Aontacht - Volume 7 Issue 3

we will see that where those two edges meet we findthe most diversity in wildlife. It's the same thingwhen two human beings meet, and their own edgestouch. It can be the source of true inspiration, in goodrelationship where there is an openness and honestyand where there is no hidden agenda. We have thecapacity to work together on such a beautiful level,like the forest and meadow, but we just have to seethat and work on it a little more consciously in ourlives.DD: In a ritual and ceremonial context, you speakabout how we can sometimes extend our personalnemeton and combine it with others in ritual andceremony to create a Sacred Circle or Sacred Space.Can you tell us more about this process of sharingand trust?JvdH: There are many levels of trust when there ishuman to human interaction. We are much morewilling to trust and be open with a tree, or a cat, oran infant than we are with another adult human being.We have all suffered somehow in the past, and thatsuffering causes us to be wary, to put up boundaries.This in itself in not a bad thing: it protects us fromthose who would willingly cause us bodily harm, forinstance. It is when we project past suffering ontopeople we meet with no good reason that we areunable to work with trust.Many people find it hard, especially in group ritualto open up their nemeton, their personal sacred spaceand share it with others. Sometimes it is just notappropriate to do so. We have to be able to make theconscious decision to be open, and not to project ourfears and past suffering on others in order for us tobe able to experience true relationship. Otherwise weare simply living in the past. Every time we speakwith someone, interact with someone, in any form itis an opportunity to be real, to be open and honestand kind, supporting each other on this crazy journeythrough life. Where there just isn't trust, where it isnot possible through conflict then there really isn'tthe opportunity for real, deep communication, andthen we have to walk away with respect.Opening our souls out in ritual with others can be themost wonderful experience. Often solo ritual iswhere the most transformation occurs. It is up tous to work co-operatively with others to find that ingroup ritual. When we do so, the awen, thecommunal awen is so great that we find the trueheart of compassion.DD: In your blog on Toxic Consumption(http://downtheforestpath.com/2015/04/08/toxicconsumption),you address the issue of being moreaware of what we consume. Beyond material goodsand food, you talk about what we consume with oursoul and hearts in the form of speech, gossip,television and news and how we “take in a toxicitythat affects our very being”. Can you elaborate onthis?JvdH: If you have a television, and watchprogrammes that are intended to belittle others, ormock them, or are filled with violence, then you areconsuming that. If you speak to others aboutsomeone, gossiping about this or that, speaking toput them down, then you and those you are speakingto are consuming that. When you think hurtful,negative thoughts, you are consuming those.I don't live an airy-fairy, filled with light life. I liveon the basis of honourable interaction, seeing thedark as well as the light. However, I make aconscious decision as to what I am consuming inregards to bitchcraft, violence, negativity. I amhappier and more at peace because of it. I am notclosing my eyes to the suffering of the world, but Itry to work from a conscious place of notparticipating in causing any further suffering.Lao Tzu said it best when he said "Be careful withyour thoughts, for your thoughts become words. Becareful with your words, for your words becomeyour actions. Be careful with your actions, for youractions become your habits. Be careful with yourhabits, for your habits become your character. Becareful with your character, for your characterbecomes your destiny."DD: In your blog The Solitary Path, you addressthe need to spend more time with yourself. Why isAontacht • 28