Welcome to the age of the displaced warrior. Do warriors still exist? Of course they do, we are just in a transition period; as things are ever evolving. There is a dawn of a new kind of warrior, a Spiritual Warrior. First let's define what a "warrior" is...
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, a warrior is "a man engaged or experienced in warfare; broadly : a person engaged in some struggle or conflict <poverty warriors>." I must say that personally I think this definition sucks! I looked around a bit and this seems to be the general consensus, however Urban Dictionary's definition was slightly better: "Warriors are men and woman that are fearless, strong and skilled fighters that are lacking in our modern times." Worry not, we are about to redefine this right now!
This is a hot topic for me right now, because as always... a book came into my life at just the right time (don't you just love synchronicity?!), and it has completely changed my perspective of what a warrior actually is. The book is Way Of The Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman. Now that I've seen the movie twice and I'm reading the book, I am encountering others who are also familiar with this book. It is affecting me in much the same way that The Celestine Prophecy did years ago, so if you haven't read it yet, I encourage you to do so!
Now, back to the topic... Warriors. When I think of traditional gender roles, and the way that things once were, men were expected to be the protectors and women were the nurturers, for the most part. Of course there have been great heroines over time, please don't misunderstand, but for now I want to focus on the current masculine imbalance. This really has little to do with sexuality, and more to do with the chemistry of the brain. The displaced warrior can be a dangerous thing, because they may feel the need to train, to serve, to protect, but instead of going to battle, they are driving a security vehicle around a mall parking lot. Imagine the frustration, tension and resentment that can lead to.
So let's say a person who is predisposed in this way decides to join law enforcement or the military, niether of these are truly healthy outlets for the warrior instinct either. We are moving in a direction of peace, because the planet is no longer only dominated by male ego, the divine feminine is being expressed and embraced in many different ways. This is going to cause a new type of warrior to emerge, The Spiritual Warrior.
The Spiritual Warrior is a person who has the courage to face their own fears, to take on their issues and traumas and transcend them. The Spiritual Warrior is one who aligns themselves, mind, body, and spirit, becoming their highest self. This is what a true warrior is. It is so clear to me now, what all of those movies are about. Of course they always have a message, but I see that the tie that binds is self mastery. It's not about conquering or killing, it is about mastering oneself, enhancing different skills, and cultivating a lifestyle that is conduscive to survival and at this point in time and society, it is more cerebral than anything.
Control the mind, and you control the body. Control the mind and you control your reality. Your thoughts shape your world, so with all of this being said, we are all warriors, on a journey of spiritual awakening and self mastery, the only question is...will you tap into it?
* Love & Light *