The wonderful book 'Why we meditate' gives the 'beautiful monsters' as the analogy. If we can contact those parts of our selves, we may find a lot of wisdom in what they have to tell us. Our various Gollums, if you like.
Also, whilst the film made a decent attempt, the book's description is one of my two favourite scenes:
'For a fleeting moment, could one of the sleepers have seen him, they would have thought that they beheld an old weary hobbit, shrunken by the years that had carried him far beyond his time, beyond friends and kin, and the fields and streams of youth, an old starved pitiable thing.'
In the book, Sam wakes up grumpy, but not outright aggressive as in the film. But it shows so much better how little it takes for Gollum to jump back into his shadow self.
The other scene is at the mirror of Galadriel, where she shows/tells Frodo what she would be like as an absolute ruler:
'And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!'
The ease with which a good person can fall down into darkness, even (especially?) with good intentions.
"The need is the genuinely “precious” thing. The urge is just a fearful knee-jerk reaction to it. It’s only when you can discern the difference that you can be truly in control." thank you, Hazel! your insights always come with a zoomed in, laser focus that leaves nothing behind the veil. Keep shining your light! I think self-compassion and love have the power to bring these parts into wholeness; the moment I stop judging myself and my shadow is the same moment I get the chance to move forward and have great breakthroughs!
The wonderful book 'Why we meditate' gives the 'beautiful monsters' as the analogy. If we can contact those parts of our selves, we may find a lot of wisdom in what they have to tell us. Our various Gollums, if you like.
Also, whilst the film made a decent attempt, the book's description is one of my two favourite scenes:
'For a fleeting moment, could one of the sleepers have seen him, they would have thought that they beheld an old weary hobbit, shrunken by the years that had carried him far beyond his time, beyond friends and kin, and the fields and streams of youth, an old starved pitiable thing.'
In the book, Sam wakes up grumpy, but not outright aggressive as in the film. But it shows so much better how little it takes for Gollum to jump back into his shadow self.
The other scene is at the mirror of Galadriel, where she shows/tells Frodo what she would be like as an absolute ruler:
'And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!'
The ease with which a good person can fall down into darkness, even (especially?) with good intentions.
I think Tolkien knew a lot about human nature.
"The lost parts of the self need to be witnessed without judgement if we’re going to coax them back into the light."
Oomph!
Difficult to do within oneself, and an entirely different challenge when relationshiping with others.
Thanks Hazel
"The need is the genuinely “precious” thing. The urge is just a fearful knee-jerk reaction to it. It’s only when you can discern the difference that you can be truly in control." thank you, Hazel! your insights always come with a zoomed in, laser focus that leaves nothing behind the veil. Keep shining your light! I think self-compassion and love have the power to bring these parts into wholeness; the moment I stop judging myself and my shadow is the same moment I get the chance to move forward and have great breakthroughs!
I needed this today. Thank you.