The Fire and the Rose
The Wedding of Spirituality and Sexuality
By Bud Harris Ph.D.
Review by Angela Hutchinson
Spirit-Works.net
It would seem an odd combination to the Westerner, spirituality and sexuality. Culturally we have learned to divorce the divine nature of our sexuality and have lost touch with an inner spirituality free of fear. Author and Jungian analyst Bud Harris looks beyond cultural and institutionalized religious teachings, offering a fresh and open perspective more in tune with our basic nature. Spirituality and sexuality are primal passions that, when balanced, offer a path toward wholeness. As we grow and develop in both areas we begin to live in a new way, we blossom into what we are meant to be, instead of shrinking ourselves into what has become. Harris is a breath of fresh air as he courageously shares his life experience in The Fire and the Rose. He empathetically reaches into the heart of the reader offering a sacredly shared space of solace. The author writes of familiar spiritual struggles and soothes the wounds with words of understanding.
Beginning with his mother’s death, early in life, Harris’s religious beliefs were shaken to the core and he was left to find his own way of dealing with his suffering. “My sadness turned to anger at the injustice of my family’s pain. And when my mother died, I stayed angry. Day by day as my family sank into despair, I retreated into tearless grief.” This is when young Harris found a fortifying place in nature, a spirituality that was bigger than him. He found himself at an emotional crossroads, to grow toward wholeness or to remain in anger.
It is often through the pain of life circumstance that we find our greatest opportunities for growth. At times, we find ourselves needing to move forward past stagnation spiritually and emotionally. “The spiritual cycle seeks regeneration by having our life grow barren, frustrating and empty, leaving us stuck between the safety of a flat life that is slowly wearing down our spirit and the desire for a more invigorating way of life.” This is the soul’s call to meet life with courage and desire. There are some who reject the call, and others who show up seeking a more authentic life experience. Many say it is a warrior’s path because of the strength it requires. Harris knew it would be life altering to follow a new path in his already successful career. It would require faith and passion to change his career choice, his support, and his future. The author writes of his decision to become a Jungian analyst and his education that would take him across the world.
Self knowledge is needed to truly hear and recognize the soul’s longings. “…building self-knowledge leads to authentic living, self love, and the awareness that something within us--whether we call it our true self, the Self, or the Divine--cares about us and wants to guide our lives toward their highest potentials.” The way we see and experience the world is dependent on how well we know and trust ourselves. This true self is the way we progress and develop; it is the nucleus of our being guiding the way to greater awareness.
The author writes intensely of passion and the part it plays in a balanced life. Passion is indeed the beacon that brings us where we will find our joy and peace. It is where our sexuality and spirituality meet when accepted openly, without outer contamination. “Sexuality and spirituality may be the most powerful instincts we experience, and the most troubling.” The author then suggests a time of personal reflection and dream analysis. The relationship we have with our spirituality and sexuality is a bridge that truly needs to be crossed in order to fulfill our journey toward wholeness.
“The first reaction to our awakening life may be fear as we are catapulted into an inner conflict with our old values and the habits of the people close to us.” Everything changes for the person following the soul’s call, and we must be willing to risk in order to awaken from our slumber.
Harris writes an illuminating segment dedicated to life paradoxes and contradiction. He does a superb job explaining metaphor and myth, leading the reader into an intelligent look at biblical content.
In his comprehensive look at development and growth, Harris addresses the shadow side of humanity. “…the stranger (shadow) signifies a part of us that is still wandering in our unconscious, often repressed and unassimilated from the path of personal identification.” It may be the part we reject or project onto others. Whether we view these aspects of self negatively or positively, they are still very much a part of us. “For many of us our childhood wounds, lost potentials, and the shadow figures representing our self-alienation are our personal wolves. So are our denied passions, sexual and spiritual. We cannot successfully repress then or pray them away. Neither can we banish them with all the willpower, grieve or heal them away. To lose them is to lose ourselves, for they are part of our souls, necessary for our wholeness.” Bravo.
The Fire and the Rose is an amazingly brilliant work that will nourish the souls of the wounded. It is one of the most intelligent books of the past year that I have read and I know the reader will feel the same. Bud Harris has indeed followed his passion and we all benefit because he did. Isn’t it genius how the Universe works? The Fire and the Rose is a definite “Have To” on your list of spiritual reading.