Sabian Symbols: Zuni Sun worshippers
Zuni Sun worshippers
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This universal idea is best expressed through planets in
Leo 20 (19° - 20°)SACRED CONNECTION THROUGH NATURE
Remembering sacredness "Honouring primitive impulses to praise God" A sacred ritual has the sense of bringing the participants to a higher state of grace wherein they can remember the depth of connectedness between God, Nature and Self. If we forget to remember sacredness then we denude ourselves of our most beautiful aspects and also our most precious ancestral stream of wisdom. The Sun is the origin of our substance and the giver of all life, we are part of its history and entirely dependent upon it, if we do not find sacredness in that then where will we find it?
Rudhyar: ZUNI INDIANS PERFORM A RITUAL TO THE SUN |
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Zuni Indians perform a ritual to the Sun
Fidelity
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Individuality arises only ever out of shared traditions
Sun worshipping may or may not be the ideal means to capture a sense of how to bind ourselves back to the universe and awaken the cosmic dimension of consciousness. However, it will certainly give assurance that our yearnings are part of a shared dream; and this is empowering. In the modern era, Pentecost, Easter and Bayram have replaced Sun worship for most people. These ceremonies are social constructs designed to express and renew our recognition that there are natural forces, and higher forces. By remembrance of them we receive strength by tuning in to the source of life, so regenerating the life force within ourselves. Also they serve to ritualise our loyalties. This establishes a deep and solid group rapport on the level of both head and heart, so unites those of us who choose to be associated together by acknowledging fidelity to roots and tribe. As older ways and values are challenged for effectiveness and continued relevance by the irresistible forces of evolutionary change, we are buttressed by our adherence to principles agreed, shared, and made clear through these rites. To be accepted as part of the group, we need to align with such sacraments, whether or not we fully agree with their implied sacred meaning. Notwithstanding the normal concerns about the discrepancies between self-chosen and imposed group values, such a process of compliant alignment does in fact support self-actualisation. This is because the group tradition is a vital aspect of the self, and always serves as a template out of which individual variations may be constructed. Our current situation and historical background, which are both coherently demonstrated and embodied in the collective ceremonies of our people, are the source from which all potential of self-expression may be drawn. Any individual quest to realise an inner sense of self would fail without the foundation of such roots and values. However, the deep inner conviction of the importance of ceremony must not seduce the individual away from their sense of personal reality. Surrendering to empty ritual, simply because it is expected, leads to loss of uniqueness of identity, and confusion about what is really true. To be true, we need to be faithful not to the ritual itself, but to that Grace towards which the ritual points us. |
