Have a Cocoon

(Photo by White Malaki on Unsplash)

Butterfly has a plan for her meltdown.  It’s written in her DNA.

Butterfly knows the trick to the meltdown phase that gets her out the other side with beautiful wings to go to the ends of the Earth.  Butterfly says: Make sure you’re held while you let go.

Butterfly knows she can’t turn to goo without her chrysalis to hold her together.  Safe and dry she’s protected in her transformation. Sheltered from outside demands she tends to her evolution.

Life doesn’t Stop

Modern life offers few and fleeting cocoons. 

Perhaps there’s a yoga retreat. Maybe a silent sitting in the presence of others.  Perhaps one steps away for an hour rather than tending to emails.  But then.  The demands return.  Bills must be paid.  Mouths must be fed.  Meetings attended. Appearances kept up.  

The movement disrupts the meltdown.  Prolonging the process or bringing one so fully back to the surface life that the meltdown is avoided all together.  We keep busy, we avoid, we build more complexity around ourselves and keep the messy goo off our fancy shoes. 

Stuckness prevails

Patterns remain

Transformation recedes 

Cocoons

Butterfly wonders where one might build a cocoon in modern life

Your practices first can hold you.  Make them dedicated and resilient.  They may feel pointless when you’re in your meltdown or like they’re dragging up past lives you’d rather ignore.  When there’s nothing to cling to, your practices can hold you and shelter your goo-self.

And then.  Carve an hour under the covers on a Saturday afternoon. Wrap up tight, be cocooned.  Spend an evening by a fire. By a journal to hold your thoughts.  Find a tiny space for art creation (it doesn’t matter if it’s “good” or not) 

Let others hold you too.  Loving hands and loving hearts are here.  Right here by your side they create a sacred container to hold your melting edges.  Bodyworkers release floods of tears.  Coaches or therapists allow you to sift through the debris.  Don’t worry, they’ll have to put together enough to make it out to carpool.  

And then.  Mystery.  You are held always dear one.  Your ancestors.  The Divine Mother - any other entity from your own tradition.  Their love encircles you wherever you are.  You are always cocooned in their love and it is always for your highest good.  Let yourself surrender. Let yourself be held. To draw closer to them invite ceremony and prayer. Ask for their protection, wear it like a cocoon around you.

Love Yourself Through 

Your meltdown is an act of Love.  Love for the self you once were and can now set free. And Love for the future self you are drawing into existence.  Move into your meltdown with as much love for yourself as you can muster, even though you can’t see where you’re going.  And with that in mind, build your own cocoon.  Be held as you let go.  Soon you will emerge with new wings.