New Moon Action: Renewal for the Earth During The Time of the Black Jaguar

 By Jocelyn Mercado

For the upcoming New Moon, we invite you to experience The Time of the Black Jaguar, a book by Indigenous leader Arkan Lushwala. Arkan’s words are infused with truth, peace, and a steady power. He wishes to share, with all people on Earth, the Indigenous perspective that he has learned from a lifetime of experiences as well as teachings from the wisdom of the Elders.

Significance of the Time of the Black Jaguar

Arkan’s teachers in Peru once explained to him that there are 3 movements or “times” in a complete cycle of humanity:

1. Creation: The beginning time of each cycle of humanity, a time of magic, in which “the creative capacity of humans does not know the impossible … a time of great power and happiness … a true earthly paradise.”
2. Conservation: This is the longest time period. Darkness comes to reside with the people. Humans are tested and must learn how to deal with difficulties. Once humanity has been in conservation for a long time, the essence of creation is forgotten and magic exists only in stories. Those in power become corrupt and human values are lost.
3. Renewal: The shortest and most intense time, it arrives when the tension and darkness of conservation cannot be sustained anymore, and purification is needed so that life may continue on to a new Creation period.

Now, we have arrived in a time of Renewal. Humanity is suffering, from wars, violence, and widespread damage to the Earth due to exploitation by humans. There is a collective craving to return to the simplest truth. The social pillars and belief systems of the past are broken, but new pillars are not yet built, so it is a confusing and often a painful time. But it occurs to purify us so that our hearts can be open to see and support the unfolding of a brand new, as-yet-unknown world in a new time of Creation, the beginning of the next cycle of humanity.
Arkan says that now we are living during The Time of the Black Jaguar. “For Indigenous people of South America, the black jaguar is a much-respected spirit, related to death, to the healing powers of thunder and lightning, and to all sacred forces that purify and renew life when it becomes stagnant or sick.”
Arkan poignantly remarks:

“It is time to change, and if we do not change, something stronger than us is going to do it for us.”

How Should We Change?

1. Remembering Our Role As Caretakers

Humans need to return, with open hearts, to our sacred role as caretakers of the Earth. Arkan’s book opens with a beautiful vision given to him and his people by the spirit of the Eagle. Here is an excerpt from the vision:

“The dancers who sang the Creation of the world … created men and women and left them to care for the rest of Creation through the power of their heart and their capacity to produce refined vibrations. The first humans were born to be guardians of the memory for the original design of life … Keeping this memory alive in their heart and singing it back to all that lives became their gift, their mission, and the foundation of a beautiful way of life.”

The vision goes on to explain that over time, people forgot the radiant light of their spirits, and darkness showed up in the souls of many. Humans became divided by a desire for power and began to hurt each other as well as all Creation.
Arkan makes a strong point that we have an opportunity now, during the Time of the Black Jaguar, to heal the hurt and fragmentation that humans have caused for centuries. We can do this by acknowledging the original wisdom that all humans have. We must return to having a reciprocal relationship with Mother Earth, in which we respect her, offer her love and gratitude for the abundance she has given to us, and continue praying and lighting the sacred fires that nourish the spirit of the Earth. For more on this topic, please see this article and this video.
It is important to remember that our role as caretakers does not mean we have dominance over all other beings. Arkan says:

“It is true that we have great talents that other species do not have. But the purpose of our talents is not that the other forms of life serve us. On the contrary, the purpose of our talents is to serve others.”

2. Cultivating a Sacred Economy

Money, and the global economy that was built upon money and debt, is not natural, Arkan tells us. Long ago, humans would barter for goods that they needed, allowing each party to “take the time to choose something to give to another as an act of reciprocity and gratitude … an action of the heart.”

“As long as we perpetuate a system in which profit is number one on the list of priorities, very little can change. Would it be that bad for profit to be number two on the list?”

There is great wisdom in his words, and yet a shift from the current economic and political worldview, in which money is king, would be very difficult for most of us to imagine.
Arkan says that we urgently need for “those who have economic and political power, no matter how large or small, to regain their freedom to use the heart when making decisions that affect the lives of others.”
We need a great shift to a mindset in which feeling our heart is more important than anything else. “When we remember our true nature, we feel good and content for being what we are.” This may not seem like an economic statement, but consider that if we truly focus on the peace and abundance that naturally occurs all around us, then greed and possessions would stop appearing so important.

“The amount of resources, energy, and blessings that circulate on Earth is so vast that no one could even imagine it. The Sun actually radiates 15,000 times more energy than what is needed in order to meet the demands of our entire planet. The Universe and the Earth … are abundance itself. It is we humans who create poverty when we create wealth in an unbalanced, unwise fashion.”

We must each take responsibility for leading humankind out of the poverty of the spirit in which the world currently operates. We cannot be ruled by scarcity any longer.
“I insist on saying, with the loudest voice, that the unconditional love we so often speak about has to be reflected in the way we run our economy. We all need to be genuinely willing to do our give away and participate in the generous circulation of vital energy—or money if you want to see it that way—around the planet and for the well-being of all life. Far from being a romantic idea, this issue, from my point of view, is a matter of life or death for future generations.”

3. Reactivating a Sense of the Common Good

Modern society is built upon people and companies trying to be the “best.” It seems that everyone wants to make the most money, have the most customers, be the most talented, and have the best car/house/boat/(fill in the blank).
But this is not the only way to live.

“It is a great relief to put the personal ego to rest and to feel like we have a heart much bigger than our own: the collective heart. Contrary to what the personal ego fears, giving ourselves to the well-being of a circle of life does not take away our freedom. What freedom can be more real than being able to love without fear?”

Arkan’s philosophy, like many Indigenous worldviews, places love and the community at its core. Fear, greed, and materialism fall away and seem trivial when we focus on what is truly important in our lives: family, the Earth, and the health and well-being of all creation.
In a strong human community, says Arkan, the leader does not need to rule with excessive authority. Instead, “When giving direction becomes extremely necessary, leaders can be firm and strong; the rest of the time, they can use their talents to activate among the people a sense of the common good.”
Instead of a voting system, which Arkan points out “promotes separating in bands and aggressive competition for the majority of votes,” our communities should engage in the practice of consensus.
Rather than seeking personal victories that place us in the spotlight, we should each try to make decisions that serve the common good. If modern leaders functioned in this manner, many of our current problems, including famine, wars, and environmental destruction would not exist.

How to Move Forward into a New Time of Creation

Arkan’s words are inspired by a deep, unshakable truth. We can easily see the wisdom in the principles that he lays out. And yet, a shift from our modern economic and political systems, to the ideas Arkan presents, would be a violent upheaval taking many people out of their comfort zones.
Arkan says that in times of renewal, especially now when we are running out of time against climate change, “the way of the Black Jaguar comes and says ‘Enough!’ and destroys the prisons where we feel safe and comfortable.”
This process of great change will require people who are strong at their core, who can put love ahead of money, who will speak the truth to drive change and will not back down, who are not afraid to challenge the current destructive systems that keep us trapped in a painful way of living.
If you are one of these people, join the Pachamama Alliance on our Up to Us engagement pathway which was created to educate, inspire and engage a critical mass of pro-activist leaders who are committed to bringing forth a thriving, just and sustainable world for all.
In the words of Pachamama Alliance Co-founder, Bill Twist, “To really engage with the questions of creating a mutually-enhancing human-earth relationship, it is going to require tremendous boldness, tremendous brashness, tremendous commitment.”

An Important Book to Light the Way

The wisdom that you have read in this article is only a small glimpse of the complete and hopeful vision for the future which Arkan describes in his book The Time of the Black Jaguar. We strongly urge you to download the four-chapter excerpt here, or better yet, read the full book. It is likely that your heart will forever changed by his powerful, yet humble expression of the ancient beliefs of his Indigenous culture.
 
source:https://www.pachamama.org/blog/new-moon-action-renewal-for-the-earth-during-the-time-of-the-black-jaguar

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