Golanv Circle
Thursday Thoughts

Intermediate Practicum
Healing Through Empathy

Yes. Quite a jump from yesterday’s Banishing Spell, but Magick and Medicine are all about our balance of Self and our ability to adapt to things we cannot control in this Universe. READ THAT AGAIN. Having stated that, the FIRST step to ‘Healing Through Empathy’ is knowing the definition of the word. Empathy is defined as” the ability to understand and share the feelings of another BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH IT.” This includes the understanding of the “why” for how we feel, what roots our emotions, emotional reactions, and triggers. This is because it is understood that  sympathy only involves compassion and a vague understanding of the situation sometimes. It is often better to take it as if you have NEVER been through the circumstance yourself and cannot personally relate, that is sympathy. (UNLESS you have really been through it!)

”SELFISH should become synonymous with SYMPATHY.”

Why? Many view “sympathy” as a “selfish” expression of emotion that exhibits our “pity” for someone in their situation and relief that we are not Experiencing this moment personally.

This is especially true when no Compassion is expressed.

It is better to give a hug than a cheeseburger. Many feel we should send Empathy cards at death or loss, NOT Sympathy cards. We have all Experienced, or will Experience, death and loss. It is only a matter of time.

Furthermore, Empathy is more feeling others’ “feels” having been in the situation yourself and KNOWING what they are going through. That can get messy and burden your Spirit if not protecting Self, though. In empathy, you have had the Experience, whatever the Experience is.


SYMPATHETIC WORDS
Sometimes that is not enough to just be told, “I’m here” from one refugee to another, for example. To some, that is not a healing statement. Even though we understand sympathy is an observation and acceptance of what that refugee is going through, it often only involves taking on someone else’s feelings because you are observing them. To further their pain, they lost their parent in the country they left behind. The person sympathizing has never Experienced this personally. They are only sharing in the expression of the feeling… not the EMOTION attached to feeling it.

EMPATHY IS THE EXPRESSION OF EMOTION FOR ANOTHER FROM YOUR RECALL OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.


ANIMAL FEELINGS
Where does empathy come from? IT IS LEARNED THROUGH EXPERIENCE. Hence, “being an Empath is often prevalent in those that have had past traumas” —IS A TRUE STATEMENT. Empathy seems to blossom naturally over time as part of human development, and it also has roots in evolution.

Empathy has been observed in our primate relatives, in dogs, and even in rats. Another example are various orders of birds. In captivity, if one bird sees another is lacking, it will offer its own food, shelter, toys, etc. It observes and recognizes the feeling of being “without” in the other bird.


PLANT FEELINGS
Another example is with our Plant Allies. It feels, “that’s great. Are you going to give me water?” Or, “I need help. I have been turning brown for days.” “ I have been calling to you, but you do not hear me.” Or, “there is no sun in this window. Not to mention its right by the chair you smoke in”. And again, it is wilting. Our Plant Allies give us subtle clues to their needs, just as an infant human does for its needs. If we are going to keep them around, we are Wise to learn their communicative methods. Sadly, the human’s Ego often hears only one thing, or sees only that the plant is dying. Sympathy is more or less, acknowledging there is a plight but not investing much to solve it, nor Experience it for Self.


SELF:SYMPATHY
Empathy involves a little more. It is putting yourself in the other's place and understanding WHY they may have these particular feelings, or WHY the plight occurred to begin with relative to your personal Experience.  It creates a sense of peace and ‘uncondition’ over the plight of the target of the empathy. It shows Compassion without Judgment. It builds a level of trust amongst all species and raises the vibration of the energy in the Universe over all.

You acknowledge the Plant Ally is thirsty, some Practitioners can hear them, and you give them water.

You acknowledge your neighbor’s dog is impoverished and in has no shelter. Instead of saying, “something must be done about this”, YOU do something. You buy the dog a house. (After saying, “let me me buy Wolfie a new home” to your neighbor of course.)

Empathy involves REMOVAL OF UNHEALTHY EGO in order to fully feel the plight and wholly help the being, human, cat, plant, etc, through its situation. It involves seeing LIFE, or the ENERGY,  in what is all around you. Empathy can be for EVERYONE. It too is of ‘uncondition’ as both of these feelings come from a pure place -- LOVE. Remember, empathy can be for EVERYTHING.


EMPATHY=EMOTION OF EVERYTHING
Knowing the definition alone is a key to focusing the healing energy, the Magick, and most certainly the Medicine that resides inside all of us. But, how else do we show empathy? It requires only your presence. Remember that hug? if one will allow it, give it. Smile. Be humble. It does not require “the right word”. It does not require “judgment”. It only asks that you share your energy, healing energy, to heal the plight, the same one you came through. Notice we said SHARE. Not ‘give away’ as in what a psychic vampire would take – but that is another type of healing that is needed… and another Lesson.

Regardless, review the video below to answer questions today.

How to Show Empathy

Now that you have reviewed the video.
Empower the healing technique to work.
Giving this type of energy not only helps heal others,
but it can heal you too.

Give it a try.

Thursday G11

General - Journal - Book of Shadows

SUBMISSION: G11 THU EMPATHY VIDEO (Due by Sunday)
Three Questions (Answers in video)

1.            According to the video, how do they describe the difference between Empathy and Sympathy?

2.            What are the Four Qualities of perspective taking?

3.            Give a brief example of an Empathic and Sympathetic response.

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