Everyone likes to dance. Even the Queen likes to dance…possibly. It’s my opinion that dancing is one of the most spiritual pursuits that anyone can do. The benefits of dancing are numerous. It loosens psychological rigidity, releases tensions, cures depression, is good exercise and makes you take yourself less seriously. There is nothing worse than taking yourself seriously.
Dancing and Spirituality
Many ancient mystics have talked about dancing being a fast and powerful way of getting in touch with the divine. It’s an important practice in both Daoism and Sufism. The respected Sufi poet, Rumi, was said to have danced when ever he desired, no matter whose company he was in.
The Technique
This Tarot technique or exercise is a way of really understanding the Fool card. To me the Fool card is all about raw spiritual impulses. An impulse that has no recognition, rules or order. It is uncaged and completely fee; it transcends both life, and death. To begin with, put on some music of your choice, relax and just start dancing. Let your body move anyway it wants to. You will probably notice internal voices surfacing, telling you you are a dick, or something to that effect; but just ignore them, what do they know.
After a few minutes of dancing, start kicking out your legs, extend your arms out to the sides (like you are imitating an airplane) and tilt your head back so you are looking up at the ceiling; then just start laughing out loud. Let the laughter come from deep inside yourself. If the laughter does not come out at first attempt, just fake it till you make it. It should not be long before the laughter becomes uncontrollable. At this point, you can think to yourself, “I am the Holy Fool; I am beyond life and death”.
Dance like a Fool
The Ancient Chinese Daoists claimed that if you do this dance everyday, you will live until you are eighty.
I think this exercise will provide a totally different dimension to the Fool card than any book could provide you.
Let me know how you get on with this technique; your experiences and your insights into the Fool…and I’m always on the look out for some new dance moves.
Have fun,
Ewen
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2 comments… Let's discuss
I will try it and let you know. Reminds me of “dancing with the faeries” as described in Froud’s Faeries Oracle book. I am not much of a dancer..but I dance…of course others laugh but then…I am just adding to the laughter of the universe so it is good…lol.
The truth in this to me though is not even in the dance…the dancing is just a vehicle to reach a “place” and that place is the “freeing of the soul.” Okay you may not think of it as the soul…there are many words for it…but that part of us…that right now in this world is trapped inside our bodies. Dancing perhaps releases the “hold” of this world and allows the spirit to soar. IDK..just my thoughts, simple as they are.
“The Ancient Chinese Daoists claimed that if you do this dance everyday, you will live until you are eighty.”
Of this I have no doubt….people that dance probably tend to be healthier (the exercise) but more than that…they probably have a better frame of mind and less stress…..AND yet I am sure it is not as simple as that…it is probably that in freeing the soul through dance…it is much more satisfied to stay in “this world” longer.
Hi Ginger, thanks for the comment.
I couldn’t agree more with what you have said. Dancing does more than what is commonly thought; it frees the ‘soul’.
Ewen.