The Living Arts
Evil spelled Backwards is Live:
Beyond the Play on Words
by Michael Love
“Two Wolves”
One evening an Old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people. He said “My son, the battle between two wolves is inside us all.
One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, arrogance, self pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.
The Grandson thought for a moment and then asked his Grandfather “which Wolf wins?” The Old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
— Cherokee Proverb
The fascination with good and evil has existed as long as the written words have been in existence. In modern culture, the dramatic battle between the two has been well represented through film. In Star Wars, there was Yoda telling Luke Skywalker to confront his dark side in order for him to realize his potential within the Force. Then there was Heath Ledger’s brilliant performance as The Joker in Batman which stunned the audience by redefining the role of the bad guy. He broke the rules and represented evil and chaos with an intelligence that had everyone second guessing the fine lines between right and wrong.
In recent years, particularly since the “Awakening” of the sixties, the concepts of good and evil have exploded into a kaleidoscope of new understanding of what spirituality really is, as opposed to the existing paradigms on which organized religion has previously schooled us.
Organized religion is now being exposed for what it has created over many centuries: separation from our intimate sense of spiritual self and our innate intelligence. It has caused the removal of our deeply personal relationship with life. The result has been countless righteous wars in the name of whoever’s God, the persecution and murder of entire cultures, the oppression of women in moving away from beautiful matriarchal societies, and the thrusting of men into the role of warmongers, dominators, and the power elite.
Natural order has seriously been messed with. A severe case of imbalance has resulted and the Dark Side of the Moon has gotten a lot colder.
From the cries of pain within humanity comes accelerated evolution, the human growth movement, and the desire for change. People are speaking of the need for a whole and integrated being. Healing must happen on all levels. The house is not clean when the dirt is swept under the rug.
In many other cultures around the world, this is not an issue, as the many levels of spiritual and physical existence are integrated into daily life. But in our society, it is much more difficult, as we are programmed to be fearful of the unknown and the darkness within. This has largely been established by governments and religions as an effort to control the masses. Play by the rules or you will be fodder for the Devil, a maligned Archetype which, in the Tarot, (one of the oldest mapping systems of the human psyche known to man), represents the Light of the Self. Go to the library, it is all there—the library within us.
Perhaps if Archangel Michael were in his balance, embracing his shadow, he would not have slain the Devil, but would have chosen to understand him and to love him instead. There has been so much death in the name of God.
Now we are beginning to embrace and become aware of our personal shadow, rather than deny this part of who we are. Collectively and individually there is a beautiful strength in the light of ourselves that comes with this integration. When we own our sense of self, all of it, we stand in that personal beauty, and are much less likely to be manipulated from the outside or the inside. A beautiful flower garden is one with many different flowers.
All the past models of right and wrong are questionable by today’s standards, as more of us reach deeper within to discover our personal inner truths. So, what are the rules? Whom or what do we feed? Whom do we serve? Our thoughts and beliefs have been dictated to us for what seems like forever. The doctor is the master of our health, the church is the master of our spiritual nature, and the government is the master of our collective reality.
As we look and listen, we discover that this world is falling apart—as it should, because it is false. It was built out of desire for power by the few, not based on an intelligent sustainable relationship with life. You cannot build a house on quicksand if you want it to last.
Perceptions are diverse. Ten people can discuss the same subject, and there will be ten viewpoints, based on who they are and their individual life experiences. In the past, this has been cause for conflict. There has been so much righteousness in our human history leading to more shadows and more gray. How can a universal truth be perceived?
Surely we can only be personally diligent. We can practice self-awareness and be mindful of what we create for others and how we direct our energy. It is work, it is play, and it is the art of response-ability.
I live in New Orleans. The Gulf waters 100 miles within the Mississippi are brown with sediment. However, if you dive down just a few feet, the water becomes completely clear.
Perhaps that is the point. Develop an internal reality, as you develop your external reality with life. There are vast resources within all of us. Do not be afraid of pain as it is an organic communication system. Do not be afraid the unknown. Embrace it all, be open, and see that it is really clear down there—it is the source of all.
This is how we can excel beyond the possible. But it must be done from a basis grounded in Love. The only constant in a world of chaos is Love.
I leave you with two quotes, from a very beautiful woman, Aysha, my life partner, who, sadly, has passed away.
--“We will move beyond duality and into the etiquette of now. Nurture the soul with right and correct action. Seek and develop our true being through a desire to love.”
-- “By direct responsibility you can cure everything in the moment.”