There is, as always, another layer to this concept of the axis of self. An axis is, after all, a sort of central column of something around which that something moves or rotates. So what is your center? What do you rotate around?
Most people have some trouble with this question. It's hard to touch on what lies at our core. It can be as difficult to see what our true values and beliefs are as it is to see what's going on with the hair on the back of our heads. Luckily we have mirrors. And the mirror we use to look at our Axis Vobis is our life.
Last week we talked about the energy from the heavens and the underworld flowing along the Axis Mundi and out into our world, creating all that is. We did some grounding work to take that concept and make it personal, channeling those energies through our own core. Well, just as the physical world is created by the combined powers from above and below, so are our lives created by our highest values and our darkest shadows.
The best way to come to understand what you truly believe is to take a good look at your life. We've all heard that we create our own reality, so let's try taking that literally.* What are the conditions of your life? What is in order, and what is in disarray? What feels strong and stable, and what feels flimsy? Where are there things, people, or situations that drain your energy instead of feeding it?
Once you've taken stock, you can begin to assess the method behind the madness. Ask yourself what beliefs you hold that might cause you to continually recreate the patterns you see. Which of these are valid and true and create good results, and which create more chaos than they are worth?
Some of these beliefs may not be conscious. Remember, your Shadow self lives in the underworld, affecting you on a level you may not even sense. What have you denied in yourself? What wounds have you sustained that have been internalized instead of healed?
What is really required for this work to be successful is a change of perspective. We can't look at things in the same old ways and expect to see something new. Odin hung himself upside down on Yggdrasil, the great World Tree, for nine days in the pursuit of wisdom. He made a sacrifice of Himself, to Himself, and received the Runes as a result.
What does it mean to hang yourself upside on the World Tree? Remember that you are the World Tree, the Axis Vobis, and turn your life upside down! Put your head down in the Shadow and see what's there. Put your feet up in the heavens and walk with your highest ideals instead of just giving them lip service. The self you sacrifice is the old, outmoded ego-trappings that you get stuck in so easily only because you cling to them. The Self you make the sacrifice to is your True Self, your Divine Self, your Unified Self.
But if you're not ready to turn your life upside down, that's okay, too. Just remember to ground. :)
*I'm not suggesting that you are responsible for what others have done to you, or that you necessarily deserve the hardships you are facing. But you are responsible for how you choose to react to them.
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