The Open Gate Beckons: Horses, Ambivalence, Security & Freedom

The image above is a powerful visual icon about the ever-present, often-ignored, and persistent "open gates"of our lives:

"The gate is open! No need to question why… no need to find out who opened it or when it happened. It is a bright and beautiful new morning, a fresh beginning! Gates are meant to be opened and souls are meant to be free… pause at the gate only a moment to thank Love for your freedom, and then run…RUN!"  -K.Overstreet

The image of a horse running free evokes strong, positive emotions and expresses the universal longing of the human spirit for freedom. Familiar elements in the image communicate far better than the words now being written about them. But for those such as the author having a lifelong affair with not only art, photography, and visual imagery but ALSO with language and words (!), the following are interesting symbols:

"Horse"   -  The human spirit, power, strength, movement, rebirth, physical existence, experience, pilgrimage, mission, freedom, passion, emotion.

"Morning or Dawn"  -  Symbol of new beginnings, fresh starts, unrealized potential, unlimited
possibility, Sun Mother, nurture, maternal love, the Earth Mother, spiritual awakening, Creation, adoption of life on Earth by the Divine, the evolutionary realization of Light in the midst of our own darkness, and the gradual evolution of the human soul toward enlightenment and actualization.

"The Fence"  -  The lines of limitation that we all use to define ourselves in known, safe, familiar conceptions and terminology: race, gender, age, occupation, religion, culture, sexual preference, political affiliation, and of course, LINEAR TIME - our ubiquitous clocks, watches, and calendars in modern life. 

"The Overhanging Tree"  -  Symbolizes the protection of elders, the mediating and shielding of Nature and the Earth, the connecting pillar connecting Earth and Sky, home, refuge, stability, relationship, connectedness, maturity, growth, wisdom, reaching up toward the unknown.

"The Gate"  -  Represents our ability as humans to transcend our limitations, the phenomena of events, people, ideas, music, art, and other powerful conduits that open us to larger reality, the scary idea that our knowledge and experience is NOT final - that there is something larger than us and BEYOND, the implicit existence of spiritual "gate-keepers" - forces/energies that require of the spiritual pilgrim a proper "password" before advancing further upon the path of growth and evolution.

"The Color Gold"  -  In esoteric traditions, gold always symbolizes the ultimate stage of actualization of human spiritual evolution. It implies having gone through the long painful, fiery purification process to rid us of the undeniable presence of ego and dross that is our common baggage as beings "of sky AND earth." The golden sunshine and light in this graphic and the Sun positioned above the head of the horse shows the attainment of "freedom"  "enlightenment"  "moksha" "nirvana" "heaven" "liberation."

Although not a horse owner or horse expert, like many the author is a long time horse-lover and admirer. Images such as the one above of horses running with their mane and tails flowing out with the wind evoke feelings of joy and happiness.  Modern existence - especially urban life -  has inflicted upon many of us a NDS diagnosis - "Nature Deprivation Syndrome!"  Perhaps this is part of the reason that seeing imagery of horses running free evokes such longing and happiness in us.  Even if we cannot articulate it adequately, we sense at a primal level that our addiction to cable or satellite television, Ipods, computers, laptops, video games, texting, earphones, and yes - BLOGGING (!) has taken us even farther away from our deepest origin as children of the Earth.  This alienation of our planetary roots is dangerous and creates many undesirable effects which are too many to articulate here.  Suffice it to say here, though, that the feelings we experience when viewing horses is proof that this spark is NOT dead.  Indeed, it is is inextinguishable and forever at the deepest base of who we are and our need and ability to become RE-related to the planet and learn not to tread so heavily upon it and take more than we give.

The Ambivalence: 

Freedom, as they say, is never purchased cheaply. We all say that we want to be free, but it is undeniable that we all also have a corresponding and natural desire for SECURITY and the "known."  This ambivalence is the resistance and gravity of the human ego tugging against the horse standing at the open gate, saying, "Hey, you don't know what could be out there! You might get hurt, or fail, or even die. You need to stay inside the fence and gate where its safe!"  Powerful urgings for safety!  This voice is internalized inside our own head - I call it "The No Committee."  We all have one!  Additionally, this NO voice will be reinforced and unfortunately EN-forced by our sometimes dysfunctional families and culture. Every one of us - and particularly women, children, minorities, gays and lesbians, and members of religions we don't understand or fear - will be sharply reinforced to STAY INSIDE THE FENCE WHERE YOU BELONG.  Or worse yet, perhaps the terrible double-bind message:  "You really don't belong with us, but you can't leave either!"

So, in looking at the idea of horses, fences, gates, and ambivalence, it is clear that only those who are STILL inside the fence (which is ok) will tend to be judgmental of those who have gone beyond it! We all do this sometimes! By criticizing others for having the courage to transcend the limits of culture, politics, and religion, we somehow feel a little smug and secure and better. Those who have ever gone beyond the safe confines of family and culture will tend to be very patient and understanding of the growth process because they know just how difficult this kind of spiritual growth actually is! 

Gatekeepers and Learning the Password:   No spiritual growth can occur and no horse can run through any gate without getting past gatekeepers.  Gatekeepers can be literal mentors, gurus, elders, teachers, or others who have already successfully gone out that particular gate and know THE PASSWORD.  We may tend to think of this as a limiting factor, but it actually is not. Rather, it is a positive aspect of growth toward a higher spiritual plane. In reality, we all inherently possess every spiritual resources and all the riches of the Universe inside ourselves.  We are all children of Life; simultaneously inter-related to the tiniest atom or quantum quark and to the vast nebulas, stars, and galaxies flung out upon the cosmos like sand upon the beach. As the Lakota Indian tradition teaches:  "Mitakuye Oyasin" - meaning "All my relatives" or "We are all relatives."  This is forever our heritage and higher destiny and nothing can ultimately defeat that higher purpose. We ourselves have chosen our own paths - no one determined this for us as much as our own ego wants to believe otherwise!   Ultimately, WE all are certainly and inescapably our own gatekeepers! We can and should seek the support of mentors, teachers, and elders to validate our vision quests. But ultimately, at least in the author's experience, the mentor cannot and should not push the yearning horse beyond the gate.  The freedom to stay or go is always up to us and no one else. If someone is pushing you, then that is an excellent indication that they are not qualified to be your mentor.  No true mentor will rob you of the responsibility of your own choice and your own path.   Whenever we are truly prepared and "ready," we'll know the "password" and give the gatekeeper a respectful smile and hug on the way out the gate - traveling joyfully onward toward new adventure and broader horizons. 

Keith Overstreet,  November 3, 2010