IT HAS BEEN said that "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link." But the determination of what constitutes "weakness" and "strength" can vary, depending upon the usage of the chain. Is it being used to fix something in place - to hold it tight, so no one can break through and steal? Or is it being used as a divider between two public spaces - opening and closing constantly to let people enter and leave?

Remember that classic tale of the willow and the oak? Up to a point, the idea of impregnability is comforting and desirable. An oak tree stands strong and tall against the raging elements. So does a 300 pound bouncer in a nightclub. You see him standing there, tattoo on his arm, bulging muscles - and you feel comforted and safe. Then, suddenly, someone calls in a bomb threat. The big guy is tough, but is he smart? Can he figure out where the bomb might be, and how to get all those people to safety?

The oak stands steady, but a willow tree knows how to bend. When the winds of adversity exceed its ability to resist, the oak will crack, proving the more flexible willow to be its superior. But right up to that point, most people would still put their money on the oak.

Where humanity is going now, in consciousness and experience, requires BOTH the steadfastness of the oak and the flexibility of the willow. So, we find ourselves busy about the process of mixing and mingling BOTH elements, ALL elements, trying to make something new and practical - something that functions with reasonable precision under ALL possible circumstances.

Our world today is no longer an "either/or" situation; most of the time, it is "both/and." Even though America (for example) is deeply polarized, politically - probably more so than anytime in its short history - the needs and problems being presented to its people require more collaboration than ever before. Some situations require intensive conservatism, while others mandate liberality and compassion. An intelligent leader does not identify with one "system" over the other. He does what he needs to do, in the moment, to get the job done.

Most politicians today are busy posturing, trying to prove a point, trying to demonstrate the superiority of their "approach" to world affairs, compared to others. They fight to win support for their "way" - while human need, being deeply affected by radical Earth Changes and off-the-chart social evolution, increases so rapidly that no one "system" can ever be strong or wise enough to address it. Systems don't solve problems - people solve problems. Sometimes we must be oaks, and sometimes we must be willows. And Lord, gives us the wisdom to know the proper timing and the difference.

Learning to Attain a "United State"
On the periphery of every issue there are extremes. However, the people who inhabit those realms do not think of themselves as being extreme. They sincerely believe that their position is the only reasonable one, and they fight to the death (or the depth) to maintain it. One definition of an "extremist" might be: a person who has gone so deeply into his (or her) specified beliefs that he can no longer feel into those who believe differently.

In their transmission on "Terrorism," published back in 2001, The Reconnections had this to say about extremism:

One of my spiritual teachers, back in the late 80s and early 90s, was an adept astral traveler. She could leave her body and visit others - usually in dreamtime. During the first Persian Gulf War, she paid a visit to Saddam Hussein, communing with his heart and spirit about the state of affairs in the Middle East. Upon her return, the next morning, she said to me: "Daniel, I felt into that man. He truly believes that what he is doing is right and proper. We may disagree with him, but his mind is set. He is at peace with himself." Since that time, I have heard the same said about George W. Bush.

Something can only be labeled as an "extreme" if there is something more moderate with which to compare it. This is where the Bridge People come in. Theirs is the place of joining - of mixing and mingling - rather than defending one position over the other. They make their home in the middle. They are peacemakers.

Extremists stand out, like sore thumbs, anchoring both ends of whatever polarity spectrum they occupy. They are flashy and ego-driven. Bridge People lay themselves down over "troubled waters" so that everyday folks can travel, to and fro, among the extremes.

My mother was Irish, by ancestry, and my Dad was English, with a touch of German. All the traditional traits (and conflicts) that characterize these nationalities came together in my home. The Irish are scrappers, party folk, and plain talkers with big hearts. The English are idealists - formal, sometimes to the point of being a bit stodgy. They bring order and structure to their world... and dignity, which can be a huge comfort at times. There were many rumbles that went down in my home in those days! And when the love flowed, it really flowed.

Mere diversity can sometimes degenerate into a brash cacophony - too many people trying to "make a point" at the same time. But diversity that has been channeled through a unifying field becomes magical. All the sharp edges get rounded out, as desire for wholeness overshadows the need to be individual and separate.

I was always closer to my Mother, during childhood, even though I often idealized my Dad. He was a good man, honest and conscientious, but I never wished to attain his degree of formality or his uncompromising orderliness. I valued having fun too much! Mom loved to gather with people - to mix and mingle - and she threw the best parties! Dad was regular in his ways, private in his manner, and he could be boring... like solid rock can be boring, even though folks love the safety and stability it brings to the equation.

Truthfully, I integrated a lot from both sides of my family tree. I am not him and I am not her. I am ME... but each of them live on in me. I am a Bridge Point for their souls and many of their ways. How does the saying go? "You and me, and baby makes three." And, in a more expanded sense, baby makes one... a new one, an expanded place of joining for that original "you and me."

Hybridism in Everyday Life
There is a lot we can say about purity. Something is what it is, unchanged, unpolluted, with nothing to spoil the distinctive essence it represents. Human anatomy is like that, in many respects. A body has form and it has function.

First chakra of the human body: roots and stability, symbolized by the color red. Third chakra: administration of personal power and choice, Represented by the color yellow - the "sun" - the body's solar connection. Fifth chakra: communication, the color blue. These energies are the foundation, the building blocks, the root essence of a person: stand, choose, communicate. Then come the bridge tones.

The word "tone" is very important to understand at this point. It is actually a contraction, made up of two smaller words: to one. When a tone is created, it is the union of two important elements. Without that union, it would simply be a note. This way of looking at things is not completely aligned with how music theory is usually explained, but bear with me.

The "odd" numbers of the human chakra system represent the form and the function. The "even" numbers represent "feeling." To be complete, each person needs to integrate form, function, and feeling. Three dimensions of experience. Without feeling, without the mixing and mingling of the "basics," life becomes dull and flat. It becomes two-dimensional.

The second chakra is symbolized by the color orange. To make orange, we mix red and yellow. Orange is a bridge tone that connects our roots with our ability to choose. This chakra is frequently referred to as the "sex chakra." It is also the home of the inner child energy for a person. It is a connection point between primal instinct and individual human will.

The fourth chakra is symbolized by the color green. To get green, you must mix yellow and blue. We call this the "heart center" of the body. It is the home of love and fellowship. It is also the administration point between mind and emotion. During these times of high transition in the world, the heart center has become a primary cauldron for mixing and mingling third dimensional energies and the Multiverse. We will talk more about that later.

Let's move from the world of colors to the world of music. The word "tone" is frequently used in both contexts. When we mix notes in a tonal scale, a chord is formed. It can either be a major chord, a minor chord, augmented or diminished - depending on which notes we include. Each note must be distinctive, so that the essence of the chord rings clear and true. At the same time, those tones must blend with each other, or parts of the chord will overshadow others, bringing distortion to the sound.

In the world of human interaction, the word "tone" has often been applied to the general atmosphere or feeling that exists in a room where two or more people have gathered. How often have we entered a room where folks have been talking, and immediately gotten a strong feeling of what has just transpired? We say to them: "I don't like the tone of the conversation." We become concerned about the disharmonious combination of energies that has just occurred.

A "Bridge Person" is someone who has the ability to stand back, and comprehend the whole of what is going on, in any given situation. He sees and appreciates the component parts that are participating, as well as the apparent discord into which they seem to have fallen. Within himself, he creates a space where changes can be made. Internally, he synthesizes the energies present - making the necessary adjustments to their individual notes so their dissonance can be resolved.

Many of those who have learned this skill began using it very early in life, while trying to survive in households that were often at war. At first, we did this internally to make ourselves more comfortable. Later in life, we found ourselves actually pulled into conversations and negotiations, offering suggestions (from a somewhat neutral space) about how local relationships can be improved.

There is much to study, many more insights to learn about hybridism in the world. If any of you are deep into this study as well, and have insights to share, I would deeply appreciate hearing from you. More to come.

DJ.

 

 

© 2006, Daniel Jacob