Healing is all about going where the ugly and uncomfortable resides. We address, accept, and work with these parts of reality, in order to work through our discomfort and pain in order to get to the other side where hope, relief, and even happiness resides. As a medicine woman, my job is to walk with you through the darkness, to stand with you in your pain.
Today’s countdown with the “mythical” creatures, the oni, resembles this part of my work. To stand with you, to not look away, and to craft a path through your depression to get to a life of possibility. A path you can go forth and navigate, so let’s get started…
The oni find their human origin within Japanese mythology. Dating back to ancient times, the oni are creatures connected with the darkness. Relatives to the trolls and ogres, oni have been depicted as demons throughout history. This is largely due to their connection with: anger, jealousy, greed, darkness, evil, and the corruption and worst of humanity.
Their origin has even been suggested that they are born from souls of wicked humans or the manifestation made from human being’s lower emotions.
While their exact origins are unknown, it is hypothesized that the oni originate from Shinto and Buddhist beliefs. The Shinto (indigenous people of Japan) contributing the factors of ghost like, demon abilities. While their behavior has been linked with the 5 worldly desires discussed within Buddhism: anger/hatred, lust, agitation/frustration, laziness, and doubt.
The Oni + Depression:
When I was first collecting a list of mythical beings who would work with me on our Christmas countdown, I was re-familiarized with the oni, who stepped forward and expressed an interest in being a part of our adventure. Then, when they came forward for today’s channeling, I was surprised that what they wanted to address was depression.
Depression: The feeling that “I am completely powerless.” The futility we perceive having in life.
In the Earth Realm, we humans operate on a vibrational level. What we are a vibrational match with gets attracted and drawn to us, and what we are opposite to in this world of polarity, becomes repelled by us. When we consider the nature of this world and how it would impact the oni who visit, we discover that the oni have been corralled into this group of demonism due to the rules of vibration and frequency.
Evil as we know it here on Mother Earth does not extend to all worlds or realms. Therefore, I knew going in that the oni had an element of being misunderstood. Foreign creatures from other realms share similar emotions with us, but come from a completely different world, with different rules and ways. Sitting with the oni, I opened up to my own ignorance. What was the truth of these beings?
As I sat with them, what came through was: hunger. This sensation of having a thirst for life, a hunger, that easily expanded into anger and jealousy. These emotions, like all emotions relate information and sensation. An emotion only becomes harmful and toxic based on how we utilize and express our feelings. The oni’s hunger was not directed towards me or anyone else – not harming. But strong, overwhelming, and powerful.
When we consider the history oni have had with humans, we see them vibrationally matching people of wild hunger in life. A similarity of aggression, jealousy, and even greed. People who felt so powerless, unheard, and traumatized in life that they resorted to acts of destruction, wickedness, and evil doings. But as I said, hunger and this fierceness of the oni doesn’t need to manifest itself as horribleness in the world.
Therefore, the oni have stepped forwards today not only to teach us their true nature, but to also personally work with people who are experiencing depression to help them navigate through it. Because, depression is not just feelings of powerlessness, but anger at oneself for being so futile in their own life.
Depression:
Within traditional teachings, depression is witnessed and expressed as being within a very deep hole, in which we claw our way out of. All common direction and guidance is to push against depression. The powerless feeling, the distraction from life’s responsibilities, and the ensuing anger and lower emotions that come. Being taught to: “suck it up,” “pull on your big-boy pants,” “push through the pain,” “get over yourself.” But we cannot transform something in our life by avoiding it. To heal, we must look at the “ugliness” and address the pain.
Depression is the hole of inability. But it is only when we accept and sit with where we are, that through acceptance we can move to the next step. Okay, so “I’m stuck,” “I’m unhappy,” “I’m in pain.” ….Now what? When we’re running from the harder emotions of human life, that’s when we fall into a depression. With one hand, we are a vibrational match because we still have these emotions, and with the other hand we are pushing these emotions and similar vibrations (people, places, situations) away. A resistance that blinds and keeps us from accepting our present reality.
Imagine if you were trying to open the refrigerator with one hand and with the other you’re pushing the door closed. Do you get anywhere? Can you change your reality or are you stuck?
To truly heal our depression, we must go into it. Complete the action of the hand pushing the refrigerator door closed. Once the action is complete, we can move onward. Once we acknowledge how powerless we feel and accept our present reality, we can then open the door to…now what?
To see a demonstration of this, check out Teal Swan’s video: Working with Depression (Exercise to Process Depression).
Working the Oni to Navigate Through and Heal Your Depression:
In ancient times there was a wicked caste system happening in Asia. The total and complete powerlessness to change which caste you were in, and therefore what dreams you had access to, resulted in a total alienation of desire. Because even though our souls come into this life with desires (soul purpose) and through our human life our desires point the way to our fulfillment and happiness – it just wasn’t possible.
Buddhism teaches that the root of all suffering is: desire. Buddhism isn’t wrong, but also isn’t right in their solution, to – stop desiring. Because we are not trapped by such a rigid caste system anymore.
The oni are hungry for life, to a point of aggression. They were a vibrational match to people who were viciously rebelling against the restraints placed upon them in the ancient world. The dark, dangerous, violent, and outcast – like the Shinto people were outcast or the Buddhist resisting worldly desires. Now, the oni are a vibrational match to those who are experiencing a moment of depression.
The only way to bring healing to your depression is to go into it. Because when you do, you stop fighting and accept. Then all this energy becomes available to do something other than deny that you’re in pain, unhappy, and need to make changes. The desires you have unfulfilled are bringing you suffering. But the hunger for life we are innately born with is not the enemy. Desire is not the enemy. Denying how we truly feel and where we truly are in life, these lies we tell ourselves, that’s what is keeping us trapped.
Once we go into the emotions of powerlessness and acknowledge the things (people, places, situations) that are not fulfilling us, then we reconnect with that hunger and begin moving again. The oni are experts on the wild, untamed hunger and desire. They are here to help you cut the poisons from your life. Acting like an expectorant, a raging wildfire that cleanses or a tidal wave. The shaking force of the elements.
The oni say, “lies do not become you.” They are here to act as spirit guides, who stand with us in our pain and help us navigate and walk through this process of depression into a refreshed reality of possibility. If you are struggling, invite the oni to help you. Check out Teal Swan’s video, and you will be on this journey of healing and relief. A recovery that doesn’t get you back to “normal” or even “functional,” but gets you to possibility and fulfillment. Where desire stops feeling like the enemy.
Thank you to the oni who stepped forward to teach me more about who they truly are and who have offered their services, Thank you for stopping by and sharing my Christmas countdown with me. I look forward to seeing you guys tomorrow!