{"id":794,"date":"2021-09-24T19:54:42","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T19:54:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/?p=794"},"modified":"2022-09-07T02:54:23","modified_gmt":"2022-09-07T02:54:23","slug":"chapter-1-the-woman-and-the-dragon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/chapter-1-the-woman-and-the-dragon\/","title":{"rendered":"RILEY’S EDEN 1: The Woman and the Dragon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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My small-town Kansas high school was the home of the Mighty Dragons. Whether our sports teams won or lost, our pride was never shaken. Of course, it helped that we had a cool mascot \u2013 a fire-breathing dragon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In mythology, culture, literature, and art, dragons are a global phenomenon. The Chinese dragon is popularly associated with water and possesses a higher intellect than humans. Artistic depictions of St. George battling the dragon to free the princess often show the princess praying. In other art pieces, the princess looks peaceful and sometimes bored but never terrified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GAME OF THRONES\u2019 Queen Daenerys Targaryen is called the \u201cMother of dragons.\u201d Chinese mythology also has a mother of dragons named Wen Shi. If art imitates life, there isn\u2019t much evidence that women fear dragons, mythical or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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But snakes and humans have an entirely different relationship. Barring the rare exception, we are deathly afraid of snakes. It\u2019s in our DNA. Our survival as a species depends on that fear. I\u2019m no different. I\u2019m not too fond of snakes, but if you do an image search of \u201csnake handler\u201d or \u201csnake hunter,\u201d you\u2019ll see that men outnumber women ten to one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bible tells of two meetings between a woman and a reptile. The first meeting was the serpent event in the Garden of Eden. The second was in a vision of signs that appeared in \u201cheaven\u201d in Revelation 12. The first sign or symbol was a woman crying out in the pain of childbirth. The second sign or symbol was a dragon that stood in front of the woman, waiting to devour the newborn child. It\u2019s interesting to note that pain in childbirth is a condemning consequence of the woman\u2019s first encounter with the dragon in Genesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This passage in Revelation 12 is the primary reference associating the original serpent as the embodiment of Satan. Verse 9: \u201cThe great dragon was hurled down\u2014that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notice that the word \u201cdragon\u201d is used first. It is hurled or thrown to the earth. Even though the context of the term for earth here is in contrast to heaven, it also means ground or soil. The dragon of Eden met the same fate. In the Genesis story, the consequence of the first meeting with the woman was a physical change that caused the serpent to crawl on its belly on the ground, eating dust. (Genesis 3:14). The next verse, Genesis 3:15, is the second curse on the snake \u2013 mutual hatred between it and the woman perpetual throughout time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But whatever it was before a slithering source of fear, the woman had no problem with it. I believe that the original form of the serpent in Eden was a beautiful dragon and, not unlike the Chinese dragon, had a superior intellect. How do we know? The first verse of Genesis 3 says so. \u201cNow the serpent was more cunning or crafty than any animal that the most high or supreme God made.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here we have a context of the introduction to Genesis 3. Remember the previous sentence is the last verse of Chapter 2. \u201cThe man and his wife were both naked and felt no shame.\u201d But everything was about to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investigating Chapter 3 at a high resolution, we see the roots of our meta-narrative and the origin of the human condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The use of a snake in this story is brilliant. Its symbolism is entirely genderless. Determining the sex of a snake requires an expert and sometimes an expert with a probe. There was no bias in its seduction. So naturally, the clever snake chose the last thing created and the human highest on the value hierarchy to deceive; the woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is another possible reason that the crafty dragon chose Eve. Her access to truth was tainted.\u00a0And when the snake shows up to knock you out or shut you down, whether in front of you or in your head, all you have is the truth<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the next chapter, I made a list of things that matter in Genesis 1, and we see that chronology matters. The order of events in Chapter 2 shows that the command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was specific and delivered only to Adam before the creation of Eve. God said to Adam, \u201cDon\u2019t eat of the tree, or you will surely die.\u201d But when Adam told Eve of the commandment, he paraphrased it. \u201cYou shall not eat from it OR TOUCH IT, or you will die.\u201d It wasn\u2019t much of a change from the original truth but was enough to reveal a chink in the armor for the dragon to exploit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a traumatic deviation from the naked-and-unashamed connection between Adam, Eve, and God, the dragon asked Eve. \u201cDid God really say \u2018you shall not\u2026?'\u201d These seven words introduced the possibility of something other than absolute truth and revealed God as the oppressor and \u201cyou\u201d as the victim. The assertion is \u201csomething is wrong here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire question was a brilliant negative proposition in the form of a question. \u201cDid God really say, \u2018You shall not eat from any tree in the garden\u2019?\u201d This question is like asking a husband, \u201cdo you always abuse your wife?\u201d Replying \u201cno\u201d would suggest that it sometimes happens but not always, and of course, saying \u201cyes\u201d would land him in jail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eve took the bait and stepped into the trap. She argued the opposing view with one exception and invoked God\u2019s command as she heard it from Adam. \u201cFrom the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, \u2018You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dragon quickly tore down her position with an emphatic reply, \u201cyou shall not surely die!\u201d The original Hebrew text reads more like \u201cyou will not DIE die.\u201d Your information is insufficient; therefore, YOU are insufficient. \u201cFor God knows that on the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is the condensed version of any good sales pitch. The tyrannical oppressor doesn\u2019t want you to be on his level. But you\u2019re entitled and deserve to be. And if you act now to seal the deal, you will have a brand new experience of being like God. The invitation is to demand equity (fairness) and equality of outcome. This same invitation is the number one cause of murders on the planet throughout history and the trigger of every genocide\u2014all of it inside a subjective morality, measuring good and evil based on fear and passing judgment at will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen Eve saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to Adam who was with her, and he ate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This interaction sounds like a couple walking onto a car lot and getting sold a luxury car from a fast-talking salesperson. First of all, he convinces them that something is terribly wrong with what they are driving now and they\u2019re stupid for owning it. But today is their lucky day. \u201cTake this luxury car for a test drive. Feel how powerful yet quiet it is. It\u2019s so comfortable too! You deserve a taste of the good life. Oh. You think that you can\u2019t afford it? Of course you can! I\u2019ll set you up on a 5-year payment plan. Just sign right here.\u201d It all feels so good at the moment, but when they look closer at the contract and compare it to their bank account, they see that they just signed away their financial dignity for the next five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Eve and Adam ate the fruit, the contract became real to them, as did the price paid with the loss of their dignity. Acting on their entitlement resulted in shame and a traumatic awareness that they no longer had the connection with each other they had before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their first response was not, \u201cOn no! I disobeyed God.\u201d For the first time in their lives, they were aware of nakedness. Giving into entitlement exposed their identity, and they urgently needed to manage their shame by covering themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The online Oxford dictionary defines SHAME as \u201ca painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.\u201d I believe that shame is more refined. My understanding of shame is that it is the pain of the traumatic realization of disconnection. Disconnection has various sources. Most common is the awareness of personal loss or insufficiency resulting in feelings of unworthiness and\/or rejection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In discussing shame with my sister Teresa this past year via text messages, she sent this response. \u201cA bit about coping: I\u2019m finding that coping, AKA managing, is all I remember doing. As shame became the outcome of my childhood, I found myself putting on behaviors and personas I believed would minimize the shame.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s intriguing and brilliant that she described coping as her entire focus and putting on behaviors and personas like costumes to mitigate shame. For Adam and Eve, covering their nakedness consumed their attention. Isn\u2019t it interesting that the lasting remnant we still have to this day from Eden\u2019s story is clothing to cover, at a minimum, our sexual identity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the fig-leaf-covering coping mechanism for Adam and Eve wasn\u2019t enough. When they heard God walking toward them, they ran and hid behind the trees. This was the beginning of what all humans do in reacting to shame\u2019s disconnection. We SELF-MARGINALIZE. We prefer to play the victim, complaining that it is OTHERS that marginalize us, but that\u2019s just not how it happens. WE run. WE hide. And usually from the people who love us most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God called out to Adam and said, \u201cWhere are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam said, \u201cI heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adam replied, \u201cThe woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me some of the fruitof the tree, and I ate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then the LORD God said to the woman, \u201cWhat is this you have done?\u201d And the woman said, \u201cThe serpent deceived me, and I ate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The harsh results of shame immediately surfaced; blaming and complaining. \u201cTHAT woman, YOU gave me.\u201d The burden of guilt is often too heavy to bear, and the finger-pointing begins. Blaming and complaining are functions of disconnection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you believe or pursue a high ideal such as God, you\u2019ll discover that disconnection can be painful or fatal. However, you might be able to reverse engineer your pain or anxiety. Your stress is probably a loss of an essential connection in your life. Listen to your complaints of victimhood. What does your loss of dignity feel like? What happened? What entitlement was worth trading for your dignity? Dig deep and assume responsibility and gratitude. Tell the truth and commit to it. The dragon will fall silent. Redemption and connection are once again available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In summary, there seems to be a unique existence in the human connection of \u201cnaked and unashamed\u201d that is void of individual identity. That space of unity represents the divine feminine and that which the cosmic masculine desires to dwell. Like Snow White\u2019s poisoned apple, the dragon\u2019s deception exposed Adam and Eve\u2019s individuality. The immediate result was shame and the subsequent denial of responsibility. The divine feminine died that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the same way that God sacrificed an animal\u2019s life to replace the humans\u2019 temporary fig-leaf coverings with more permanent leather coverings, humanity continued animal sacrifices to mask the shame of their sin. Those sacrifices carried a dim hope that one day, there would be an offering sufficient to resurrect the divine feminine and restore unity with the Creator. Humanity longed for that noble prince to pierce the darkness, fearlessly confront the dragon, and deliver true love\u2019s kiss that dispels the evil curse once and for all and gives new life and new love.<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My small-town Kansas high school was the home of the Mighty Dragons. Whether our sports teams won or lost, our pride was never shaken. Of course, it helped that we had a cool mascot \u2013 a fire-breathing dragon. In mythology, culture, literature, and art, dragons are a global phenomenon. The Chinese dragon is popularly associated with water and possesses a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,120,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-a-hypothesis-of-everything-pt-2-rileys-eden","category-rileys-eden-chapter-1","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=794"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1455,"href":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/794\/revisions\/1455"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericriley.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}