The Myth of Mercury Retrograde

Gary's note: Here's another perspective on Mercury Retrograde. I'm posting this because I'm not buying into the idea that there are certain things we should not do when it's in effect (i.e, enter into contracts, buy a computer, etc.). It's got too much of the same stuff The Secret is made of. My example: If I wait to buy a specific car three days from now, when Mercury Retrograde is over, my chances of having problems with it are greatly reduced...that something  has magically changed.

Feared, disparaged, and despised, the Mercury Retrograde is rapidly becoming the most maligned phenomenon in popular astrology. Without justification, this event stands among infamous superstitions such as stepping on cracks, breaking mirrors, and opening umbrellas indoors. The purveyors of astrological fear have managed to give the world a reason for all its woes, but who can blame us for accepting a ready-made scapegoat? Now broken cars, miscommunications, and botched performances are no longer the fault of human error—rather, they’re just a few of the many ills that belong to the irresponsible antics of Mercury.

This kind of thinking takes astrology back 100 years, when the planets were seen as evil forces that bore ominous warnings.

Many practitioners still echo the voice of the old soothsayers. They proclaim Mercury, the planet of communication, is moving backward, and then warn us not to sign or buy anything during this retrograde. It’s likely we’ve heard that warning more than once—which is why we can’t get rid of the gnawing sense of caution every time we hear about the Mercury Retrograde.

When using astrology as a tool to guide our lives, it’s important to recognize the issue of self-fulfilling prophecy, that unconscious desire to ensure we get the outcome we believe we will. In other words, if we proclaim that since Mercury is going to be moving retrograde, bad things will happen, then there’s a good chance they indeed will.

Why Retrograde?

All planets (with the exception of the luminaries: the Sun and Moon) go into what’s called a “retrograde phase.” Some go retrograde every year, while others may only do so every few years. Retrograde means that from the Earth’s viewpoint, the planet in question visually appears to pause and then begins to move backward through its normal path across the sky. (Of course, the planets don’t actually change direction.)

When a planet goes retrograde, the issues it reflects as it travels back through the sign (or signs) tend to have you revisiting the experiences you had when it moved across that point in its original forward movement. You see, prior to moving backward, a planet must first pass through the retrograde territory in direct motion. Because it will return to this point during the retrograde phase, this is called the “pre-retrograde zone,” as it allows you to take note of issues that may emerge before the actual retrograde. After the planet has gone through its retrograde, it then moves forward, traversing once again the same course it did while traveling backward. This is the “post-retrograde zone,” and since it occurs afterward, it often brings closure and clarity to those issues experienced throughout the earlier phases.

A New Perspective on Mercury Retrograde

In truth, Mercury Retrogrades allow us to tune in more closely to our intuition, heighten our senses, and gain a larger overview of our lives. Rarely has there been a Mercury Retrograde that didn’t assist in uncovering mistakes that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. This opportunity for reappraisal may account for why so many successful businesses were launched during the retrograde cycle.

Let’s try thinking of the Mercury Retrograde period as a big contemplation cycle. Contemplation is how we connect to our higher mind—and disconnect from our daily distractions—in order to look at life from a broader perspective. Certainly decisions made while in such a state are bound to be supported. It’s a time of review, and an opportunity to enhance decisions that we’ve already made. What other time of our lives do we get not just two, but three chances to make something work? This is the best time to look at our relationships and speak what’s on our mind. Mercury embraces communication—it encourages it. It’s time to take charge of our life and learn to live it fearlessly. Let’s move to make the Mercury Retrograde our comrade in wisdom:

Change those old beliefs that keep us in fear. 

8 Reasons to Welcome the Next Mercury Retrograde

I’ve made the following list of ideas to help you navigate and even look forward to Mercury Retrograde. So, the next time you hear that a retrograde is coming, return here and review the list.

More than 50 % of the top 100 Fortune 500 businesses were started under the Mercury Retrograde. Imagine what you could do:

1. Now, thoughts that have been lost to you can come back renewed and ready for consideration.
2. Finally, you can slow your obsessive mind down and start feeling your life.
3. You can now meet with (insert name of boss, friend, co-worker, sibling, parent, child, or what have you) and clear up that misunderstanding.
4. You can abandon your routine in favor of spontaneity.
5. This is a great time to re-examine that important decision.
6. Your mind is less attached to things—now you can release that “bad” habit without fear.
7. It’s time to give attention to your car, that toothache, or new computer.
8. And if you’re tired of the same boring vacations, Mercury Retrograde is ready to show you a good time!

Remember, this could be a time of celebration and grandeur, or of fear and isolation…you get to choose. (Hint: One choice is a lot more fun than the other!)

 Mark S. Husson is a man with a lifelong interest in the inner workings of the mind. Mark's astrological classes and workshops enabled psychotherapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and lay persons to become aware of astrology's ability to empower themselves and their clients. Visit: www.12house.com.

What does a 21st century priestess really want in a man?

A guest blog by Sherri L. McClendon, MA OM

Gary's note: Sherri is a Priestess through Anyaa's Priestess Process, a dear friend, and one of our excellent marketing gurus. Find out more about Sherri at the bottom of this post.

What does a 21st century priestess really want in a man?

First things first, I’d really like to turn in my penis.

I like men, I really do. I enjoy the company of men, and I’ve even been known to adore them on occasion. But there’s a problem. After plenty of life experience, I just don’t trust them as a species.

Yes, I agree with our friend Gary that women as well as men must “heal their own masculine and feminine essences before they can come together in sacred union.” Yes, I’m responsible for balancing and integrating the masculine aspects of my own psyche, hence the need to give up my “penis.” Given what passes for masculinity at the dawn of the 21st century, please forgive me if I have yet to come to full acceptance of this task. Forgive me if I am still working on forgiveness.

The reality is I frequently encounter wounded warriors, an archetype which no longer holds attraction for me.  I’d like men to dress and heal their own wounds, thank you very much, not wait for me to staunch the bleeding of their hearts, or pull marrow from my soul to make them feel whole again. Neither am I the Morrigan to whom the wounded warrior may look to be carried from the field of battle into shadow, nor am I the spoils of war to be pillaged for another’s gain. These are not my roles; please do not ask me to bear this mantle. Women are wounded, too, and some of us are angry.

Back in the heyday of ancient Rome, the eyes of the world were turned toward Capitoline Hill where the goddess Moneta and her sister Minerva, enjoyed equal status to the male godhead, Saturn. Given Moneta’s association with the flow of money and protection of resources, Minerva’s mastery of sustainability through ensuring the cycles of the year, and Saturn’s gift to the two of substance, it seemed a balanced act.

But the Romans had other ideas. The warriors of the day, bent on competition, accumulation, and power over others, dug a secret tunnel to the mint beneath the Moneta temple, where they removed the money created in order to fuel their war machine. Each New Year, they’d visit the temple womb of Minerva and “nail” the ending of the old year above the entry. Thus, they originated the version of the conquering warrior hero that is the dominant figure in Western culture’s coming of age stories for men. Women, it may be noted, do not have a coming of age tradition, and though we are taught the hero’s journey, men are not reciprocally given women’s stories. Instead, our society is left with men who exhibit Saturn’s over-reliance on structures, who cling to old thought forms of authoritarianism and righteous discipline in lieu of a better way of relating with their world. In order to receive Saturn’s gift of substance, many women have found that we must hand over our power to become chattels rather than partners, relegated to trophies, subordinates, or priestess/princess whores. In each of these cases, women have been deliberately disenfranchised to ensure the power of the masculine over and above the feminine. We became punished by our own consent to play by Saturn’s rules.

Those times, thank Goddess, are on the wane. Men and women today call forth a path of service in the evolution of the species on Earth as a living, embodied, divine expression of Spirit. When I read Chaucer’s “Wife of Bath’s Tale,” from the Canterbury Tales, or its modern interpretation in Mel Gibson’s portrayal in “What Women Want,” I understand the need for communication between the masculine and feminine, reconciling across time, space and dimension.

So, what does a 21st century priestess really want in a man? After all, the concept of the new masculine is integrating, grounded, loving. Priestesses everywhere are opening to its emergence.

First, the New Masculine male must be secure enough in his wholeness to hold space for divine feminine evolution.  This means his king, warrior, lover, and magician archetypes reconcile. His path of service through his work and actions aligns heart and mind, and exemplifies purposefulness. Almost certainly, his travel into shadow enables his return to the light. As a partner, he is a loving, present co-creator and able, ready, and willing to step into sacred union with the feminine both within and without.

Essentially, as a 21st century priestess, I seek to be fully partnered, not husbanded; self-determining, not stewarded; mated, not married. Gratefully, I mother a beautiful divine masculine child, now 5, and hope he may evolve consciously, fully into manhood. I celebrate the emergence of the Integral Warrior, the brave transformation for the future.  Finally, I celebrate a world where strong women don’t have to grow penises – or emasculate men - in order to survive the prevailing winds of change.  It’s a new Earth, and a new day. So be it.

Sherri L. McLendon, M.A., O.M., of Professional Moneta™, is known as Your Moneta Marketing Mentor™ and creatrix of the Moneta Movement™. She is a long-time advocate for the evolution of Gary Stamper’s work with the New Masculine and the Integral Warrior process. As a divine feminine marketing coach, she uses co-creative communication strategies, to assist spiritual, holistic and conscious entrepreneurs in the realization of their highest and best potentials. Find out more at http://www.professionalmoneta.com, or check out the done-for-you copywriting and publicity services at McLendon Bylines at http://www.sherrimclendon.com

Whose Fear Is It, Anyway?

I've been accused, more than once, of being in fear.

Wikipedia defines fear as a distressing emotion induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger and flee from it or confront it, also known as the Fight or Flight response. Fear is a distressing emotion induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger and flee from it or confront it, also known as the Fight or Flight response.

Fear is a 200,000 year-old finely honed gift of evolution, and when we experience fear, we need to pay attention. Fear can be related to future events, such as a worsening of a situation that is unacceptable, or an instant reaction to something presently happening.

There two types of fear: External fear caused by something outside of you which you are strongly motivated to avoid - like spiders or heights - and internal fear, such as fear developed out of low self esteem.

I've been accused, more than once, of living in fear....and I think it's an unfair accusation. I am also unapologetic. Let me explain.

The accusations of fear directed toward me are in response to all of the events of the world, what appears to be a perfect storm of conditions, mostly induced by ourselves, humanity, all bearing down on us at the same time. I've written and reported about those conditions on this blog several times (here and here).

Here's what I do fear, some of which is already happening: Massive population die-off due to starvation, the collapse of what America could have been, instead of just another nation-state-empire, deepening economic collapse, continued global warming, water, oil, and food wars, and much, much more. It is an external fear.

But even as I own my fear and that I am in fear, I am not fearful.* From an earlier blog:

I struggle for balance in the face of all the negativity thrust upon us as a result of increased awareness through being able to hold the "unholdable" perspective, and as a result, being more conscious than the average comatose individuals who have been intentionally lulled to sleep (the average people I know don't have a clue about what's going on or are in denial).

I look at these events with a belief that these are not random, meaningless events, but, rather, are occurring for the distinct purpose of waking us up, to stretch us into new territories of awareness. For me, that waking up is the profound realization that what we are now doing, as Americans, and as humanity, is simply not sustainable, and that there will be a shift, and things will be very different than they are now.

Things are going to change, and I hold that they will change for the better...but not at first. I believe things are going to get much worse before they get better, and that it's possible that "better" may be decades, or possibly centuries, away, mere specks in time. I don't believe that some magical shift is going to occur and suddenly everything and everyone is going to be "conscious," and that those of us who are able to hold the higher vibration will survive while others will not. That feels like a"new age" version of mythic religion's "end-times," or "rapture." Look up "End Time" on Wikipedia and see how how ingrained these themes are in our collective consciousness.

The term "higher vibration" will be interpreted at the level of conscious of the person using it, and will obviously mean different things to people at different levels of consciousness. For me, that "higher vibration" means being aware and conscious enough to see what is coming, to step out of denial, and to be as prepared as is possible, also knowing that you can't possibly prepare for everything.

When I hear people saying to me that, when I talk of these things, they hear a message of fear, what I believe they are experiencing is not my fear, but their own fear in response to what I'm saying. Where I'm at today is a place of getting as ready as possible by getting out of the city and being as self-sustainable as possible.

Once I've recognized the possibilities and done as much as I can do, I surrender and step out of fear, knowing that whatever happens, I've done what I can do. And surrendering is the key to freedom, regardless of how things unfold. What's coming is an ending...and a beginning, and no one knows what it will look like.

*'Fearful' in its original sense means full of fear in the particular sense of being afraid to do something wrong, almost in a sense of respect. Imagine a situation where you have to be careful about what you say, what words you use because if you say the wrong word, you will be in trouble. This describes the state of being 'fearful' as in: He was fearful of saying the wrong thing and as a result upsetting her.

image credit

The Integral Warrior Men's Introductory Weekend

Are women really better at almost everything than men? Dan Abrams seems to think so.

"The evidence here will show, however, that women are living longer and evolving better than men.” It takes a lot for a man to admit his own weaknesses (there’s a chapter on how women tolerate pain better), so we wondered why Abrams would make the case for women. Turns out, it’s a man’s job.

So what does this have to do with men's work? It shows that we've got a lot of work to do, and I challenge you to step into that work!

I have two introductory weekends coming up in the next month: One at Isis Cove on March 19-20, and one in Cincinnati on April 2-3. It's possible these could be the last introductory weekends of the Integral Warrior/Shamanic Priest Process this year. These circles will extend into September and in October, Anyaa and I are going to be touring with Andrew Harvey, author of The Hope.

The introductory weekend gives men a chance to experience the process, to find out more about how it can benefit them, and to decide if they want to continue the other five weekends spread out over 5 months. Read what one man had to say about the intro weekend I just did in North Carolina: 

 "I have worked with archetypes before and done shadow work but never worked with the two together, releasing one while embracing the other. I feel this is very powerful work and just what I need at this point in my life. I feel that when we complete this series of workshops that I will finally become the man I was meant to be. Thanks again and I look forward to this journey with you and my new found male friends." - John

We are all intensely aware that we are in the midst of the global shift humankind has been waiting for. At the very time this huge Global Awakening is going on, we're also in the midst of our darker side trying to gain control. It's why everything is breaking down. It's the oldest battle on the planet, and why it's more important now than ever for men to step up and embody the New Masculine as Integral Warriors following the path of Sacred Activism.

So I have two questions for you:

What's getting in your way and preventing you from living your purpose and your passion and being the man you know you can and want to be? 

What would you give to shift from your present level of consciousness into an entirely NEW WAY OF THINKING in just a few months time?*

I know....that's a huge claim for anyone to make. Normally, moving from one stage to the next is a five year process, and with intense practices and focused meditation, it might take two. But don't believe me....read here (almost at the bottom of the page) what men (and even a wife!) are saying about THE INTEGRAL WARRIOR men's process.

And more! Read what an initiated Mankind Project man from Cincinnati has to say about the process! Here and here!

I'm inviting you to take action to break through whatever might be holding you back in your personal, professional, spiritual, and planetary evolution.

Join me and other conscious men in Sacred Space as we explore the inner and outer workings of our being for the benefit of ourselves, our loved ones, and the planet!

Attend the first weekend and then decide if you want to complete the entire process.

For more information, visit The Integral Warrior website or email me at garystamper@yahoo.com or, call me at 206-779-5870 with any questions you might have.

Bodacious Blessings and Joy,

Gary

*The Integral Warrior is a proven process that moves men toward later stage consciousness and assists in our ability to hold ourselves as embodying the New Masculine. Using a cutting-edge Integral and developmental approach combined with the Wisdom of the Shaman (altered-states consciousness), Jungian Archetypes, Initiation and Ritual, we create a new paradigm of learning that greatly accelerates our growth.

Click on the flier to see a full-sized image.

Are Women Really Better At Almost Everything?

Dan Abram's book, Man Down, is the latest in a series of articles and books that challenge many of our long-held beliefs about women, and what it means to men. Having not read the book, yet (I ordered it yesterday), I don't know what it means to men in terms of the Abram's research, but I'm beginning to get a picture of how some men are reacting to it, which seems strange, since it's obviously a book meant to amuse, not prove.

Abrams is a legal analyst for ABC News and a former lawyer, and says he approached the topic as a defense attorney, using evidence that already exists to debunk popular myths about women.

“In nearly every field, statistics and studies show that women are better collaborators, are more cautious and more adept at navigating treacherous terrain,” writes Abrams in his book’s opening statement. “I am not convinced that women as a group play basketball or read maps better than men. The evidence here will show, however, that women are living longer and evolving better than men.” It takes a lot for a man to admit his own weaknesses (there’s a chapter on how women tolerate pain better), so we wondered why Abrams would make the case for women. Turns out, it’s a man’s job.

 The book touches on a lot of silly things, but apparently ignores the more serious questions like violent crime and child abandonment, much more stark differences between men and women. It's not a book about who's better.

The feedback I'm getting from men seems to come from two different directions.

The first, an egalitarian and relativistic perspective that seems to say that no one is better than anyone else, and that we are all one, and that comparisons create the illusion of separation. This approach, in my opinion, is a self-permission for men not to look at where they need to do their work. Improve? But we're all perfect just as we are!  It's an unwillingness to look objectively at what's going on and a shadow move to change the subject.

The second approach is defensive and reactionary, all the while making arguments that actually support Abrams' findings. The remarkable part of this approach is that it uses assumptions to argue against what it sees as assumptions. Have you read the book?

But the facts are undeniable: Women are surpassing men in leadership positions, valedictorian addresses, graduation rates, jobs after graduation, and even salaries. Women seem to have found their adaptability muscles, and men seem to be struggling with change. My experience is that women are better at evolving than most men. I've never been approached by a man and been asked, "where are all the conscious women?" On the other hand....well, you get the picture.

One of the reviews on Amazon called this book called it the perfect gift for your favorite male chauvinist.

So to wrap this up, let's move away from the book and take a deeper look at what's going on with men today - especially American men. This isn't about better, or some imagined hierarchy of right and wrong. This is about centuries of patriarchy, where even though most men were also victims of it and not perpetrators, it has numbed us as men. It's time for us to wake up. Those of you who are offended by what appears to be the duality and separation of what feels like a contest-like mentality demonstrated in the book need to back up and take a look at your shadow around this. Instead of Abrams' Man Down, maybe its' a wake up call to New Man-Up.

Here's the full title and a link to where you can buy the book: Man Down: Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, and Just About Everything Else.

For a more serious look at what's going on with men today, read the first chapter of my book, "Awakening The New Masculine."

Awakening The New Masculine: The Video Promo

This is the promo video for my book, "Awakening the New Masculine: The Path of the integral Warrior." It will be submitted to the Next Top Self Help Author contest on February 1st.

I'll be asking for support by way of your vote and will let you know when and how when it's time. Meanwhile, thanks to all of you who have commented to me via email on the first two chapters here. The support has been absolutely wonderful!

Gary

My Father Died This Morning....

 Wayne E. Stamper, 1919-2011

I got the call from my sister on the West Coast, about 9:15 their time. She told me our father had passed away in his sleep between midnight and 1am. We knew it was coming, and soon. He turned 92 last Friday and had been in the care of Hospice for a few months, and took a turn for the worse a couple of weeks ago. The cancer they couldn't find for several years had turned up in his stomach, and it was bad. They had him on heavy morphine for the last two weeks.

I've been calling him almost daily. His voice had been getting more raspy for the past few years, but the morphine had made it almost impossible to make out his heavily slurred words. Our communications over the past couple of weeks had been limited to "I can't hear you" from him, to "I'm sorry, Dad, I can't understand you" from me. There were a lot of silences where we just stayed on the phone knowing we were connecting without having to say anything. It was hard, though.

We thought we were going to lose him a few months ago when the doctors told my sister it was time to call the family in, that his kidneys had failed and he probably wouldn't make it through the night. When he did, I jumped on a plane, flew to Sacramento, rented a car, and got up to Redding where he was in the hospital. He didn't die. Hid kidneys somehow restarted amazing the doctors. We got to spend two days together. He was in and out of consciousness, and we got to talk about life and death. He wasn't afraid to die. I told him how different cultures and religions viewed death and about some of the philosophies around dying. We got to talk about his life, about my childhood, and I got to honor him - deeply - for his gift of great fathering, expressing my deep gratitude to him for being the father so many never get to experience in this world of under-fathered and over-mothered boys.

He  was born in Comers Rock, Virginia, in 1919. The house he was born in, built by my grandfather, Peyton Stamper, a farmer and a Baptist Minister, still doesn't have indoor plumbing and is in pretty bad condition. It's pictured above. We got to visit it on our honeymoon last August, when I took this photo. I found it on Google Earth. He was the second of seven children, and only two survive now. He was a depression teenager and had pleurisy. At 17, knowing he had to get well and out of the Virginia hills, managed to con his way into the Navy. He did get well.

A Pearl Harbor Survivor, he was showering when the klaxons sounded, and he thought, "what a time for a drill." He dressed, and got up on deck just in time to see bullets from a Japanese Zero strafing the deck in front of him. He was a turret captain on the USS St Louis, and they were the first ship out of Pearl harbor after the attack, as a decoy, where they knew the Japanese submarines were waiting for them. The photo below shows the St. Louis, at the right, underway out of the harbor. The St. Louis saw a lot of South Pacific action in WWII and became known as "Lucky Lou, the ship that couldn't be sunk."

He went on to teach naval Science at the California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, California, not far from Mare Island Naval Shipyard, before retiring as an honorary Lt. Commander after 20 years in the Navy as a Chief Gunner's Mate. Knowing he had two children to send to college, he became a successful businessman, first owning his own businesses and later in Real Estate.

My dad was always my best friend. We never had the problems many of my friends had with their parents. He was a loving, kind father. He wasn't perfect, but who is? He was perfect for me. He was a great role model while I was growing up and remained the same when I became a man. I could always talk to him, and he to me.

If we are truly able to choose our parents for the lessons we need to learn in this lifetime, then I chose very well. I got to tell him I loved him many. many times over the years and in the past few months and days. I will miss him, and I will always carry him with me. I am disappointed he never got to read the book I'm writing, Awakening The new Masculine: The Path of the Integral Warrior. He would have loved it.

'We do not know where death awaits us: so let us wait for it everywhere. To practice death is to practice freedom. A man who has learned how to die has unlearned how to be a slave." - Montaigne

I love you, dad. Travel well. 

 My sister Suzy, My Dad, and me, 2001

Awakening the New Masculine: The book

Dear Readers and Friends,

I've been writing in this format for five years, and have always had the intention in the back of my mind that it might turn into a book one day.

Well, that day has arrived, and the book is well underway along with the working title, Awakening the New Masculine: The Path of the Integral Warrior, and is based on my workshop, The Integral Warrior." Here's the link to the introduction and the first two chapters. It is a pre-submission in draft form for your review and suggestions. It will be submitted to "The Next Top Self-Help Author" contest along with a short video (coming soon) on the 1st of February, 2010.

Right now, I need your help. Please read it and let me know what you think, do you like it, not like it, what can I do to improve it, any glaring errors you might see (don't worry about proofreading), etc. Please comment by emailing me at garystamper@yahoo.com with the subject line "Top Author."

I also want to elicit your help, as the publisher, Conari press, wants to see how much support I can gather for it, and I will be asking you to vote for it and my upcoming video in February. I'll be sure and send you the link when it's time.

I hope you enjoy it. I'm having a ball putting it together and writing it.

Love,

Gary

Off to Cincinnati, Again....

I leave tomorrow for Cincinnati again, for the The Integral Warrior workshop for men.

This is the 5th weekend in the 6-weekend series. This weekend we re-integrate the King Archetype, after "killing off" the Shadow King the 1st weekend and spending the 3 weekends in between integrating our Warrior, Lover, and Magician archetypes. 

To anchor the cognitive work we do around the healthy King, we will also spend a day with the Shamanic Breathwork Process. You can read more about that here.

In addition, I'll also be facilitating a stand-alone men's Shamanic Breathwork on Friday, before the Integral Warrior workshop resumes on Saturday.

Nice 7-hour drive to get there, and another Sunday night to get home. Good thing I love talk radio and my Sirius satellite radio!

I have a new series of The Integral Warrior firing up at the end of January at our Retreat Center  in the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. Click here for more information.

Claiming and Embodying the Magician Archetype

The magician weekend in Cincinnati was the most powerful one, yet. This whole process of The Integral Warrior keeps unfolding, and all I have to do is get out of my own way and be a conduit for what wants to emerge.

After we dive deep into each archetype, we examine and own both the light and dark sides of our archetype. We  anchor the awakening with both cognitive and experiential realms, through gross, subtle and causal states of consciousness, enabling us to fully grasp and comprehend how these aspects play out in our lives.


Only now, they begin to play out consciously, giving us choices around how we respond rather than react.


These initiation statements are where the men claim their ownership and embodiment of the archetype.

I was so blown away by the initiation statements the men wrote for the Magician Archetype, the 3rd Initiation, that I asked for permission to share them anonymously. I was incredibly touched at how deep the men went in their processes and the results show in these statements. They said yes, and although I haven't received all of them, yet, here's a couple of samples....I'll add more as they come in.

"I am the Magician and the Shamanic Priest and I vow to utilize that powerful aspect of my masculine being for the betterment of my global tribe. I will continually refine those magical powers and apply them at every opportunity to increase awareness in others to better understand the magical powers they have. In doing so I will  strive to raise the level of consciousness of the collective – beyond the corporate world and the obsolete and destructive patriarchal rulers of this world. My intent will be to guide where and when I can to demonstrate that we are all one with each other and that it is only in one unified spirit we will be able to transition into a better place."

 "It is with Love, Compassion, Integrity and Honor I enter into this contract and invite the universe to present the opportunities for me to give back. I now welcome those opportunities and will not make excuses to pass them up. It is my time!"

"I claim the Magician archetype.  I claim the knowledge that the Magician has access to and the power to unlock it.  I uphold the power of the mediator and communicator of hidden knowledge, the healer, teacher, and contemplative. I keep my inner eye fixed on the Self and the "Diamond Body" we each have within us.

 

I seek the power of the shaman to obtain my full expression of the Magician archetype, as guardian of esoteric knowledge and technician of sacred power, I agree to accept the powers to solve the problems that arise before me. Like the King I will save space to have the capacity to care, like the Warrior I will have the capacity to fight and like the Lover I will have the capacity to value someone enough to fight for them.

 

When the Magician energy manifests, I will begin to quest for knowledge, growth, expansion for m self and to model myself for others as I go through life and I will claim my rightful place as an elder of the community and teacher."

I acknowledge and embody the archetype of the Magician. The seeker who fearlessly enters the dark place in search of knowledge, truth and transformation. I claim that part of myself that seeks out ever deeper levels of wisdom to transform the unknown into beliefs and ideals, and then moves forward into true knowing by experiencing.

I acknowledge that part of me that discovers my gifts, then immediately employs them for the good of mankind. That guides, and leads, ad initiates others by example and purposeful action.

I vow to more fully explore and develop this magical aspect of my self to know without question that this lifetime made a significant contribution to mankind’s evolution.

I claim the Magician archetype.  I claim the knowledge that the Magician has access to and the power to unlock it.  I uphold the power of the mediator and communicator of hidden knowledge, the healer, teacher, and contemplative. I keep my inner eye fixed on the Self and the "Diamond Body" we each have within us.

I seek the power of the shaman to obtain my full expression of the Magician archetype, as guardian of esoteric knowledge and technician of sacred power, I agree to accept the powers to solve the problems that arise before me. Like the King I will save space to have the capacity to care, like the Warrior I will have the capacity to fight and like the Lover I will have the capacity to value someone enough to fight for them.

When the Magician energy manifests, I will begin to quest for knowledge, growth, expansion for m self and to model myself for others as I go thru life and I will claim my rightful place as an elder of the community and teacher.

 

I am honored  and humbled to carry this work forward...work that is so desperately needed at this time on the planet.

Image from the Arthur Sussman Gallery

Archetypes and the Tea party Women (or, Being Female Does Not make You a Feminist)

I saw a great bumper sticker the other other day: it read, "it's the stupidity, stupid." No where does that seem more evident than the current crop of women Tea Party candidates: Uber-conservative, fanatically religious, most of them completely unqualified to hold office, and dangerous.

The conservative right is happy for 'sexy' female candidates so long as they don't demand abortion rights, maternity leave, equal pay and equal sexual pleasure.  The 2010 Republican campaign is an attempt by the old order to reinstall its rejected program. Key to this effort is the promotion of “sexy” female candidates, the “new” conservative woman, whether Tea Party or Republican. She is a showpiece, a fig leaf, covering the impotence at the heart of the Tea Party’s politics of rage.

When, and how, did it become fashionable for women candidates to start being creepy? Women like the anti-masturbation candidate Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle (who tells Hispanic students they might be Asian and encourages Hispanics to stay home from voting), former WWE wrestling Exec Linda McMahon, to name a whacked-out few, and the self-promoting Sarah Palin who broke her vow to the Alaskan people by resigning as Governor so she could make money....lots of money. When did candidates like Meg Whitman, who is spending $140M of her own money on her California Gubernatorial bid, and Carly Fiorina, the ousted HP CEO who left with a $21M severance package suddenly become "outsiders?

What's going on here, and how do these women fit into our collective shadow?

There are a couple of archetypes at play, here. One is the Concubine to the Shadow King, with the female candidates playing the role of the concubine to the Shadow King, who is really the patriarchy. The Shadow King manipulates from the background, and the concubine plays out her role by allowing herself to be manipulated. In David Deida's model, this is the eternal first-stage woman, who models herself after the men she serves, but is only granted power through those men. She may or may not be fully aware of her role, but she has also assumed the mantle of the patriarchy. She does what she is told to hold on to what she thinks is her power. As long as she follows the rules, she can stay in "power."

The second archetype showing up here is the active and passive shadows of the Magician. The active shadow is the manipulator, or the Sorcerer's Apprentice. They have not mastered their technology (in this case, knowledge) or themselves, and their partial development is capable of wreaking havoc (example: Christine O'Donnell's claim of being a constitutionalist, but being unaware of Separation of Church and State). Although the magician archetype is neither masculine or feminine, the manipulator is the epitome of first-stage feminine.

The passive shadow is the Denying Innocent One: one who wants the power but who refuses to accept the responsibility inherent in the role of the magician. The Magician's power needs to be controlled and channeled by the other archetypes: the discipline of the Warrior, the compassion and values of the Lover, and the big-picture capacity of the King. If it isn't, then the magician becomes the charlatan.

This why I believe "men's work" is so important. First stage men, including candidates who are no better, with their hyper-masculinity, is what these women are emulating. Second-stage men, with their overly-feminized masculine are of no use, here, either. Until we have third-stage men embodying and modeling what the mature masculine looks like, in it's many emerging forms, with hearts wide open and their own fully integrated inner masculine and feminine, women will continue to model the only form of masculine they have in front of them: The patriarchy.

And ultimately, we, you and I, are to blame. We fell for this crap. We have successfully been dumbed down. That's why I started this out with the bumper sticker, "It's the stupidity, stupid."

Men's Work Is Dead

"This past weekend 40 men’s leaders and 6 women answered the call to be a part of the Evolving Men’s Conference. The context? Some of us thought it was to “evolve masculinity.” For others, the hope was to plan a bigger conference next year. Others didn’t know what the context was."
So begins the article at the Evolving Men’s Conference blog/website. In it, the author of the article,Jayson Gaddis, declares "mens' work is dead," and goes on to say:

"The old way we have been doing and selling men’s work is toast and no longer sustainable. Some men will continue to “do men’s work” and even call it that. For me, the associations are too linked to the past of “wound worship” and drama. Men’s work has been synonymous with support, therapy, and other “wimpy” stuff most men simply don’t buy, nor are they interested in hearing about it.
Moving forward, most of the men there will be “selling” their product and services with a lot more awareness (see below). To me, this is a huge win because ultimately it will mean more men are drawn to inner work through channels and subjects that actually interest them.

Whether or not men’s work continues, remains to be seen."

I beg to differ with Jayson and am reposting my reply on the Evolving men's Conference website:

I’m sorry I missed what sounds like a great weekend and want to state my intentions to participate next year. I can’t believe I didn’t even hear about it!

About Men’s Work being dead: It’s a great attention-getting headline, but It seems to me that presumes that everyone is at the same place in their evolutionary development – an assumption that just isn’t true! Some men still need the “men’s work” that Robert Bly, John Lee, and others are doing. It feels like saying, “well, women are equal now, we can stop pushing.”

Just because men don’t want to hear about it doesn’t mean they don’t need it.
Plus, if we think we’re done with our shadow work and don’t need to go there anymore, we’d better think again. That sounds like “spiritual bypass.” It’s only by confronting, owning, and bringing (our shadows) to the light that we find our true masculine power, however that might be defined by each individual man.
Instead of shouting “men’s work” is dead, perhaps we need to put it into an evolutionary context and say “men’s work was the first step, and now we need to create the next one.”

And, I really support what Jayson and others are doing here. here's a video of Jayson inviting other men to the conference.
I can't believe I missed it!

The Lover's Relationship to the Other Archetypes

The Lover archetype, one of the four major archetypes (the others are the Warrior, the Magician, and the King), is probably the most misunderstood of all of the archetypes. The Lover, accessed properly, gives us a sense of meaning in our lives. This sense of meaning is, I believe, the essence of Spirituality, no matter where one might fall on a developmental evolutionary scale or map.

The idealist and the dreamer are two examples of The Lover, deeply immersed and connected to the energy of the universe. The Lover is also playful, sensual, tuned into their physical environment, passionate and compassionate, joyous and creative, living in every moment.

The Lover appreciates and surrounds themselves with beauty, whether it's art, music, relationships, food, their home, and their very life, treating it all as art.

The Masculine Lover keeps the other masculine energies human, loving, and related, helping the King, Warrior, and Magician to harmonize with each other and prevents detachment in them. Each of the other archetypes needs The Lover to keep them from becoming sadistic.

The Lover needs the other archetypes, as well:

• The King defines limits and boundaries for The Lover, bringing structure and preventing The Lover from becoming an addict, one of the The Lover's shadow sides;
• The Warrior helps The Lover act decisively so that The Lover can detach from immobilizing sensuality and prevents fixation and obsession, an easy place for The Lover to go to, appreciating beauty as they do;
• The Magician keeps The Lover's emotions in check, brings objective perspectives and helps The Lover see the bigger picture and the reality beneath the seeming.

Accessing the Lover:

If you want to develop your Lover archetype to its fullest possible expression, express appreciation of beauty; open your eyes and your heart to the beauty that surrounds you in everyday life; take dance lessons, do sensual practices, turn sex into art. Listen to music that moves you and move with the music. Make music and art a "practice of presence." Learn to play an instrument....sing.

Most of all, do what you love...or, do more of what you love; Learn to love what you do, or, learn to live with what you do...or, if it comes to this, Leave what you do.

Develop your compassion and Creativity Quotients.

"All of the spiritual traditions of the world agree that compassion is the ultimate expression of our better selves, of human morality" - The Hidden Spirituality of Men by Matthew Fox.

 And always remember: Beauty is immortal but beautiful things are not.

What's the Matter with Men?

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from a man on the SeattleIntegral online discussion  list, a group I founded several years ago that is still going strong. Rather than explaining it all, I got his permission to repost his email here. My response can be found below his email.

Hi Gary,

I am not replying to the SI group because I currently do not have time to sustain a discussion that might result. I appreciate very much your making these points about men hurting (Men Are Hurting) in our culture. The fact of the prevailing male population of prisons is a fact of deep significance and I have made this point on several occasions. Men, while supposedly dominating the society, are also profoundly uncomfortable inhabiting it within the full truth of their being.

The thing I do not understand is why ritual and initiation are the keys to the solution. Maybe your materials shed light on this. On first glance I would say that suitable life practices that occur with some regularity would be a solution. Yoga, dance, etc? Our society seems to provide initiations - men are initiated into a sort of career business warrior while in college. It is unbalanced but so it was unbalanced in prior cultures where the warrior was the prevalent archetype - because it was the most productive way of using men for the survival of the group. So the business warrior achieving material success in the world is the dominating archetype and this causes certain men to subjugate others.

Integralism seems to make a value out of balancing the quadrants or you make a value of balancing the 4 male archetypes.  What is the basis for that? What is in your view the genuinely masculine contribution to the value of life - a contribution that women really cannot make? Answering this question would perhaps allow you to solve the problem of men.

The dominance of the mother in upbringing of boys, the fatherlessness of boys is I think a specifically American phenomenon. It is related to women having a take-charge attitude stemming from the settler frontier days of America.

Thanks for posting - i hope to get more active soon within the Seattle integral,

-Thomas

Thanks for this email, Thomas. It gives me a great opportunity to share some more about why I'm so passionate about The Integral Warrior workshop.

It's certainly true that men are profoundly uncomfortable inhabiting our culture while "supposedly dominating the society," and I'm sure there will be many women, and some men, who respond, "Give me a break."

For years, the media  have delivered the direst of prognoses: "Men are in decline." This summer, The Atlantic's Hanna Rosen went so far as to declare that "The End of Men" is upon us. Newsweek followed suit on September 27 with an article entitled "Men's Lib," which addresses the idea of why, "it's time to reimagine masculinity."

I won't go into the statistics addressed in these articles as they are there for you to read. Suffice it say that, indeed, men are hurting.

Ritual and Initiation are not the "keys to the solution:" They are part of the solution, but only a part.  There are many parts that go to making up a more complete "whole," and what initiations our culture does provide are pretty weak. Yes, there's graduation, Bar Mitzvahs, baptism, military basic training and the like, but there's also getting drunk or laid for the first time, Fraternity hell weeks, getting your driver's license, your first hunt, a gang member beaten badly in an initiation, and such, and yet, the perplexing question still remains: What does it mean to be a man?"

"Most men long for the support and nurture of other men to help in the journey toward masculinity, maturity, and a deeper experience of the Divine. Through the ages, many cultures have helped men by means of initiation rites and vision quests." - Richard Rohr, Adam's Return.

In The Integral Warrior workshop, we spend a full weekend on each of the King, Warrior, Magician, and Lover Jungian archetypes, culminating each weekend in a ritual ceremony of the men claiming and owning both the positive and  negative (light and shadow) aspects of each archetype. I call this The Four Initiations. Interestingly, and this is important, this is, as far as I know, the first time in history when men are able to initiate all four of the major archetypes into their being. This assures that all of our archetypal being, and therefore the man, is balanced.

The importance of balancing the archetypes is critical so that none dominates the other - because without balance, the Lover becomes the addict, the Warrior becomes brutal, the Magician behaves as a charlatan,   and the King becomes the tyrant.

Today, with all of the challenges facing us, including our very survival, we need enlightened and transformed Magicians, Lovers of life and beauty, and strong non-violent warriors to produce truly big-picture men - or Kings.

Add in Integral and Developmental systems and the altered-states technology of the Shaman, and the combination of all creates a new paradigm of teaching, healing, and learning.

Lastly, Thomas, to your question, "What is, in your view, the genuinely masculine contribution to the value of life - a contribution that women really cannot make?"

Let me quote what Matthew Fox says in his book, The Hidden Spirituality of Men: 

Soul and Spirit are not the same thing. In Latin, "spirit" (spiritus) is masculine and "soul" (anima) is feminine. An awakened soul seeks spirit, but an asleep soul may distort spirit, so that spirit is all "sky" energy with no "earth" energy."

The contribution men make is Spirit to the Soul and is "holy marriage," or hieros gamus, which includes an intimate union of opposites. And this time on the planet, in the midst of the greatest shift we've ever seen, what could possibly be more important?

Image from Dancing the Divine

A New Integral Spirituality and Integral Religion

An Integral Religion? Heaven forbid (pun intended)! I can hear all the people wounded by religion in past lives and today saying, "no way".....Especially those at scientific rational and relativistic levels of consciousness.

But religion is not going away, and whatever claims we make around "Spiritual, not Religious," anyone else looking in is going to consider it religion. So what would the next step in the evolution of religion look like? It certainly won't be the gods of nature or tribalism. Nor will it be the wrathful power god of the old testament, the mythic god of an absolutist consciousness, a rejection of anything metaphysical  by the rational/scientific level of consciousness, or a sensitive new-age egalitarian deity that says we make everything up as we go, locked in a pre-trans fallacy of magic and myth.

I came across a very long article on the Integral World website called Integral Religion, Uniting Eros and Logos by Dan Araya, a graduate student in Toronto examining instructional technologies and values development within Education, and the Director and co-founder of The Institute of Integral Evolution, located in Toronto, Canada.

Araya's article points to where an Integral Religion must go in order to be considered integral, and in doing so sets up some parameters of that emerging religion. By definition, Integral Religion must marry east and west, Science and Religion, Eros (Ascent, Many to the One)  and Logos (Descent, One to the Many), and Eros (the masculine) and Agape (the feminine), and much, much more.

In the article he quotes Auribindo in the Ideal of Human Unity:

A spiritual religion of humanity is the hope of the future… A religion of humanity means the growing realisation that there is a secret Spirit, a divine Reality, in which we are all one, that humanity is its highest present vehicle on earth, that the human race and the human being are the means by which it will progressively reveal itself here. It implies a growing attempt to live out this knowledge and bring about a kingdom of this divine Spirit upon earth. By its growth within us oneness with our fellow-men will become the leading principle of all our life, not merely a principle of cooperation but a deeper brotherhood, a real and an inner sense of unity and equality and a common life.
-Chapter XXXV, p. 307 (July 1918)

Araya concludes by saying:

"Whether we ascend to the Apex of Consciousness through meditative practice or serve Spirit's teleological drive towards emancipation, we are participants in a single spiritual evolution. Always we must remember that in integral religion it is wholeness that we seek: the integral embrace of immanence with transcendence, of Ascent with Descent, of humanity with God, and of enlightenment with the divine kingdom come."

My sense is that Integral Religion isn't something that we can decide to do or not do, validate or invalidate, it's something we must do if we are to lay claim to the term "integral," and it's already emerging. It is time for us to grow up. As Wilber points out, an integral religion must grounded in pluralism (SES), and [an] emerging religion must transcend and include religions of the past.

Another Review for the Integral Warrior in Cincinnati

I received a great review from Larry, one of the men in my Cincinnati Integral Warrior men's group. You can read that here. Larry sent out another review to the men in his MKP (Mankind Project) i-group that he was kind enough to share with me, and so I'm sharing with you. My hope in sharing is that it will encourage other men to step into this life-changing and transformative process.


Here's his review of the second weekend of the 6-weekend process. Thank you, Larry. It is such a pleasure to have you in this group.

Gary - Laughing White Horse

Men,

I know that one or two of the men were interested in hearing about the next six Integral Warrior workshops with Gary Stamper, so I thought I would just send my account of it to everyone in our i-group. (Participation in the rest of this workshop is already closed, but I suspect that Gary may be persuaded to repeat this series again next year in Cincinnati if enough men show interest.)

This weekend the workshop was held in an idyllic setting in a home in the woods overlooking a bike trail and a small river. The weather was perfect. The Warrior weekend was the first of four initiations that the six men who have chosen this workshop will experience (Warrior, Lover, Magician, King).  Gary basically takes the MKP's approach to the four main archetypes to a much deeper level. In this workshop, we explored the passive and active shadows of the warrior and how those shadows showed up for each of us. I was able to clearly define my own weaknesses and struggles that appear whenever the warrior in me is repressed, much as we did in the MKP initiation. Going much deeper than MKP work, Gary also guided us through a study of the states and stages of masculine development in order to discover our deepest purpose and our mission. He used both Spiral Dynamics and Integral Theory (the most comprehensive map of human consciousness yet devised) to guide us to our warrior gold.

Gary is one of the most powerful facilitators that I have ever met. Using Spiral Dynamics, he is able to eloquently and artfully provide the framework for tracking the historical evolution of the world's cultures, from primitive man to the present, and show how it applies as well to organizations and individuals. His explanation of Integral Theory and Practice brought simplicity and clarity to this rather cumbersome subject. And he brings his own gold -- integrity, humility, and the open-hearted gift of his mission to the weekend.

For me, the workshop was the perfect blend of the cognitive (with the stimulating discussions about how individuals and cultures move from one level of consciousness to the next) and experiential (with the Shamanic journeys that he led with an almost hypnotic intensity). A final ritual ceremony (which we designed ourselves) allowed me to declare my ownership of the warrior archetype and all of its shadows.

I am looking forward with renewed zeal to the next three archetype workshops and the final ceremony next year for my emergence as an Integral Warrior, embracing and balanced by Lover, Magician, and King.  Apparently I may also choose at this time to accept the mantle of Shamanic Priest, although personally I don't feel comfortable accepting this title -- I just don't feel the need for titles to bring my gifts to the world. This ceremony will be witnessed by family and friends, much like the priestess workshop that my wife and the other fifteen woman completed a few weeks ago with Gary's wife Anya. I'll keep you posted as to the date. Here's a link to his webpage that describes his work in more detail: http://www.garystamper.com/integralwarrior.htm.

I seem to remember that he will be facilitating a two-day Shamanic Breathwork weekend for men on October 9th and 10th. Here's a link to that:http://www.garystamper.com/breathwork.htm. I will look for some more details on that and send it along separately. I think Bob Wuest was going to help promote that one.

Larry
Bear Hug