adam and Eve, Eve was deceived by the serpent, ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and gave some to her husband. When we look at Persephone, though a different narrative, she too ate the pomegranate seeds of the underworld, and though she tried to deny it, Ascalaphus witnessed it and reported it to Demeter, and therefore she was not granted total freedom to return and live on the surface, but had to abide by the law and live between the two worlds. In both stories, the act of eating is not just physical; it is the moment knowledge is gained, and with it, consequence.

Knowledge is not something that is simply given. It is something that is taken, and often through a crossing of a boundary that cannot be undone. It is like an initiation. As we all know and have experienced throughout the course of living, once we see, we cannot unsee. In that sense, knowledge is not only the end of innocence as often depicted or interpreted in the Bible, but also the beginning of awareness, self-awareness. Adam and Eve are cast out of the garden, no longer able to exist in unconscious harmony, as living in unconscious harmony is one of the main paths provided by the universe. And Persephone, having eaten in the underworld, is now bound to live between two worlds. This is not punishment in the way we often simplify things, but a consequence. To know means to carry, and as I often mention in my posts, to carry is to live with the tension of opposites, between light and dark, the outer and the inner, or life and death.

Hades falls in love at first sight | Hades and Persephone

Hades is a rich god surrounded by precious stones and rare metals, gold, diamonds, rubies, and possesses nothing on the earth’s surface. No mortals dedicate temples or altars to him, and if they do praise him with sinister ceremonies and sacrifice, they do so in secret. He lives below in the darkness and has no idea of what goes on in the upper world or on Mount Olympus. The only news he receives of the world is contained in the oaths and curses that mortals utter as they strike the ground with their hands. Sometimes he feels the need to leave his infernal palace and breathe the outside air. One day, having left the depths of his kingdom, Hades drives his chariot pulled by horses across a Sicilian plain, not far from Mount Etna. He’s indifferent to the beautiful landscapes, forests, and valleys of Greece, but suddenly a silhouette draws his attention. He suddenly brought his horses to a halt, and there, just a few steps away, a young girl of exceptional beauty was picking flowers. Her name is Persephone , which signifies bringer of destruction. And this young girl is not just anybody. She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture and harvests.

On Mount Olympus, where she is sometimes allowed to go, she is known as Kore, which simply means the young girl, the maiden. Hades’ heart goes wild. He could kidnap her, but being her brother’s daughter, he respects the law. Hades sets off to see his brother Zeus and ask for Persephone’s hand. This is hugely embarrassing for Zeus because if he refuses, he offends his brother, and if he accepts, Demeter, will never forgive him. Zeus is conflicted, so he ducks the question and says I can neither give or refuse my consent. Hades considers himself free of all constraints and heads back to Sicily and the plain of Etna. Persephone is still there in the company of nymphs. Hades puts on his cap of invisibility and disappears. A few moments later, as Persephone bends to pick a flower, the ground abruptly opens beneath her feet, and Hades carries her off into the pit of the dead and the night.

Demeter | Goddess of Harvest

When her daughter doesn’t return, goddess Demeter goes to look for her and questions everyone she meets, but no one tells her the truth, nor the man, nor the gods, nor the birds, nor the nymphs, no one. Until an old woman approaches her, Hecate. Hecate is the goddess with double powers.She is the goddess of fertility and the goddess of the moon. When the moon is full, lighting the night sky and making men and beasts mad, it is said that Hecate points out the path to the underworld. This goddess stands at the crossroads between good and evil, between ferility and drought. Hecate is the only divinity who, of her own free will, goes down to see Hades at home. Hecate had heard Persephone call for help the other morning, but when she got there, no one was to be found. Demeter, without pausing for breath, for nine days and nine nights, continues her search through mountains, forests, lakes, and valleys, all in vain.  When all hope seems to be lost, Hecate takes her to see Helios, the god of the sun, who sees everything. Helios decides to name the guilty party. Hades.

Demeter demands the return of her daughter, but Hades refuses. “In that case,” announces Demeter to the assembly of gods, “I leave Olympus never to return, and the earth will be sterile until my daughter is returned to me.” This is no empty threat. She is the goddess of wheat and nourishment. The following day, the crops start to fail, fruits rot, and famine ravages the earth. The human race is threatened with extinction. In his palace, Zeus is at a loss to know what to do. He sends Demeter his messenger, the Goddess Iris, to beg her to see reason. Demeter doesn’t want to hear it. A delegation of gods and goddesses goes to plead with her without success. Zeus, with no choice left to him, sends his son Hermes to see his brother Hades with the following message. “If you do not give back Persephone, we are all lost! Mankind will die, and there will be no one left to honor us, no one left to believe in us!”

Hades considers and accepts. He is willing to give Persephone back to her mother, but on one condition. The laws of the gods must be respected, as he respected Zeus when asking for Persephone’s hand. And there is a law in the underworld which everyone is aware of and which no one may violate: whosever has consumed the food of the dead will remain beneath the earth for eternity. Hermes questions Persephone if she tasted any food, but she assures him that she has been so unhappy since being kidnapped that she has eaten nothing. Hades, therefore, accepts that she return to her mother’s side. Just as Hermes is helping the young girl onto his chariot, a voice rings out. It is Ascalaphus, one of the gardeners of the Lord of Darkness. “She’s lying,” he declares, specifying that he saw Persephone picking a pomegranate and ate seven grains from it, and is willing to bear witness to it. Ascalaphus is to regret these words later, when Demeter turns him into an owl.  

Saddened than ever, Demeter shuts herself away all alone and refuses to return to Olympus and continues to starve mankind. Zeus explains the problem to Rhea, his mother, for Rhea is also the mother of Hades and of Demeter. It is Rhea who will preside over the negotiations between her three children, Zeus, Demeter, and Hades. There is discussion, debate, and tears, and at last, agreement has come. Persephone, because she has tasted the food of the dead, will spend her winters in the underworld, and the rest of the year she will be in the fresh air with Demeter. And that is why when Demeter and Persephone are separated, the earth freezes, nothing grows or flowers, and refuses to feed mankind. Nature is waiting for Persephone to return.

Hades, the master of the underworld | Self-awareness

So, who is Hades really? To reduce him to just the god of death would be fatal because he isn’t exactly death. Death is another god, Thanatos. Hades, son of Rhea and Cronus, and brother to Zeus, contrary to many beliefs, is neither satanic nor evil-doing. It is not he who torments his subjects. That is the Erinyes, the goddesses of vengeance who are a law unto themselves. Crowned with snakes, armed with whips, it is the Erinyes who relentlessly persecute their victims, going so far as to make them mad. Hades has nothing to do with that. He governs the underground world.

Hades, the god who isn’t named, reigns over the underworld kingdom, which he never wanted but was allotted to him against his will. When Zeus overthrew his father, Cronus, to liberate all his siblings and took power, he decided to share the universe with his brothers. Zeus took the world of men and the celestial world for himself, gave Poseidon the sea world, and gave Hades the underworld. The fear that Hades awakens is so great that rather than speak his name, he is referred to by all sorts of nicknames: the Receiver of Many, the Illustrious, the Giver of Good Counsel, or even the Zeus of the underworld. With a scepter in his hand, he governs the souls of the dead.

He is surrounded by monstrous creatures with precise functions. Out of duty, he pretends to be pitiless, but in his heart, he is also wise and sometimes tender. If approached in the right way, he is capable of showing a certain indulgence. For instance, Orpheus, a warrior and the most famous poet and musician of all time, pays Hades a visit before death comes to reap him. With no weapon or violence, but only his lyre and voice, Orpheus manages to fight his way through to the infernal couple. Orpheus, after a life of adventures and exploits, met Eurydice, a nymph of incomparable grace.

Overcome by an immeasurable passion, he married her, but their happiness did not last long. Eurydice dies, and Orpheus, mad with grief, dares to do what no other mortal had dared to do before him. He descends into the underworld and asks the infernal couple for the return of his love. Both speechless, poised to punish such impudence, Orpheus stops them with an imploring gesture, striking a sensitive chord, he reminds Hades of the feelings he experienced towards Persephone, the flight of love that he succumbed to, his desperations and sadness when the one he made the queen of the underworld is kept far from his side.

Softened by the celestial notes and the poetical musician’s words, Hades and Persephone give in to his prayers, on condition, of course, that the laws of the underworld be respected. Orpheus can leave, Eurydice will follow him, and he must never turn around, not before reaching the surface. If he disobeys, then Eurydice will be lost to him forever. The destiny of Eurydice now lies in his hands alone.

This decision sheds light on the multiple facets of the personality of the master of the underworld. He is music-loving, sensitive to lovers’ laments, and capable of being moved by beauty. However, whatever he does, in the eyes of mortals, Hades will always be this feared and detested god. When in truth he is both life and death. On certain evenings, overcome by sadness, Hades says to himself that mortals are very wrong to fear him, because real death, as the Greeks well knew, is not the underworld but being forgotten.

The post Hades & Persephone | Knowledge and the Fall into Awareness appeared first on Sentient Muse.

If Owl is your spirit animal or appears to you as an omen in real life or in dreams, Spirit has a message. Have you allowed yourself to be deceived recently? Open your inner vision and choose to know the truth because you can. Owl people are old souls, and when the moon is full, you are creative and energized. You can see in the dark and appreciate life’s magic. Keep your knowledge secret unless asked for counsel. No one can deceive you, and you see into others’ souls.

Owl Spirit Animal Attributes

• Wisdom
• Learning
• Protection
• Warnings
• Messenger
• Revealer of secrets
• Night vision

Owl spirit animal overall message

Is your past holding you back from change and taking flight? What secrets do you need to discover to know the truth? Ask your Owl totem to sit on your shoulder and guide you. Owl is the messenger and revealer of secrets. Let it be your advisor. Change is in the wind, and Owl medicine can help you release the past and fly into a better future. Owls are creatures of the night, and if they cross your path repeatedly, it is a warning to review your situation and see where deception is lurking. A profound change is on the horizon.

The post Owl Spirit Animal | 7 Amazing Attributes appeared first on Sentient Muse.

Alchemy and Its Earliest Origins

Spirituality is more than just an abstract thought that developed thousands of years ago. It is rooted in all forms of art, including science, astrology, astronomy, physics, medicine, and so on. As I’ve mentioned in other posts on alchemy, which you can find in my search bar, spirituality is simultaneously developed with the development of mankind.

Alchemy drew from different disciplines that shaped our early understanding of the universe and mankind, specifically from metallurgy, where they experimented with heating, melting, and purifying various metals. It also drew from medicine, where minerals, plants, and compounds were studied for healing purposes. Cosmology and astronomy were key to the study of alchemists, as they helped shape our understanding of patterns, mathematics, geometry, and cycles of time, which gave us a clearer structure of the order of the universe. In philosophy, alchemists explored the nature of matter and inner transformation. All these disciplines influenced scholars and practitioners for centuries through texts that were originally written in Greek and translated at different times into Arabic and Latin. Spiritual symbolism often emerged as a way to describe processes of change and refinement within the material world and the human spirit.

When we look at the timeline of the alchemists, they emerged during the Hellenistic period in Egypt, in Alexandria, to be precise. This was after the Egyptians had already experienced their golden age of enlightenment, spiritually speaking, and eventually, following its fall, a new era of development for humankind had to begin. Something I discovered recently, which I found quite interesting, is the Egyptian language and how it was eventually replaced after the Arabic conquest and the standardization of the language in the region. The ancient Egyptian language evolved through different stages over thousands of years. Early Egyptians wrote their language using hieroglyphs, as we all know, and later, more simplified scripts, such as demotic, were used for everyday writing.

Egyptian Language, Scholars, and Artisans

As time passed, the spoken language continued to develop, eventually becoming what we know as Coptic, the final stage of the ancient Egyptian language. My father, God rest his soul, had a degree in the study of ethnolinguistics, and discussions about different languages and how they developed in parallel with their people and culture were a familiar theme at our dinner table. Anyhow, Coptic was spoken but written largely using the Greek alphabet, with a few additional characters derived from early Egyptian to represent sounds that Greek did not have. So the language did not become Greek. It was simply a change in writing practice while the original Egyptian language continued to evolve.

Now, alchemy did not appear out of the blue. It formed in Alexandria between roughly the 1st century BCE and the 3rd century CE because a combination of various traditions came together in one place. This is important to remember because often we think of different fields as separate from one another, while the truth is that they are all in sync and together they evolve as humankind evolves.

As many of you know, Alexandria was a major intellectual center of the Hellenistic world. We are all somewhat aware, I hope, of the great library of Alexandria, which was gradually destroyed sometime between the 1st and 4th centuries CE because of political and religious conflicts in the late Roman period. Greek scholars, Egyptian philosophers, physicians, craftsmen, and metalworkers were all working in the same environment. What became “alchemy” as we know it developed out of the practical work they were already doing there.

Dyeing was also one of the important crafts that contributed to early chemical experimentation. Artisans who worked with textile dyes had to understand how substances reacted with heat, minerals, plant extracts, and salts to fix color to fabric. In Alexandria, artisans not only worked with textile dyes, but they also experimented with pigments for painting and decoration, cosmetics and perfumes, glassmaking, and metal purification.

The Metals and the Cosmos

Before I move on to my favorite part of this elaborate post, I think it’s worth mentioning my dream this morning at 4:30 am. I was too scared to fall asleep afterward, but somehow I’m still here, sleep-deprived, with a headache, bad allergies, and writing this post. Last night I had a dream where I was in my house and an unfamiliar Asian woman was sitting on my bed. She had a strange hat on and kept glancing toward the kitchen area as if she could see someone there, and it felt obvious that someone was present even though I couldn’t see them myself. When I asked if someone was there and who they were, she described the being telepathically as humanoid but bird-like. Almost at a loss for words, she said, “pigeon-like.” Instantly, when she said that, my mind associated it with the phoenix.

Then I decided to fly toward her, because flying is my favorite thing to do in dreams, and scare her with spooky ghost sounds, because I like to annoy people like that. Now, as I looked again at the fist alchemical image I chose for this post, I noticed it contains both a bird and a phoenix above it. I can’t make this up, but call it a nice synchronicity between the dream, its message, alchemy, and whoever reads this. It’s not the first time I’ve noticed such synchronicities with alchemical imagery and the mental and spiritual worlds we move through. I am truly mind-blown.

The Basic Metals | Alchemy

The seven basic metals became essential to the work of alchemists because they were some of the most visible materials that could be transformed through heat, melting, purification, and alloying. Now, there was no such thing or title as alchemist in the development of alchemy itself. Even an apothecary was an alchemist, experimenting with medicinal formulas while mixing herbs and extracts. Ancient craftsmen like blacksmiths, glassmakers, dyemakers, including herbalists, and others had already learned how metals changed when exposed to fire, minerals, and different mixtures. These transformations captivated early alchemists. To them, metals were not static substances but materials that could evolve, refine, and move toward a more perfect state.

Each metal was associated with a planet because of its character and qualities associated with it: gold with the Sun, silver with the Moon, iron with Mars, copper with Venus, tin with Jupiter, lead with Saturn, and mercury with Mercury. Sulfur, salt, and antimony were also studied because they revealed different properties of matter. Sulfur was very important and transformed through fire, salt was associated with stability and preservation, and antimony or stibnite found in rocks was used for purification processes that helped separate and refine other metals. Together, they helped alchemists explore how substances could break down, recombine, and transform, which was the heart of their experiments.

What I find so fascinating is that they didn’t have the tools or technology we have now, yet with simple pots, distillation processes, and simple separation methods, they were able to extract pure sulfur and antimony to create stronger metals. Iron, for example, is often found in ores that contain sulfur compounds, which make the metal brittle and weak. When the ore is heated in furnaces, sulfur burns off as gas, leaving behind purer iron. Once the sulfur and other impurities are removed, the metal becomes stronger and more workable. This purification process was essential for producing reliable iron tools and weapons.

Sulfur, Purification, Health | Alchemy

Also, purifying sulfur, separating it from rock and mineral ores with such simple methods as slow heating, melting, draining, or distillation, allowed them to use it in many ways. It was used in medicine, especially in powders and ointments, to treat skin diseases and infections because of its disinfecting properties. Purified sulfur was also an important ingredient in early pigments and dyes due to its bright yellow color. Later, it became a key component in gunpowder when mixed with charcoal and saltpeter, and it was also used in various chemical reactions with metals and minerals because it burns easily and reacts strongly with other substances.

So sulfur’s role was mostly in revealing and separating impurities during heating, or what alchemists called roasting. These processes helped shape metal purification and the development of stronger alloys such as copper and tin mixtures. But they also influenced other developments because the same principles of heating, extraction, and distillation eventually led to substances like ethanol, which became important for medicines, disinfecting, and the early foundations of pharmacy and public health. We would not have the world we have today if it were not for the alchemists. Yes, the philosophy was there, and most people did not understand it at the time, and many were even persecuted, but they understood the unity of the cosmos, the relationship between metals and planets, rocks, heat, and transformation, and how gold was attainable through the seven stages of alchemical work in the laboratory.

The same goes for every era and generation. We guide future generations through our own experimentations and discoveries, whether in technology, like AI, medicine, public health, or even in how spirituality is understood and continues to develop. Many will not understand and will do the same as they did with the alchemists. They won’t hold back from calling you a fool, ridiculing you, or worse. Even today, I almost gave up on writing this post. I had the overall idea, and the seed was planted weeks ago, as it usually happens with my posts. But I didn’t know where to begin. There was so much to say and so many ideas to put together that I almost gave up. Now that it’s done, I’m glad I didn’t stop. My head feels like it’s going to explode, but I know I’ll rest a little better having given it my best.

For the alchemists, the work in the laboratory was parallel to the development of the soul and the development of intellectual faculties, which also guided them in how to experiment better and make new discoveries. We often underestimate ourselves and think we don’t matter. Many times, I find myself cringing at the thought of calling myself a spiritualist or a spiritual teacher because of so many people’s ungrounded claims, distortions, or exploitations of teachings for selfish reasons. But lately, if I have to be honest, the crazier the world gets, the more at peace I feel with calling myself a spiritualist. At least I know my intention and what I can offer through my own growth.

The post What Did the Alchemists Do for Our Civilization Thousands of Years Later? appeared first on Sentient Muse.