A Soul Connection

WEEK 2 GEVURAH
Day 11, Netzach within Gevurah


Netzach (victory, conquering, eternity, security, dominance -- also, determination, perserverence)

Gevurah (strength, judgement, justice, boundaries, restraint)

Entering this gate with trepidation because of my preconceived ideas of what it "could be like" with all of these strong, intense qualities in one space together.  It is only by remembering that these spheres, these states of consciousness have a healthy state too that I now notice my own inner strength and perseverance to stay present and to see what arises.

I noticed that there are a couple of terms used to describe aspects of Netzach that I do not like -- conquering and dominance.  I realize that the part of me that doesn't like these terms is a part/self that does not like dominance over another or conquering another.  When I think of these two things my chest/heart gets tight.  I breathe into the tightness and let it be there without trying to change it.  After a short time, my chest/heart loosens and eventually gets soft and open.

From a different perspective, there are examples of conquering and dominance that are positive for me.  For example, some years ago I was able to conquer my smoking addiction.  And, as I'm more open to see more about dominance, I see that dominance can be something that is used in art to make a statement.  In music, there's a dominant rhythm, or beat.  There's a dominant character in a story (book, play, movie).

I wonder . . . what is it that's dominating my life right now?  This sounds like an interesting inquiry.  I can see right now that different things dominated my life at different times in the past.  Yes, this is a good topic for inquiry and journaling.

Note:   The spiritual state identified in Chassidut as corresponding to netzach is confidence.