In Kundalini for the West, Swami Radha tells us that every word or sound has power and is connected to a spirit of the highest order. The power is Sakti, the goddess of speech.
The provocative political theorist and philosopher Hannah Arendt who lived in the last century tried to turn on its head the way human beings refer to themselves. We tend to call ourselves “mortals,” from the Latin mors, meaning “death.” She invited us instead to consider ourselves as “natals,” from the Latin nasci, meaning, “to be born.” She put the emphasis on the potential inherent in each human being as we enter the world rather than on the fact that one day we will leave it.
Each time we hear ourselves say the word “mortal,” there is a somewhat muted resonance, ‘Yes, one day I will die.’ But how could I forget! Having reached the age of eighty-four, my limbs and muscles remind me daily, especially when I see folks skipping along in a way that was delightful for me in my younger years.
I don’t need to be reminded of my mortality. I can live my life, focusing on my human potential, enjoying the clouds and the rain and the sunshine and also the occasional thunderstorm.
I am a natal, ever being born to the moment and ever growing into Light!
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