One of the practices that I have incorporated into my life is reading through and contemplating different gene keys and their presentations.
The Gene Keys is a system brought to light by the author and creator, Richard Rudd, who combined several systems such as Human Design, the I Ching, Astrology, amino acids/physicality all housed in a genetic, DNA framework. At first, second and maybe even third glance- it is an overwhelming, complex system.
The books Richard has written are tomes. The main text, "The Gene Keys" is 533 pages. The sequel, "The 64 Ways" is 581 and he has written 12 other follow up books on each sequence within the gene key system. To commit to such an undertaking of study is a journey of perseverance and ironically, perseverance and its twin, preservation, is the gene key that I feel least naturally gifted in. Because of this, it is often one that I spend time sitting in study of.
Gene Key 32- The Way of Preservation
As with each gene key, preservation has a shadow and a siddhi (so the lowest form and highest form). The shadow of preservation is failure or "devoid of purpose" and the dilemma of gene key 32 is panic.
Richard says in "The 64 Ways", "Panic is a subtle vibration that emanates from fear, from a deep forgetting of who we are. Panic and purposelessness come together."
When we listen to fear or panic (as a passenger not the driver as proposed in yesterday's email) we see what we value. Rudd says, "Then preservation is about protecting the things you value. We preserve the things we love. The great inner questions becomes what is essential and what needs preserving?"
To create something of value, or to preserve something of value for future generations is some of the best work we can do.
What is our essential? What will we leave behind? What will our legacy be?
The siddhi of preservation is veneration- to esteem or have great reverence for something. I believe that often my lack of desire to preserve things in my life can be spurred from a lack of reverence for things.
At heart, I am a minimalist or at least that is what I like to tell myself. It could be a lack of valuing much.
When the kids were little, if a sippy cup got lost underneath the car seat and that spoiled milk was just too much to consider dealing with, I tossed it in the garbage. Many broken things followed suit. If the house was too cluttered, out things went. Bags and bags of things donated, thrown away and passed along. Honestly, I am not attached to much, I can let things go easily.
Mostly, I know this about myself and don't consider it a negative thing, but as I do experience a lack of experiencing reverence of value often and as a result, I haven't really learned the art of maintaining or preserving things for very long. I switch houses often; go through many interests before discarding them and moving to the next; I've had a series of close relationships but few long term; and I have less than a handful of items that I would really miss if I didn't take care of them and keep them. My husband, John, has taught me a lot about preservation and maintenance. Everywhere he goes, he tries to make things better. I have noticed this since our very first date. If we are in a restaurant, John picks up trash that isn't his; if we go to the lake, he gathers cans and discarded papers. The first time he came to my house to visit, he got out the lawn mower and mowed my lawn. He helps his parents maintain their home now that it is harder for them to manage on their own. He is always fixing our appliances instead of hiring someone or buying new ones. It was an act of God that I was guided to John and he is a teacher to me of this principle. He values making things and people better wherever he goes. He invests in our relationship, in our home and in our life and work. He knows how to make things last.
If I use the idea that my fear and panic point me towards what I value and what really matters to me, then I have deep reverence and appreciation for my relationship with him and my children and a deep value around personal growth and spiritual growth.
The world grieves me when I see the broken relationships around me and hear about them in my office. I feel grieved by the numbness that I see from those who lack a sense of purpose or vision. These are the things I want to put my time and energy into, to preserve and make better for the world and for myself.
I invest time and energy preserving and growing my personal and spiritual practices. I invest time and energy in my marriage and family. Those are things that I won't allow my fear or panic to lead me to discard. I hold them with reverence and veneration.
Material things don't hold as much value for me, personally, but some items or things do hold great value for those that I love, so I am working to be better at preserving THINGS as well. Maybe that means not always going for the cheap disposable versions of things that don't require much care but instead the things that require washing, polishing, airing, fluffing, patching and fixing.
Over time, I may get better and better at this and invest more in single items that could last for a long time.
One item I have always desired that falls in this category is a really beautiful and interesting timepiece. Whether a grandfather clock, cuckoo clock or some other intricate time piece, clocks have always fascinated me and the kind that you invest in, even more so. They need winding, fixing and maintenance. They keep the time. Hold the legacy. My personal goal is to work on maintaining well the small things these days as well my big things like my relationships and important practices. Someday, I would then like to purchase a beautiful clock when I trust myself to give it the care it would require.
I want to sign off with one last quote from "The 64 Ways",
"The only essential is self-discipline. Veneration is a result of preservation (and I would say preservation is inspired by veneration)."
What do you esteem and revere? What do you venerate?
What will you fight to preserve?
Warmly,
Jennifer Ferrante, CHt.
Ferrante Family Wellness
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