Celebrating

This is the path from that takes us from the Doing of the practice back to the Dreaming of new dreams.  Having made the “Martyr’s sacrifice” of those things that prevent the fulfilment of the quest, the hero returns to the world as a “Magician”, a “shape shifter” who can use the energies appropriately. 

This shifts us from “Performing” to “Transforming”, to the stage of “Authentic Community”. Neurologically it involves the amygdala and hippocampus of the brain, that fixes short term memory and emotions into long term memory, stimulates the pleasure centres such as the nucleus acumbens, and releases a flood of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin in the brain.

As we come to realise our dreams, it is time for celebration. Yet we often forget to celebrate. We think that there isn’t enough time, that there isn’t enough money. But when we celebrate (and dream), we replenish our valuable creative energy. Those who always move from the doing directly to the next planning, will sooner or later burn out. We say 25% of every project needs to be celebration, and that we need to celebrate all the way through.

This is why Dragon Dreaming emphasises on celebration – the conscious appreciation of everything we have accomplished and what we have learned (from each other). It is based upon gratitude and thankfulness, recognition of what has happened, seeing what we have done.

Celebration also stimulates a new awareness: What we have learned will lead to a new understanding of ourselves, the people around us and the world in general. And this can lead to new dreams…