Major developmental stages
There are eight recognised major developmental stages.
They are recognised in most systems.
In Yoga the eightfold path can also be seen as
two steps repeated four times.
The two steps are the gathering together and the internal mastery. The four times are the repetition in the physical body, life body, astral or emotional body, and then in the spirit or wind body.
This system can also be seen as spatially arranged into
The four horizontal directions on Earth.
The four directions are considered to be the
Protectors of the threshold
that lead into the inner vertical worlds.
These are often represented in a medicine wheel
In Chinese medicine they are also the directions on the torso
for collecting the life energies of the organs.
The orientation of the qualities of the directions generally correspond to the position on the human body as it appears when he is lying on his back on the ground
with his head pointing towards the equator.
In Southern Africa that would place the cold water
of the snake and bladder in the south
It would place his green liver in the west
where the Lion is king.
It would place the red hot heart space
In the north, closest to the hot sun.
For me that is represented by the horse or Wildebeest
It would place the white lung energy in the east that is seen
as the great bird that can fly and levitate.
In south Africa the directions are also recognised with regards to the ancestors in the north who have gone before us and the east is recognised by its' relationship to the spirit or moya, the wind.
Typically the directions and colours are also seen in the beadwork and the sequence of ceremonies performed by the student healers or amatwasa. The first is putting on the white beads
representing the spirit that is being recognised and respected.
Then we can put on the blue beads when we
have been introduced to the water spirits.
The green beads represent the forest ceremony that comes next.
Then there are the red beads to put on when we
have done a fire ceremony and slaughtering.
The colours can be seen to correspond exactly with
the colours of the organs of the Chinese and
the colours in the American medicine wheel.
The development through time follows a clockwise direction.
With each of these directions come a challenge.
The cold blue water and snake represent wisdom but in ignorance it is experienced as anger and its consequence: fear.
To overcome the fear we have to overcome anger.
To overcome anger we have to overcome self importance.
There is only one way of doing that.
Humility.
Non attachment.
Humility is the cure for all the fear based itchy diseases.
Each of the four directions are associated with their own trap, struggle, and curative virtue.
These are also the virtues that need to be developed before it is safe to enter the underworld without becoming re-traumatised.
These stages and their issues and hang ups are explained in the Healer course.