There is a purpose to suffering. It is a consequence of the Self, the image of God in hu(man), trying to incarnate within us. This presupposes (as I do) that the purpose for human existence is the evolution of consciousness. We incarnate into matter in order to undertake this journey.
Of course most of us avoid suffering and would like to eradicate it from our lives entirely. I am no exception. Some of us with great empathy also get really distressed at the suffering of others. But ultimately we should not and cannot avert our eyes or escape it. It is a consequence of being human in the first place.
Jungian, archetypal and transpersonal psychology advocate working through suffering, paying attention to the 'images' that present themselves - not to become attached to them but to understand what they are telling us. I have worked with images in this way most of my life. I didn't always understand why I was doing it or what the images meant.
Most Eastern systems head straight for nirvana, freedom from suffering simply because, like 'reality', even happiness is illusory. An image is just an image - this is true - but then nothing else is real either, or rather - everything is not-real and real at the same time.
I don't accept what I haven't experienced but having experienced this I have come to accept that the Void is our true nature, just as the Buddhists and Existentialists tell us. I am as sure about that as I can be sure about anything. Reality is created from nothing, from the Void, from what? Light? Energy? Spirit? I don't really know. I do understand now why 'Godhead' is not the same as 'God' - God is our image of the Godhead, the Void, made visible so we can see it. We can't see a void because it is a 'no-thing'.
Quantum physics confirms that matter spontaneously foams forth into existence in and from a vacuum, a void - it's the same phenomenon - science has finally caught up. Mainstream culture hasn't.
In my understanding the Collective Unconscious is what the East calls the Godhead, and the Self is the image of God reflected in us. The Self (with a capital) incarnates into 'matter', the self, us. The psyche, the soul, is the go-between and helps us become fully conscious. Significantly though, the Self has a dark aspect that has to be integrated for this to happen. Suffering reveals the darkness and we struggle to at first recognise, then reconcile, integrate and transform it in our own psyches. This means that rather than suffering being a sign that we are doing something wrong, we might be doing something right. It is comforting to think that within our 'woundedness, our neurosis, lies the numinosum' because suffering then has a meaningful role in our lives. (Jung)
So continues the great cycle, from Spirit to matter and back again, and all the while never separate.
Note: this is my personal view, though it is one informed by a lifetime of enquiry and study. I have relied heavily on Jung, Corbett's The Religious Function of the Psyche, Sogyal Rinpoche's Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, as well as numerous other sources and most importantly my images and personal experience.
I am still confused about exactly when it will appear because the northern hemisphere is one day behind us, so it begins either tonight on the 21st or tomorrow night on Wednesday 22nd during moon rise (after sunset). Earth’s shadow will appear as a dark-red bite at the edge of the lunar disk and it will take about an hour for the entire moon to be swallowed - find an unobscured horizon and look to the north-east if you can avoid the cloud cover
As the moon climbs just before 9pm it won't be as bright as usual and depending on the amount of dust in the Earth's atmosphere, it might change in appearance from yellowish brown to blood red during the eclipse, like the one pictured. The further east you are in Australia, the more of the eclipse you'll see, the further west, the more it will be finished by the time the moon rises.
If you are struggling as I am at the moment and don't seem to be getting anywhere, look up - the heavens might shed some light. There are 2 eclipses this summer - a total lunar eclipse on December 21 (which overlaps the Solstice on the 22nd) and a partial solar eclipse on January 4, 2011. In Australia we will be able to see parts of the lunar eclipse when the Moon rises at sunset.
Having the moon as my planet (which of course isn't even a real planet) eclipses are always a challenge. It is not unusual for people to find themselves dealing with 'loss and strife' because eclipses bring about 10 times more change than the usual lunar phases. Of course the degree to which it affects you will depend on your own astrological constellation. Most of us don't like change, even when it's positive. Unfortunately we need it to grow emotionally and spiritually, whether we think we need to or not. Some of us, like moi, go kicking and screaming.
This may be a frustrating period, 'the themes of compassion (Pisces) and truth (Jupiter) are very much in focus.....the mutable signs Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces will take the brunt....The main thing will be to maintain courtesy and a graceful demeanour, especially in the face of distressing news, or open confrontation'. Apparently it will pass through quickly but it might be wise to take a little more care generally, particularly on the road, a caution that is relavent for the holiday season anyway.
The second eclipse on January 4th is solar and will be 'partial at 13 degrees to Capricorn, with no planetary aspects'. (Phew!) 'We may find ourselves feeling very energized and ready to initiate changes in our lives. There could also be some unexpected good-luck....If you have been feeling held back, you can look forward to some more positive developments as the new year unfolds' with this more fortuitous Solar Eclipse.
Hopefully by then I will be off my crutches and the wounds from the removal of three largish basal cell carcinomas will be healing by then....can't wait!
http://astrology-classes.com/eclipse/gemini-full-moon-lunar-eclipse-–-december-21-2010.html
http://www.astrologycom.com/eclipse.html
A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farallon Islands (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help. Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was so bad off, the only way to save her was to dive in and untangle her. They worked for hours with curved knives and eventually freed her.
The beauty of this, is that even though the whale was the recipient, those who helped her got so much joy from the experience also. So when we let others help us, we are actually giving them something precious too.
Thanks to JC. This story was on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle.
