Soul Food Friday (#22)

Bite Sized Wisdom & Wonder

Hi Friends,

Greetings from Ojai.

So much of the things I've found interest in lately, from Somatic Therapy to Aletheia coaching have pointed to the insights that the body provide (physically and cognitively). Along those lines, Jordan Peterson had a really good interview with Rafe Kelley this week (from the Parkour world) and I've begun using the Endel App for which I've noticed some really good initial benefits (notably improved focus and sleep quality).

Wishing you all a meaningful weekend,

David-

This Weeks Parsha (Tzav)

God tells Moses to command (Tzav in Hebrew) Aaron and his sons to follow detailed procedures for offering up a variety of sacrifices.

From a narrative perspective, this parsha is rather bland and maybe difficult to find relevance in today. Jews and Judaism have survived without animal sacrifices for two thousand years.

What, then, was sacrifice in Judaism and why does it remain important today? We love what we are willing to make sacrifices for. As a nation of farmers and shepherds, Jews demonstrated their love of God by bringing Him their flocks and herds, their grain and fruit. Their livelihood.

And as we saw in the previous parsha, the very name of this book, Vayikra, means to summon in love.

Where there is love, there is sacrifice.

Archetype: The Rebel

Carl Jung identified 12 archetypes in the collective unconscious. Products of shared ancestral memories that persist in art, literature and religion. 

Although The Rebel can be ruthless, his transformative elements allow for growth. Living on the cusp of life and death, he's often surprisingly humble. His Shadow side? Self-destructive behaviors.

Strengths: Independent, bold, courageous

Weaknesses: Self-destructive, highly skeptical

Goal: Transformation in the fight against conformity

Fear: Annihilation

Example: Tyler Durden in Fight Club

Mythology of the Week

Your ancient ancestors survived because they told the best stories. They passed on their genes to you.

You were born to do this.

Storytelling comes as naturally for you as breathing.

Quote I'm Pondering

“Great innovations never come from above; they come invariably from below, just as trees never grow from the sky downward, but upward from the earth.” Carl Jung