Playing with the Archetypes:

The Sacred Actor and the Shamanic Art of Shape-shifting

By Elisa Lodge & Paula Scott

Ancient spiritual traditions and quantum physics both inform us that consciousness coexists with form, that Spirit interpenetrates matter. The Sacred Actor explores and embodies this Mystery that underlies all things. Embodying ourselves as spiritual beings in physical form is about allowing the unfolding of what already is within.

The creatures, the herbs, the fir tree; I become part of it. The morning mist, the gathering waters and the fire of passion, I am it.

Shaman’s Chant: Shamanic healers all over the world have used masks to transport themselves into expanded states of consciousness and help liberate others from the fears of the unknown. Wearing a mask representing a powerful force of nature or an archetypal power was a means of keeping alive the health, energy and creative power of the community.

For thousands of years masks have been used as a form of human expression. An underlying truth is that we all wear masks; different masks to express different parts of ourselves. In the ancient tradition of the tarot, the first card, the zero card in the deck, is the Holy Fool. The following cards represent the different embodiments, archetypes or masks donned by this holy fool or sacred actor as he travels the mythological journey of life. Interestingly, the word “tarot” is derived from two words meaning “royal” and “road.” 

To bring this into the context of our lives now, we can gently recognize that we tend to forget we are the wearer of the mask rather than the mask itself. It is seductively easy for us to predominantly wear the primary mask of our socially conditioned patterns. Our job of course is to re-member we have an innate ability to ‘play’ many parts.

To actually experience the innate ability of the sacred actor, it is necessary to move from the cognitive and rational functions of the brain, which, from a neurological standpoint, is the left, or masculine brain. We can also refer to this as the mental mind for which our culture has a unique penchant or leaning towards. Through the ‘play’ of the sacred actor, we literally begin to notice a shift into a more creative, embodied experience of who and what we are. This is the shift into a more balanced place with the right, or feminine brain.

From behind the mask of the mental mind, any frustrating condition can be dramatized or augmented rather than denied. It is literally brought into the light and played with, so it can be seen for its unique beauty. It is the process of dis-enmeshment from the predominant mask we tend to wear. Nothing is discarded so to speak.

Playing with the archetypes in this way is one facet of an embodiment process known (at the moment) as “Primal Energetics – Emotional Intelligence in Action.” It is the ongoing life work of Elisa Lodge also known as Wowza, who, at the tender age of 73 feels she is just beginning. Its creative unfolding has been going on in her life for over 60 years. The following is a summary of some of this work.

Art of Shape Shifting: The first step is enacting your habitual social role – the familiar stance, vocal pattern and walking style as your greatest creation. No longer lost in the part, you are free to embody new roles that enhance all aspects of your wellbeing. This becomes a magical switch that ignites your creative genius to take center stage.

It’s the fire in your eyes and the flowing motion of your spine.

It’s the joy in your walk and the warmth in your voice.

It’s loving life beyond all reason.

A Fluidity of Being: The body is not a solid entity. The body is movement. Awaken a unifying, responsive body language in which inner ease and fluidity replace stressful tension and muscular armoring. Coming into fluid harmony with gravity while sitting, standing and walking the essence of your authentic being becomes the prime mover of inspired action.

Soul Talk: Activating a full-bodied range of vocal expression fueled with fluid, coordinated movement. Trust and confidence are gained by coming into harmony with the inner voice of feeling to select the melody, set the tempo and change your tune any time you wish.

Primal Energetics: is an expressive, feeling fitness that embodies the dynamic emotional energy the way musicians, actors, dancers, singers and children do all the time - creatively and passionately with soul! This embodiment process exercises the physiology of eight emotions with breath, sound and movement. They are: Peace, Love, Chaos, Fear, Anger, Vulnerability, Laughter and Ecstasy. The energy of Peace is interwoven through all eight emotional energies.

Emotional Intelligence: Intuiting the informative motivation that emotional energy supplies us is the bottom line of personal power. The practice of intuiting information of personal guidance will help you recognize the difference between emotions that are directed by the mind of thought and emotions that are the driving force of your inner wisdom. (You might want to read that again.)

Tapping into this rapturous force eroticizes nerve fibers, warms the flesh, arouses the arteries, and pumps blood into the heart with undivided passion. Now, the most volatile energy can be spontaneously expressed with ecstatic, full-bodied pleasure! Being a catalyst for the spontaneous originality ecstatic energy to be seen, felt and heard, a dynamic charisma, animal magnetism, and a natural stage presence emerge.

The key is learning how to penetrate the density within our structures and movement in order to unwind locked compressions, allowing the body to become one cohesive body, to become a consciously fluid body of coherent Wholeness. In effect, we are surrendering into a bio-energetic intelligence of the body that restores a birthright of expansiveness and wellbeing, which is embedded in our cells and DNA.

Elisa Lodge has been a leader in the human potential movement for many decades. She has been one of the prime facilitators at Esalen Institute for over 30yrs and is a professional actress and arts therapist. For the last ten years she has taught on-going Gestalt Therapy Trainings and Sound Healing in China. Some of her workshops include Igniting Ageless Vitality, The Sacred Actor Training and Primal Energetics. She is the author of Primal Energetics-Emotional Intelligence in Action and The Humming Book and also the co-founder of the Church of Wow at Burning Man.

She will be in Humboldt County from Feb 26 - March 3, 2010. For more information on these workshops or for private sessions, please call 834-3458 or 498-6726 See Wowza’s ad on page 8 of this issue.