Compassionate Witnessing: Rising Lunar Consciousness in Two Acts

Abstract

This article, taken from a presentation offered in the fall of 2019 at the Inter-Regional Invitational Conference entitled “Despair and Hope: Holding the Center in Turbulent Times” follows its original production in two Acts. Act I addresses how the Rosarium, an alchemical series, presents a template for the transformation of solar (masculine) and lunar (feminine) soul energies. A comparison to the Christian rosary is made, highlighting the importance of Mary and her role in the Passion. The dynamics of the series will be elaborated in a new way culminating with an image of a deeply reflective lunar consciousness. This compassionate witnessing is posited as a necessary attitude in order to facilitate change in individuals and social systems. It is a new “third thing” that mediates the opposites in trauma. Act II addresses how, in a patriarchy, “the masculine” remains privileged by virtue of its very label and its culturally venerated attributes, while “the feminine” is too often relegated to the realm of “lesser.” In this imbalanced way of engaging both our inner and outer worlds, women’s anger is experienced as discomforting. That discomfort, in turn, precludes exploration into legitimate grievance. The dialogue in Act II invites the reader to look to the imperative of legitimate grievance and to consider how doing so can help deconstruct the political and cultural power structures that are historically fought over by those who are invested in and benefitting from the patriarchy and by those who are not. In the Epilogue the authors reflect on the experience of engaging archetypal material both in dialogue and in community.