cold water immersion
Finding Buoyancy and Freedom in Ice
I think the moment it hit me to finally see what state I was in was one bitterly cold morning in December when I was
April 22, 2022
No Comments
The Way of the Holy Fool
The Way of the Holy Fool
Parzival path isn’t so much a path as it is a way of being. It’s a way of being connected to one’s instincts with natural ease. Parzival is one of the lesser known knights of the Arthurian myths but he is arguably the greatest of the Arthurian knights. Parzival, in his essence, represents a man who exemplifies the complete union of the feminine and masculine energies . He is able to trust and follow his instincts that mysteriously guide him on the unknown path of adventure in an unhindered way. At the same time, he possesses incredible strength, courage and unmatched fighting skills paired with the discernment and restraint to never employ those lethal powers recklessly; only in service to those who are unable to defend themselves against the genuine violation of their honor and dignity. Perhaps his superpower is his capacity to hold the full dynamic spectrum of being human while having complete immunity to being shamed for being so inimitably himself (as he is repeatedly ridiculed in the course of his adventures). It is this extraordinary capacity to be so boldly his unique self that gives him the association to the archetype of the “holy fool.” To be one’s authentic self is precious and sacred. Joseph Campbell referred to Parzival as “the path of the heart.” In the above quote by William Blake, taken from one of his poems, “Proverbs of Hell,” he speaks of how “folly is the cloke of knavery.” “Knavery” in more recent history tends to have a rather pejorative connotation but interestingly enough, the origins of “knave” refer to a boy, particularly a “rascally boy.” Folly, in this light, can indeed be a cloke that covers up a hidden part of us that wants to give expression to our innate “rascally boyish” impulses. One of my teachers, Michael Meade, speaks of the importance of boys being allowed to get into the “right kind of trouble.” We live in a society that suppresses our instincts to want to freely express ourselves and venture outside of the asphyxiating container of rigid fidelity to the “code of conduct” enforced by the collective. When we unwittingly cover up our natural need to be rascally with the cloke of shame, an inevitable loss of meaning occurs and along with it, a dimming of the soul’s light. This site is intended to be a platform for stories and creative work connected to that spirit of fidelity to our wild rascally side, which is one of the paths to being heart-centered.