The creation of a new self-identity requires the death of an old identity. It is not an easy process. There are phases in our lives where our survival is all that matters. We stay in certain jobs and stay in certain relationships to meet our survival needs.
There are animals that represent this part of ourselves: scorpions, cockroaches, rats and so on. They’re powerful animals that represent the ability to survive and even thrive–regardless of the environment they are placed in. Their true strength, however, is in their numbers and in their ability to procreate. Each species has its own survival strategy. Adaptation comes easier to some species than others.
The cockroach, in particular, has been around for 300 million years. That’s a long time for a species to have survived. Is that what we want for ourselves when it comes to our lives? It might be.
If we choose the path of longevity, we sometimes forgo the path of evolution. To evolve is to change and to grow. Many other species have evolved from their long lost ancestors. When I take a walk in my neighbourhood, I am surprised by the number of dogs that I see. They’ve become prized family members in many homes.
They still possess the traits of their ancestors, the wolves, but they chose the path of domestication and this considerably altered their natural instincts. The wild part of them isn’t entirely gone, though. We still see it emerge at times. The wild and the domestic now have to coexist with one another. It is the middle path. It is the path that accepts change.
That’s the best option for most of us. We have been ‘domesticated’ you could say, but not entirely. In certain situations, our instincts take over and we respond in a certain way. You could even say that we’re responding without thinking.
Why are we doing that? We have not yet become conscious. Not too long ago, I saw a video that showed a mother rat consuming its own young. It’s not uncommon behaviour among certain animals. We may look on horrified, but this is how some animals behave. They consume their own young to survive.
To embrace a new identity requires us to completely let go of the old identity that had brought us thus far. Survival is a key stage in the evolution of any species. After that stage comes a period when a species will thrive. To thrive is to populate and grow in numbers. But this doesn’t apply to all species. Some may choose to have fewer offspring if it makes more sense.
It all boils down to what Mother Nature believes is best for her varied and many children.
The Inner Mother
When we refuse to change, our inner Mother begins to fight back. Rigid behaviours, rules, law and order are all hallmarks of a modern society. We are cast into outdated gender roles that no longer fit the times. I remember the days of my foremothers. These were the days when they had eight children, perhaps even more. This required a different parenting strategy than what we need now.
The times have, indeed, changed. Mothers are the ones who bring life into the world. They control the gates of who is born. They are the life-bringers. They co-create the changes that we are destined to give birth to in all our respective societies.
Sometimes, the change feels too much to some. They try to go against it thinking that they will succeed. But if our inner Mother is strong, we know that we can push past any societal blockage impeding our growth and our development.
Regression–a society that harks back to the past–is a sure sign that our inner Mother has grown weak. When a society’s inner Mother is weak, we see a society that does not progress; but rather, regresses.
An inner Mother exists within everyone. And it is a survivor.
The Matriarch
The Matriarch is a powerful woman. It is not about how many children she has had or not had. To stand in one’s own truth is not easy. It is easier to hide behind societal conditioning and do what is expected of you. And at times, yes, we do need to do what is expected of us. That is when we are in survival mode.
At other times, however, life invites us to march forward into the unknown. Our inner Mother tells us, “Do not fear for I am with you.” It is this voice we need to heed and to pay attention to. We are aware that the old ways have stopped working.
A new dawn is emerging on the not too distant horizon.
If we allow ourselves to fear, we stall the progress that is meant for us. We all want to move forward. We, as humans, are always seeking ‘better’ lives. Why? It is fundamental to our growth as a species. When our inner Mother is strong, we trust the impulse that created all life. It is this trust that enables us to move forward.
And move forward, we shall. With our inner Mother, of course.
The Mercantile 