Coming Back to Life: On Resurrection

Almost every culture has a resurrection myth: Dionysus, Osiris, Odin, Ganesha, Tammuz, Jesus, Quetzalcoatl, Persephone, the Phoenix. It's everywhere. Our planet goes through a cycle of death and rebirth every year as the seasons turn over and life ebbs and flows. In the winter roots grow and in the summer trees bear fruit. Culturally, we've creating resurrection stories to remind ourselves that not only is this cycle natural but it can be miraculous. Death and rebirth is something to revered and treasured. 

And yet, when we start to experience this ourselves we question it, we freak out. We fear that if we fall into a slump or a depression that we'll never get out. Do we ever doubt that the trees will grow back their leaves or that the flowers will bloom again?  No. We have faith and a deep knowing that the cycle will continue. 

We go through cycles psychologically and emotionally as well. Our internal world mirrors our environment. Our psyche has seasons as well. 

When we learn something new about ourselves we grow rapidly, all of a sudden we are able to apply this knowledge to every facet of our lives. We are filled with the energy to work hard, tilling our internal soil. We plant seeds and water them with attention and care. This is the spring, we rapidly prepare and develop and when we look back we wonder why it took so long. 

Then we enter the summer, we bask in the glory and bounty of our new discovery. We find ourselves being rewarded for our efforts. Maybe we've learned a new way to relate to people or we have overcome an old fear. We find a new sense of ease in our lives that we previously could not have even imagined. 

Then comes fall, the harvest. At this point we start to learn about our limitations. We notice that the fields are starting to die. But, at the same time, we are harvesting. Harvesting what we've learned, harvesting the feedback from others. We take in the bounty from the world around us.

Finally, we enter the psychic and emotional winter. We clearly see news areas to improve, we take this time to sort through the bounty of the fall and learn more about ourselves. We go inside and redefine our values and purpose. Externally we slow down but internally we reorganize our roots. Getting ready for our next spring.

We will go through these cycles again and again in our lives. The trick is noticing the shifts and honoring our emotional landscape. The only constant thing in this world is change. Everything is always in motion, when we try to hold it in place we get into trouble.

This happens all to often. We lose perspective, we get impatient. We forget that we are dynamic creatures. So this is why we need the resurrection myth. We need it to console us during the dead of our winters or the haze of the summer. We need these myths to remind us that we are all miraculous in our own way and this our internal process should be revered and worshiped.