Order Within Chaos
For life to be lived, things must die. This thought emerged powerfully during my meditation today, echoing the words of Chief Leonard Crow Dog at Sundance:
“For the ceremony to take place, there has to be a sacrifice.”
This is the wood for the fire, the Sundance tree that gives its life to hold our prayers for the year. The sacred herbs, the people with their time, energy, presence, flesh, and blood—for a ceremony to happen, there must be a sacrifice.
This teaching feels ancient, as though it carries the wisdom of an old world—something known before Christ, yet still deeply relevant. Though it may seem forgotten in the modern age, it is woven into the universal laws of balance, as seen through the law of karma, the “accounting of the universe.” Positive and negative energies are always at play, fluctuating in their proportions as nature continuously seeks harmony.
The heart of traditional medicine lies here: balance the elements, and you restore order in the space—internally and externally.
Reflection and the Season of the West
As we enter the season of the West, we are called inward, into reflection and meditation. In this space, we meet the stories and attachments that shape our lives. The subconscious fears we carry dictate the patterns we live by—both individually and collectively—until we summon the courage to confront them. It’s almost amusing how tightly we cling to experiences, even as our higher self seeks the peace that comes with letting go and aligning with life’s natural order.
Order within chaos.
Chaos emerges only to be cleared, and it rises when we are ready to meet it. This is the duality of life: the light calls forth the dark. As Buddha taught, attachment leads to suffering, and our shadows—the parts of us longing for light—persist until they are met with love, honesty, and compassion.
The Shadow and the Path to Creator
In Lakota cosmogony, Nagi—the shadow—represents all that stands between us and the Creator. It includes everything in our lives, lineage, and society that must be acknowledged, honored, and respected so it can be released. Only then can we take grounded, practical steps to align our lives with spirit. Every ceremony begins by invoking essence, followed by creating form with integrity. In doing so, we create a sacred container through which spirit can flow freely.
The Interconnected Self
Likewise, life invites us to surrender our fears to God, to be witnessed by others, and through that witnessing, to see ourselves more clearly. The self is never singular—it is relational. The observer shapes the observed, and the observed projects itself outward, becoming part of a vast, interconnected whole—a symphony of existence divinely orchestrated.
Through this dance of giving and receiving, shadow and light, conscious ceremony and unconscious experience, life unfolds.
Stepping Through the Shadow
When we step through our shadows, we gain power—the kind of power that amplifies life itself. The fabric of existence is intricately woven, and as we expand in self-awareness, the Greater Self flourishes.