Today’s meditation is about balance.

No surprise, really, given that Mabon is a celebration of the Equinox a time of equal night and day and many ritual texts work with this symbolism. But ‘balance’ has come to mean ‘duality’, which is such a Western frame of reference, with its inherent opposition and underlying sense of fragility. Even threat. Or hopelessness.

yin yan symbol

Because being ‘balanced’ feels like its getting more and more difficult, like the goal is being changed, the bar set higher. We talk about balancing work and life commitments, and what we are really talking about, more often than not, is juggling them. We live in a state of barely contained chaos in which time is manipulated and fractured to be able to achieve all of the commitments we make. Suzy needs to be at soccer practice on alternate days from her dance classes, but Joe’s band practice is every afternoon and when your big project at work comes up, you find yourself negotiating with your husband about who has the most flexibility to be able to pick the kids up. Dinner is take-out, or pre-made frozen, reheated before homework is done.

But we’re ‘balanced’ because we play as hard as we work. Right?

We take vacations that get interrupted by work. Or we plan to unplug and spend extra time before, and after, that vacation making up the work we didn’t do. Was the vacation worth it?

The Eastern mind sees balance as symbolized by the yin/yang circle. It’s better than the split horizon circle of balance from the Western perspective, but I’m not sure its relevant enough for the modern world.

I’m thinking our concept of balance might better be symbolized by a lava lamp.

Take some time today and consider the meaning of balance and how it operates within your life. Make no judgments, just observe.