As I have mentioned I take ALL of January to be in a visioning and dreaming state, making no decisions on what seeds, goals, ideas, and aligned actions I am going to take just yet. I allow myself to steep in all of it, to slowly add the ingredients to the cauldron, stir the pot, add some spices, take little tastes along the way to see if the flavors are melding and in the beginning of February a luscious stew emerges that I can then serve up to myself, my family, my communities, and the larger collective. A part of my discernment process of what wants to go in the stew is paying attention to synchronicity, often in the form of possibilities and how paying attention to them is so important to being in my flow, knowing I am on the right path, and honoring the work I am here to do and receive messages on how I can be of service to the greater whole. This year is also presenting me with the unexpected and some surprise opportunities that add a choice point and a layer of discernment that makes paying attention to synchronicity even more important than usual. The definition of synchronicity (originally coined by Carl Jung):
"The simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection."
It can get deeper and more esoteric from here. It also can be something that shows up in your day to day outer world and at the same time in your dream time or quiet inner time. I find that for myself synchronicities show up in the simple every day things. Animals around me, signs, seeing certain people, things I read and music lyrics. The key is making the space to pay attention, notice these things and make the connections especially with anything you are internally processing. It is about sharpening your ability to recognize patterns and make the connections. I find this is a skill that society is lacking in general and will write a whole article on recognizing patterns in the outer world and the people in power. We have been conditioned through our constant focus on productivity and reliance on Social Media rather than being reliant on our own creativity, intuition and our imaginal realms and that is where synchronicity lives. Our soul speaks in image, metaphor, and symbols, included in that is synchronicity and patterns. Synchronicities lead to epiphanies. It has happened in my life over and over again. I can assure you I get no epiphanies doomscrolling. Do you?
You have to make the space to notice what is happening within and outside of you and recognize the connections.
I find that if we don't slow down and pay attention that the synchronicities can go right over our heads. And we definitely don't make the space for seeing how these things may connect to what is going on in our inner world. Because by definition they are seemingly unrelated. However, when you look at the patterns you see that there is a weaving of a message that begins to make sense to you, AND it is often coming from nature, the imaginal realms, and/or the "collective" and that is often a clue on how you can be of service to the greater whole. And truly that is what our souls came here for. Synchronicities are messages from the Universe that give our souls context for where we are in time and space and in the web of life.
"Synchronicity is the glue that places you into context.It is how the Universe wheels around you and serves you. As you serve the Universe, so it serves you." -Richard Rudd
This quote when I read it hit me like a lightening bolt. Particularly at this time of year when everyone is talking about Vision Boards and Manifesting. Or this year, politics and our sense of having NO input to what we want from our leaders nor measurable impact on the insanity going on, it can leave us feeling hopeless. But all we can continue to do is understand what we are here to be in service to and act upon it. I believe most of the teachings out there on manifesting have been so distorted and misleading, and have actually caused people a lot of pain and suffering. (Which I am happy to discuss individually why I believe that). A lot of people talk about how the Universe is limitless and therefore we can manifest anything we want.Maybe. But humans are not limitless, and Mother Earth…thanks to humans constantly taking from her is also not limitless. What is left out of modern (not ancient nor indigenous) Law of Attraction and manifestation teachings is that this is a RECIPROCAL relationship. We are here to serve the Universe and the greater good, and in turn it will serve us. But sadly, most manifestation and vision board processes only discuss how we can GET more and more from the Universe (and in turn often sucking ourselves dry trying to manifest ALL the things). Not how we will give back to it. And that is quite frankly one of the reasons why I believe the planet is suffering. A 1,000's year old pattern of just taking; the Human Grift.Synchronicities are gifts the Universe gives us when we pay attention and those are both messages for our personal visions, but also how to serve something bigger than ourselves.
So what are you giving BACK to the Universe?
The Universe is giving us synchronicities all the time; bread crumbs that are leading us down our paths if we are paying attention. We receive these through signs in the natural world, timing, symbols, words and phrases that come up in and seemingly unrelated contexts..like reading a personal development book and then seeing the same theme in a movie or meme, or on a billboard trying to sell you a car. But the Universe only gives us the hints, it is up to us to tap into our intuition and ask what those glimmers are trying to tell us.Asking the question how connected to the next version of my story or where is this sign trying to point me if I am trying to make a decision is an important part of the process. It is how we begin to co-create our reality with the Divine instead of being oblivious or resistant to it. Also, you have to say YES sometimes and take a leap even if you don’t know the outcome. You won’t know the outcome, one actual Universal Truth is everything is in mystery, but part of the reciprocity is trust.
My grandmother always said, “things come in threes.”
I believe that to be true. If something comes up through any of your senses three times trust me when I say, “pay attention”. It also means if you send out any ill will towards others it will come back to you three-fold. Yet another reason to not be an asshole and to not think you need to harm others in order to manifest what you desire.
Often we can only begin to connect these things in our minds, if we are willing to step out of our logical minds and tap into our intuition. This can be done through whatever ways feel resonant for you. Spending time in a bath, journaling, doing a creative or art making process, and see what symbols and information comes up, meditation, movement-yoga, dance, running. The key is asking the question before you begin your practice and then seeing what comes up. You can ask "what is the Universe (Divine, God, ancestors, guides, psyche..whatever works for you) trying to show me when I see or experience_______ over and over again." And I will ask, how is this message or sign leading me home to myself and what I am here to do? In my morning practice, I just ask to see the information I need to see, I say a little mantra “Mother I work for you, show me” and then pull an oracle or Tarot card for the day and pay attention to how the images or information synchronizes throughout my day, and then journal on my day before bed, looking for patterns and connections and seeing how they apply to whatever I am dealing with in the present moment, or using it to vision into the future.
Working with synchronicity is a powerful process that sets you up to be in flow with life rather than swimming against the current. It is also a way to discern what is your part and your way of being of service in this crazy world and in direct action in your communities. Because we are going to need to be of service in order to make it through. The time of expecting leaders to save us is over. In fact, all we can do is pray our leaders don’t intentionally harm us, but all evidence is leading to them doing exactly that or being complicit to it through non-action. I hope I live long enough to see the “three-fold” return of this behavior in the annals of history. We are going to need to be in service to each other, because as Ram Dass said “we are all just walking each other home.”
I would love for you to spend this week paying attention to synchronicities and how they connect in with your life and that of service to the greater whole. And would love to hear about your experience or any epiphanies you have.
Love and Light,
Dina
Love this message of remembering that synchronicities are gifts, and that our relationship with the universe is meant to be one of reciprocity. We are responsible for doing our share, yes! That's part of the spiritual maturation process. Thanks for this goodness.