Crossing into the Unknown
Have you ever felt on the brink of a profound inner change, standing at the edge of an unknown world within?
This entry is part of a series on “The Hero’s Journey from Trauma to Freedom”: Prologue: The Intentional Invitation. 1. Overcoming Past Patterns. 2. Meeting the Catalyst. 3. Crossing into the Unknown. 4. Rediscovering the Inner Landscape…
I started writing about this healing and growth journey to finally give voice to my own experience and share what I've learned over the many years I went through this process. It's not that I believe the journey must take several years, but that was the reality of my own path, as I lacked a clear roadmap at the time.
Synchronistically, now that I’m writing about it, I find myself in the midst of a new hero's journey – a transformation into conscious leadership, coaching, and sustainability/regeneration.
This significant shift represents a rebirth for me, coming from a long corporate and startup background in executive management and as a co-founder of new ventures and professional associations. It is redefining the very core of my being.
In a very meta experience, I am acutely aware of my own awareness, like an observer witnessing the observer, as I navigate this transition that I am describing. Symbolic guides have emerged - the recent appearance of wolves on wall paintings signaled the start of this inner exploration. The wolf is often seen as a guide in various mythologies, serving as a bridge between the worlds, much like Virgil does for Dante. I have also more recently connected with metaphysical dragon energy acting as a powerful presence. Just as Dante had Virgil as his mentor when crossing the threshold, so too do I bring my own guides along for this liminal journey.
Crossing the Threshold
Dragons1 are traditionally seen as guardians of great treasures or wisdom. The dragon may be guarding the threshold to profound truths, challenging you, the hero, to confront and overcome your fears or limitations to access deeper knowledge. In this sense, the dragon archetype symbolizes the challenges you must overcome to grow and transform.
Dragons often embody paradoxes, like a trickster—they can be seen as both creator and destroyer, embodying chaos and order. This duality is central to psychological transformation. The dragon stands at the gates of profound change, presenting obstacles that require you to confront your own shadow.
In stories and myths, dragons are often tamed, like in “Avatar” and “How to Train Your Dragon,” symbolizing the hero's ability to confront and integrate their own inner fears, challenges, and shadow aspects. Through this integration, the hero gains access to new levels of wisdom and knowledge.
As I meet the dragon, I wonder what treasures lay hidden, repressed aspects and gifts that I may yet discover and reveal, once I tame this formidable guardian.
What does it truly mean to confront the dragon within your own psyche? Is it to engage in battle, or is it to engage in dialogue? The dragon's paradoxical nature — embodying both creation and destruction, chaos and order — mirrors your own inner complexities. It invites you to embrace the full spectrum of your being, recognizing that within your deepest fears lie the seeds of your greatest gifts and creative expression.
How then, can you show up more authentically in the world, ensuring that your gifts and creative expressions are not only revealed but also aligned in service to others? This question is at the heart of taming the dragon. It's not about vanquishing your fears but rather about integrating them, allowing you to access deeper levels of wisdom and knowledge:
When have you faced a dragon in your own life?
What fears or limitations does the dragon represent for you personally?
In what ways might confronting these fears open the path to accessing your hidden gifts and creative potential?
What treasures might your dragon be guarding?
How does engaging with your inner dragon help you to serve others more authentically and effectively?
The dragon is not just a guardian of treasures; it is the symbol of the transformative power of facing your deepest fears.
Universal Truths on Healing, Transformation, and Leadership
Healing, transformation, and leadership are deeply interconnected processes that share several universal truths:
Healing Is Non-linear: The journey of healing from trauma or personal challenges is rarely a straight line. It involves cycles of progress, setbacks, and plateaus. Each step, whether forward or backward, is an integral part of the learning and healing process.
Transformation Requires Courage: True transformation demands the courage to face the unknown, to question deeply held beliefs, and to let go of what no longer serves us. It's about stepping out of comfort zones and daring to change.
Leadership Begins Within: Authentic leadership is rooted in self-awareness and the willingness to embrace one's vulnerabilities and strengths. It's about leading through a process of continuous personal growth and a commitment to serving others.
Unity in Diversity: Both in healing and leadership, acknowledging and embracing diversity within ourselves and others enriches our journey. It teaches us the value and the strength that comes from embracing different perspectives.
The Inner World Awaits
As you journey inward, you become the steward of your own depths, releasing what no longer serves and nurturing the seeds of new growth. This is a time for radical self-honesty and compassion, exploring the shadows and light of your inner world.
This journey inward is both daunting and exhilarating. It requires you to let go of the outer markers of identity and achievement, to explore who you truly are beneath the roles you play. Here, in the silence of meditation, you learn to listen to the whispers of your own heart, to the guidance of your deeper knowing. This is your opportunity to connect with your authentic self, to unearth the treasures buried within.
Observing the Observer
In this space of inner exploration, you encounter a profound meta-awareness—a recognition of your own consciousness, an observation of the observer within. This level of self-awareness lights the path forward, offering insights that were previously hidden. It’s an invitation to witness your thoughts, emotions, and reactions from a place of detachment and curiosity, allowing you to navigate your journey with greater wisdom and compassion.
Rebirth and Transformation
I write this thinking about my own crossing into new realms of conscious leadership and regeneration. I know the journey is as much about rebirth as it is about exploration. It’s a continual process of shedding old skins, of letting go of what no longer serves, to make way for new growth and possibilities.
The journey leads me deeper into the heart of who I am and who I am becoming.
And as you cross the threshold from the outer to the inner world, you embrace the journey of becoming more fully yourself.
The next leg of our journey will take us into perhaps the most daunting yet transformative segment of this odyssey - revisiting challenging events. In the heart of your former trials lies the potential for profound healing and the discovery of a strength you never knew you possessed.
You have the power to reclaim the narrative of your life. In doing so, you pave the way for a future unfettered by the chains of bygone days - a tale of true transformation awaits, where you reclaim your treasure.
I'd love to hear about your own journey and reflections. Have you encountered your own "dragons" and "wolves" along the way? What fears or challenges have you faced, and how have they shaped your path to healing and transformation?
The Journey Continues
This post is part of a series on the healing journey from trauma to freedom. So far, we've embarked on the initial stages of acknowledging our patterns, recognizing the power within us to initiate change, and crossing the threshold to find our inner treasures. The journey ahead promises insights into self-discovery, empowerment, and leadership. Stay tuned for the upcoming entries, where we'll explore deeper into the realms of self-awareness, resilience, and the transformational power of embracing our authentic selves.
In both psychology and mythology, animals and creatures like dragons and wolves are rich with symbolism, representing various aspects of the human psyche and the journey of transformation. Dragons, for instance, are often depicted as guardians of treasures or wisdom, embodying the challenges one must overcome to grow and access deeper knowledge. This symbol can be traced back to numerous cultures where dragons represent strength, wisdom, and the need to confront one's fears. In Jungian psychology, dragons are seen as representations of the shadow self—parts of our psyche that we deny or ignore, holding both our greatest fears and our untapped potential. Engaging with the dragon symbolizes the inner work necessary to integrate these aspects of ourselves, leading to psychological wholeness and empowerment.
Wolves, on the other hand, symbolize intuition, social connections, and the power of the collective and the individual. In mythology, wolves are often guides, helping heroes navigate the complex path of transformation. They embody the strength of social connections and the importance of trust and loyalty on one's journey. In psychological terms, the wolf can represent our instinctual nature, the parts of ourselves that operate just below the surface of our conscious mind, guiding us through our internal landscapes and external challenges.
These symbols invite us to explore the depths of our own inner worlds, confronting and embracing the dualities within us—light and shadow, chaos and order, fear and courage—as we journey toward healing and self-discovery.
Take the next step here:
Rediscovering the Inner Landscape
This entry is part of a series on “The Hero’s Journey from Trauma to Freedom”: Prologue: The Intentional Invitation. 1. Overcoming Past Patterns. 2. Meeting the Catalyst. 3. Crossing into the Unknown. 4. Rediscovering the Inner Landscape… Growing up as an only child taught me early on how to be alone. Those quiet hours turned into a deep dive into my own…
I loved reading this! Interestingly, I just came across 2 dragons in material form and I surprised myself battling between which one to get. My mind has been obsessively looping over this for the past few hours. One is blue and looks exactly like the dragon I have been seeing in the invisible realm, the one guarding me and guiding me. The other is orange and seems unfamiliar, a realm unexplored, a realm perhaps 'scary' as of the unknown of it. A simple choice, yet with a deeper and more profound meaning. Which dragon, do I want to guard me in the physical realm? The dragons are made of crystals and thus their metaphysical properties are tied to their color, the chakras they represent and enhance. Both of them are looking at me waiting for me to choose. But I found myself lost in the choosing. Is it about what I want or what I need? 'Comfort vs Unknown'. Could it be both? Getting both seems to miss the point. In the invisible world, I don't have to consciously choose, the choice is easy as it is often made by my higher self on my behalf -- Who's the I making the choice and who is the I accepting the choice? -- But here I am, finding a very simple choice so difficult to make. I realise it encompasses so much more among. A behavioral pattern, a loop spiraling out of my system during this powerful eclipse. Thank you for sharing this beautiful piece. I came across it just at the right time!
This was very enlightening. I have spent a considerable amount of time on ‘self-work’ over the last 10 years or so, unpacking elements of my early life to see how they dictated patterns of my adult behaviour. As a scientist, I worked within a more developmental programming lens (Dr. Gabor Maté is a personal hero!) but I am at a point now of having to let go of present patterns in my life to get any further. I believe this next stage will be more spiritual and your piece spoke to me on that level. Thank-you.