Aeolus.
You can dream your dream house at Aeolia, and even draw up the blueprints. But a real home entails a commitment to a particular location, to holding your ground, to digging down and excavating, setting a foundation and building a solid structure.
~ Michael Goldberg, Travels With Odysseus*
lent, week 2
When is the last time you were able to poke your head up above the dense canopy of daily life and get a look at the big picture? Was the view exciting? Energizing? A little daunting? Perhaps all of the above? Periodically, it’s good to take a break from the daily slog and let yourself dream about what could be. About what you believe should be. To reset your heading and move forward again toward home with renewed vigor.
Late last summer, Kellie and I put our house on the market to sell. We felt like our time in this wonderful home had come to an end and that there was something fresh for us, still in the Boone area. We went under contract pretty quickly, but the contract fell through; after that we just weren’t getting good looks at the house and decided to take it off market for the winter and try again in the spring. I was quite sure that selling was the right course, so I felt deeply disoriented when it didn’t happen. A little depressed actually. It took me a couple months to settle back into life as usual.
A couple weeks ago, house still off the market, our realtor told us that another agent had a client who wanted to be in our neighborhood, and would we let him show our house. We said yes, and to our surprise we are now under contract again. And we think this one is going to hold. It’s funny how suddenly your world can turn: What felt stuck is now released, and you can begin to dream new visions of possibility.
This is what happened to our guide Odysseus on the island of Aeolia with the Master of the Winds, Aeolus. A floating island, Aeolia is a party on wheels—always on the move, never tied down to responsibility, they feast lavishly every night. But no matter how pampered, the travelers are not home; eventually they must move on. Moved by their quest, Aeolus gives Odysseus an ox-skin containing all the four winds, except the West Wind to blow them back to Ithaca. In only nine days, the sailors are within sight of their homeland… but their journey is far from over. While Odysseus rests, his unruly crew opens the bag, and they are blown all the way back to Aeolia where, this time, Aeolus is not interested in helping.
The gift of this experience (and the gift of the Enneagram Seven energy) is the ability to renew our vision of home, to see what matters most, and to recommit ourselves to the goal. When we feel aimless and adrift, it’s time to access the Seven energy, fire up our imaginations, think big, and act boldly. At their worst, Sevens dream big but lack commitment to bring their dreams to life; at their best, however, they not only unleash creative clarity to envision the future, they bring joyful passion to empower the quest.
As we begin our journey through Lent this year, spend some time looking at the big picture of your spiritual journey in order to clarify your vision and renew your commitment. Not just to a 40-day trek but to the journey of a lifetime.
growing your soul
Where are you feeling unfocused or over-indulgent? (This is why Lent often involves fasting.) What would it take to reawaken your hunger for Home and set you back on course?
serving our world
As you reclaim your bearing toward Home, who can you help to reclaim theirs?
takeaway
Look ahead and focus.
*Michael Goldberg, Travels With Odysseus. I’m taking much of my inspiration in this series from his book. I recommend it!