POKER WITH THE GODS

It is said that when one consumes Ayahuasca, peote or DMT that they enter the spirit world. A place only attainable naturally at birth or death when high levels of DMT flood the brain. I have a friend who has smoked so much DMT that I began imagining the Gods came to expect her arrrival each week and thus came the image of a ragtag group of Gods sitting around a table playing their version of a poker game and shouting with glee when my friend walks in the room and takes a seat next to them like a good young neighbor visiting some old folks and listening to their stories.

From that point the imagination runs rampant...what sort of stories would they tell her in this imagined interaction? What do these Gods look like, behave like? Do they cheat at the game or play fair? Being they are Gods could they be gambling our souls, entire universes, what? So before the metaphor that became a story got out of hand I switched it back to a metaphor again. Thinking about the title: "Playing Poker with the Gods." How could that analogy help me in my own understanding of the nature of God, the Universe, Myself? The first few things that came to mind were the secrets that could be revealed by being that close to them, the reasoning for their decisions, or the prospect of them letting down their guard to reveal their true nature.

I doubt any of us will literally ever play poker with the God's(even though now I'm determined to write a script where somebody does),but for me this simple imagery catapulted my imagination into mysterious realms that left me examining what sort of useful tricks and guides I've picked up along the way that haven't failed me and seem to be shared by others.

Here are some of the rules I imagined the Gods would expect me to know in order to play a game of poker with them.
1.There are rules. They just aren't clear and aren't meant to be. Take some time to figure them out and the reward is greater then simply doing what you are told.
2.Chaos and order exist together and appear separate, in that there is always elements of chaos within order and vice versa.
3. Where chaos thrives other forms of chaos will aim to take root. If your experiencing topsy turvy dramatics in your life it is likely that you've allowed for a hospitable environment for chaos to thrive.
4.Where order thrives more order will follow, but when levels of order become to high the system will collapse.(entropy) Allow for some chaos, it will invigorate the creative potential within the system.
5. We are one, but are also meant to be many independent ONES. Honor your personal identity but remain humble for the greatest outcome.
6. Holistic health(mind, body, soul) is key. We are a conduit that energy moves through, don't let it clog up or the system will degrade.
7.Stillness is for the mind, not the body.Do not let yourself become to comfortable or the body will begin breaking down.
8.Whatever isn't processed will grow and whatever grows will eventually consume. Your emotions are meant to have motion. Process them, understand them and then let them go or you will watch them grow and that isn't always a good thing.
9. What you do doesnt matter, but it's absolutely important that you do it.-nuff said.
10.There is a superior version of you out there in the ether. The you at your best that waits for the time you invite it into existence. Why not let that time be right now?
11. Time keeps us separate from the Gods, but allows us to reflect on our growth. Use introspection & perspective to cultivate your growth into that superior version of self.
12."WHY" is for you. "WHAT" is for us. Why you do what you do is for you, but what you do is shared with the world. The Gods exist above this separation, but we do not. Justifying your actions with reasoning will not change the results. Focus on making the results better because only you understand the WHY.
13.Follow your own path for the best results and let others follow theirs. You can inspire and lead better by example rather then by resistance & force. Choose a path and embrace its virtues, but do not assert force over others based on the virtues/character of their path. Perhaps the differences between your paths are meant to embolden your own. There is no knowledge of light without dark.
14.Observe the principles that govern nature and you will feel connected to the source.
15.Desire is a tool, as is anger or jealousy. A hammer is a destructive weapon when used on a pane of glass, but creative solution when driving a nail. So are your emotions and they should guide you rather then harm others.
16. The answer is often found not where you look, but rather within the process of searching. Use nature & the people around you as a mirror when you are in need of a solution.
17. Make decisions! and know why your making them. Decisions force out the chaos, and being honest about why your making them will help even more. It's ok to make self serving or indulgent decisions every now and then, as long as you know you are making them. Eventually the superior self will guide you away from them anyhow.
18. Gratitude knows no regret.
19. Know your muses before it's too late to control them- We all have our muses; the things that invigorate & inspire us. If you don't recognize what/whom they are you may find yourself tangled in their power and not all muses are created equal. Some are acutely destructive.
20. Observe patterns, but do not indulge in expectations or belief systems. Holding too firmly to any belief system will bias your perspective.
21.All men should die humble.(No matter the level of their success) At any stage of your life you should be your most humble. Pride is learned and is also a tool and the process towards shedding it as we grow & age is part of our test. The sooner you realize that you are special because you are different, but so is everyone else..the better off you will be.

Remember only some of this is real and none of it matters, but all of it is a blessing-
-Fathom