Signs from the universe

Ever have one of those moments when things in your life start connecting in strange, mysterious ways?

Like, hey, that chick looks hot in those jeans.  Do you like my new flannel shirt?  What?  You think I might be a lesbian?

Some might call such moments mere coincidences, but I’ve seen way too much shit in my 40-some years to overlook these moments as random happenings.

If you recall, I’ve been working on my archetypes, which I wrote about here.  If you’re not familiar with them, archetypes are spirit guides —  personas like Victim, Rebel and Rescuer — that reveal one’s higher purpose in life.  Each archetype has two facets: the archetype itself, as well as a Shadow archetype.  The Shadow is the dark side of the archetype that can be helpful in alerting you to behavior that you need to change.

Carl Jung was all about archetypes

The famous psychiatrist Carl Jung worked with archetypes.

My other focus has been on my writing group.  Or, at least getting up enough steam to actually attend.  One of the practices that the group leader encourages is called “Morning Pages,” which are three pages of handwritten stream-of-consciousness writing performed first thing in the morning.  This exercise comes from the famous book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

Yesterday, I googled “Morning Pages” to make sure that I understood what Cameron had in mind with this morning writing exercise.  I found Cameron’s blog, which included a video entry on Morning Pages.

I couldn’t believe what Cameron said.

“Think of it in Jungian terms … that you are meeting your shadow and taking it out for a cup of coffee.”

Holy, shit.

Meeting your shadow and taking it out for a cup of coffee.

I kept repeating this line, amazed at how researching my archetypes fit right in with writing Morning Pages.

So, I need to keep muddling through with my archetypes work and my Morning Pages.

Despite the fact that I don’t want to.  It’s too much work.  And that new episode of Catfish is on.

You want me to write how many pages?  By hand?  Ugh.

That, dear readers, is my Saboteur.  I imagine my Saboteur archetype to be Tonya Harding.  Ready to take out my knee caps with a lead pipe if I try to do something positive.

“You work hard.  You deserve to put your feet up and watch Millionaire Matchmaker and eat microwave nachos.  Besides, you’ll never amount to anything.  You know it’s true,” she whispers in my ear.

Cameron says Morning Pages should really be called Mourning Pages because they represent “a farewell to life as you know it.”

As scary as it sounds, I think I might be ready for change.

“No, you’re not.”

Shut up, Tonya.