The heart is the switching station in the body, that which connects the physical to the spiritual selves, and it’s also operating system from which we connect to everything and everyone around us. The heart has a very different sort of knowingness that our usual operating systems. It will lead us in different directions, and it will always tell us the Truth. There is no illusion in the Heart. The heart center will always remind us that we are all connected, that no one succeeds alone, and that we are always stronger than I.
We associate the heart with love, because love is the energy of The Universe, and love is what dissolves the illusion of separation. The key to everything is, in some way, love. The energy of the Universe. The energy that connects us all.
I’m going to get more esoteric for a moment, bear with me.
In the sacred text of Abrahamic beliefs, when we were in the Garden of Eden, we were love and connection. We were made of the earth, and imbued with the energy of the breath of the Divine. We were made from one another, so the connection was palpable. The true mistake (sin is a mistranslation from the Greek) was donning fig leaves, which is a metaphor for separating ourselves from the Divine, aka Unconditional Love. There was no choice but to leave the Garden, we had taken on the illusion of separation. After we left, the gate to the garden was held by 2 kerubim – one with push polarity and one with pull polarity. In other words, the energy that makes up matter.
Cherubs are the anglicization of the word Kerubim. The cherubs are are used to these days come from Raphaelite art, and look nothing like what mystics understand the kerubim to be; therefore, another illusion. They are the only order of angels in Abrahamic religions to directly interface with the Divine. They are frequently described as having four faces, and are thought of as gates and guardians in western mysticism. [Side note: Raphael is the archangel of the heart center.] If we are to re-member who we are and let fall the illusion of separation, the kerubim at the gates (ie: the energy that makes up all things, which we can understand to be Unconditional Love) will help us transition back to our Divine selves. The key to everything is, in some way, love. The energy of the Universe. The energy that connects us all.
The place from which we normally operate these days is where that illusion of separation sits. It’s where our fear talks to us, saying that we’re not enough, there’s not enough, there will never be enough; telling us that we’re not going to get what we need or we’re going to lose the things we have. It also correlates to ages 6-9 in early childhood development, so we relate to ourselves and others from that space. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t have awesome tools at that age.
If we can consciously shift our operating system from that space of ego to our point of connection, we no longer operate from fear. We stop seeing everyone as their commodified function (wait staff, checkout clerk, window personnel at the DMV, banker, poor person, unhoused, etc) and begin relating to each other as human beings, connected in our personhood, equal and beautiful and glorious, each deserving of respect, courtesy, and consideration.
Some questions to help you start to move into that space:
On Sunday, February 6th, I’ll be offering a one-hour, online workshop in which you will learn how to start working from the heart center, our point of connection. I will talk more about what that means, teach you step-by-step how to do it, and give you exercises to try outside of class. Registration is still open.