Hello and good Friday to you! At the last minute I decided to postpone the blog I prepared for this week, (I will, however, post it next week as it’s a useful expansion on this month’s Mirror of Life exploration). In its place, I want to share some personal reflections about the spreading of the Coronavirus and others like it yet to come. I’m no doomsayer, but I am a realist, and I want to offer some sobering, yet encouraging perspectives about this latest virus we’re facing.

Just in the last seven days the global count of reported infections went from 98,000 to 128,000. While the actual cases undoubtedly surpass this count, what’s useful to consider is its 25% expansion rate per week. Pandemics are exponential in their expansion however, so I suspect the percentage will magnify ten-fold by next month. How fast COVID-19 will actually spread and how deadly it will be we do not honestly know as these types of viral strains keep altering their genetic structures, which in turn impacts their degree of virility and survivability.

I’m not sharing this information to contribute to the fear-factor, but rather as a way to frame the Mirror of Life reflections I want to discuss with you this week. If in fact, the world is a reflection of us, and us a reflection of it, (as illuminated in the Emerald Tablet) then we must explore beyond our speculative externalizations of this threat and consider what the source of it is within ourselves. By “source” I’m not suggesting some supernatural cause or religious penance, but something more down to earth in terms of our collective responsibility in the matter.

Many of these viruses, (including MERS and SARS) originate from animals and then migrate to humans. While much of the outbreak research points to China and their improper handling of livestock and poultry, in my opinion the issue is less about blaming China and more about acknowledging a general lack of forethought and irreverence we all share in. As a race we do not revere life or the resources that nurture and support it. Instead, we demonstrate a blatant disregard for one another, for our own well-being, for the well-being of the animal kingdom, of nature, and of the Earth’s fragile ecosystems. We humans are the most unconscious, uncaring and entitled of all living creatures when it comes to the harmonious balance of give and take – we take far more than we give, and we do so with little concern for the impact of our actions.

This latest virus is a wake-up call for us to face into The Mirror of Life and take a good hard look at our priorities, at our behaviors, our apathy, arrogance, and thoughtlessness when it comes to our personal well-being and the well-being of all living things. The sickness we are facing arises from within us, and the more we externalize it and ignore our responsibility in the matter, the more it will persist in our outer world until it either brings us to our knees or our senses.

So what am I advocating? Rather than getting caught in the fear energy, or participating in the media hype and social networking finger-pointing, I suggest looking within and making sure you not only regularly wash your outer hands, but that you also keep your internal space clean and clear. The ways to do this are to stop participating in the fear, blame, worry, or denial games, and instead polish your inner mirror by taking responsibility for what is moving in our world . . . both the forces of illness as well as those that contribute to restoring our personal and collective well-being.

Be smart about your hygiene and your dietary intake, (animal products, processed foods, and pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables are carriers of toxins and diseases) follow the recommended precautions to avoid getting infected, and keep your immune system optimized by caring for yourself, getting sleep and staying centered. But much deeper than these outward actions, embrace the inward energies of love and understanding rather than fear and prejudice, demonstrate trust and care rather than suspicion and disregard, and above all, be the light of goodness, grace, and wellness both for yourself and for all those you encounter in your daily life. It is the union between these inner and outer actions that will bring us to our senses and ensure our ongoing well-being and the well-being of this beautiful world we live in and which lives within us. – VJ