“Of all the elements of the world, Fire, Water, Earth, Mineral, and Nature, the Sage takes Water as his guide. Water is yielding, but all-conquering. Water extinguishes Fire. Finding itself likely to be defeated, it escapes as a steam and reforms. Water washes away Soft Earth, and when confronted by rocks, seeks a way round. Water corrodes Iron til it crumbles to dust; it saturates the atmosphere so that Wind dies. Water gives way to obstacles with deceptive humility. No power can prevent it following its destined course to the sea. Water conquers by yielding; it never attacks, but always wins the last battle. The Sage, who makes himself as Water, is distinguished for his humility. He embraces non-action and conquers the world.” These words from the Chinese Sage Lao Tzu capture the spiritual powers of Water.
We live in a world with mounting heat and dryness. The longing to overcome the hard with the soft, the rigid with the gentle, invites us to take a look at Water’s capacity to heal us. In this century, peace and security will be found in water. If we are still interested in unleashing the magic of human greatness, we must look to water’s power. Its greatest gift is cleansing. The current crisis of the world is directly connected to the scarcity of water. Whether it is the literal inability of so many on this planet to access healthy water or the spiritual dryness of a dehydrated culture, we find ourselves in a desperate situation.
Reclaiming our relationship to water is vital for alleviating the pressures of this crisis. To invoke peace, we have to notice that water takes the path of least resistance. It reflects, flows, cleanses, purifies, cools, quenches, soothes, dissolves, crystallizes. These characteristics imbue water with the power of reconciliation, washing away humanity’s rigidity. It alone has what it takes to restore the purity of being, the brightness of our genius, and the flow of human community.
Through receiving water’s teachings, we become fluid. Water will dislodge us from where we are stuck and set us afloat. The pouring of libations is a graceful act that offers healing to a world agitated by imbalance, violence, and distortion. A libation is a living invitation to the world of Spirit. It carries the signature of a heart overflowing with pure intention, a soul acknowledging the source of all life.
Water is life. There is exhilaration in feeling rain fall from the sky or in touching waves that lap the land. It is the giver of life, the bearer of purity, and the instrument of the liberation of our souls. The longing in each soul to reach home is echoed by water. Its stubborn determination is to reach the great mother ocean. Thus, water is the flesh that floats our spirits and gives us the ability to replenish our essence. We are more water than anything else, just as the earth is mostly water. We can look to water as an indicator of the health of the planet.
When we witness wpolluted waters, the indigenous soul within us all absorbs the signal that dire trouble has arrived. Without water, we are at a loss for life. Without life, we are flooded by deep grief welling up from our own insides. Therefore, the first movement towards healing is grief. Feel into the statement, “Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink...” One might first sense anger, panic, and then grief, because it means the possibility of one’s own death. But what if the global community makes a different choice?
Water enters crisis when we attempt to contain it. Water grows foul and stagnates when we try to confine it. The behavior of water searches for ways to fit in and to bring vitality to nature and the earth. Water is the spirit of unity and community. It is because of its limitlessness that water cannot be owned; its will is to be free. This is the true freedom out of which we are born.
The shamanistic, spiritual, and liturgical relationship with water must be incorporated into our daily living. Reflect on the various ways we have alienated ourselves from water; its current scarcity speaks to the extent to which we have disrespected our most valuable ally on this earth. What can surpass that which gives life, brings flow where there is stagnation, and purity where pollution prevails? When we are able to let go of our controlling of water, its calming power may rain peace and healing into the dry crust of our being and restore vitality to our world. Ashé.
Written for a book being compiled for the UN and the Decade of Water and reprinted in the spring issue of Sacred Fire Magazine, found at www.sacredfiremagazine.com. We thank Malidoma for letting us edit the article so it would fit our space.
Malidoma Somé will be leading a workshop for men September 15-17 on the Healing Power of Initiation and Ritual.
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