Please check out the article below that I wrote for the online Edge of Humanity Magazine. And while you’re at it, please consider checking out the creative contributions of other talented artists at this site.
Author Archives: Ari Joshua Bouse
Walking Through A Lion’s Gate
While the sun is often associated with masculine energies, Lion symbolizes the rising tide of feminine energies and the feminine sun.
Remember the Yin and the Yang are oriented to naturally flow together, just as Carl Jung talked about the anima and animus in men and women. It is wise for men to get in touch with their feminine sides, just as it is for women to get in touch with their masculinity.
Gender fluidity, non-binary and transgender folks are all examples of reflecting these forms of energetic soul expression as well.
As we have explored in this blog, the New Earth paradigm we are now living in is an era that reflects the return and rising tide of the Sacred Feminine energies.
Sadly, but understandably, the feminine has long been suppressed and repressed. You don’t have to identify as a Pagan, Witch, Conservative Republican or a Buddhist Monk to have been burned alive to understand we’re living in a world on fire. Do you believe a book burning is in order?
The hierarchical patriarchy, to a large extent, has glorified men and an archaic form of masculinity. More recently and generally speaking, the women that have broken the glass ceiling have embodied these old world masculine traits.
A gentle and soft approach has been dismissed as weak. But in the New World, those outdated ideas are changing and shifting with the tides.
Lion’s are unusual for cats because they belong to a pride and hunt best together, relying on their psychic abilities for stealth and communication.
Females do most of the hunting, work and child rearing. Males protect the pride and often scare prey into the awaiting lionesses to bring home the bacon. Males are romantic and sensual and can have a strong jealous streak with their lioness partners.
It’s hard not to think of the sensitive male ego or wanting to have your cake and eat it too, in a male privileged form of cat consciousness. Truly, there is grieving in the letting go of these old ways . . .
These cats typically kill by strangulation. My name means lion, and I remember using this tactic during experiences with getting bullied as a kid in the old neighborhood that I lived in at the time.
Looking back, it was a built in defense mechanism, and thankfully ended the confrontation before someone walked away seriously injured or killed.
The neighborhood I grew up in during my early years wasn’t as rough as the one Mike Tyson grew up in.
But like him, I learned that I could fight because I was put in the position by older bullies to defend myself, like a cat does when backed into a corner.
But even if lions hold a royal place of respect as Kings and Queens of the jungle, they prefer to avoid danger. Creativity, intuition and imagination are all specific feminine energies that are associated with Lion medicine.
These spirited powers want to awaken now, and are regularly in alignment with Nature, as well as with the New Moon in Leo on August 16th.
Leo is in its cycle of power time right now. Their energies feel safe in moments when they can impress others and get praise and admiration.
However, when stepping into the spotlight, which is natural for Leo, they may find themselves at a loss. It could be empowering for Leos to admit fear of criticism and their inability to accept criticism.
Of course, it is very important for all of us to accept feedback and use it for personal growth purposes.
For some of us who have had a hard time with criticisms or a tendency to get defensive, this is just another area to push our edge while following the trail of Growth Mindset.
In my own experience, I have learned that it is a healthy form of vulnerability to step out of my own comfort zone of self determinism and into an area of receptiveness.
Take care of yourselves everyone,
Ari
Strategies To Maintain Health And Well-Being
Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?
For many years now, I have maintained a consistent everyday meditation practice and get out alone in Nature at least once a week, where I hike for a bit and then sit with the animals. This is akin to my place of worship, where I always walk away feeling recharged from connecting with Spirit. Sitting in the elements during the four seasons and watching the animals do their thing has taught me a lot about myself and other humans in the social environment.
After taking over a 20 year hiatus of working out in the gym, I finally rejoined last week because I realized I was missing having a place to go to exercise at a positive community connection. After investing in my own equipment and 20 years of being consistently inconsistent, and then a global pandemic, I realized I needed to get back to basics. Going to the gym was something that carried me through my adolescence for making healthy choices. The gym was a place where I could go everyday or almost everyday, in spite of whatever else was going on in my life. It was a good transition from school, home and life’s responsibilities. As I approach a half of a century in my life cycle, it felt like the right time to elevate my game in this way.
Also, I drink about a 100 ounces of water a day and start my day with a superfood green drink mixed with a shot of apple cider vinegar and wash it down with some other supplements like DSF, glucosamine, fish oil and D3 when cooler weather and darker days come about. I take a blend of Chinese herbs for seasonal allergies or if I sense a cold coming about. It might be all downhill from there, but my morning routine of meditation and the green drink are a great way to start the day.
Also, I do tai chi and qigong everyday. Doing these make for a great pre & post workout warmup & cool down, as well as moving and still meditations for mind-body-spirit connection. And being mindful of my thoughts and focusing on positive self talk has been a keep dynamic in this area. Writing, playing my guitar, harmonica and singing have all been instrumental strategies as creative forms of artistic expression that support health and well-being. It is my good fortune to have meaningful work, which is also a key dynamic for health and well-being. Getting a good night sleep is a key dynamic in my regular daily routine.
Changes In Modern Society
Flip the script by pouring resources into education, mental health, healthcare and treatment. Teach every child mindfulness and meditation as a way of life. Reverse the momentum to promote the human factor, as well as support all sentient beings to co-exist peacefully. Support a free thinking society that is in alignment with the Universal Pillars of Love and Truth. Encourage our citizenry to become active participants rather than merely spectators. Sports are just games. Politics are not. An awakening society understands this as self-evident.
Unlock the technology that we have been sitting on for the last 100 years at least to provide clean, free energy to everyone on the planet. Stop weaponizing this technology and get rid of nuclear weapons and other weapon of mass destruction. Come clean about ETs and the existence of the Secret Government.
Incentivize a more fair, just and equitable society by making it convenient for people to do the right thing regarding taxation with representation. Do away with maximum economic profit as a preferred way of doing business. The societal triangle should look more like an equilateral triangle, with far less emphasis on hierarchy and more intention on horizontal bottom up-top down synergy. The billionaire class pays their fair share, while everyone else gets what they need. Fair isn’t that everyone gets what they want, fair is that everyone gets what they need. Everyone’s basic needs are met and have equal access to resources.
Institutionalized oppression, such as racism and classism are gone with the wind, in a way that reads like a parody of an old fairy tale that you’re embarrassed to read to your grandchildren. That tired old documentary is seen as an old fossil that reminds us that we took the right step in our evolutionary shift in consciousness. Nurture win-win politics. See the Planet and Universe as a living organism that we are all part of, working together for mutual aid. Society honors our Diversity Within Unity. There is a systemic intention and commitment to supporting this collective shift in the soul of our Global Village and beyond.
Swimming Into August With A Full Sturgeon SuperMoon, And The Clean Energetic Reinforcement Of Beetles, Bees, Caterpillars & Porcupines.
A Full Sturgeon Moon will surface down the pike on August 1st. Given August traditionally being their peak seasonal catch, these fish inspired many of our ancestors to give this moon its name. This prehistoric fish’s survival power symbolizes resiliency. We all need to build resiliency, especially in this day and age because we are leaving an old world behind and a new earth is being born.
Of course, this Full Moon goes by many names. Depending on where humans inhabited the Planet, their names noted traditional observations from our ancestors. This will be the second consecutive supermoon. Supermoons are like regular full moons on steroids.
Today, we humans can stand to meditate on Sturgeon’s strong survival instinct and adaptability. They know how to stir up murky underwater floors and swim through them. Perhaps Dylan channeled Sturgeon when he captured the lyrics, “better learn how to swim or you’ll sink like a stone, fore the times they are a changin’.”
Also, animal spirit guides like caterpillars and beetles are good reminders about the tension of shedding our old skins to clear space for a renewed sense of self. We are living in a time of great metamorphosis. These creatures dig through the earth and are an integral part of the Web of Life.
All systems resist change, humans being no exception to this scientific principle. Normally, we don’t want to change, but the nature of the circumstances are requiring us to do this on the inside and out. One way or another, the soul of humanity is evolving. We might as well become more conscious of it.
During summertime, the buzzing around of bees cross pollinating are reflective of industry and a friendly reminder that hard work pays off. Given their associations with reincarnation, their longitudinal wisdom inspires us to hone in on their spirited guidance about organizing our inner and outer worlds. Doing this helps clear space for our own program development as evolving souls.
But it is wise to remember that life is sweet like honey. In the New Golden Aquarian Age of Diversity Within Unity, we need to balance our own unique soul expressions with group consciousness. The trick is to not get ensconced into our own individual worlds or the hive mentality. Too far in either direction disrupts the equitable fluidity of the yin and yang. Moving forward into a new world ahead means co-creating more equity in a more fair and just society where everyone can thrive.
Furthermore, consider looking at bees as psychic readers. Their energies are harbingers of busier times ahead. Specifically, their energies foreshadow that it will be even more important to build self care boundaries when heading back to school and back to business. It’s hard to say goodbye to yesterday, but bee consciousness can help us fly into new zones, with particular sensitivity to our expressions in creativity and sexuality. How do you want to move into the next season of your life?
Porcupine energy resurrects a sense of innocence, faith and trust toward life’s explorative path. They don’t draw their quills unless fear is present. Otherwise, they reflect an open and passive attitude toward discovery, as well as a playful, light-hearted approach in the process of being in the moment. Meditation on their skill at climbing trees is good energy medicine. Trees are like antennas on earth that connect to the cosmos. May we awaken our spirited connection to Father Sky and Mother Earth.
During this time, use the energies of Sturgeon, Beetles, Bee, Caterpillar, and Porcupine to reinforce alignment with resiliency, industry, letting go of who we were and awakening to who we are becoming. Stay open and receptive to the signs and synchronicities that will light your way. May we shift away from our fears and lean into a renewed sense of faith and trust.
Take care of yourselves everyone,
Ari
Weathering The Climate Change
Please check out my new article that was recently published in Edge of Humanity Magazine by clicking on the link below:
Letting Go For The Sake Of Harmony
Harmonizing with my environment is a spiritual discipline. As I let go of my need to be right, harmony is welcomed in. For example, it just seems to disarm whatever defenses mechanisms I’ve fortified myself with on the inside, and then transforms into a more light-hearted sense of detachment. When I let go of my need to be right, there is an awakening of harmony.
Infinite Blessed Renewals Of The Sacredness of Everyday Eternal Moments
I remember when an old friend once commented on a “missed opportunity” of a potential rendezvous that never ended up happening. It was in reference to another friend during a private conversation between us. But more poignantly, his attached emotion asserted a grieving for the dirge of a moment that did not go the way he wanted or expected. He’s not the only grown man I know that suffers from ‘mantrums.’ I’ve fallen prey to them myself. Ah, the clinging and grasping of life is the root of our suffering. We all suffer and suffering is merely part of the human experience, myself included.
Moreover, as expanding souls, it is natural for we humans to desire and want more. But it is also an opportunity for choosing gratitude for what is. Without this practice, happiness as a way of life is impossible. Even when we get what we want, it is a sad and lonely story on the inside of a person who remains hooked into the cycle of grasping and clinging. Self examination reveals this experience always leads to disappointments and the accompanying funeral procession. It’s not that I don’t have my moments here. It’s just that I tend not to get as sucked into them as I used to.
Even the committed optimist or followers of positive psychology fall prey to wanting to hold tight to what we fear we will lose. This is because it is natural to experience the tragedy of life that is not without its grieving and trauma aware process. Moreover, the same old friend once said to me, “Ari, I think you and I have different definitions of friendship.” And I agreed with him. Because his definition is more typical and normal, from an old world reality. From this perspective, it’s tit for tat, I’ll scratch your back and then you scratch mine. It’s as if there’s a punch in/punch out clock that keeps a tally of a friendship that is based on competitive acts. Who is one upping who?
Beyond this behavioral trap, I do have some old relationships that appear somewhat akin to basketball legends Larry Bird and Magic Johnson’s. It’s the kind of relationship where we don’t see each other or talk for years and then when they reconnect, it’s like we don’t skip a beat. There aren’t any resentments about the time stamp between our communication because neither of us are really keeping track. And if there were any feelings that need to be cleared up, this kind of relationship allows for a healthy conversation about it. If anything, there’s a shared experience of gratitude for the reconnection. You just never know what unexpected surprises or gifts the Universe might bring. When one door closes, another door opens.
Lets face facts here . . . All adults are like big kids. And like kids, we tend to act out. The old paradigm did not teach us effective ways to express ourselves, including how we communicate with each other. It has done a good job of teaching us to pretend and hide our true feelings, from each other but more importantly ourselves. Dysfunctional and deeply engrained behavioral patterns have taught us how to use what my “Aunt that likes to rant” has called “secret decoder rings” and how to manipulate and control each other- even in cleverly covert and subtle (or not so subtle) ways.
For example, if you are maintaining a relationship that is based on guilt driven motivations, that’s something to look at inside of yourself. If you feel like you did something wrong, based on someone else’s energetic output, that’s something to look at within yourself. Consider the ritual of gift giving. There’s nothing wrong with ritual. But the power of ritual awakens spiritually when it is done with a sacred connection and done so without a sense of expectation. But when the ritual is for the sake of ritual and the gifts have an underlying edge of expectation, there’s a difference.
As humans, we all get insecure, have attachments and want to be loved. So it stands to reason that we have a tendency to cling and grasp to FOMO (fear of missing out). Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics capture the sentiment here, “it’s sad funny ending to find yourself pretending you’re a rich man in a poor man’s shirt.” Accepting this tension of opposites, like the Boss would say, reveals “better days are shining through.”
Remember what we were taught as children: Stop. Look. Go. There’s a time and a place for running the hurry up offense, to use an American football metaphor. But most of the time we’re rushing through life, there’s no need to do so- particularly with regards to racing thoughts or what Taoism calls the Chattering Monkey Mind.
Be Kind To Your Mind Folks,
Ari
Expressing My Gratitude
The most important way I express gratitude is by setting an everyday intention and commitment to have an attitude of gratitude as a way of life. Every morning before I get out of bed, I remember this mantra before my feet hit the floor, and wake up expecting synchronicity. Also, I conclude my morning meditation practice by saying “thank you” three times. Practicing random acts of kindness without a sense of betting something back in return amplifies the experience.
As I go about my day, regardless of what my moods or feelings might be, I try to enjoy the little things. And even if I don’t, I work on appreciation, acceptance and even embracing what is. Yes, inner peace can be more challenging when any given situation is asking me to come out of my bubble or see the blessing that might be brilliantly disguised within the apparent curse. One way I have been pushing my edge with this is working building gratitude for and relaxing my judgments about provocative adult emotional reactions.
Positive self talk helps a lot. But so does allowing the negative self talk to pass with care as gently as possible without trying to push them away or throw them in the trash. I try to remember to have an open, passive attitude to whatever the moment calls for. Watching my thoughts and feelings like clouds and sometimes even thanking them for showing up helps me stay in a place of gratitude.
And I try to use “I-messages” as a form of effective communication. For example, if I am asked to do something at work or at home that I don’t want to do or having a hard time with, I’m getting better at asserting myself by saying something like, “I really don’t want to paint the house and would rather pay someone else to do the job. But I’m not unwilling to do the job and am open to having a conversation about it.” This has been hard for me because I don’t like disappointing people. When I do that, I find that it isn’t about getting my way, it is more about speaking my truth and then letting go of it so that I don’t build resentments. Sometimes, saying no is saying yes.
When gratitude is my inner state of consciousness, I feel less seduced by the clinging or grasping of whatever presents itself in the theater of life.
Spirituality As A Way Of Life
I’m not a mutually exclusive kind of person, so for me there is no separation between mind, body and spirit. The soul realm is as real as it gets to a guy like me. As I moved through this journey of life, I have come to find the sacred in everything, even in the mundane. I look for the extraordinary in the ordinary, and watch out for the signs and synchronicities that light my way. There many paths to experience God(ess)s, Creator, Higher Self, Universe, the Tao- whatever semantics you choose to identify with. Sitting out in Nature with the animals, alone in the woods is where I feel most connected to Spirit. But I do get that feeling wherever I go. Sometimes, with humans- it’s in the eye of a newborn or even cloaked in disguise of a grown adult’s emotional reactions. There is so much beauty in our world, if only our eyes are open to it. And the dark is part of spirituality too. Taking the fight out of things and finding ways to co-exist peacefully with others is a key dynamic along my spiritual path. Seek first to understand, then be understood. I try to see beyond forms into the formless realm of souls and look for the inner royalty. When I forget, I remember.
Classroom Mothership Earth 