(I wrote this piece shortly after the tragedy of October 7th. I felt inspired to share it again today.)
In the ancient Vedic texts of India, there is a concept called ‘Indra’s Web.’ Indra’s Web is a metaphor for the interconnectedness of life. Visually, it is represented as a vast cosmic web, like a giant spider’s web spread across the Universe. Within this web are countless beads of dew that rest at the intersection of each gossamer thread. When one strand of the web is plucked, all the beads shimmer in response. Each bead mirrors its neighbors, reflecting one another in a cascade of affirmation.
What affects one, affects all.
Our world is like this. Neighbors reflecting neighbors. Friends reflecting friends. Until we wake up and chart our own course, we are simply reverberating and reflecting what is around us.
The ancient Vedas recognized this, and so does modern science. Quantum physics provides reproducible evidence of what sages and seers have always known:
We are mirroring one another.
I have been sitting with this over the last month. When something particularly gruesome captures the attention of the masses, everyone begins quaking at that frequency. It’s like a slide into a massive sinkhole. Unless you can grab onto something steady, you will just follow the others into the devastation.
Mirroring one another is our nature, until we change it. There is nothing wrong with mirroring one another when things are going beautifully and we are thriving. Then the mirror impulse is a gift.
But when the worst of humanity is exposed, we must choose whether we are going to participate in the frequency of the masses, or set our own tone.
For the last month, I have allowed myself to bear witness to the heartbreaking reality unfolding in the Middle East. I have done so because I am a mother, and this war has been particularly cruel to mothers, fathers, and children. I feel a cellular-level activation of alarm at what is happening. It is a deep violation of the sacred contract between parents and children. A violent ripping-apart of the relationships that should be held with the utmost sanctity.
At times, it has left me wondering why we’re doing this at all.
Life, that is.
But these horrors are not just happening in the Middle East. They are happening everywhere. They have happened in the past, and they will happen in the future. Violence, devastation, and heartbreak are probably happening right down the street.
Nonetheless, seeing it on your screen 24/7 is enough to blow out your nervous system. I’ve had to be very careful about the content I take in, and how much of it I allow through my system.
This has me sitting at the crossroads of a number of different impulses:
On the one hand, I feel compelled to bear witness.
Why?
Because if I was in that situation, I would be desperate for anyone who could help to be aware of what was unfolding. I would want every pair of eyes on the situation, so that somehow, some way, we could find our way through.
On the other hand, I know that what we give our attention to, we feed. So if I am witnessing horrors that I cannot directly affect, and I am in a state of heartbreak and helplessness while I do so, I am not contributing positively, anyway. I am simply adding to the collective despair on the planet.
So now what?
I have sat in this liminal space for a month. I have been taking in what I can, and moving it through my body as effectively as I know how. I have been keeping myself rooted, open and present, while also allowing myself to feel the heartbreak that comes from witnessing war.
As of today, I feel a new resolve gathering in me.
What is it?
It is the resolve to seal my vessel, open from the inside, and allow creation to come through me. I am part of Indra’s Web, and I want to beam a signal of clarity, power, and well-being. And because I have the privilege of being able to do so, I will.
I cannot directly affect hostages, or mothers, or children buried under rubble. But I can drop my anchor deeply into the Earth and open to a higher frequency. I can shift my energetic signature so that my bead on the web emanates more brightly. And in doing so, I give permission to others to do the same.
This is the gift of Free Will. We have a tendency to mirror one another, but when the reflection is devastating, we can rewire ourselves on the inside. This personal rewiring contributes to the improved reflection of the whole.
For the last few days, I have turned off my phone. I have turned on my music. I have cooked, moved my body, and slept well. I have loved my children with every particle of my being. And I have invited creation to move through me once again. Ideas are bubbling, clarity is arising, and warmth is returning.
Does this mean I have solved the problems in the Middle East? Of course not. But I am remembering the importance of uplifting myself so that I can be a reflection of that potential in others.
Each of us on Indra’s Web has a responsibility to upgrade our own emanation. We can source that upgrade from within. It is just a matter of intention and devotion.
So I have begun to spend more moments in meditation. I have recommitted to connecting with my body. I have taken deep breaths of the autumn air outside. I have worked in the garden.
Each choice is moving me closer to being who I want to be, rather than a heap on the floor. This is not bypassing. This is looking at the state of the world, FEELING it all the way through, and then making choices that allow me to contribute to a world I’d rather see, starting with myself.
For the mothers in the Middle East who cannot open and breathe, I will.
For the ones who cannot hug their babies and smell their hair, I will.
For the children who are afraid and alone, I am beaming a strong signal of love and protection toward you as I hold my own children.
For those who have lost hope and purpose, I am opening to allow creativity and power to pour through me.
I can, so I will.
It is a very delicate dance, being a human in this world. Keeping our hearts open when witnessing enormous suffering. Taking little bites of reality so we can digest what we take in. Feeling our feelings without drowning in them. Staying rooted and open so we can be of service.
My prayer is that we remember that we are powerful Creators.
That we remember that Love is sourced from within.
That we remember we can choose differently in every moment.
That we remember to embody what we are fighting FOR, not against.
That we remember we are all connected in this web of life, and when one person wakes up, it is an invitation for others to do so, too.
What are you doing to wake up today?
Thank you for sharing Indra's Web with us. The metaphor is both fitting and inspiring. A beginner at meditation, you give me reason to begin a daily practice.
Wow - thank you for this empowering and uplifting message Sarah! I'm going to do a meditation right now - you've really inspired me with your incredible gift of writing.