I began my MiddleWorld Apprenticeship in 2018 after an intense eight-year immersion in the Underworld, where I was emulsified in the Death Lodge and stripped of my birth name. In my rebirthing process I received my new name of Raven Shree, along with archetypal energies & responsibilities for me to live up & into as I moved into my Second Adulthood.
I brought my Raven Shree soul directive with me when I emerged from the UnderWorld and stood on the horizon of my next adventure. The Underworld had been a powerful place of release, death and metamorphosis. Now it was time for me to move into the next stage of my Hero's Journey.
It was time to enter into the MiddleWorld & live the essence of Raven Shree into the tapestry of everyday living in the realm of humanity. My Hero's Journey was no longer about dissolution but about creation, integration & actively becoming Raven Shree in the MiddleWorld.
When I was initiated into my Apprenticeship, I was instructed to go out into the MiddleWorld & interact with humans, which was how I was going to gain guidance & inspiration for the next leg of my adventure. People were to become my new totem animal in this new terrain of exploration.
And so, in 2018, I began my seven-year MiddleWorld Apprenticeship, crafted on the curriculum of immersing myself in one chakra per year. Each year had a series of chakra assignments to engage in & evolve through as I lived my Raven Shree essence into the relational realm of being.
The MiddleWorld was an alive new landscape for me to play in & my adventure started with a wonderful infusion of light & play. However, the pandemic began during year 3 of my program, and I had to put some of my relational assignments on hold while the world went into lock down mode.
During the pandemic, I added another year to my program so I could have extra time to complete my assignments. Over the past several years I’ve been emerging from my pandemic isolation and engaging in the relational tasks that were on hold. I’m so grateful I gave myself an extra year to complete these assignments!
However, as 2024 comes to an end, I am taking time to pause and be with this time frame of now, which was the original completion date for my Apprenticeship. Had I not given myself an extra year, this is when I would have been graduating.
At the heart of my MiddleWorld curriculum was the objective to explore & embody myself in humanity & deepen my connection with the human race. One of my core learning objectives was to learn how to love humans as much as I love wild nature. Yes, humans are part of the natural world, however, they are the species I struggle with the most.
Humans are one of the most destructive species on this planet and ever since I was a child, I’ve had feelings of guilt & shame around being part of the human species. My Apprenticeship was designed to support me with healing this layer of self-rejection & self-loathing that I've had around the "sin" of being human.
Throughout my Apprenticeship I've been tasked with interacting with humans, face-to-face and heart-to-heart. As I've done this, I have come to see that the qualities I struggle with in others are also alive in me. This is a reminder that if I am going to learn to love humans more, I need to love myself more as well.
As I near the end of my Apprenticeship, I see that I have so much more work to do in the area of loving humans. A glimpse into this challenge area of mine recently came up for me with the presidential elections. The amount of people that support Trump's character as a guiding force for our country stirs deep feelings of sadness in me about the state of humanity.
I find it daunting & poetic that Trump's presidency is the energy current I will be doing my finals exams in throughout 2025. It’s a reminder that the work of "love & light" is not just theoretical; it’s tested in the gritty, polarizing realities of the world we live in.
As I reflect on my Apprenticeship & gather wisdoms to carry forward with me, I'm sitting with the concept that being human is not a sin but rather a sacred responsibility. Being human is an invitation to embody our highest potential, to honor our place in the natural world, and contribute to the collective healing of humanity & the larger eco-system we are part of.
This final year of my Apprenticeship is calling me to embrace the full spectrum of humanity’s existence: the flaws & beauty, the harm & healing, the destruction & creativity. It’s about seeing light even in the darkest places and holding space for growth in myself & others.
As I look back at the beginning of my Apprenticeship I am reminded about a core principle I started this adventure with and that was the "Yes, And” principle of living, “Yes, And” is a tool used in Comedy Improv to create open, collaborative and engaging interactions with scene partners.
The “Yes, And” technique encourages participants to accept what their scene partner offers (the “Yes”) and build upon it by adding something new (the “And”). This approach fosters collaboration, creativity and forward momentum, ensuring the story, skit, or interaction continues to evolve in unexpected & engaging ways.
As I practiced living “Yes, And” throughout the first year of my Apprenticeship, it transformed the way I engaged with the world. I found myself saying “Yes” to invitations, ideas and challenges I might have once immediately said No to out of fear, doubt or habit. My life became richer, fuller, and more dynamic as I embraced the possibilities of “Yes, And.”
When I started my Apprenticeship one of my assignments was to take Comedy Improv classes, however, the pandemic had me put this on hold. Now that I have an extra year to complete my open items, I've started taking Improv classes at a local theater in Denver, CO.
Starting in January, I’ll be back on stage, taking classes at a local theater, once again diving into the playful and transformative energy of Comedy Improy and the "Yes, And" principle. Ending my Apprenticeship with this relational play will support me with collaborating with humans in a way that opens me up to possibility, connection and fun.
As I step into 2025, I carry with me the lessons of the past seven years, the wisdom of the chakras, the transformative power of "Yes, And," and the humbling realization that I am both student and teacher in this grand journey of life. With each step, I’m reminded that the Hero’s Journey is a spiral, bringing me back to familiar themes with deeper understanding and new opportunities to grow.
If you would like to explore dimensions of your personal Hero's Journey, join me at my upcoming Hero's Journey event to kick off the new year. Explore stages of transformation that you can weave into your life as you say "Yes, And" to your own life adventure. See you soon.
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