Caroline Myss - Sacred Contracts Workbook Ocr

CAROLINE MYSS'

Greetings. This copy of the workbook to accompany Caroline Myss’ excellent book, Sacred Contracts, was assembled from scanned pictures. Alas, the quality is awful, and there are several pages missing. However, this is better than no workbook at all. Since sizing and printing 83 bitmaps was a major pain, I have converted them into .pdf format to share. I hope that this small taste of Carolyn Myss’ work will induce you to visit her website at http://www.myss.com/ and purchase some of the many fine tools for self-awareness you’ll find there.

Yours in Healing, gach.

INTRODUCTION In the 17 years that I have been teaching publicly, I have used questions to help people examine their inner motivations, energy blocks, strengths, fears, and challenges. One question usually isn't enough; to get at the truth that is often obscured by layers of selfdelusion requires honesty and perseverance. Like archaeologists of the soul, we have to excavate deep down to unearth the shards of the spirit, and then reassemble those fragments into a whole self. In my books, I offer lines of questioning designed to break down resistance and reacquaint my readers with their hidden truths. It's a process that is by turns arduous and enticing, invigorating and revelatory. That's why I often suggest that they use a journal or notebook to record the answers to my questions. This way, they can return and examine their original answers, learn from them, and then move on to uncover the next layer. I also encourage my readers to develop their own ability to conduct self-inquiry or self-excavation so that they can continue this process on their own. The Buddha said that his teachings were a raft—we should use them to get to the other side of the river, but not carry them around on our backs forever. I hope that this journal will encourage you to continue the process of self-examination that you may have begun by reading one of my books, listening to my tapes, or attending one of my workshops. Of course, you can also use it in conjunction with any of my books, tapes, or workshops, all of which it is designed to complement. But you can and should continue these investigations on your own.

INTRODUCTION

Much of the information outlined in this journal appears in greater detail in one or more of my books. Working with them helps you create a richer picture of your inner life, which in turn leads you to understand your purpose in life.

Y O U R SACRED CONTRACT "When something small and meaningless happens, it is protecting something big that is being born!' H a v e y o u ever w o n d e r e d w h a t y o u r m i s s i o n o r p u r p o s e i n life i s s u p p o s e d to be? You p r o b a b l y k n o w p e o p l e w h o s e e m to h a v e h a d their entire life m a p p e d o u t from t h e day they w e r e b o r n . You m a y h a v e envied their s u r e sense of w h a t they were b o r n to d o — t h e i r w o r k , career, r e l a t i o n s h i p s , a n d p e r s o n a l goals. You m a y have also w o n d e r e d w h e t h e r t h a t w a s really all t h e r e w a s to it. So have I. T h e a n s w e r I f o u n d is that there is m u c h m o r e involved. I call this o u r Sacred Contract. I b e l i e v e t h a t we e a c h agree to t h e t e r m s of o u r Sacred C o n t r a c t before e n t e r i n g t h e p h y s i c a l r e a l m . T h i s a p p l i e s w h e t h e r y o u a c c e p t t h e c o n c e p t of r e i n c a r n a t i o n , or believe in a single lifetime followed by an afterlife, or n e i t h e r . I go i n t o t h e b a c k g r o u n d for my beliefs in m u c h greater d e t a i l in my b o o k Sacred Contracts, b u t o n e fascinating parallel o c c u r s i n t h e w r i t i n g s o f P l a t o . I n the t e n t h a n d final b o o k of h i s great w o r k The Republic, Plato relates t h e m y t h of Er. In brief, t h e s t o r y c o n c e r n s a G r e e k s o l d i e r w h o is left for d e a d on t h e battlefield. Twelve d a y s later, Er a w a k e n s on h i s o w n funeral p y r e a n d tells a r e m a r k a b l e tale of w h a t he o b s e r v e d w h e n h e w a s s u s p e n d e d b e t w e e n life a n d d e a t h . E r f o u n d h i m s e l f in a k i n d of w a y s t a t i o n w h e r e s o u l s w e r e p a s s i n g from H e a v e n t o E a r t h . D e a d s o u l s w e r e w a i t i n g t o b e j u d g e d a n d assigned to their reward or p u n i s h m e n t , while other souls prep a r e d for t h e i r j o u r n e y t o E a r t h . S o m e w e r e old s o u l s r e t u r n i n g for © 2 0 0 3 Caroline Myss, Inc.

a n o t h e r go-round; o t h e r s were freshly m i n t e d and awaiting their first life on Earth. At o n e p o i n t , the w a i t i n g s o u l s are p r e s e n t e d w i t h m a n y p o s s i b l e life s c e n a r i o s , a n d are advised to c h o o s e from t h e s e " s a m p l e s of lives." Plato i n f o r m s u s , "There were m a n y m o r e lives t h a n the s o u l s p r e s e n t . " T h e r e were lives of every a n i m a l a n d of m a n in every c o n d i t i o n , i n c l u d i n g t y r a n t s . Before e n t e r i n g life on the' E a r t h p l a n e , however, t h e s o u l s w e r e r e q u i r e d to d r i n k from the river of TJnmindfulness so as to forget e v e r y t h i n g that h a d j u s t h a p p e n e d to t h e m . T h e r e a s o n s h o u l d be obvious: if y o u k n o w in a d v a n c e t h a t a decision will t u r n o u t badly, y o u w o u l d n e v e r m a k e it. But t h a t m i g h t also m e a n y o u w o u l d n e v e r l e a r n t h e l e s s o n t h a t d e c i s i o n w a s i n t e n d e d t o teach y o u . It c o u l d be a r e l a t i o n s h i p t h a t will e n d painfully, a j o b y o u will be t e r m i n a t e d from, even an unsuccessful first n o v e l t h a t y o u n e e d to get o u t of the w a y so y o u can write a m u c h better one. W h e t h e r you take this m y t h literally or j u s t as a Platonic teaching device, you can use it to gain a higher perspective on the events a n d people in y o u r life. If you think of your life's direction as s o m e t h i n g to w h i c h you have agreed, then what formerly seemed like arbitrary or even absurd conditions can appear in another light. They are part of the r o a d m a p that you've agreed to follow. Each event, each person of any significance w h o m you encounter, including those w h o cause you pain, has an agreed-upon role in y o u r learning experience. Sometimes learning is difficult because you don't surrender to the situation. It may take time for you to see the reasons for © 2 0 0 3 C a r o l i n e M y s s , Inc.

it. But the sooner you do, the less painful it alL becomes. In time, you can learn to accept each event as it happens without struggling against it and prolonging your psychic—and physical—suffering. To have a serious illness or injury is difficult enough; seeing it as a punishment or the cruel caprice of fate only makes it harder to bear. The resulting stress will probably also make your ailment worse, and you may take longer to heal. Naturally, you can't be expected to see everything immediately or in advance. But if you have a way of looking at the symbolic meaning of your experiences, you will be better prepared to accept the inevitable changes as they occur. Fighting change builds up emotional scar tissue. Surrendering to divine will allows you to accept the changes and get on with your life. This doesn't mean, of course, that free will plays no role in your Sacred Contract. At certain crucial moments—-or "choice points"—your Contract provides you with an opportunity for growth. It may come in the form of a challenge at work, the dissolution of an old relationship, or the formation of a new one. How you respond is up to you. Writing about past choice points in this j o u r n a l will help you deal with new ones as they present themselves. The Sacred Contract that o u r soul made before we were b o r n contains a wide range of agreements regarding all that we are i n t e n d e d to learn in this life. It comprises not only what kind of work we d o , b u t also the key people here to help us learn the lessons we have agreed to work on. These relationships represent individual Contracts within our overall Sacred Contract, and each one is significant.

CONTRACTS

As you work with Sacred Contracts, you will take note of each of the significant individual Contracts in your life. I have designed this journal to help you organize all the information you'll accumulate as you review the important relationships with your parents, teachers, siblings, close friends, lovers, spouse, or children. You may also have Contracts with any number of people who appear to play tangential roles in your life. By noting each of these people and the roles you feel they are intended to play you may be able to discern a pattern or plan that, far from being arbitrary is designed to help you learn. A relationship that dissolved and caused you pain may also have had helpful side effects that weren't at first apparent. You may have learned to be more self-sufficient, to recognize the signs of an unproductive relationship, or to listen to your gut instinct.

INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS

"Just let go. Let go of how you thought your life should be, and embrace the life that is trying to work its way into your consciousness!' Use this part of the j o u r n a l to create a record of your Contracts with the key people in your life. Begin with the basic facts: name, relationship, and the period of time you have k n o w n each other (e.g., since birth, age 1 5 - 2 3 , 1 9 6 5 - 7 0 , since last year). If it applies, list any unfinished business with this person, some hurt that you still feel you can't forgive, or some traumatic event that you c a n t let go of. Next, focus on the positive by noting the creative potential that exists for you in this relationship, what you have learned about yourself through it, and the blessings and challenges that have entered your life because of this person. Although your parents, siblings, lovers, spouse, close friends, teachers, and your own children are obvious sources, don't overlook those people w h o might have been in your life only briefly, yet provided a crucial link or helped you move in a new direction. And don't forget your so-called enemies and antagonists, who may have challenged you to change in ways your friends and loved ones never could: a boss w h o fired you so that you had to find a different line of work, or an unfaithful or antagonistic spouse w h o compelled you to end a marriage that was crushing your spirit. These people may have been catalysts for change to w h o m you

CONTRACTS

ought to feel gratitude rather than resentment. If you need to, insert a blank page to complete your insights.

djoNTRAC?^

.NAME

RE^JJONSHip

J(W§„f.?AMf.„. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

CREATIVE POTENTIAL

W H A T I'VE LEARNED ABOUT MYSELF THROUGH THIS CONTRACT

CONTRACTS

CHALLENGES

BLESSINGS •

Jd

ARCHETYPES

Although archetypes are impersonal patterns* of influence that are both ancient and universal, they become personalized when they are a part of your individual psyche. Since your Sacred Contract is embodied in a support system of 12 archetypes, it is best to think of them as intimate companions. They provide the foundation for your personality, drives, feelings, beliefs, motivations, and actions. But archetypes are not passive entities floating around the psyche like old family portraits hanging in a dusty corridor of your ancestral castle. They take an active role as guardians and inner allies, alerting you when you are in danger of falling into destructive or "shadow" behavior. The Saboteur, for instance, warns you when you are in a situation in which you tend to sabotage your own best interests. When you learn to recognize such a pattern, instead of ignoring it or denying its presence, it becomes your friend and can help you avoid selling yourself out.

ARCHETYPES "Archetypes bring people together. Then, when their work is over, the real reason you are together reveals itself!' To help you u n d e r s t a n d and fulfill the terms of your Sacred Contract, you have been encoded w i t h a set of 12 primary archetypes. Four of these are universal archetypes essential to survival: the Child, Victim, Prostitute, and Saboteur. We all have these four because they are vital to our growth a n d functioning as adults. The other eight are d r a w n from the vast storehouse of archetypes dating back to the d a w n of h u m a n history. They play valuable roles that relate to our w o r k , our relationships with individuals and society, spirituality, finances, values, a n d our highest potential. Awareness of archetypes dates back at least to the time of Plato, w h o called t h e m F o r m s . Plato believed that these eternal Forms were reflected in material objects. The F o r m of Beauty, for example, is abstract and applies to all beautiful things. As different as the individual manifestations of Beauty may be—a beautiful person, horse, or flower—the F o r m itself never changes. The great Swiss psychologist Carl J u n g developed this idea further. For Jung, archetypes comprised psychological patterns derived from historical roles in life, such as the Mother, Child, Trickster, and King, as well as universal events or situations, including Initiation or Death and Rebirth. Along with o u r individual personal unconscious, w h i c h is u n i q u e to each of us, J u n g asserted, "there exists a second psychic system of a collective, universal, and impersonal nature that is identical in all individuals." This collective unconscious, he believed, was inherited rather t h a n developed, a n d was composed

mainly of archetypes.

THE SHADOW "We live our lives trying not to know what we were born knowing. This is the cause of spiritual madness." All archetypes have "shadow" manifestations as well as positive aspects. The shadow has power precisely because it remains in the dark; we tend to deny its presence in us because we consider it unacceptable. Only when we face and acknowledge the shadow's presence can we neutralize its potential negative impact on us. The Rebel archetype, for instance, can be a powerful force leading us to reject illegitamate authority and strike out on a bold new path of action. (Samuel Adams, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr., all had powerful Rebel archetypes.) But if we let our awareness lapse, the archetype's shadow aspect can induce us to rebel against legitimate leaders, or to fall in love with the image and trappings of rebellion (think of the rebellious angels in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim lore). Likewise, the Queen can help you assert your power, take charge of situations, delegate authority, and act with benevolence. But the shadow Queen may run around barking out orders, making impossible demands, and cutting off heads! Once you learn to recognize the difference between the two responses—and their common source—you can harness the Queen's constructive power while mitigating her shadow wrath.

DETERMINING YOUR ARCHETYPES

In Sacred Contracts, I provide an extensive series of questions to help you determine which archetypes are part of your intimate support group. Here, I'll provide you with a few basic questions that you can use to start recognizing which of the many archetypal patterns may be connected with you. You can begin by looking through the list of archetypes included on the next page. (A much more detailed explanation of each of these archetypes appears at the end of Sacred Contracts, along with examples drawn from popular films, fiction, mythology and religion.) Remember that we each have the Child, Victim, Saboteur, and Prostitute, so you will need to select only eight more to fill out your circle.

A PARTIAL LISTING OF ARCHETYPES Actor

Fool

Patriarch

Seductress

Addict

Gaia

Pilgrim

Seeker

Alchemist

Gambler

Pioneer

Seer

Anarchist

God

Poet

Servant

Artist

Goddess

Politician

Settler

Avenger

Gossip

Predator

Shaman

Beggar

Healer

Priest

Sidekick

Bully

Herald

Prince

Slave

Bureaucrat

Hermit

Princess

Spoiler

Caregiver

Historian

Prophet

Storyteller

Child

Innovator

Prostitute

Student

Clown

Judge

Provocateur

Teacher

Companion

Knight

Puck

Thief

Coward

Liberator

Puppet

Tramp

Craftsperson

Lover

Puritan

Trickster

Crone

Magician

Rebel

Tyrant

Crook

Martyr

Redeemer

Vampire

Damsel

Masochist

Rescuer

Victim

Detective

Matriarch

Revolutionary

Visionary

Dictator

Midas

Robot

Warrior

Dilettante

Monk

Saboteur

Witch

Diplomat

Muse

Sadist

Wizard

Disciple

Mystic

Sage

Zombie

Diva

Nature Boy/Girl

Samaritan

Dreamer

Networker

Scholar

Eternal Boy/Girl

Nun

Scout

Evangelist

Olympian

Scribe

SELF-EXAMINATION "Making contact with the archetypal realm allows us to see beyond the physical meaning of events and view them as divine opportunities to evolve our consciousness!' Some of the archetypes in the foregoing list will j u m p out at you as if to say, "You know me! I've been part of your life ever since you can remember." It could be an archetype that is aligned with your occupation—for example, the Politician, Craftsperson, Athlete, Teacher, Scholar, or Judge, It might also be an important characteristic that defines your nature apart from your work, as the Monk or Nun (assuming you're not actually under holy orders), the Poet, Lover, Rebel, and so forth. But then you will have to dig a little deeper. Some archetypes that you may feel drawn to, like the Mystic, Visionary, or Healer, may be largely a matter of wishful thinking. Many of my students like to think of themselves as Mystics, for instance. But I ask them to take a serious look within and determine whether the hard work and sacrifice that go with that identity have been a part of their life for many years. Some people like to be mystics during a summer retreat, or weekend workshop, or for half an hour every morning, and that's great. But to include an archetype in your intimate family of 12, you need to be able to trace its lifelong influence on you. Inevitably, you will need to include some archetypes that, like the Prostitute or the Saboteur, may at first seem unpleasant or negative. Perhaps the Fool, Robot, Martyr, Servant, Sadist, or Puppet is part of your makeup. Remember that

these are not necessarily negative archetypes; only your interpretation is negative. And, like the Victim and Saboteur, they ultimately help you avoid the shadow aspect implicit in their name. To some people, the Judge may seem like a negative archetype, implying a judgmental nature and maybe a cruel or imperious streak. But this archetype can be essential in making a wide range of informed decisions in areas as different as business and art. It might even save your life one day. So after you've assembled a group of at least eight archetypes that you feel drawn to, begin by asking some of the basic questions that I've included here. If you like, you can imagine each archetype sitting in a chair across from you, and ask your questions directly to the archetype. You can even write a letter to the archetype if you find that more agreeable, asking the same questions in writing. Allow your archetype to respond, the answers coming from the deepest levels of your own intuition. Or simply ask yourself, and wait for the answer to come to you After questioning each prospective archetype, weed out those that are not genuinely part of your support team, and then return to the list to select replacements. Continue this process until you have eight archetypes that you feel confident play a major role in your life. Combined with the 4 survival archetypes, you now have your 12. Use the blank lined journal pages to repeat the questionand-answer process.

ARCHETYPES

W h a t events or personal characteristics led me to choose this archetype? How long has this archetypal pattern been a part of my life? W h a t role has this archetype played for me?

W h i c h prominent people have interacted with the aspect of my nature supported by this archetype? (For instance, if it's the Teacher archetype, think of the people w h o have played important roles in your own education or inspired you to be a teacher to others.) W h a t relationship m i g h t it have to my personal unfinished business—people 1 haven't forgiven, or events in the past that I can't let go of? A n d might this archetype n o w help me in healing those situations? W h a t myths, fairy tales, or spiritual stories that have meaning for me do I associate with this archetype? Has this archetype appeared in my dreams? Does thinking of this archetype m a k e me feel empowered or disempowered? You should look for spiritual resonance in your archetypes. Ask yourself, W h a t impact has this archetype had on my spirituality or religious practice? W h a t have I learned about my own s h a d o w aspect through this archetype? Has it caused me to block or forgo necessary change? W h a t immediate guidance might this archetype have to offer me in the present m o m e n t ?

THE ARCHETYPAL WHEEL To help you work with your archetypal companions, I use the image of a wheel divided into 12 categories that contain every aspect of human life, corresponding to the 12 houses of the zodiac. Its basic outline appears on the facing page. The 12 houses of the Archetypal Wheel are divided as follows: L.

Personality, Ego: the persona you present to the outside world

2.

Life Values: ownership, finances, your relationship to Earthly power

3.

Self-Expression, Siblings: the power of choice

4.

Home: establishing your emotional foundation

5.

Creativity, Good Fortune: erotic energies, including creativity, sexuality, and synchronicity/chance

6.

Occupation and Health: seeking security in the physical world

7.

Relationships: marriage and partnerships

8.

Other People's Resources: stocks, inheritance, death and closure

9.

Spirituality: wisdom, publishing, travel

1 0.

Highest Potential: completing the integration of the self

11.

Interaction with the World: relating your creativity to h u m a n i t y

12.

The Unconscious

The Archetypal Wheel is an intuitive tool that makes symbolic information accessible to you. Your 12 archetypes become even more significant when you observe them at work in the houses that signify 12 different aspects of your life. Like other intuitive tools, including Tarot cards and the I Ching, the Wheel helps you decode the behind-the-scenes patterns of your life. It shows you how your experiences and relationships are spiritual dramas filled with opportunities for personal transformation. The basic alignment of archetypal energies is called your Chart of Origin, and is similar in nature to a natal chart in astrology. But instead of the positions of the constellations at your birth, your Chart of Origin is based on tb.e placement of your 12 primary archetypes within your Wlieel as determined by a simple intuitive process. My book Sacred Contracts shows this process in great detail. Here, I will give you the basics.

YOUR CHART OF O R I G I N Casting your Chart of Origin is rather simple. Clear your mind of expectations and desires, and focus on your intention to be open to whatever guidance you receive. Take several deep breaths to clear your mind. Your archetypes will be guided into their appropriate houses by the energy of simultaneity, coincidence, spiritual order, divine paradox, and destiny, through much the same magnetic organizational process that guides any tool that communicates with your intuition. It is important to clear your mind prior to casting your Chart so that guidance can come through unimpeded. You may use this meditation as a centering device, or substitute one of your own:

Close your eyes and breathe deeply into your abdomen, allowing your stomach to expand as you breathe in, and contract as you exhale. See yourself as a hollow reed or membrane, expanding and contracting. Continue in slow, deep breaths, repeating, "I have no desires. I have no thoughts. I am empty of all disturbances. I am empty of all my needs. I am open to receive."

C A S T I N G Y O U R CHART There are four steps to casting your Chart of Origin. After you have centered yourself t h r o u g h meditation, proceed as follows:

STEP 1: PREPARATION C u t out 24 pieces of paper a b o u t two inches by three inches. On each of 12 slips, write the n a m e of one of your 12 archetypes. On the other 12 slips, write the n u m b e r s 1 t h o u g h 12, one n u m b e r on each slip of paper. Place the archetypes and the n u m b e r s in two different stacks, facedown.

STEP 2: INTUITIVE FOCUS After centering yourself again, or using the longer meditation in Sacred Contracts, shuffle the two stacks of paper, being careful to keep t h e m separate. As you shuffle the stack of archetypes, ask, "In w h i c h houses do these archetypes best serve m e ? " Your intention creates a magnetic circuit that will

direct the archetypes to their appropriate houses as you work with them in Step 3.

STEP 3: INTUITIVE CHOICE Picture yourself as a hollow reed transmitting energy. Keeping the slips of paper facedown, choose one from each pile: a n u m b e r and an archetype. The n u m b e r s correspond to the house into which that archetype should go. Write the n a m e of that archetype into the n u m b e r e d h o u s e on your Wheel. If you chose the n u m b e r 5 and the Child cards, for example, your Child archetype belongs in the fifth h o u s e of your Wheel. Continue this exercise until all 12 houses are filled.

STEP 4: THE PARTNERSHIPS OF ARCHETYPES A N D THEIR HOUSES This final step is considerably more complex than what has preceded, and I recommend that you consult Sacred Contracts for a detailed description of how to proceed. Once you have paired the archetypes with their houses, you have generated a unique energy field that represents the symbolic hologram of your unconscious. In brief, you "will again ask yourself a series of questions (which appear in Chapter 8 of my book) to determine the deeper significance and the m a n y ramifications of these pairings. You might begin exploring the meaning of each archetype-to-house partnership, for example, by listing any immediate associations and thoughts that occur to you. Even if you feel resistance to some

of the partnerships, don't suppress any responses that come to you. You are learning a new, multi-dimensional way of perceiving your life, and it may feel awkward at first. For instance, say you matched the Prostitute to your seventh house. You might write: "My Prostitute archetype is in the house of relationships. This means that the fears that cause me to sell myself to the highest bidder generally have more to do with my relationships than with my professional life. I don't tend to sell out in business dealings, because I have a strong sense of selfesteem in that realm. Yet my fear of not being able to survive on my own leads me to cling compulsively to relationships that don't serve my spiritual needs." As you practice symbolic sight, you'll learn to evaluate the significance of each pairing. If, for instance, the Victim archetype had fallen in the house of relationships instead, it would urge you to examine your relationships with your family m e m b e r s , spouse, business partners, children, and friends, and be on guard for ways in which you have allowed yourself to be victimized. You would then look for alternative ways in which to transform the Victim within so that you might have a healthier relationship. Work your way a r o u n d your Chart of Origin, one h o u s e at a time. As you go, you will learn m o r e about your tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses.

W O R K I N G CHARTS Because your Chart of Origin is like a natal astrology chart, you cast it only once. But after you've spent time exploring the basic relationships of your archetypes to the houses into which they fall, you're ready to use a similar technique to obtain guidance in a variety of specific situations by casting what I call Working Charts. You could, for example, ask for guidance with a health issue, a career decision, or a relationship. In those cases, you would use the same two stacks of cards with which you cast your Chart of Origin. But as you are shuffling the cards, ask for guidance in a particular area, beginning with the phrase, "I am open to . . ." For example:

I am open to receiving one healing insight about my stress patterns and this illness, 1 am open to recognizing why I block reconciliation with this individual. I am open to receiving guidance about why I block my creativity. I am open to receiving guidance about my fears of losing money. I am open to guidance about my core reason(s) for wanting to quit. 1 am open to recognizing my deepest fear in this relationship. I am open to recognizing the gift of this relationship.

Do not ask a question that requires a yes or no answer, especially regarding your health, such as "Do I have cancer?" or "Should I have surgery?" Don't phrase your request in a way that supports the victim in you: "Why were my parents so mean to me?" or "Why is my spouse lying to me?" Instead, ask for guidance to help you understand your relationship with your parents, or ask for insights into your relationship with your spouse or partner. And by all means, avoid asking ahout what's going on in another person's psyche, such as, "Why is my child acting distant toward me?" or "What does Joan really want from me?" As long as you follow these guidelines, you will receive significant guidance for just about any appropriate question or issue. Use one of the blank wheels for each of your working charts, and then the blank pages that follow to write down the insights that come to you from each new pairing of your archetypes with the 12 houses. Use one blank wheel to photocopy should you need more. You may then compare these pairings to those from your Chart of Origin, paying special attention to any pairs that may happen to come out the same in both charts. That's an especially fruitful place to begin examining your results.

THE CHAKRAS The seers of ancient India were the first to document the system of energy centers known as the chakras. Aligned with the spinal column, these centers regulate the flow of physical and psychological vitality throughout the body, from survival instincts, sex drive, and self-esteem to the emotions, intellect, will, and spiritual aspirations. Knowing how the chakras function and how they help you to live is essential to maintaining maximum health and spiritual awareness. Every thought and experience you've ever had gets filtered through these energy databases and is recorded in your cells. In other words, your biography becomes your biology. When chakra energy is blocked or misdirected, emotional and physical illness can arise. The Sanskrit work chakra means "wheel" or "circle" and was originally applied to the wheels of the powerful war chariots of the Aryan people who entered India thousands of years ago. The seers visualized chakras as powerful internal wheels constantly in motion—storing, refining, and transmitting a vast array of energies. I liken them to the hard drive inside your computer that stores large amounts of information that you are constantly accumulating, while simultaneously running several different programs and connecting you to the Internet.

The traditional seven chakras are aligned with the spinal colu m n , beginning with the first, or root, chakra at the base of the spine, and moving upward. The second chakra corresponds to the genital area; the third, to the solar plexus; the fourth, to the heart; the fifth, to the throat and thyroid; the sixth, to the pineal gland, or third eye; and the seventh, to the crown of the head and pituitary gland. In addition to these, I have sensed an eighth chakra, about an arm's length above the head, which contains all of the archetypal information with which you were incarnated. This chakra, which is n o t included in the standard configuration, oversees your interactions with your 12 primary archetypes. Each chakra stores, manages, and transmits a different kind of energy, related to different physical and psychological functions. Beginning in childhood, we engage with and learn to master these energies in ascending order. But that is not to say that the lower chakras are any less important than the higher ones. You need a solid foundation, a firm mastery of your relationship to survival, sex, power, money, and self-esteem to develop genuine love, emotional power, self-expression, intuition, and spiritual maturity. By examining your relationship to the different powers and sacred truths inherent in each chakra, you can learn more about where you need to focus your attention and clear out energy blockages.

SACRED TRUTH: ALL Is O N E You are connected to all of life. Every choice you mak and every belief you bold exerts influence on tbe whole 0/ life.

CHAKRA 1—TRIBAL POWER: LESSONS RELATED TO THE MATERIAL WORLD 4

The first chakra is the foundation of emotional and mental health, Your connection to traditional familial beliefs supports the formation of identity and a sense of belonging to a group.

What beliefs did you inherit from your family?

ALL IS ONE

Do all of them still have authority over you?

What superstitions do you have? Which have more authority over you than your own reasoning ability?

ALL IS ONE

"Look through the lens 0}symbolic sight." Do you have any unfinished business with your family members? If yes, what prevents you from healing your family relationships?

ALL IS O N E

List all the blessings that you feel come from your family.

ALL Is ONE

"While we measure our success in terms of personal comfort and security, the universe measures our success by how much we have learned"

We begin life not as an individual but as a member of a tribe, or rather, several tribes. There is your immediate family, extended family, ethnic and religi&us group, social class, and your regional and national identity You need the tribe for survival, so you become connected to its consciousness, absorbing its strengths and weaknesses, positive beliefs and superstitions.

What tribal traditions and rituals do you continue?

ALL IS ONE

What tribal characteristics within yourself would you like to strengthen and develop?

I

What characteristics would you like to lose?

.

SACRED TRUTH: HONOR O N E ANOTHER Every relationship you develop, from casual to intimate, helps you become more conscious. No union is without spiritual value.

CHAKRA 2—POWER OF RELATIONSHIPS: LESSONS RELATED TO RELATIONSHIPS The second chakra is your center of personal power, creativity, sexuality, and finances. Issues of physical survival, control, and oneon-one relationships are at the core of this energy center.

How do you define creativity?

Do you consider yourself a creative person? Do you follow through on your creative ideas?

HONOR O N E ANOTHER

Do you often direct your creative energies into negative paths of expression? Do you exaggerate or embellish "facts" to s u p p o r t y o u r p o i n t of view?

Are you comfortable with your sexuality? If not, are you w o r k i n g toward healing your sexual imbalances? Do you use people for sexual pleasure, or have you felt used? Do you h o n o r your o w n sexual boundaries?

H O N O R O N E ANOTHER

"You can't get away from your path." Do you keep your word? What is your own personal code of honor, of ethics? Do you negotiate your ethics depending on your circumstances?

Do you have an impression of the Divine as a force for justice in your life?

H O N O R O N E ANOTHER

Are y o u a controlling person? Oo you engage in power plays? Are you able to see yourself clearly in circumstances related to p o w e r or m o n e y ?

Does m o n e y have a u t h o r i t y over you? D o you m a k e c o m p r o m i s e s that violate y o u r i n n e r self for t h e sake of financial security?

C a n you m a s t e r y o u r fears a b o u t finances a n d physical authority, or do they control you a n d y o u r attitudes?

H O N O R O N E ANOTHER

"It doesn't matter what you choose. What matters is the energy with which you choose it." What goals do you have for yourself that you have yet to pursue?

H O N O R O N E ANOTHER

What stands in the way of acting on those goals?

H O N O R ONESELF

SACRED TRUTH: H O N O R ONESELF Be mature and honorable in the relationship you have with yourself, and accept responsibility for the person you have become.

CHAKRA 3—PERSONAL. POWER: LESSONS RELATED TO THE SELF The third chakra furthers the development of self-esteem and personality separate from your tribal identity. This is where you learn to draw and maintain strong boundaries and a personal code of honor.

Do you like yourself? W h a t don't you like and why?

H O N O R ONESELF

Are you actively working to change the things about yourself that you don't like?

Are you honest? Do you sometimes misrepresent the truth? Why?

H O N O R ONESELF

SACRED TRUTH: H O N O R ONESELF Be mature and honorable in the relationship you have with yourself, and accept responsibility for the person you have become.

CHAKRA 3—PERSONAL POWER: LESSONS RELATED TO THE SELF The third chakra furthers the development of self-esteem and personality, separate from your tribal identity. This is where you learn to draw and maintain strong boundaries and a personal code of honor.

Do you like yourself? W h a t don't you like and why?

H O N O R ONESELF

Are you actively w o r k i n g to change the things about yourself that you don't like?

Are you honest? Do you sometimes misrepresent the truth? Why?

HONOR ONESELF

"Talk to yourself in two languages—what do I think, and what do I feel?—in order to balance the heart and the mind" Are you critical of others? Do you blame others as a way of protecting yourself?

Are you able to admit w h e n you are wrong? Are you open to feedback from other people about yourself?

H O N O R ONESELF

Do you n e e d the approval of others? If so, why?

Do you consider yourself strong or weak? Are you afraid of taking care of yourself?

HONOR ONESELF

"Talk to yourself in two languages-—what do I think, and what do I feel?—in order to balance the heart and the mind'.' Are you critical of others? Do you blame others as a way of protecting yourself?

Are you able to admit when you are wrong? Are you open to feedback from other people about yourself?

HONOR ONESELF

"/ am forgiving not for you but for me. I am forgiving because I want my power back'.' Did you stay in a relationship w i t h a p e r s o n you didn't really love because it seemed better than being alone?

Do you respect yourself? Can you decide to make changes in your life and then stick with your commitment?

H O N O R ONESELF

Are you afraid of responsibility? Or, do you feel responsible for everything a n d everyone?

Are you continually w i s h i n g y o u r life were different? If so, are you doing a n y t h i n g to change it, or have you resigned yourself to the situation?

SACRED TRUTH: LOVE IS DIVINE POWER

Emotional energy—love—is the central power point tor of your body, mind, and spirit.

and

true

motiva-

C H A K R A 4 — E M O T I O N A L POWER: LESSONS IN LOVE, FORGIVENESS, A N D COMPASSION H e r e lies t h e p o w e r h o u s e o f t h e h u m a n e n e r g y s y s t e m . F r o m its middle position, the fourth chakra mediates between the body a n d spirit, a n d d e t e r m i n e s t h e i r h e a l t h , s t r e n g t h , a n d b a l a n c e .

W h a t e m o t i o n a l m e m o r i e s d o y o u still n e e d t o heal?

L O V E I S DrviiviE P O W E R

W h a t r e l a t i o n s h i p s i n y o u r life r e q u i r e h e a l i n g ?

LOVE IS D I V I N E POWER

"We are addicted to the power of the wound!' Do you ever use your emotional w o u n d s to control people or situations? If so, describe them.

Have you allowed yourself to be controlled by the w o u n d s of another? Will you let that happen again?

W h a t steps are you prepared to take to prevent yourself from being controlled that way again?

LOVE IS D I V I N E P O W E R

What fears do you have about becoming emotionally Healthy?

Do you associate emotional health with no longer needing an intimate relationship?

LOVE IS DIVINE POWER

W h a t have you done that needs forgiving? W h o is working to forgive you?

What is your understanding of a healthy, intimate relationship? Are you willing to release the use of your wounds in order to open yourself to such a relationship?

LOVE IS DIVINE POWER

"Law of the gods: get bitter or better!' W h a t is y o u r u n d e r s t a n d i n g of forgiveness?

W h o are the people you need to forgive, a n d what prevents you fror letting go of the p a i n you associate w i t h them?

LOVE IS DIVINE POWER

What have you done that needs forgiving? Who is working to forgive you?

What is your understanding of a healthy, intimate relationship? Are you willing to release the use of your wounds in order to open yourself to such a relationship?

SACRED TRUTH: SURRENDER PERSONAL WILL TO DIVINE WILL Your every choice, thought, and feeling has biological, environmental, social, personal, and global consequences, Actions motivated by personal mil give you the richest power.

CHAKRA 5—WILLPOWER: LESSONS ON SELF-EXPRESSION The fifth chakra is the center of your struggle with choice and the ability to release your will to Divine guidance. Its essence is faith, faith in our fears or faith in the Divine.

What is your definition of being "strong-willed"?

SURRENDER PERSONAL WILL TO DIVINE WILL

Who are the people who have control over your willpower, and why?

Do you seek to control others? If so, who are they and why do you need to control them?

SURRENDER PERSONAL WILL TO DIVINE WILL

"Words have alchemical power When we speak, we are conducting an alchemical ceremony" Can you express yourself honestly and openly when you need to? If not, why not?

Are you able to sense when you are receiving guidance to act upon?

SURRENDER PERSONAL WILL TO DIVINE WILL

Do you trust guidance that has no proof of the outcome attached to it?

What fears do you have about divine guidance?

SURRENDER PERSONAL WILL TO DIVINE WILL

11

Healing is a matter of fact; faith is a matter of choice"

Do you pray for assistance with your personal plans, or are you able to say, "1 will do what heaven directs me to do"?

What makes you lose control of your own willpower?

SURRENDER PERSONAL WILL TO DIVINE WILL

Do you know you need to change but continually postpone taking action? If so, identify those situations and your reasons for not acting.

SEEK ONLY THE TRUTH

What attitudes do you have that disempower you?

What beliefs do you continue to accept that you know are not true?

SACRED TRUTH: SEEK ONLY THE TRUTH Continually search for the difference between truth and illusion, the two forces present at every moment. Trust what you cannot see far more than what you can see.

CHAKRA 6—MENTAL POWER: LESSONS IN WISDOM The sixth chakra is the energy center of intuition, intellect, and reasoning. Known as the "third eye," it involves our mental abilities, and our psychological skill at evaluating our beliefs and attitudes.

Do you often interpret the actions of others in a negative way? If so, why?

What negative patterns continually surface in your relationships with others?

SEEK O N L Y THE TRUTH

Recall instances in which a more profound level of truth than you were used to hearing was revealed. Was the experience intimidating?

SEEK ONLY THE TRUTH

"Consciousness is not a pleasure cruise on this planet!' What beliefs and attitudes in yourself would you like to change? Can you commit to making those changes?

Are you comfortable thinking about your life in impersonal terms?

SEEK ONLY THE TRUTH

Do you know you need to change but continually postpone taking action? If so, identify those situations and your reasons for not acting.

• •

•

- • - •

.

-

-

"

.

"

:

SACRED TRUTH: LIVE IN THE PRESENT M O M E N T Achieve a personal relationship with the Divine. All physical, psychological, and emotional illusions or fears need to be removed from your life. Let go of the past, do not anticipate the future, and live in the presence of the Divine.

C H A K R A 7—SPIRITUAL P O W E R : LESSONS RELATED TO THE D I V I N E The seventh chakra is our connection to our spiritual nature and o u r c a p a c i t y to a l l o w s p i r i t u a l i t y to b e c o m e an i n t e g r a l p a r t of o u r p h y s i c a l lives.

W h a t g u i d a n c e have y o u s o u g h t d u r i n g m e d i t a t i o n o r prayer?

© 2003 Caroline Myss, Inc.

UVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT

What type of guidance do you fear the most?

Do you bargain with the Divine? Do you complain to the Divine more than you express gratitude?

*

! LIVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT

"Act on your inner guidance, and give up your need for proof that your inner guidance is authentic. The more you ask for proof the less likely you are to receive any" Are you devoted to a particular spiritual path? If not, do you feel a need to find one?

Do you believe that your God is more authentic than the Divine in other spiritual traditions?

LIVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT

Are you waiting for the Divine to send you an explanation for your painful experiences? If so, list them.

How would your life change if the Divine answered your questions by saying: "1 have no intention of giving you insight at this point in your life"? What would you do then?

LIVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT

"Every day, take down one boundary between you and the Divine!' Have you started and stopped a meditation practice? If so, what are the reasons that you failed to maintain it?

What spiritual truths are you aware of that you do not live by? List them.

LVE IN THE PRESENT MOMENT

Are you afraid of a closer relationship with the Divine because of changes it might trigger in your life?