The Spring Equinox is here, the Sun is about to enter Aries and tomorrow we'll have the New Moon in that sign. On Thursday, Pluto will enter Aquarius with a blast and on Saturday, Mars will enter Cancer. All of these events in a single week mark this moment as a transcendental crossing, a new beginning indeed for the identity of the entire world at the individual and the collective level, so I thought it appropriate to talk about a much debated topic of psychology, philosophy, society and spirituality: the Ego.

The Ego is the "I" (as opposed to the "Me" of the Self,) a mask that we wear, a character that we play in the theatre of life, or rather, a heterogenous mixture of characters that may be expressed at one time or another depending on the context. It's the aspect of the human psyche that allows the mind to recognize itself, a reflection of an individual's unconscious drives, behaviors and attitudes. Integrating the Ego is one of the most important goals of any journey of self-discovery, but we often struggle with this concept, particularly with regards to spiritual practices, considering it a problem to be overcome, a collection of flaws and dramas that hinders our awareness.

How many times have you heard this word used in a negative context to imply that a person is arrogant, insolent, disrespectful or untrustworthy? How many times have you used it that way yourself? Always beware of this, because as soon as we talk of someone else's Ego, we deflect responsibility to them and increase our blindness.

Yes, the Ego can be an impediment, it may get out of hand and become the root of many of our challenges to communicate and relate to one another, but it's important to note that it's an unavoidable part of our existence and necessary to navigate the world we live in. Attempting to deny it only makes it stronger, degenerating in excessive pride, selfishness, victimhood, severe lack of empathy, even cruelty and other distortions. From a psychiatric standpoint, a great deal of serious mental health imbalances and hindering conditions such as depression, schizophrenia or post-traumatic stress disorder have been recently associated with a strong attachment to the Ego, which is why psychedelic substances are now being studied and approved for therapy, as one of their main effects is the dissolution of identity.

In order to truly explore ourselves, we have to stop seeing this attribute as the enemy or a chain to be broken. Much has been said about our inner demons and how we must defeat them in order to gain greater enlightenment, but from what I've observed in myself and others, these so-called demons are nothing but the fears we have of being precisely and honestly who we are. Accepting our egoic personas is fundamental for that realization. So, don't battle your Ego, understand it and use it for the tool that it is. This world is a story and we all have roles to play in it, we can either enjoy this role or suffer it, this is our choice.

I, for one, went through a huge process in the past three years to dismantle my identity layer by layer, not at all out of spite or rejection, but because I knew that was the only way that I could make use of that identity to its full potential. Now, I'm very comfortable with the part I play and I feel more than ready for this new beginning, even though I'm quite aware that it's going to bring many more challenges for all of us, or perhaps because of that awareness. I'm excited to live in these times, and I'm sure you can be excited too! Take advantage of this week's gigantic shift and move onwards!

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Rune of the Day: Wunjo inverted

Feelings of failure and loss dull down the wonder for a new beginning; admit the melancholy and overcome it, expectations are the source of all disappointments. Listen to your instincts, your need for learning, your curiosity; open yourself to the challenges ahead, expand the reach of your sight. You have come far, do not yield or pause for too long before taking the next step, this is no time to rest. The path often becomes harder when the goal is at hand, and even more so if you refuse to let go of excess load; the things that you deem precious may be ropes that limit your experience, renunciation is vital for progress, to gain all you must risk all. Act despite your fears, indecision is most costly on the verge of change.