Urban Shamanism

A time to act and a time to wait

As you can see, I've ditched bilingual posting and will publish mostly in English from now on. To be honest, the process of writing in two languages is tiresome and I've realized it's not actually useful, because the majority of Hive's members don't read in Spanish and those who do are already making an effort to learn English anyway. Besides, I'm interested in reading material and connecting to people in other languages, there's only so much I can learn from my native tongue at this stage. Mind you, I love translating and, in fact, as soon as I post this I'll begin doing so with a Human Rights report on sexual violence against children and adolescents in my country that I've been delaying since the weekend, due to the emotional difficulty of the topic. Speaking of which, and inspired by the Runic Message today, I decided to discuss a bit about self-control and moderation.

There are situations in which we're prompted to take immediate action, when hesitation and passivity may cause great trouble, but unless we live in truly hostile and stressful environments, these situations are the exception. The majority of our experience actually benefits from a more relaxed, insightful approach, especially when dealing with other people. Observation, patience and silence are key for successful relationships, they can never constitute abuse or transgressions, and they ensure greater understanding in the long run. We've all heard the old adages that claim that evil triumphs when good people do nothing, or that neutrality in the face of injustice is on the side of the oppressor; they sound wise and perhaps in certain contexts they're good to keep in mind, but in my studies I've discovered that the worst crimes of history have been spurred by impulsive or misinformed decisions. Let's go back to sexual assault, for instance. A sexual predator isn't motivated by self-discovery, a desire to learn or a need for understanding; chances are that he doesn't even think about what he's doing, he just wants to dominate a more vulnerable person, to eat and drink without invitation, to take and never give anything back. There's no reflection there, no higher purpose, just unrestrained, destructive power, a hunger which can never be sated because the predator doesn't actually derive pleasure from his actions, only further dissatisfaction and self-loathing buried deep beneath the mask of control and terror.

True Pleasure is derived from Discipline, from the capacity to accept, respect and uphold personal boundaries. A meal devoured in seconds doesn't even taste well. A trip done in a rush leaves no time for nice pictures or beautiful memories. Imagine how uncomfortable and pointless it'd be if you couldn't sit still during a concert, unable to enjoy the music. Anyone who's consumed too much alcohol has paid the price the next morning and knows how un-fun that is. Most people assume that Freedom is the ability to do whatever they want regardless of consequences, but that's not true. Freedom arises from responsibility, a person who often disregards limits isn't free at all because they're constantly oppressed by the cumulative consequences of their choices. Criminals might seem powerful, but abuse is a sign of weakness, not strength.

Restraint is absolutely required for a peaceful, expansive life. It preserves our sense of proportion and allows us to engage with the world from a place of comprehension, increasing our clarity and therefore our assertiveness when the moment to move actually comes.

Rune of the Day: Thurisaz inverted

Meditation, softness. Keep calm in challenging situations, avoid yielding to provocations, the conflict and the anger of others are not your business. Restrain yourself before acting, sharpen your senses, there is information that you ignore and without which you cannot proceed. You cannot nor have to attend every request for help, even from people close to you; do not allow yourself to be involved in matters that do not concern you. Before advancing, dedicate some time to introspection, cultivate kindness especially toward your inner self. It is wise to reject certain invitations to indulge in physical pleasure, there will be other less risky opportunities; review the motivations behind statements and questions, the sword holds the edge, but the danger comes from the hand that wields it. Noises and impediments tell you that it is important to reconsider your current direction, there are obstacles that you must face and others that it is best that you evade, take your time and breathe.