What is the Symbolism of the Pandemic? Covid-19 as Metaphor.
From my experiences with shamanic practice one of the tools used is journeying to non-ordinary reality to initiate a healing process. While journeying you may be given a symbol to bring back for your client. The symbol is then communicated to the client. So what is the symbolism of the Pandemic? And how do we see Covid19 as a metaphor?
To discover the symbolism and the metaphor you would then advise them to meditate on the symbol over a period of time and act on the inspiration that came to them. During my courses I would receive symbols from the participants that journeyed on my behalf for my healing. I still meditate on a couple of those today. And I’ve come to see the significance of symbolism in the sometimes mundane facets of our existence.
One of the symbols I received was the representation of a perfect pair of lungs. While I was doing these courses I was a smoker and continued smoking for a few more years after that. I’m happy to say that I’m now smoke free. Because coronavirus affects the lungs this seems extremely relevant at this time.
Contents
What is Metaphor
For the purposes of this post the definition of metaphor we’ll use is to represent or regard a thing as being symbolic. In this case coronavirus. I look at elements of the virus and find similarities when compared to other objects or events.
Covid as a key
One of the first things we see when we look at a 3D representation of the coronavirus are the spikes on the surface. When these reach the lungs they plugin to receptors on the lung tissue. Think key in a lock. Once they’re plugged in they release the nasties inside the virus into the lung’s cells. For more understanding watch this here.
When I think into this as metaphor I begin to consider the virus as being a key to something metaphysical that I have to understand personally. Is there something I have to unlock for myself? It was interesting to go through the experience of Lockdown. Having this space was key to me being able to work on my blog and to consider Covid-19 at a deeper level. It is easy to see what is happening on the surface of things without contemplating the possible deeper implications. I feel lucky I’ve not contracted the virus after witnessing some of the horrific images, and hearing some of the tragic stories in the media.
The metaphor of the key can also allude to global ideas rather than just those for personal experience. As you consider this key idea the concepts that are triggered in your heart and mind will be personal to you.
The Panic of a Pandemic. Covid-19
Here the process went the opposite way. I looked at what was going on in external reality and wondered what comparison I might make to what was happening within the body.
What is the deal with people’s panic? How does a pandemic magnify this anxiety? Yesterday the majority of people had enough. Now there isn’t. Suddenly what is crucial for our survival becomes scarce. Hand sanitizer emptied from supermarket shelves like tornados had whipped through them and the same with toilet paper. I liked the view of one particular commentator who observed that strangely coronavirus doesn’t give people diarrhoea.
Once the panic dies down suddenly there seems to be enough. Sure there were a couple of times I walked into a supermarket and there was no hand sanitizer, but its not a commodity that you need to use a lot of to get the desired effect. Even more effective we are told is washing our hands thoroughly with ordinary soap and water after coming home from purchasing goods and at regular intervals if we are essential workers. And becoming conscious of not touching our face is a small step towards not inadvertently doing something that could mean we get the virus.
So what might be going inside of the body that induces panic in regard to Covid-19. If you watched the video I placed a link to in the section Covid as a key you might have seen that once the virus is doing its thing in the lungs one of the byproducts of the inflammation it causes is a build up of moisture. As this collects the capacity for the lungs to take in oxygen is severely decreased. I imagine it is like drowning from the inside. I’m sure there were times as a young’un when I’d run out of energy close but not close enough to the side of the public pools and began to panic when in trying to get there another swimmer would suddenly become an obstacle. We only have to look at the images of those on ventilators and those struggling to breathe in oxygen tents to see that they are panicking in the experience of a famine of breathable air.
As we sow, so shall we reap
It doesn’t seem coincidental that only a few months ago that wildfire was destroying great tracts of the Amazon rainforest. Referred to as the “Lungs of the World” Amazon forests are instrumental in processing the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and maintaining the fragile balance of green house gases circling the planet.
Is it any wonder that nature is turning the tables on the inhabitants of Planet Earth and that the Covid pandemic is inflaming the lungs and killing some of the people that contract it? Are we reaping a harvest of disease, just as we are perhaps sowing the seeds of our own destruction by cutting out the lungs of our beautiful world?
Conclusion
Is this another wake up call? From 2002 to 2004 we had the SARS virus similar to our Covid-19, and in 2009 we had the swine flu, then between 2014 and 2016 we had Ebola in West Africa. Each of these were contained even though they took many lives.
Were these a call for humanity to wake up to the deeper significance of what is happening on the Planet? Will it be this Covid-19 virus of epic proportions to wrench us from our slumber and begin the work of bringing ourselves back in tune with nature.
When we acknowledge our humility in the face of these events and seek to heal starting with ourselves, we begin to discover a way back from the brink of disaster. If you’re looking for some tools to assist with this process you can find them HERE.
Blessings
