Post by 2 BOWL CAIN on Jan 16, 2007 21:55:01 GMT
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
THE INNER STORY
From The Spiritual Venturer, September 1996
We venture into a modern classic. A story that has titillated the imagination of many children and adults alike. Although this story is obviously making comments about the perils of growing up and the incongruities of language and our perceptions of reality, I believe it also speaks to us on a deeper level.
The story begins with Alice following a white rabbit into a hole in the ground. This is telling us that our story is taking place in the unconscious; That level below consciousness. It is a transition from the conscious world to the dream world; a descent into the land of the goddess, beneath the forests and streams.
She falls very slowly and passes cupboards and bookshelves, perhaps to indicate that we are going deep into the unconscious, where order is left behind. Throughout her experience, Alice continually has a problem determining which of her two worlds is real. The answer may be that they both are real.
Her first challenge is to pass through a door in order to follow the White Rabbit. The door can only be opened by a golden key. A golden key may allude to a spiritual key, for gold is a symbol for spiritual truth. In the process of trying to get through the door, Alice endures several drastic changes in size. Each time, it is caused by something she eats. To eat something may mean to receive information from outside the self. A person's size is related to one's sense of self. Who am I? And this question is asked many times in the story.
When she is very large, she cries a great quantity of tears, and later when she becomes very small, she finds herself drowning in her own tears; and age old expression that reveals a practical truth. The pool of tears, or water may represent an initiatory experience of some kind; a baptism. In any event, she is aided by an animal, a mouse, and joined by several other animals. They represent natural allies and remind us that we are animals; a part of nature, not separate from it.
Soon, Alice makes her way to the home of the White Rabbit, and goes inside to fetch gloves and a fan for the rabbit. She, again, eats something, and grows to fill the house. We are preoccupied with her shifting sense of self. Perhaps we all try to wear too many hats. Sometimes we feel 'too big for our britches' and other times little and weak. Eventually, she eats something else, shrinks and is able to get out of the house and safely away.
Now, she finds a caterpillar perched on a mushroom. He asks her "Who are you?" She has trouble giving an answer. "...At least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then." After eating from the mushroom, she attains a size she is comfortable with, and she seems to give up having definite sense of size.
During her journeys, Alice comes into contact with a Cheshire Cat. He points out the obvious and appears to have magical powers, but their effect isn't always in Alice's best interest. Though 'magical' powers do exist within us, they need direction and control. He reminds us that we all have a little chaos within us.
Her next adventure is at the party of the March Hare and the Mad Hatter. The hat may be a reminder that the intellect unchecked and unbalanced by judgment and the love nature leads us in the wrong direction. Though there are many seats at the party table, Alice is told that there is no room for her. Sooner or later, we tell ourselves that we can't do this or that because someone else is already doing it or there is no room for what we want to do. There are always more seats. There is always a place for us.
Eventually, Alice plays croquet with the Queen, who represent the part of us that doesn't want us to succeed and tries to hold us back. "Off with her head." And sure enough everything she does and says seems to anger the Queen, until finally, she finds herself on trial. Just when everything appears darkest, she begins to grow again. We do learn from our experiences and eventually succeed in overcoming the chaos, the internal doubts and ignorance. She sees the Truth, that "You're nothing but a pack of cards." And, as soon as she realizes this, she regains full control of her senses and returns to the conscious world.
This story tells us about the Path to spiritual development in great detail. It represents the middle part of the Pilgrim's Progress. It has to do with clearing the stable and making ready for the birth of the Christ consciousness. The overcoming of chaos is the beginning, and why we are told to know ourselves. The stories we have dealt with before mentioned the struggle required but did not go into detail.*
THE INNER STORY
From The Spiritual Venturer, September 1996
We venture into a modern classic. A story that has titillated the imagination of many children and adults alike. Although this story is obviously making comments about the perils of growing up and the incongruities of language and our perceptions of reality, I believe it also speaks to us on a deeper level.
The story begins with Alice following a white rabbit into a hole in the ground. This is telling us that our story is taking place in the unconscious; That level below consciousness. It is a transition from the conscious world to the dream world; a descent into the land of the goddess, beneath the forests and streams.
She falls very slowly and passes cupboards and bookshelves, perhaps to indicate that we are going deep into the unconscious, where order is left behind. Throughout her experience, Alice continually has a problem determining which of her two worlds is real. The answer may be that they both are real.
Her first challenge is to pass through a door in order to follow the White Rabbit. The door can only be opened by a golden key. A golden key may allude to a spiritual key, for gold is a symbol for spiritual truth. In the process of trying to get through the door, Alice endures several drastic changes in size. Each time, it is caused by something she eats. To eat something may mean to receive information from outside the self. A person's size is related to one's sense of self. Who am I? And this question is asked many times in the story.
When she is very large, she cries a great quantity of tears, and later when she becomes very small, she finds herself drowning in her own tears; and age old expression that reveals a practical truth. The pool of tears, or water may represent an initiatory experience of some kind; a baptism. In any event, she is aided by an animal, a mouse, and joined by several other animals. They represent natural allies and remind us that we are animals; a part of nature, not separate from it.
Soon, Alice makes her way to the home of the White Rabbit, and goes inside to fetch gloves and a fan for the rabbit. She, again, eats something, and grows to fill the house. We are preoccupied with her shifting sense of self. Perhaps we all try to wear too many hats. Sometimes we feel 'too big for our britches' and other times little and weak. Eventually, she eats something else, shrinks and is able to get out of the house and safely away.
Now, she finds a caterpillar perched on a mushroom. He asks her "Who are you?" She has trouble giving an answer. "...At least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then." After eating from the mushroom, she attains a size she is comfortable with, and she seems to give up having definite sense of size.
During her journeys, Alice comes into contact with a Cheshire Cat. He points out the obvious and appears to have magical powers, but their effect isn't always in Alice's best interest. Though 'magical' powers do exist within us, they need direction and control. He reminds us that we all have a little chaos within us.
Her next adventure is at the party of the March Hare and the Mad Hatter. The hat may be a reminder that the intellect unchecked and unbalanced by judgment and the love nature leads us in the wrong direction. Though there are many seats at the party table, Alice is told that there is no room for her. Sooner or later, we tell ourselves that we can't do this or that because someone else is already doing it or there is no room for what we want to do. There are always more seats. There is always a place for us.
Eventually, Alice plays croquet with the Queen, who represent the part of us that doesn't want us to succeed and tries to hold us back. "Off with her head." And sure enough everything she does and says seems to anger the Queen, until finally, she finds herself on trial. Just when everything appears darkest, she begins to grow again. We do learn from our experiences and eventually succeed in overcoming the chaos, the internal doubts and ignorance. She sees the Truth, that "You're nothing but a pack of cards." And, as soon as she realizes this, she regains full control of her senses and returns to the conscious world.
This story tells us about the Path to spiritual development in great detail. It represents the middle part of the Pilgrim's Progress. It has to do with clearing the stable and making ready for the birth of the Christ consciousness. The overcoming of chaos is the beginning, and why we are told to know ourselves. The stories we have dealt with before mentioned the struggle required but did not go into detail.*