WARRIOR / protective, strength, powerful (in the sense of power with, not power over)

Essential energy: Fighting for what is most important, drawing on inner power to stop harmful actions.

Begin by listening to this 11-minute guided meditation.

“One of our people in the Native community said the difference between white people and Indians is that Indian people know they are oppressed but don’t feel powerless. White people don’t feel oppressed, but feel powerless. Deconstruct that disempowerment. Part of the mythology that they’ve been teaching you is that you have no power. Power is not brute force and money; power is in your spirit. Power is in your soul. It is what your ancestors, your old people gave you. Power is in the earth; it is in your relationship to the earth.”

—Winona LaDuke 

When we think of activism, the Warrior is the archetype that usually comes to mind first…. thousands of people marching, protesting, trying to stop a harmful action from happening or getting worse, sometimes even using their bodies to do this in the form of civil disobedience (Standing Rock, Black Lives Matter, the Occupy Movement are all examples).

But it can also take the form of confronting injustice through the legal system, filing to stop a harmful act, and seeing this battle through to the end (think the ACLU). Or having the tenacity to call your legislators day after day to alert them to an issue that must be addressed.

That kind of standing up to injustice, standing firm in the face of harmful actions, is the essence of the Warrior. But as the guided meditation reminds us, the essence of that power needs to come from Love, to be truly sustainable and life-giving.

The heart of the Warrior is a deep knowing that you can step into whatever it is you are facing, and you can be present to it with an open heart. The courage you need to take right action in the face of harm will come from this open heart.

Examples of individuals and groups that embody Warrior energy:

• Real Life
• Ruth Bader Ginsberg
• Elizabeth Warren
• Winona LaDuke
• Emma Gonzalez
• Greta Thunberg
• Erin Brockovich
• Muhammed Ali
• Joan of Arc
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Rosa Parks
• The Water Protectors at Standing Rock
• Black Lives Matter
• The ACLU

• Mythical
• Wonder Woman
• Rocky
• Xena the Warrior Princess
• Durga
• The Amazons

The shadow sides of the Warrior:
• Out of control anger that burns through us and can burn us out
• Rigidity that can lead to exhaustion
• A need to dominate and ‘be right’ that can lead to bullying others 

GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK

• What is your relationship with the Warrior? How much does it resonate inside of you?
• If this feels like a strong archetype for you, what presence does the shadow side of Warrior have? How would you like to work with the shadow aspects, if they are present for you?
• If you would like to cultivate more Warrior energy in your life and activism, what are some of the practices below you would like to try this week?

Practices to connect with your Warrior energy

• Contemplative practices that are based on martial arts… aikido, karate, tai chi
• Yoga poses: Warrior, Mountain
• Connect with the Earth through gardening or farming
• Create art using rocks and other Earth materials
• Set boundaries, the practice of saying ‘no’
• Do something you’re afraid of every day. This is a learned skill, and the more you practice it the more natural it becomes. You can begin in small ways to help you build this skill. For example, notice when you hold yourself back from speaking because of fear, and practice moving through that fear to make your voice heard.
• Give your inner warrior a theme song. Create a playlist of music that speaks to your inner Warrior with empowering rhythm and lyrics. Here’s a ready-made playlist and here are some ideas to build your own:

Roar (Katy Perry)
Walk On (U2)
People Have the Power (Patti Smith)
I Got This (Jennifer Hudson)
Gonna Fly Now/Theme from Rocky
32 Flavors (Ani di Franco)
Fighter (Christine Aguilera)
I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
Today is the Day (Shania Twain)
Run the World (Girls) (Beyonce)
Girl on Fire (Alicia Keys)
Hit Me With Your Best Shot (Pat Benatar)
Respect (Aretha Franklin)

Please leave a comment below with your reflections on this week’s guiding questions…

 (photo credit: Standing Rock photo by Rob Wilson)