Today I stumbled across an article about a woman known as Dion Fortune. It occurred while I was on a nearby Mac, reading my Daily Horoscope after submitting my exegesis. At the end of the reading, I noticed an article banner on Dion Fortune, and was compelled to click on it (mind you, I rarely click on ads or articles in my horoscope emails). I was immediately intrigued by the black and white photo of Miss Fortune.

According to Alan Richardson, who wrote the article Dion Fortune: Moon Priestess from which this article is inspired, Fortune was responsible for the rise of the modern “New Age” movement, and was a relatively hidden gem of the early 1900s. She was a magician who spent much time communing with spirits from other realms.

The thing that made her stand out the most was this,

“By any reckoning, power oozed from her. She had the sort of wisdom and knowledge that transformed the magical arts, and worked through to change the world at large. If she was not the most loving of souls, in the accepted sense, then she had a rare beauty that made people follow her into other dimensions.”

Her noble intentions seemed to have been based around love and service but, for every action of hers, there was an equal and opposite reaction.

For every ounce of love that Fortune put out to the world, it was met by an equal amount of the opposite by her notorious contemporary, Aleister Crowley. Fortune was the Yin to Crowley’s Yang. Despite this, she continued to project her Yin energy in a silent but powerful manner. If Crowley was the word, then Fortune was the echo. The echo was where Fortune’s love extended – in the unheard, unseen silence of the shadows.

Many people believe that love is only received by love but, for the unaware, it can instill many negative emotions like deception, murder, obsession, envy, and dishonesty (to name a few). It can also cause a person to cling onto love for fear of it ever leaving them. In the case of Fortune, her power was so immense that drastic measures had to be taken (by her successor) to prevent such calamities; her diaries and journals were destroyed in order to prevent cults from forming after her death.

Misuses of good intentions have occurred in many moments of our history: the use of Jesus Christ’s teachings to justify the killing, pillaging and raping of innocent people during the Crusades; the merciless suicide bombings of extreme Islamic jihadists; or even the White Man’s Burden to “save” indigenous peoples. It is evident that the teachings of love and compassion by our greatest teachers have been misconstrued over time (whether it was Christ’s or Prophet Muhammad’s), and is an example of how love (or devotion) can be used to manipulate or conquer for the sake of power.

I believe that those who crave love for the sake of power, manipulation, or revenge, are Self-centered in a destructive way. Service, which Fortune includes as part of her own philosophy, is one way to positively steer the ego from overpowering the Self. Although Crowley believed in catering to the “True Will” (anything but the ego’s desires), his philosophical belief (Thelema) missed the element of service (correct me if I’m wrong), which is probably why his followers were typically misguided by the allure of the supernatural. “With great power, comes great responsibility.”

The reason Fortune stands out for me is because her love was everything to everyone; she could be the healing  hand for a person in trouble (service), or the disciplining one when someone was endangering those around them (justice). Her love was like the element of fire, warming when needed, but potentially overwhelming if underestimated. At the end of the day, love and service is a universal approach to life that can exist with or without the use of occult practices. However, in Fortune’s case, her purity of spirit allowed her to use love as a powerful force for good. I suppose it is no different from any other source of power in this world; what matters most are our intentions and choices.

I. The strength of the pack is the wolf.

When dealing with clients, know that you are the one helping them. That puts you in a position of power. However, don’t abuse that power by acting arrogant, snobbish, selfish or self-centered. Although you are important, there are many other freelancers in the world for clients to fish and choose from.

A good leader can dominate without patronizing or degrading others. Alpha males are strong, invaluable leaders within a pack that is neither a democracy nor a dictatorship. In the words of Cesar Millan, be “calm and assertive,” and your balanced energy will garner respect.

II. The strength of the wolf is the pack.

We are interdependent beings, meaning we all thrive on each others’ efforts – directly or indirectly. In a pack, a wolf will not survive well without the help of his companions (for hunts). The same can be applied to freelancers. If a project seems too big to handle, look at outsourcing to other fellow freelancers. This will not only help to complete a project on time, but it will also help to build relationships.

We must not forget those around us, even if we are working for ourselves.

III. Boundaries, Limits and Rules

This is a no-brainer. We all know that, in the wild, animals obey territorial rules, limitations and boundaries. We can apply this to freelance work by educating our clients on what is expected when working together. We can also set boundaries by laying out contracts or terms of agreements, or we could simply post a Production Process for Clients page on our websites. Either way, be sure to lay down the rules and boundaries before starting on any project.

IV. Know your role

The reasons why wolves work so well together is because each of them have a purpose – and they all know their roles within the pack. Although we could argue that freelancers are “lone wolves” when dealing with clients, we will often find ourselves creating small, temporary packs for particular jobs. So it would be best to come into theses relationship with a “pack mentality,” evaluating each others’ roles and sticking to them throughout the duration of the project. This will, in turn, cause less headaches and promote more balance between us and the clients.

“Most training faults are caused by the handler, not the dog.”

- http://bit.ly/4Yxniv

This principle can be applied to the problems in our lives as well. When an ‘incident’ occurs, most people’s initial reaction is to blame someone else (or in this example, your dog). Although events can be directly seen as another person or animal’s fault, you can bring power back to yourself by accepting responsibility for part or all of it. What this does is allow you to accept that everything is of your own choosing, even if it doesn’t seem that way.

Project positive energy.

So, when a dog doesn’t listen to you, it’s probably an indication to start listening to yourself - for your energy may be communicating something that is unworthy of your dog’s attention. Simply put, your dog’s overall temperament is a mirror of the energy you give out. If you give negative energy, you receive negative energy. If you project positive, receive positive.

Law of Attraction

The beauty of life is that experiences are brought to us to help us learn valuable lessons – even ones that go against our choosing. Although this may be confusing, it’s not really if you consider that maybe the world around us attracts what we truly want, not just what we say we want. This is known as the Law of Attraction.

Don’t worry, be happy.

Pure happiness is certainly a wishful goal, but in a world that is filled with ‘relatives,’ we may only be able to experience happiness through unhappiness. (I firmly believe that it doesn’t have to be like this but, for now, it is so.) However, dogs help force you to take charge of your mindset, and the thoughts you project. The old adage, “Don’t worry, be happy,” is something you should definitely keep in mind when being with your dog. You might even want to play the song on your iPod if that helps.

Once you can read the signs of your canine companion, new avenues of happiness will begin to open up in your life. You will inevitably learn how to listen beyond mere words.

Learn to hear your dog, not just listen.

Once you begin listening, Mother Nature will continue communicating with you – for She has never stopped – opening you up to your Self, while simultaneously opening your awareness to the world around you. All the answers to the Universe are right there within you.

Mother Nature – God – Allah – Krishna, whatever you wish to call the Divine (if you choose to believe in it), is here to help communicate the truth back to your Self. There’s a reason why our canine companions are called, “Man’s Best Friend.” Learn to listen to them, for they are one of our greatest, and most accessible, teachers.

Do you have a dog? If so, what have your experiences been like?