Great Morning Beloved!
The Wizard of Oz – If I were king of the forest

We meet the third companion of Dorothy’s this week. So far, you have had opportunity to meet and possibly relate to: Dorothy, Toto, Miss Gulch, the Munchkins, Glinda, the Wicked Witch of the West, the Scare Crow and the Tin Man.
Each has had something to share with us. And it’s possible that we relate to more than one character.

This week we meet the Cowardly Lion. But is he really a coward?

Your true Self doesn’t fear any challenge. It is neither inferior nor superior to anyone. Pure consciousness, our True Self, is unencumbered by insecurities, apprehension or the need for approval or control.

Unfortunately, our thinking and behavior in the material world is generally based on fear. The Lion, trying to look fierce, attempts to intimidate the Tin Man and the Scare Crow. When that doesn’t work, he chases Toto, causing Dorothy to slap him on the nose causing the Lion to cry.

Dorothy meets two other cowards in Oz; the Wicked Witch of the West and the Wizard. They each pick on Dorothy and her companions, resorting to name calling and threats.

Cowards feel compelled to conquer others to compensate for the fact that they have not conquered themselves. Green tells us; “All relationships reflect your relationship with yourself.”

What the Lion craves is to be king of the forest, but really, he wishes to be king over himself. All the external things that the companions are asking for will not fill this void in our existence. Only discovering your true Self will start you on the path toward spiritual fulfillment.
pg. 80

Clearly, the Lion wishes to be king for the wrong reasons.

And, looking at ourselves, if we need to subjugate others to compensate for our insecurities, we become a cruel and selfish ruler – like the Witch and the Wizard.

When you become king over yourself, you become a compassionate and caring leader, like Glinda.

The Tao puts it this way: “He who has power over others cannot empower himself.”

True power stems from power over yourself.

The Lion confuses courage with intimidation, bullying. A courageous individual does not resort to either of these. Like the Wizard and the Wicked Witch, the Lion yearns for power merely to validate himself.

People with the talent for leadership express power to serve. They do not need to resort to intimidation or bullying.

To be the king of the forest the Lion must cast away his need for power and control. And we must do the same if we wish to get in touch with our spiritual essence. We must re-discover our higher Self and re-member our life’s purpose.

We are here, in this body for a unique cosmic purpose…what is it? What are your talents? We all have them. Then how can you use these talents to help others?

Courage flows when we use our talents for the benefit of others because we are being true to ourselves.
Lao-tsu wrote; “There is no greater illusion than fear.”

That is an amazing statement.

Think about it…. fear is an illusion.

What fears are holding you back from your true Self?

If they are illusions, what can you do to remove them from your beliefs?

One fear that the Lion may be struggling with is accepting himself. There’s several hints that the Lion may actually be gay, several times the stereotyped limp wrist is presented in the story, and he receives a perm and bow at the Wash & Brush Up Company; he calls himself a ‘dandelion’, and when the guard refuses to let them in to see the Wizard, he laments, ‘And I got a permanent just for the occasion.”

Maybe part of the Lion’s problem is his refusal to accept his sexual orientation. That IS an issue for many, and it is interesting that the issue is presented in a story from 1900.

And it doesn’t have to be a gay issue. Many of us have struggled with accepting a part of our selves.

The Lion overcomes his fears when his love for Dorothy is put to the test, when she is taken prisoner in the Witches castle.
Lao-tse again tells us, “Because of deep love, one is courageous.”

When the foursome return to the Wizard with the Witches broomstick, the Lion is awarded the Triple Cross ‘for meritorious conduct, extraordinary valor, conspicuous bravery against wicked witches” the Wizard tells the Lion “he is under the unfortunate delusion that simply because you run away from danger, you have no courage. You’re confusing courage with wisdom.”

We must understand that courage means acting in the face of fear, which the Lion does frequently.

The Scare Crow, the Tin Man, and the Lion are given positions in Oz, beyond what the Lion even dreamed.

And we too can access the infinite potential of the cosmos, freeing yourself to experience life as a miraculous expression of love.

We must link with the cosmos, connect with our true Self and share our gifts with others.