The Space Between (Ākāśa)
The space between. The liminal spaces between endings and beginnings. The space between the inhale and the exhale. The still, silent space in between each mobile thought. Ākāśa, the element of ether and/or space. A place to be, a place to listen, a place to wonder and wait.
Space is necessary to allow multiple energies or substance to come together and create a new, unique energy or substance. It is in the waiting, and trusting of the process that we ease-fully move in the direction we are guided. More will be revealed, if we are willing to allow it to unfold, rather than forcing immediate action or solutions. This process requires faith and patience. An openness to what lies ahead, even and especially when we cannot immediately see it. So we honor this space, the element of ether (ākāśa in sanskrit) and allow it to be filled with whatever is meant to fill it.
The confluence of what arises when we are able to create space for the joining together of multiples is a treasure. I have been spending time near estuaries recently, and feeling into the confluence of multiple things. Both, and, all the time. The confluence of ideas when we are willing to allow space to listen to our companions is often better than anything we could come up with on our own. The confluence of two elements coming together to form the new energetic make-up of a single doṣa, and then the doṣas coming together to create our unique expression and experience in the world.
An estuary is the space in which two different bodies of water merge. It can be salt water merging with fresh water or two different fresh water sources, such as river and lake water merging. In considering salty, ocean water merging with fresh, cool river water, the new entity, that is neither river nor ocean is called a brackish estuary. The water here is no longer salty like the ocean, and it is no longer fresh water like the river. Wildlife in these areas is unique, the plant life is unique, the energy of the place where two entities merge is unique.
The space between, while more or less temporary in some situations, is a space to reside in for however long is necessary. The space of grieving, the space of anger, the space of gratitude, the space of joy. The space between one lifetime and the next. Air (vāyu) moves us from space to space, over and over again. Ākāśa, the element of ether/space is the most subtle of all five elements. Air is mobile. Also one of the more subtle elements, it cannot be seen directly. Rather, we see the result of air moving other things or feel it blowing on our skin.
For some of us, life is different now in a new way. The global pandemic(s) have offered space for change. Veils are being lifted. The collective is in a liminal space. The space between what we had become accustomed to, what we believed life to be, and that which lies ahead. But let us not assume the experience is the same for all beings. Our unique experience of being does not indicate the experience of others who's lives have not resembled our own long before covid-19 arrived as a teacher.
Air has forcefully blown in fire to shine light on, and transform what many of us were not willing to see for centuries. In this estuary, the liminal space between what was and what is to become, we are each responsible, and we must hold each other accountable. We, yes, each and every being on this planet, which includes you and me, are responsible for the current state of our world. And each and every being on this planet, including and especially you and me, are responsible for what our world will be in a few months, one year, 10 years, 50 years, 1,000 years.
If this current plague is not enough to wake us out of our delusions, more will come. The plagues that have been gently begging us to pay attention for decades, will continue to come in force until or unless we hear them. You can call it science, you can call it the rapture, you can call it the apocalypse. Call it whatever you want, but we are in it together. Collective healing, which demands accountability and responsibility, is the only choice.
People have been dying as a result of collective complacency for far too long. Black, Indigenous, people of color have been, and continue to be murdered by our individual and collective complacency. People without houses, with mental and emotional illness, with addiction, are subjected to our collective complacency every day. Beings are killed, incarcerated, and disappeared so that most of the population can continue to hide from the reality of awfulness that our society is based on.
As we move into a new calendar year, centered around the sun, I encourage you to honor this powerful force. Our daily life centers around this great ball of fire in the sky. The sun is associated with self-esteem, leadership, and courage. It is related to the heart, head, brain, and eyes. Let us courageously step into roles that allow us to be in uncomfortable spaces, and open our eyes and hearts to what is unfolding. Collective healing begins with each of us as individuals. Our actions and non-actions matter. The way in which we be with ourselves, nature, and each other impacts our experience of the world. Going back to how things were, to what we considered "normal", is not an option.