Hands and the Spiritual Warrior
The Power and Magic of our Hands-Part III, B

You can not be a spirit without a body. You can not lead a life full of soul consciousness without concrete personality expression.

In part A of Hands and the Spiritual Warrior, I summarized the 4 distinct ways that a person must build strength to become a Spiritual Warrior. The Spiritual Warrior is Matthew Fox's term. I want to add another concept to this: these steps help us to master Spiritual Intelligence. Both are about an advanced courage. Fingerprint Analysts might argue that spiritual intelligence is gleaned and grown through your Soul Journey as revealed in your fingerprints not in our hands. I too am a Fingerprint Analyst and agree. Your hands (shape, lines, finger length) are your personality palette, however, and are the vehicle for this soul expression. Being true to your personality type and understanding what it takes to stay in balance are essential to living a fulfilled life and to embody your unique soul consciousness.


Let's expand on Matthew Fox's earlier entry - the 4 steps to strengthen your journey using the 4 regions of the hand as shown in the 4 colored ovals.

A colleague and I have developed an easy and fun way to self determine your strongest and weakest zones. In the next blog entry, I'll offer this exercise for free. If you want more of an interpretation, I can do this for you at a small cost.

1. The Via Positiva (VENUS)
This is the zone of the body, of family and friends, of sensuality and beauty - the active femine. "This is the way of celebrating life, of seeing the world with its beauty and goodness, its grace and generosity—and being open to seeing more. This is the way of reverence, respect and gratitude. It’s the way of original blessing, whereby we live out the truth that the universe and life itself, for all the struggle and pain they dispense, have birthed us as individuals and communities with what we need for happiness and for sharing joy."

Questions: How often do you laugh? How easily can you stay in your body in the present? Are you aware of your breath right now? (These are just a few of the questions I ask clients when I see a deplted Venus zone)

2. The Via Negativa (the MOON)
The Moon is the passive feminine- the vessel of intuition,deep feelings, imagination, the zone of deep meaning.
"The Via Negativa goes into the darkness, the wounds, the pain and silence and solitude of existence to find what we have to learn there. It’s a way of letting go and letting be, of emptying and being emptied, of moving beyond judgment and beyond control, and learning to breathe, to sit, to be still, to dwell in silence, to taste nothingness without flinching and, ultimately, to focus. It’s the way of grieving. Without grief we can’t move on to the next stage, one of giving birth. The warrior faces death and, because he or she has, loves life more passionately", that is can move to Venus more easily and more fully.

Questions: How often can you stop to listen to your still silent voice? Are you afraid of the dark literally and figuratively? Are you stuck creatively? Do you turn to unhealthy outlets to avoid your deep pain?

3. The Via Creativa. (APOLLO and MERCURY)

"Having fallen in love with life often (Via Positiva) and having been emptied and learned to let go and let be numerous times (Via Negativa), the spiritual warrior is ready to give birth. Creativity is the weapon, the sword, of the spiritual warrior—who is mother as well as father, and who digs deep into a wellspring of wildness that provides the energy for new life, connections, images and moral imagination by which to change things in a deep, not superficial, way. The true warrior is a co-creator, a worker with Spirit, a worker for Spirit. The warrior’s hands are the hands of Spirit at work; the warrior’s mind is seized by Spirit precisely in the work of creativity. As 13th century Catholic philosopher and theologian St. Thomas Aquinas put it, “The same Spirit that hovered over the waters at the beginning of creation hovers over the mind of the artist at work.” Every warrior is an artist at work for the people that they might live."
This is the zone of creative communication - Apollo and Mercury joined. When strong they enable us to communicate passion and deep meaning with clarity and joy. This requires vulnerability and willingness to expose our truth - both intimate acts. If the zones are challenged, the fear of these things may be so strong that healthy relationships and true, authentic expression are strangled and weakened.

Questions: Do you shy away from the spotlight for fear of being burned? Do you tend to isolate and withdraw instead of asking for support and understanding? Do you have challenges in the relationship realm? Do you feel that you are not heard - no one is listening?



4. The Via Transformativa (SATURN and JUPITER)
"Claims to artistry and to creativity and to co-creation need to be tested. The Spirit requires discernment and evaluation. The primary test for claims of spirit work is that of justice and compassion. Does the work I’m doing pass the justice test? Does it fill gaps between haves and have-nots or make the chasm deeper? Does it contribute to healing and empowerment of the powerless or re-establish the privileges of the few at the expense of the many?" These are all questions and values embodied by Saturn and Jupiter, including discernment, evaluation, fairness, judgment. Jupiter is about taking action from a place of empowerment vs entitlement so that others may be empowered. Saturn is the great judge, the moral compass of balance and fairness, of appropriate action. Many who have challenges in these areas have issues of I am not enough or power struggles or poor relationships to money and influence.

Questions: Do you ever find your self saying "I can't and I won't" because of self doubt? Do you over accommodate or rearrange your desires out of guilt? Are you constantly struggling with money? Do you find that promises are broken either yours or those around you?


Stay tuned for the self assessment that can help you balance your personal and work life so that your Soul Consciousness can lead you to a more fulfilling life full of joy, health and intimacy.