Understanding the Revolution in Egypt

Many of you have written requesting an explanation of the recent and ongoing events in Egypt. As of this writing Mubarek, the long term dictator of Egypt has been deposed and Egypt is under the temporary control of the military. Egyptians are ecstatic at their success in ousting the oppressive Mubarek regime that many have blamed for their poverty and oppression. While the Egyptians have been successful so far, no one knows what the final outcome will be because many similar revolutions in the past have failed to produce the freedoms that people sought. However, these are new times with probable new outcomes and results. Let us examine these stirring and world changing events in light of the trends forecast for 2011 and seek to understand it’s meaning for the entire world. I will begin by briefly listing the main characteristics for this year and then reviewing some of the year’s main themes.

Main Characteristics

Role: Server + service – bondage
Casting: Warrior + persuasion – coercion
Goal: Growth + evolution – confusion
Attitude: Idealist moving to pragmatism as the year wears on. + coalescence – naiveté
Mode: Aggression +dynamism – belligerence
Obstacle: Self-Deprecation
Center: Emotional + perception – sentimentality
Needs: 1. Freedom 2. Communion 3. Expression

The role of Server indicates that events this year will not be headed by exalted leaders but rather by ordinary people who seek to serve the higher good by simply showing up and making their voice heard. Servers do whatever is necessary to take care of the business at hand with little thought for their own comfort or wellbeing. This year does not belong to big names and charismatic leaders but rather to the populace, ordinary citizens who take responsibility. Mostly their names are not known, just their messages on social networking sites. Sick of their bondage the masses seek to serve by standing together with courage and solidarity. This server orientation has been showcased in a big way during the recent weeks events in Egypt and will be seen throughout the world in the weeks and months to come as servers everywhere get into the action. Remember they are 25% of the total population.

The warrior casting assists with helping people to fight for their rights and their values. Out of loyalty to their cause and to one another the warrior also surrenders personal comfort to advocate and defend their principles. There are warriors on all sides of the equation however in Egypt they mostly have banded together for a common purpose.

The Goal of Growth seeks evolution and development, no longer willing to put up with the status quo. Growth is serious and hard working, never giving up the motivation to seek something fresh, something new, and when coupled with idealism, something better. This idealism helped the Egyptians stay their course for a better deal and the pragmatism that is coming will help them put together a state that hopefully works for everyone.

Aggression Mode has made it possible for the Egyptians to finally stand forth and confront the dictatorship. Why did this revolution not take place earlier? Because it needed the dynamism of aggression to shove the inertia out of the way and convert the people to action. They also needed the example of the revolution in Tunisia to help them see that it was finally possible. Things happen when they need to happen and the time has come for this and similar revolutions to take place all over the planet. It is to the Egyptian’s and the military’s credit that the revolution has had a minimum of violence thus far. The aggression has helped the citizens to overcome their fear of authority and reprisals to good advantage.

The obstacle this year is Self-Deprecation so you might wonder how this revolution has been successful in light of such lack of self worth. Let us say that the theme is Self-Deprecation and in this case the people looked at their self worth and decided, “enough of the old low self esteem. We are tired of that. No more!” So in this case the revolution was a kind of healing for a populace who long struggled with low self worth and feelings of inadequacy. We might also say that this healing was brought about by the young people who had not yet accepted their fate to be oppressed. As the young people led with vision, their elders, finding inspiration joined them forcefully. This was a best-case scenario for the theme of Self-Deprecation. Hopefully this too will spread throughout the world at this time rather than result in an exacerbation of low self-esteem.

This has not been an intellectual revolution but an emotional one. The Egyptian people perceived that the timing was right and that they could be successful if they simply held together and outlasted the administration. As the days went by their crowds grew and grew. Their cause was spread by pure emotion, less by ideas. This same dynamic will be present throughout the year. Dictators and oppressors beware.

Now let us look at the three needs for 2011 and you can readily see their powerful relevance and influence. This was a revolution of Communion, people being together and seeking each other’s company in a common cause. Children and young people took part as well as the elderly. Add to this the need for Expression and you have the people’s voice expressed together loud and clear. Flags, flowers, fireworks, banners, signs, chants, and songs all were in great evidence throughout the tense weeks of communing. Finally the need for Freedom speaks for itself. Freedom they sought and freedom they got from Mubarek so far. These needs are not going away. The need for freedom means that the Egyptians will not accept a similar dictatorship. They want real freedom and in combination with the other overleaves, only a fool would try to deny them this. These three needs will remain in effect throughout the year and influence all peoples everywhere. Together they compose a dynamite chemistry that is almost unstoppable.

Remember that the change coming about on this planet during this time is the shift in paradigm from Success orientation to Relationship orientation, or from young soul to mature soul. This makes a big difference in relation to revolutions of the past. In the past most revolutions were quickly co-opted by younger souls who once again took over control to oppress the people. This happened during the revolution in France and then in Iran. That was then and this is now. Although still possible this is less likely as a result of the current changes taking place in Egypt.

Now let’s put all these overleaves together for a moment: Aggressively and emotionally growth oriented and idealistic with an attempt to serve the greater good depending on which sides’ philosophy of service we use. For the protestors the greater good has been regime change. For the regime the greater good was maintaining control but they were overruled. The needs for Communion, Expression, and Freedom have been uniting to support the revolution. Remember that all the needs are handled aggressively and emotionally as well. These are the ingredients you have been watching fueling the mass social unrest in North Africa.

Now add to this intense mix similar astrology to the American and French revolutions in the late 1700’s and the 1960’s era of protesting the Vietnam war and race relations conflicts and you get the picture. Clearly it is a revolutionary atmosphere with people at the grassroots level fed up and the oppressive powers refusing to give up their stranglehold on control. This is the situation in many parts of the world at this time. These are the ingredients that make for tense standoffs likely to result in powerful aggression, more likely from the side of the controllers when the people rise in protest. The real question is, “How could there not be revolution this year?”.

Pertinent Themes

Finally let us look at some of the main themes for 2011 and see how they contribute to recent events.

1. Grassroots activism, giving up on administration and officials to fix problems.

Obviously this is what is happening in Egypt as we speak. The people tired of the Mubarak regime’s status quo. If there is to be change then they have to implement it themselves or they will be stuck with poverty and disenfranchisement forever. They know that new solutions don’t come from old leadership and old forms of governance but rather from younger leadership armed with new communications technology.

2. Radical responsibility for self and planet

The Egyptians have taken responsibility for their country, laid their lives on the line, and demanded change in the face of serious danger. Responsibility for the planet will be coming in how they handle the Suez and Israel peace treaty questions.

3. Creativity and destruction: Moving toward creating a new world. What has to go? What is no longer viable?

Much of the creativity lies ahead of the Egyptians. What will they create? The destruction has to do with getting rid of Mubarak and his cronies.

4. Self-worth, deservedness, ability to have, looking at anything in the way of self worth, self love.

I have already spoken about this theme.

5. Realignment to new values.

The new values have to do with the move from Success oriented to Relationship oriented values. The Egyptians seek freedoms of press, mobility, and the ability to raise their standard of living.

Contending with unknown forces

Now of course Egypt is the home of the Suez Canal, of huge international economic importance. All the oil from the Middle East flows through the Suez and you better believe that countries throughout the world have been watching events with great concern because they do not want any interruption in the flow of oil to their countries. The alternative route of course is around the Horn of Africa, a dangerous and lengthy trip for oil tankers. For this reason and the desire for stability in the Mid East, the United States and others have helped to prop up the Mubarak dictatorship for so long. Yet oil is a dictatorship of a different kind and even this powerful concern cannot stop change from taking place. The Egyptians are not stupid. They know this and know that to disrupt oil would be internationally economically catastrophic. Egypt is also not very interested in going to war with Israel at this time because when all is said and done, Egypt is a mature soul country with relationship-oriented values. As a people they are peaceful. Their younger soul leaders have been more conflict oriented in the past. Nor are they interested in giving up their cause of freedom for the oppression of fundamentalist Islamic rule.

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These events are in keeping with the main theme of “out with the old paradigm and in with the new.” I would not like to be a dictator, despot, or strongman in the world at this time. That is an old idea that is going away one way or the other sooner or later. People want a voice and they are demanding one. Sooner or later they will get it. Dictators come in all stripes and appearances. Some of them are the old fashioned kind like Egypt’s Mubarak and some appear in the clothing of a corporation or a way of doing business that is corrupt. Some even look like democracies actually masking dictatorships by the wealthy or corrupt few. These conditions too are up for review and will topple. Therefore the spotlight is not on governments or leaders but more on the people in the streets who want a change. All these changes will be driven at the grass roots levels and not by revolutionary leaders or by established governments. Don’t expect any Che Guevaras. The leaders are mostly faceless typed messages on twitter and social networking sites.

Now you might wonder why Egypt is involved. First of all it is the lynchpin of the Arab World, an area that is in great need of change. Secondly the Egyptian landscape is incredibly energized with pyramids, monuments, and temples of ancient powerful civilizations. It is a place where historically there has been great power and spiritual transformation. These places are becoming activated at this time so it is impossible to be in Egypt and not be powerfully affected by forces beyond our understanding. There have been prophecies regarding the discovery of a room under the Sphinx during these times, a room that holds great knowledge and information about not only Earth’s past but its future. Some say this space has already been discovered but is being kept secret. Egypt is full of such lore and this points to its locus of importance in the world in a spiritual sense, the alignment of the Nile with the milky way, the ancient temples on the Nile in alignment with the human spine and the chakra system and so on. There is ancient wisdom there. Whether these beliefs are true of not will be revealed soon enough. Whatever the case, it is most interesting that a revolution that has captured the world’s attention for much of February, 2011 has been in Egypt. Does it hold a key to the world future? We shall see.

What is probable for the immediate future

Think shocking and sudden change and this will give you a sense of what is coming. Shocking and sudden does not have to be negative but it does mean resistance to change is futile and you will have to learn to adapt quickly. The revolutionary spirit is alive and well and never before have we seen such fertile ground for its success. Therefore it is probable that not only will the Middle East erupt this or next year, many other parts of the world are ripe for radical change as well. South America still has potential for major upheaval, especially Venezuela, and much of Africa is up for grabs. The United States may see attempts to dismantle the Union and break up the nation state. Certainly there are factions that would like to radically change the constitution along the lines of their own ideology. These factions are deadly serious and could pose a serious threat to the status quo. When a black man became president many decided that the country they once knew was finished and they hold no loyalty to the nation anymore.

At the same time there are those who are tired of seeing the nations politicians sold to the highest bidder, in essence owned by the corporations. Expect serious pushback coming from those wishing to fight corruption on every level. Yes, the United States will not simply be an observer on the world stage but may very well experience its own difficult upheavals, threatening its sovereignty. In a way it is 1776 all over again but this time with different themes.

The world will be a construction zone complete with swirling dust, noise, debris, hard hats, and heavy equipment. At times it will look chaotic and ugly with little hope of redemption. The old buildings will be falling to the wrecking ball and gradually new edifices will rise revealing a new presentation for all to see. In the process perhaps many will sacrifice their lives and many others will fall victim to drought, flooding, food disruption, lack of clean water, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. Remember nature always mirrors what is going on for humans on an emotional level. In a way, change has always been part of human history and the longer you have been on this planet the better you will be at riding out the turbulence while contributing to a new vision of what can be. Spend your precious moments enjoying your essence and focusing on a world that you would love to manifest. Be grateful for all that is and for the very good fortune of having been created to create.

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José Stevens

José Luis Stevens, PhD is the president and co-founder (with wife Lena) of Power Path Seminars, an international school and consulting firm dedicated to the study and application of shamanism and indigenous wisdom to business and everyday life. José completed a ten-year apprenticeship with a Huichol (Wixarika) Maracame (Huichol shaman) in the Sierras of Central Mexico. In addition, he is studying with Shipibo shamans in the Peruvian Amazon and with Paqos (shamans) in the Andes in Peru. In 1983 he completed his doctoral dissertation at the California Institute of Integral Studies focusing on the interface between shamanism and western psychological counseling. Since then, he has studied cross-cultural shamanism around the world to distill the core elements of shamanic healing and practice. He is the author of twenty books and numerous articles including Encounters With Power, Awaken The Inner Shaman, The Power Path, Secrets of Shamanism, Transforming Your Dragons and How To Pray The Shaman’s Way.