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CHANCE OR DESTINY – MARION WOODMAN SHEDS SOME LIGHT (AND DARK)

“….if you are to experience this noble birth, you must depart from all crowds and go back to the starting point, the core [of the soul] out of which you came.” Meister Eckhart
I went to a workshop with Jungian anaylst/writer Marion Woodman a while ago. The Friday night lecture was entitled “What’s it all about?” where she talked about her life and her life’s work up until this point. Really, what’s it all about? Is this life we live and the events that take place, chance or is it destiny? This was her main question and she took the weekend to try to provide some kind of answer, some kind of insight. I mean, afterall, she might know a little something because she is 80 years of age, has survived uterine cancer and is living to tell the tale. I think she has been through some stuff and might have a little idea in this chance/destiny business.

I have been a big fan of her work. I came to Jung in a very interesting way - through Sting. Yes, well remember on the cover of the Synchronicity album? Well, there’s a copy of Jung’s “Synchronicity” in Mr. Sumner’s hand. Of course, as the obsessed fan I was, I had to find out what the heck he was reading. I must say, Sting did turn me on to a lot of great reading; so can’t say that all rock and roll was killing brain cells.

That kinda paved the way for my interest in Jungian psychology but little did I know that that foundation would serve me now, at this phase in my life when I need it the most. But then again, she talked about this: the destiny line.

We may have our ideas as to how our lives should unfold. The ego sets its heart on a path, on an idea and follows it with all its might. However, is that path truly what is right and real for us? If we really take a look at our lives and the patterns that have been created throughout our time here on earth, we may notice a particular line. We may notice how we keep coming back to certain things, certain experiences, etc. And these things and experiences seem to be keeping us on some kind of line. What’s that line from John Lennon - life is what happens when you’re busy making plans?!?!

At this point in my life, having dealt with the loss of my mother, coming to what Dante calls the mid point, what is it all about? Really, why do we do what we do? What is the motivation? Am I truly pursuing my interests because I am motivated by some deep deep soulful desire? Or is there an element of ego involved? When someone close to you dies and/or you suffer some great loss, you do start to ask yourself to deeper questions and desire to tap into a wavelength that is more meaningful and is nourishing to your soul.

Up until the midpoint, we all have been influenced by society, our parents, our teachers, our families - everything on the outside informing us how we should be living our lives, what kind of people we should be. The soul life was generally, never encouraged, not really nurtured or paid attention to. I know this is a generalized statement but it is interesting to me to witness how so many people in their mid to late 30’s and early to mid 40’s are all looking for “more”. They have a sense that something isn’t quite right in their lives and they need to make a change. They begin the process of trying to understand what that deep desire is. And I find it interesting how generally, people turn to something in the arts to express that deep deep part of themselves.

“To lose one’s soul is to lose the capacity to suffer consciously which breaks the relationship to the unconscious.” - Carl Jung

Chance or destiny? Is it chance that the deep desire wants to express itself creatively or is it our destiny? Have the patterns of our lives revealed to us that we had made choices to be creative all along but due to outside influences, we pushed that energy, subverted it because it wasn’t the “right” thing to do?

These are things to think about. Examine the patterns in your life. What has been a constant? What has been continuous? Can you see any connecting points? Are you doing your thing from a true place or is ego involved? Is it your intuition or your head guiding you in your work, in your life? What is that burning in your stomach, in your back, in your head? Is there something you are not paying attention to, something that wants your attention, your soul that is saying - HEY, PAY ATTENTION OVER HERE!!!
What’s it all about? I am not really sure…..but as Marion said - this is life! - by Daniela Nardi