What is tribalism?
During the last three months of medicine work, I read an outstanding book, 'The Anatomy of Spirit,' By Caroline Myss. This book helped me to see my path more clearly and to help me establish a core set of values and principles to stand on and live my life by.
All of the energetic issues with tribal power are connected to the health of our immune system, legs, bones, feet, and rectum. Symbolically, what the immune system does for the physical body is precisely what tribal power does for the group; it protects the entire body from potentially damaging external influences, immune disorders, pain, and other difficulties with the skeleton is energetically activated by weakness in personal tribal issues.
Epidemics like the coronavirus are a negative (or perceived negative experience) to which we can, through fear, become energetically more susceptible if our fears and attitudes are similar to those held by the overall culture's first Chakra. Viral and other epidemics are very much a reflection of both the current social issues of the tribe and the health of the social tribe's immune system. Unlike where we live, we are all connected through attitudes and beliefs; fear damages everyone involved.
October 1929, the great depression and the American economy crashed, affecting the entire nation, crippled by 'disaster.' 1930s Polio epidemic surfaced, symbolically representing the crippled spirit of the country. The more impacted, the more susceptible. We even voted a man crippled by the virus into the presidency, Franklin D. Roosevelt, a symbol of physical weakness and indomitable resilience. It took a physical tribal event and an experience of physical strength, WWII, to heal the American tribal spirit. A sense of heroism and tribal unity, supported by a sudden increase in jobs, restored the pride, power, and honor of each tribal member. By the end of the war American nation has assumed a global leadership role.
Another example is HIV in the US, which is most prevalent among drug users, prostitutes, and the gay population. In other countries such as Russia, and numerous African countries, it thrived among those whose quality of life barely allowed for survival. The virus thrived in Latin America among middle-class women married to philandering men. These men were not gay but had sex with other men as a 'macho' exercise, all feeling victimized by cultural belief systems.
While cultural beliefs have victimized everyone, this victim consciousness reflects a feeling of powerlessness within the tribal culture. The artistic energy of the United States is being depleted by the need that some have to feel empowered at the expense of others deemed less valuable. I see this energetic spiderweb grasping to far reaches of the world. Challenges to our natural immunity will follow accordingly. Maintaining the base first Chakra health depends upon addressing our tribal issues. If we feel victimized by society, we should deal with our perception of it, find community, or move, so that it doesn't cause us to lose energy. Nurturing bitterness toward tribal culture embroils our energy in a continual inner conflict that blocks access to the healing power of a tribe and the sacred truth that 'All is one.' Our tribe teaches us that the world is safe or dangerous, abundant or poverty-ridden, educated or ignorant, and a place to take from or give back to. Tribes transmit perceptions about the nature of reality itself, for instance, that life is one of many or this life is all there is.
We inherit everything from religious beliefs, ethnicity, and race; it activates our thinking. Many belief systems embedded are designed, intentionally or inadvertently, to separate tribes and violate the sacred truth 'All is one.' Our spiritual power grows when we can see beyond the contradictions inherent in tribal teachings and pursue a deeper level of beliefs and truth.
Carl Jung once remarked that the group mind is the 'lowest' form of consciousness because individuals involved in a hostile group action rarely, if ever, accept responsibility for their unique role in the activity. This is the shadow side of the truth 'All is one.' Unwritten law holds that leaders take responsibility, not the followers. The Nuremberg trials following WWII are a classic example of the limitations of tribal responsibility. Most Nazi defendants on trial for masterminding and conducting mass genocide of 11 million people stated that they only followed orders. Proud to fulfill tribal duties but completely unable to accept any personal responsibility.
We are taught to make choices that meet with tribal and cultural 'responsibility' and approval and adopt their social graces, manner of dress, and attitudes. Everyone uses everyone, all men are cheaters or will abandon you, all women stay at home to clean and cook, your worth is valued upon your social status, skin color, how much money you have, sex before marriage is a sin, masturbation is a sin, experimenting with your consciousness is a sin and should be illegal, these deeply engraved belief systems are highly toxic and take courage and strength to break free—many times leaving you in search of a new tribe of a like-minded community.
It is a powerful feeling to be in a tribe of people or family with whom you feel spiritually, emotionally, and physically safe and comfortable. This union empowers us and energetically enhances our power and creative strength; we unite to create a new world. Seen symbolically, crisis tells us we must break free of beliefs that no longer serve our personal development. We can choose to change or stagnate are our most significant spiritual challenges.
Every crossroad is an opportunity for change; change means letting go of familiar people and places and moving on to new stages in life. Many people feel stuck between these two worlds. From my experience, one of the most intimidating decisions to make because we are now held accountable and have to take complete responsibility for our inner world, health, career, attitudes, behaviors, and thoughts, often cutting ties to blood. Once we leap, we can never again use 'tribal reasoning' to excuse our behavior. Find your community, your tribe, and push to create new forms of reality and thought. Life is the canvas.
I am now ten years outside of an almost decade-long perceived 'criminal' career of selling psychedelics and party drugs. I justified my actions in many ways, claiming I was helping people open their perception and live outside of a broken system, which held some sense of reality. When I honestly looked at the truth, although I sold clean chemicals and did my best to teach people how to use responsibly, turned repeat customers down, sold drug tests, and handed out 5htp, I know I hurt people along the way. During my two years in prison, I witnessed an extreme paradox of brotherhood among 'criminals' and a system that kept people returning to safety, food, and sobriety. I have dedicated much of my work to helping brothers escape recidivism and this broken system. To help them find hope, faith, and brotherhood on the outside.
Every moment or crossroad we find ourselves in life is an opportunity to let parts of ourselves die, to create a new reality, not to react, to accept that soul-depriving job for the sake of money, to let go of certain friends, places, beliefs, is always a crossroad to die and be reborn.
I cannot wholly abandon any part of myself, so I still have a bit of gangster and hood in me. So here is a song by an old-school group, Bone Thugs in Harmony, 'Crossroads.'
God bless you workin' on a plan to Heaven.
Follow the Lord all 24/7 days. God is who we praise. Even though the Devil's all up in my face
But He keepin' me safe and in my place. Say grace to the gates we race. Without a chance to face the judge. Then I guess my soul won't budge
Grudge, because there's no mercy for thugs
Ooh, what could I do? It's all about a family and how we roll. Can I get a witness? Let it unfold
