Our Sacred Identity

Yesterday's  passage in Mark Nepo's book "The Book of Awakening" began with this:


When Akiba was on his deathbed, he bemoaned to his Rabbi that he felt he was a failure. His Rabbi moved closed and asked why, and Akiba confessed that he had not lived a life like Moses. The poor man began to cry, admitting he feared God's judgement. At this his rabbi leaned into his ear and whispered gently, "God will not judge Akiba for not being Moses, God will judge Akiba for not being Akiba."


Mark explains, "We are born with only one obligation - to be completely who we are. Yet how much time is spent comparing ourselves to others? A flower in it's excellence does not yearn to be a fish, and a fish in it's unmanaged excellence does not long to be a tiger. But we humans find ourselves always falling into the dream of another life. Being human we are often  troubled and  blocked by insecurity that makes us feel unworthy. So we puff ourselves up to be larger so we have a better chance of being loved.
History is the humbling story of our misbegotton inflations, and truth is the corrective story of how we return to exactly who we are. And compassion, sweet compassion, is the never-ending story of how we embrace each other and forgive ourselves for not accepting our beautifully particular place in the fabric of all that is.
The Universe reveals its abundance most clearly when we can be who we are."


This article impressed upon me just how little time we spend reflecting on our true selves.
And how little we actually know about who we really are, our true essence. We live our entire lives living up to the expectations of others and allowing ourselves to be influenced in all manner of ways, and in the process we lose sight of our own Sacred Identity.
By Sacred Identity I mean the spark that we are, the Godliness within. 

We can't blame others for us losing our way, we are born with free will, we make the choices and we live with the consequences. But all that is in the past, if we make a conscious effort we can learn to reclaim what is ours, our true essence, and by this act we will achieve greatness. Greatness of Spirit.

When I was a young girl my father quoted a line from Shakespeare to me, he said never forget this, "To thine own self be true". I really didn't understand what he meant until much later. But now I understand what he was saying to me, and now I strive to be true to myself.

As Mark said above, "If we forgive ourselves and have compassion for ourselves we will return to exactly who we are".

I have a mirror above the altar in my sanctuary. And a long time ago on this mirror I placed this prayer. I recite this prayer as I look at myself in the mirror and recognise the Goddess within, my Sacred Identity.

I come to the altar

Where burns the fire Divine

And there stands my Goddess

With arms outstretched to mine

"O come to me my dear one,

And we'll together shine,

For you are mine forever,

And I'm forever thine."

                                                  author unknown

Jai Mata Di