Sorting the Seeds

 

The life wisdom inherent in this idea originates from myth - Psyche and Eros, Vasalisa and Rumpelstiltskin to name a few. It concerns the activity of sorting - which brings form and creates order. It has benefits for both men and women. 

 

In all of the myths the protagonist is in danger of losing her life unless she sorts and separates a huge mountain of different seeds into piles of their own unique kind before daybreak - an overwhelming, impossible task for her. In the stories an army of ants come to her rescue, do the sorting and the heroine survives.

 

The symbolism around the ant, is a call to engage with a part of ourselves that is primitive, earthy, "subterranean" in nature. Like the effect of a mantra on our psyche when we meditate, the act of sorting (differentiating, making distinctions) is grounding, calming and soothing. There are outer sorting grounds (organising the tool-shed/man-cave, cleaning house, unbundling complexity) and inner sorting grounds (feelings, thoughts, sensations, aspirations, needs).

 

Inner sorting work opens up our ability to be self-referral and integrates the four intelligences of the psyche - mind, emotion, body and spirit. Being self-referral means being able to connect with what I am feeling on a very subtle level. When we know what we are feeling, we can determine what we value and need - we can make distinctions, decisions and communicate in a way that serves us.

 

There are many ways we can "Sort the Seeds". I'd like to share with you a very simple way of doing this. It uses the online application Pinterest. If you haven't already got an account, create one. For those of you who are familiar with Pinterest, you know it uses images as a "driver". Very simply we do this: we browse through a series of images and when one catches our attention, we "Pin It". We try not bring "mind" into it and rather stay with the feeling in our body. Where does my attention go? Watch which images make you feel more alive, wake you up and spark your interest etc. It's very subtle at first. When you Pin the image, name the board. Once again, don't bring ego and mind into it, don't worry what others will think of you Pinning the image. This is about you. You are free to do exactly what you want to. Focus only on images, stay clear of text (anything you need to read and bring mind into).

 

Get into a rhythm. Browse -> an image catches your attention -> Go there -> you feel something in your body -> Pin It -> Name the Board or add it to an existing board. You're sorting the images - sorting the seeds. Notice how you feel, notice how this "ritual" grounds you.

 

You may get into a series of images that you don't resonate with - notice what you feel - name it - bored, irritated, anxious, triggered? Use the search function to change the series of images. Notice what you search for. Notice what comes up. Search for images that are beautiful, interesting, exciting - that resonate in a way that makes you feel "alive" in your body. Don't worry if you don't feel anything at first. Just keep on with this daily "ritual" and this will change. 

 

Archetypes are psychic energy forms, patterns or "templates" that manifests as an image. Our psyche loves images because our psyche is an image, a collection of archetypes. There is no right or wrong, good or bad, better or worse, just different, varied, unique and authentic.

 

In addition to the calming and grounding benefits, I believe "Sorting the Seeds" is a great way to start "unbundling" ourselves and becoming curious about the nature of our psyches beyond surface. It is also a great way to come to know others.