I took my first 5-day Shamanic training with the Four Winds in August, 2009. The direction was South--represented by the Great Serpent--Satchamama. This was when participants begin to process and shed our wounds/baggage from the past. It was also the beginning of distancing ourselves from genetic bonds and family curses -- we're more than a culmination of that stuff.
Showing up, and participating in this class was a big deal for me, though I felt ready. It was intense. At times, it was joy-filled; and at times, scary and challenging. All along, it felt so right, so intuitive, and just so...healing, I was thrilled. Old wounds from my fertility quest; relationships with my family and spouse; and how I perceived myself, were some of the weighty issues I dealt with. I plunged in whole-heartedly, with an earnest desire for change. By the end, I felt lighter, more certain (we were frequently reminded that this work was the "path of certainty"), and excited to continue the growth that was accelerated during the training. I wanted not just be be a Shaman, but first to heal the relationships I had with myself, others, the world, and with Spirit. We call this coming into Iynee, or Right Relationship.
Some time in October, after doing a few ceremonial fires in my newly-created fire pit in the backyard, and more processing and clarifying where to move (literally, as in move house), I got this compulsion to re-watch Voltron. This was an 80's manga TV series that I got caught up in as a teenager. I could stream all 50-plus shows on Netflix. There are 2 versions of Voltron -- my favorite was "vehicle Voltron," and not the "lion ships," which I thought was sillier.
By no means was this a spectacular show. Even as a teen, I got annoyed with it. Watching it at 39, just made its weaknesses even more evident. I tend to have a critical mind towards movies, shows, literature, etc.; and my standards are getting higher with each passing year. That said, I again found myself hooked, despite the show's problems. It was: A. political and epic; B. there's a gradual understanding between two different peoples, who began as enemies; C. Hazar.
So who, or what is Hazar? A formidable foe of the Voltron Force (who are from Earth), and an officer of the Drule Empire (yes, the name is funny!) We gradually learn a lot about about him. We meet his family, get inside his conflicted mind (Empire vrs. Democracy?, loyalty vrs. reality?....). He becomes conflicted about where his duty lies and begins to advocate against the Empire for the greater good of his people -- who suffer on an abused, dying planet. He evolves, whereas no other characters do. Hazar eventually leads a coupe to overthrow the Emperor, forges peace with Earth, and accompanies his people to inhabit a new planet. Sounds good, right?
But, due to the unevenness and kiddie appeal of the show (the Japanese version has more blood and people actually die), Hazar is treated poorly by his own makers. The show keeps emphasizing Voltron (a robot, piloted by 15 team members) as the hero, and repeatedly shows this unwieldily thing forming from all the individual peices (again and again!), to slice big monsters in half with a samurai sword. The Voltron team members are "adults," but immature and uninteresting. In fact, on Earth's side, the only characters who are vaguely interesting are Captain Hawkins and Captain and eventual Admiral Newley. Team Earth is always so darned good and right, and the Drules are bad, at least for most of the time. The Voltron Force must be the heroes, right?
To anyone paying attention, Hazar -- a Drule -- is the true hero of the show. He goes against great obstacles, at great risk to himself and his family, to save his people. Yet sometimes he's poorly drawn (though he's handsome, as Drule people go) or utterly stiff. As his attitude begins to change, he gets dissed and sabotaged by other officers, his plans are disobeyed, then, there is a mutiny against him. Eventually he disobeys orders, allowing the Earth Team to colonize a planet -- which they name after him in a tardy recognition of his "honor," while he's thrown in jail. Team Earth doesn't give him a thought after that, except to acknowledge that another Drule is giving orders, in another battle. Hazar's broken out of jail by his sister, when the coup begins in the last 3-4 episodes of the series. Even when he's with his family -- when he could have been humanized, or family dynamics could have been explored -- everyone is in severe need of new writers and more emotive voice overs -- very stiff and stereotypical. But, hey, it's a kiddie show, right? That never was a good excuse for me.
So, why does he hook me? It's more than his story being good, in an otherwise boring and frustrating show. And it's more than the appeal to my rebellious soul--though there is that. My South training provided the answer. He's an archetype, and one that has always compelled me -- the Lord of the Underworld. He's also an unappreciated underdog, and who doesn't root for them? In the Japanese version, he's killed, just before his people are rescued from their exploding planet. After being assassinated by nobodies, his body falls into the splitting earth -- I don't think that was a coincidence -- with Hades, the subconcious etc.... But, both versions ditch him for the bloody robot!
During the South class, we all had 7 archetypes instated in our chakras and there is a Lord of the Underworld (which can be either gender) and lives in the 5th chakra at the base of the throat. The name is Huascar and along with being an archetype, he was an actual Incan Emperor -- a Shaman who couldn't agree with his brother -- the straight-laced warrior (whose name I've forgotten). This brother had Huascar assassinated, so he could take the throne. It is said that Huascar waits in the underworld; a hidden realm beneath the surface, like the subconscious -- and not a Hell, nor about punishment, a la Western Philosophy. He will rise again with his medicine people, when the world is ready for renewal and healing. In addition, the 5th Chakra is about communicating/listening, sharing your creativity and your roles with others and speaking your truth/hearing the truth. I've had issues there for many years.
It fell into place, Hazar was just a struggling, poorly portrayed rendition of Huascar. All the archetypes now reside in me: Serpent, Jaguar, Hummingbird, Eagle, Huascar, Qetzaquatyl--a serpent/bird combination who rules the day and our activities/responsibilities--the Lord of the Dawn, Patchakuti--(another actual Incan Emperor) ruler of the highest planes, or the ruler of the future who reigns over our higher selves. These are our aids, guides and catalysts for change in our Luminous Energy Field. But, Huascar spoke to me the most, saying "tell my story. Write a better Voltron." And so it began.....
TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2
Showing up, and participating in this class was a big deal for me, though I felt ready. It was intense. At times, it was joy-filled; and at times, scary and challenging. All along, it felt so right, so intuitive, and just so...healing, I was thrilled. Old wounds from my fertility quest; relationships with my family and spouse; and how I perceived myself, were some of the weighty issues I dealt with. I plunged in whole-heartedly, with an earnest desire for change. By the end, I felt lighter, more certain (we were frequently reminded that this work was the "path of certainty"), and excited to continue the growth that was accelerated during the training. I wanted not just be be a Shaman, but first to heal the relationships I had with myself, others, the world, and with Spirit. We call this coming into Iynee, or Right Relationship.
Some time in October, after doing a few ceremonial fires in my newly-created fire pit in the backyard, and more processing and clarifying where to move (literally, as in move house), I got this compulsion to re-watch Voltron. This was an 80's manga TV series that I got caught up in as a teenager. I could stream all 50-plus shows on Netflix. There are 2 versions of Voltron -- my favorite was "vehicle Voltron," and not the "lion ships," which I thought was sillier.
By no means was this a spectacular show. Even as a teen, I got annoyed with it. Watching it at 39, just made its weaknesses even more evident. I tend to have a critical mind towards movies, shows, literature, etc.; and my standards are getting higher with each passing year. That said, I again found myself hooked, despite the show's problems. It was: A. political and epic; B. there's a gradual understanding between two different peoples, who began as enemies; C. Hazar.
So who, or what is Hazar? A formidable foe of the Voltron Force (who are from Earth), and an officer of the Drule Empire (yes, the name is funny!) We gradually learn a lot about about him. We meet his family, get inside his conflicted mind (Empire vrs. Democracy?, loyalty vrs. reality?....). He becomes conflicted about where his duty lies and begins to advocate against the Empire for the greater good of his people -- who suffer on an abused, dying planet. He evolves, whereas no other characters do. Hazar eventually leads a coupe to overthrow the Emperor, forges peace with Earth, and accompanies his people to inhabit a new planet. Sounds good, right?
But, due to the unevenness and kiddie appeal of the show (the Japanese version has more blood and people actually die), Hazar is treated poorly by his own makers. The show keeps emphasizing Voltron (a robot, piloted by 15 team members) as the hero, and repeatedly shows this unwieldily thing forming from all the individual peices (again and again!), to slice big monsters in half with a samurai sword. The Voltron team members are "adults," but immature and uninteresting. In fact, on Earth's side, the only characters who are vaguely interesting are Captain Hawkins and Captain and eventual Admiral Newley. Team Earth is always so darned good and right, and the Drules are bad, at least for most of the time. The Voltron Force must be the heroes, right?
To anyone paying attention, Hazar -- a Drule -- is the true hero of the show. He goes against great obstacles, at great risk to himself and his family, to save his people. Yet sometimes he's poorly drawn (though he's handsome, as Drule people go) or utterly stiff. As his attitude begins to change, he gets dissed and sabotaged by other officers, his plans are disobeyed, then, there is a mutiny against him. Eventually he disobeys orders, allowing the Earth Team to colonize a planet -- which they name after him in a tardy recognition of his "honor," while he's thrown in jail. Team Earth doesn't give him a thought after that, except to acknowledge that another Drule is giving orders, in another battle. Hazar's broken out of jail by his sister, when the coup begins in the last 3-4 episodes of the series. Even when he's with his family -- when he could have been humanized, or family dynamics could have been explored -- everyone is in severe need of new writers and more emotive voice overs -- very stiff and stereotypical. But, hey, it's a kiddie show, right? That never was a good excuse for me.
So, why does he hook me? It's more than his story being good, in an otherwise boring and frustrating show. And it's more than the appeal to my rebellious soul--though there is that. My South training provided the answer. He's an archetype, and one that has always compelled me -- the Lord of the Underworld. He's also an unappreciated underdog, and who doesn't root for them? In the Japanese version, he's killed, just before his people are rescued from their exploding planet. After being assassinated by nobodies, his body falls into the splitting earth -- I don't think that was a coincidence -- with Hades, the subconcious etc.... But, both versions ditch him for the bloody robot!
During the South class, we all had 7 archetypes instated in our chakras and there is a Lord of the Underworld (which can be either gender) and lives in the 5th chakra at the base of the throat. The name is Huascar and along with being an archetype, he was an actual Incan Emperor -- a Shaman who couldn't agree with his brother -- the straight-laced warrior (whose name I've forgotten). This brother had Huascar assassinated, so he could take the throne. It is said that Huascar waits in the underworld; a hidden realm beneath the surface, like the subconscious -- and not a Hell, nor about punishment, a la Western Philosophy. He will rise again with his medicine people, when the world is ready for renewal and healing. In addition, the 5th Chakra is about communicating/listening, sharing your creativity and your roles with others and speaking your truth/hearing the truth. I've had issues there for many years.
It fell into place, Hazar was just a struggling, poorly portrayed rendition of Huascar. All the archetypes now reside in me: Serpent, Jaguar, Hummingbird, Eagle, Huascar, Qetzaquatyl--a serpent/bird combination who rules the day and our activities/responsibilities--the Lord of the Dawn, Patchakuti--(another actual Incan Emperor) ruler of the highest planes, or the ruler of the future who reigns over our higher selves. These are our aids, guides and catalysts for change in our Luminous Energy Field. But, Huascar spoke to me the most, saying "tell my story. Write a better Voltron." And so it began.....
TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2
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