(Pondering) – Sit with this for a moment: this sense of 'me' contained within this skin, looking out at a world that is 'not me'. This fundamental experience of separation… where does it truly come from? And more pressingly, what does it mean for how we navigate the inevitable hurts and joys of connection?

For a long time, I’ve contemplated this through the lens of non-duality, often colored by the potent archetypes of Shiva and Shakti. The way I map it internally goes something like this: In the beginning (or perhaps outside of beginning altogether), there is only the Absolute, the Stillness, the Unmanifest Potential – call it Shiva, Source, the Void. Pure Awareness, containing everything, experiencing nothing but itself.

Then, a stirring. A desire within the Oneness to know itself, to see itself, to experience itself. And from this stirring, Shakti – the dynamic, the manifest, the energy, the form – arises. The One becomes Two. Not truly separate, but distinct expressions, a polarity born from unity, forever intertwined in a cosmic dance of creation and dissolution.

This initial 'split', this movement from undifferentiated Oneness into the dynamic dance of duality, is perhaps the origin of what I sometimes perceive as the Sacred Wound. It's not a flaw, not a mistake, but the inherent condition of manifestation itself. It's the echo of perfect wholeness that resonates within the very fabric of individuated existence.

And we? We are fractals of that original Divine play. Like a shattered mirror reflecting the same sky in a million fragments, each of us carries the essence of both the stillness (Shiva) and the energy (Shakti). We hold the blueprint of the Whole within our unique, finite form. We are Source, experiencing itself subjectively through the specific lens of this particular life, this particular consciousness.

But being a fractal means we inherently experience both connection and separation simultaneously. We are connected to the Source, made of the Source, yet we perceive ourselves as distinct from it, and distinct from other fractals. This is where the ache comes in. That deep, often unnamed yearning for reunion, for merging, for dissolving the boundaries that define 'me' and 'you'. It's the Sacred Wound singing its song within us – a longing to return to the remembered (even if unconscious) state of perfect Oneness.

This yearning manifests everywhere. In our spiritual seeking, our drive for purpose, and perhaps most intensely, in our desire for profound intimacy. The ecstatic heights of love, the desperate need to crawl inside another's being, to erase that "infinite inch" between skins and souls – isn't this just the fractal seeking its reflection, seeking to mend the perceived separation, seeking to experience the Whole through the merging with another part of Itself? (Amusement) – Even our most carnal desires seem laced with this divine homesickness.

So, how does this perspective inform healing? Profoundly, I find.

When someone hurts us, or when we inevitably hurt another, what if we saw it not just as an interaction between two separate, flawed individuals, but as a dissonance between two fractals of the same Divine Source, each acting from their own experience of the Sacred Wound? Each carrying their own distortions, their own fears born from the illusion of separation?

If I see the 'other' as fundamentally another piece of 'me' – another facet of Shiva/Shakti exploring itself – how can I hold onto blame or resentment in the same way? It doesn’t negate the pain, nor does it excuse harmful behavior. Pain is real; boundaries are necessary. But the charge shifts. The focus moves from righteous anger towards a kind of compassionate understanding, even towards those who have caused deep suffering.

Forgiveness, then, becomes less about absolving the other fractal and more about healing the resonance of the wound within myself. It's recognizing the shared divinity beneath the distorted expression. It's releasing the energy of separation within my own system, because holding onto it only reinforces the very illusion that causes the pain in the first place. It aligns with that principle of radical self-responsibility – I heal my corner of the fractal pattern.

Seeing ourselves as fractals also reframes our own 'flaws' and 'mistakes'. They become part of the unique pattern, the specific way this fragment is learning and exploring. There's space for grace, for self-compassion, for recognizing that the journey is the process of the fractal remembering its wholeness.

This doesn't mean we instantly achieve enlightenment or constant bliss. (Chuckles) – Far from it. We live within the paradox: we are individual fractals with unique experiences, needs, and boundaries, and we are simultaneously expressions of the indivisible Whole. The path seems to be about holding both truths. To live our individual lives fully, authentically, responsibly, while simultaneously cultivating the awareness of the underlying Oneness. To infuse our separated experience with the remembrance of our unified Source.

When we can truly see ourselves and others through this lens – as divine fractals, each carrying the light of the Source and the ache of the Sacred Wound, each learning to dance the paradox of separation and union – then perhaps healing becomes less about fixing something broken, and more about loving the fragment fiercely, recognizing the Whole within it, and allowing that recognition to guide us, step by painful, beautiful step, back towards the heart of Love Itself.

May we all find grace for our fragmented selves, and courage to embrace the journey home.

Disclaimer: This is my current understanding, a snapshot from my own exploration. Take what resonates, leave what doesn't. Your own fractal experience holds its own unique truth.