Did you know that desire is what activates your imagination?
Your imagination is how your bring it into the world… make it come true. But how do we get guidance to follow the right desire? It is interesting to take a look at the word desire which means “a specific kind of longing. It is our ‘ultimate concern’ and contains insight into what we are most passionate about (remembering that the Latin root of passion [passio] = to suffer.”) But this makes sense if we view our challenges as the place from which we grow.
Examining the root of word desire is: “wish, desire, long for,” which is from L. desiderare “long for, wish for; demand, expect.” What this means in terms of the original sense of the meaning was to “await what the stars will bring,” from the phrase de sidere “from the stars,” from sidus (gen. sideris) “heavenly body, star, constellation” (Harper, 2001-2012, para. 1). The heavenly stars were viewed as oracles to provide guidance on how one might align with those desires. This implies a meaning of desire as means to provide insight into one’s destiny which is a very special type of wish fulfillment. Yet, identifying and going about fulfilling this desire is a creative process in and of itself.
One way that helped me to do this was my research and study of the astrological horoscope. Depth psychology, just as astrology, is the study of that which is hidden from view and its effects and there has been an ambivalent relationship between the two fields. It is no secret that C. G. Jung was fascinated with the occult and astrology. In fact when I met his grandson Ulrich, he told me that his grandfather always consulted the chart of a patient before seeing them. Jung wrote to Freud before there break: “My evenings are taken up very largely with astrology. I make horoscopic calculations in order to find a clue to the core of psychological truth. Some remarkable things have turned up which will certainly appear incredible to you.”
I also came to the understanding based on my study of astrology that the horoscope can be viewed as a symbolic representation of the plot lines of our personal drama or story. It is symbolic and therefore requires some intuitive interpretation to understand what that story really is about but it helps you to make sense of your life.
In that sense, I also found it helpful to look at my calling—which can be found in the concept known in Western astrology as the North Node. I believe this astrological point can shed light on and be most useful for ascertaining the appropriateness of my research topic. This is because out of all the parts of a horoscope, the North Node is regarded as an indicator of one’s driving purpose. Laurence Hillman an archetypal astrologist once explained to me that the South Node is the place where one climbs aboard life—just as if one were getting on a train—and that it correlates to the ego’s orientation. He says the North Node is synonymous with where one should be headed. The North Node is the destination that Mark Twain talks about in the quote: “The most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.”
My North Node is in my fifth house in the sign of Aquarius, so my calling relates to what is called fifth-house matters. This is the house that most has to do with creativity. This can also be expressed as having fun, pleasure, reverie, working with children, playing, and, most importantly for my research, creativity through writing. Storytelling, play-acting, and reading fiction have been my passions from a very young age and also the direction I am moving in terms of my calling. My story included how to become creative again.
When we identify this, we have a compass or a lodestar to help guide us, and I also believe following the calling is one important way that we receive a sense of deeper fulfillment and meaning in life.
Reference:
Harper, D. (2001-2012). Online etymology dictionary. Retrieved from http://www .etymonline.com/index.php?term=desire
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