SECOND POINT OF CRISIS

At the age of seventeen – and still unconsciously under the influence of the ‘shadow’, the young girl began to feel a compelling need to go beyond her family ring-pass-not. She ventured out of her habitual ‘comfort zone’ to make the acquaintance of those who were from a different class to her. She began to experience a way of living and being that was so very much in contrast to her preconditioned concepts of life, religion and philosophy; her mind, now stretched by new ideas, new understandings, would never regain its original dimension. She now faced a second point of crisis. Embarked upon a solitary journey in the hope of discovering some concrete truth as to the meaning and purpose of life, she was ignorant as to where these new ventures would take her and knew in her heart that there was no turning back. Life became a very real challenge during the following twelve years as she faced one test after another in the outer world, and some very unusual experiences in the subjective world.

Throughout this difficult period the young woman embraced each challenge as it came, for she knew that she was on her Way even though she had no clear vision of where it was leading, nor had she any certainty of what she was doing. Years later she would realise, in retrospect, that the experiences she endured over this long period fell most assuredly into the category of mystical experience; she loved being alone, for it gave her the opportunity to reflect independently, yet she was never lonely, and took every opportunity to explore the inner realms as far as she was able to. Life was indeed magical and nothing seemed impossible at the time; the affinity she felt with the Unknown was palpable.

After this long period of spiritual tension there arose an equal period of equilibrium; the young woman left for the Big City and found herself under the influence of a particular group; she acquired a teaching post and became a long-standing member within the group. Life grew steadier from then onwards, and in terms of outer crises, it remained relatively uneventful. The inner world, however, continued to expand and for the first time in what seemed like a very long time, she was able to settle consciously into a life of quiet employment, steady meditation, and penetrative study. She began to heal.

Do you recollect your second point of crisis and the particular direction it pointed you in?