Taboo or not taboo
I had a dream a couple of weeks ago; where a person whom I have a fractuous and ambivalent relationship with in real life, arrives at my house in a van full of young, singing Islander men, to deliver something important.
After making the delivery, this person entered my house, sashaying through like nothing was amiss, ignoring me. I was shocked by the sass of this person, given our strained relationship. Then I was enraged - stirred enough to come out from behind my kitchen counter (a safe space for me irl!) and tell them to “get the fuck out of my house!”. Without missing a beat or rushing, they turned, side-eyeing and smirking (!!) at me and sashayed back out my front door - the gall!
It was then I noted that this person wasn’t quite like the person I knew as they were; they were more of a caricature - there was something a little ‘off’ about their appearance, exaggerated and grotesque in their features. Clownish.
It took me several days to pull away from the literal interpretation of this person’s visitation and realise I was visited by the Trickster, who took the form of a nemesis to grab my attention. How duplicitous.
by artist Laurar Benson
Still,
I find the trickster as one of the most confusing Archetypal energies. And that’s the point. The trickster subverts! They stir and agitate. They can make you squirm with discomfort. They can be cheeky and make fun, but also dubious or unsavoury. They are BOTH good and evil and NEITHER good NOR evil. Whaaa???
What are your beliefs, ideals and morals about good and bad, right and wrong, proper and improper?
You may be familiar with Trickster through the symbol of The Fool of the tarot - as a hobo, fringe-dweller, and figure who operates outside the cultural norms. Or the 7 of Swords - a sneak and thief - an outcast. The Clown - who uses silliness, humour and levity to disarm (or unsettle and frighten?).
source unknown
Many cultures have fables and stories about trickstery creatures. In Australian Indigenous stories, the Crow often appears as a disruptive element. In Christian mythology, the snake is the ultimate manipulator and disruptor, tricking Adam and Eve - humans - out of immortality to have for itself (i.e the constant rebirthing of the snake shedding its skin).
It can be easy to dismiss the Trickster as negative. Taboo is part of the Trickster’s bag of tricks; so to be possessed by the trickster is to ensure societal annihilation and rejection. It makes sense that we are wary and turn away in fear or disgust. We see what can happen when we get lost along the dark and immoral road.
But as Hermes in Greek mythology, this energy comes to you with a teaching message “from the Gods” and a glimpse of an alternative, unconventional path.
What messages have you been receiving that suggest you defy some convention?
aka etching by William Blake
I know I talk-the-talk of subversion a lot. Walking the spiral path, falling and traversing liminality, is the dark and unknown journey. Some may even say I already subvert stuffiness to a degree, and tread the path in some way. I’m kicking the stones on that risky road for sure, but if I were honest, I’m still playing it safe.
What would it mean to defy conformity? To resist peer pressure? And act in a foolish, clownish, or subversive manner?
What are you risking? A real tangible loss? or an unpleasant emotion?
I do acknowledge that over the last few days, I’ve been clowning about a bit, pushing the boundaries of respectable behaviour in conversation and attitude, risking judgment. And I’ve also been judged both negatively and with approval. I’m remarkably less bothered by both (fun fact: approval feels less pleasant, hmmm). Trickster is working through me.
Even as I write this, I feel a quivering and quavering in my glutes and the backs of my arms - my body is charging up and ready to mobilise! A signal I’m close to something freaky.
Angele Arrien reminds us that the Trickster also brings levity and humour. The lesson can be in not taking ourselves too seriously and to laugh at ourselves. Acceptance and Detachment are practices she suggests to help us here
How might you bring more play on your travels down the unconventional road?
What idea, attitude or rule could you let go of, or experiment with opposing, whilst maintaining your sense of humour?
As for my dream …
I can’t unsee the smirking, clownish image of my dream character as a benevolent guide. No longer literally associated with that person in my life (cheeky way to get my attention!). They are quite pleased with my little forays of subversion and ‘badness’.
Arriën, A. (1993). The fourfold way: Walking the paths of the warrior, teacher, healer, and visionary. HarperOne.Estés, C. P. (1992). Women who run with the wolves: Myths and stories of the wild woman archetype. Ballantine Books.Johnson, R. A. (1991). Owning your own shadow: Understanding the dark side of the psyche. HarperOne.Le Guin, U. K. (1989). Dancing at the edge of the world: Thoughts on words, women, places. Grove Press.Myss, C. (2001). Sacred contracts: Awakening your divine potential. Harmony.Wen, B. (2015). Holistic Tarot: An integrative approach to using Tarot for personal growth. North Atlantic Books.