The Quest for Oneness: Tiger Woods

WE LIVE IN DUALITY. Constantly, whether we are aware of it or not, we are hung in the balance between at least two alternative realities. The balance is simple and natural to us when we are aligned within ourself, and at peace with our world, the balance is complex and unsustainable when we are at odds with ourself and therefore at odds with our world. Duality takes on many forms : Male or Female? Yin or Yang? Black or White? Good or Bad? God or Devil? Right or Wrong? Right or Left? High Road or Low Road? Moral or Immoral? Abundant or Impoverished? Healthy or Sick? Love or Hate? Present or Absent?

Society, or what we have accepted to be our society, prescribes codes of conduct to apparently assist us in making easy choices. On one hand we are told to follow a “logical approach,” obey laws that are substantiated by libraries full of books and parliaments full of power-mongers, do “the right thing,” try to “fit in,” and become a “useful” member of the society. On the other hand, we are persuaded to believe in one “good book” or another, to follow supposedly moral codes practiced hundreds and thousands of years ago in strange and archaic cultures, so that we become worthy of a “good” fate when we die.
Many of us at various times have also believed (and had it proven to us) that if we were “good” rather than “bad” we would be materially blessed by Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and other fabulous entities. We can become so identified with what we are told we need, that we relinquish our rights to our own truth. We get caught between our own perfect truth and a mirage that has been called many things like illusion, maya and the matrix.

It is time to become clear that duality is the present nature of this Earth, and will remain so as a potential trap for us until we can recognize and hold our own exclusive divine accord with Existence ....... and accept our Unity. Jesus the Christ, Mohammed the Prophet, Gautama the Buddha, Lord Krishna, Master Lao Tzu, Mullah Nasrudin, Teerthankara Mahavira, Rabbi Finkelstein and milliard others have had the courage and wisdom to find, announce and live their truth.....so can we!

A remarkable presence in the world at these times is “Tiger” Eldrick Woods. As a young American of African, Thai, Chinese, American Indian and Caucasian ethnic origins, he has inspired and dominated the game of golf, an essentially “white man’s sport.” In his own individual, often quiet and particular way, Tiger has single-handedly broken hundreds of taboos, and class and cultural barriers that “society” has held in place for ages. In this article, we look at the Design for Tiger, a self-acknowledged Buddhist, and see how he has applied his unique nature to penetrate duality to find unity.

Tiger Woods was born on December 30, 1975 near Long Beach, California, into the Incarnation of Demands. Those who are born into this particular Incarnation theme have high expectations for the society in which they find themselves. However, they also have a tendency to be hard on themselves and the people closest to them. They need to recognize that their demands are actually impersonal and must be directed in a way so that society as a whole, rather than particular individuals, can find a way to bring about improvements. Also, this Incarnation theme has an inbuilt tendency for pessimism if one finds that certain demands and expectations are not being met as one would presume they should be. This tendency towards pessimism can be balanced best through meditation and the acknowledgment of inner stillness and joy as a constant reference point and balancing factor in one’s life.

Tiger the Manifestor
By Design, Tiger has two areas of activation in his chart. One part is pure Ego Manifestor, the other part is pure Splenic Generator. The Manifestor part of Tiger’s Design connects between the Ego/Willpower Center (through the Channel 21 - 45) and the Throat, and from the Throat to the Ajna/Mental Awareness Center (through the Channel 23 - 43). Anyone with a defined Ego/Willpower Center finds themself able consistently to draw from an inner resolve in the form of willpower. An Ego Manifestor can will anything at any time. What they wish for is what they need to have or to have happen. Of course, the more principled and balanced they are in their own Being, the more clarity they will bring to their actions and wishes. An unprincipled and unbalanced Ego Manifestor can cause little but problems in the world, constantly manifesting willfully without having much concept of the chaos they cause. Use of willpower, through a defined Ego/Willpower Center accomplishes much in a short space of time and those who have access to use this energy must allow themselves generous time for rest, recuperation and relaxation. (Partly to give the chance for everyone else to catch up, but also to rest their own heart.)

The Channel 21 - 45, is the channel associated with Money! Money will always be a major item in Tiger’s life and over time, he will naturally turn his own abilities to "make" money into ways of educating others to be able to do the same, such is the intrinsic nature of this Channel. The lesson for someone with this Channel defined in their makeup is to clarify for themselves how much personal energy they need to put out to realize their material needs. For instance, it is wonderful for Tiger to work hard, under intense stress, "playing" endless rounds of golf in order to win a prize, but it is also perhaps more attractive sometimes for him to land huge endorsement contracts where he can earn equivalent or even more "prize" money by simply having a photograph of his wonderful smiling face next to someone else's product logo. Tiger has the natural gift of the salesperson with Gate 26 defined by his conscious Moon. Also in the Ego Center, his conscious Jupiter activates Gate 51, allowing Tiger to draw personal lessons fast by relating back to things that have not previously worked out for him, in this way, he has the ability to turn around any apparent disaster in a flash.

The Channel 23 - 43 is the Channel associated with the Individual who attunes to their own way of operating in the world, often separating themselves from generally prescribed rules and practices. In some ways, those who have this Channel as a part of their Design can be considered a little strange or at the least, "different." At times, they can appear deaf to everyone around them while they attune to whatever it is that goes on in their own Being. In Tiger's Design, he has this Channel defined through his North and South Nodes, which relate very much to his life's destiny, and thus his individuality is something that will transform greatly over time. At this time in his life, prior to his Uranus mid-point, when the Nodal shift will come about moving his destiny from the South Node to North Node, he is very expressive, with or without the use of words, very different and carries a natural gift to confound others. When he reaches his Nodal shift, around 2019, he will more likely exercise his great abilities to perceive how others might improve not only their golf game but also their "life game."

Gate 56 defined consciously and unconsciously with his planet Saturn, the planet that gives us access to our means to Self-mastery, in the 6th line associated with being cautious, allows Tiger to undertake his own self-disciplining and practicing as a form of personal stimulation. Practice for Tiger will be a whole lot easier than for many others. Most likely, he can also tell some very good and sobering stories!

Tiger the Generator
Tiger has Channels defined between the Sacral Center and Root Center ( 9 - 52) and the Root and the Spleen Center (58 - 18). Anyone who has definition to their Sacral Center has inbuilt access to Sacral/Gut response. Their Gut response indicates to them, in an instant, whether they have personal life-force energy available for someone or something, or not. In Tiger's case, his Sacral activation is through the Channel 9 - 52, the Channel associated with an inner stillness to accumulate energy that can, on its release towards an objective, be aimed precisely. In other words, if Tiger listens to his Gut response, he can align any action with a preconsidered outcome. Naturally, this gift can be of great value to a golfer!

Also indicated through activations in his Sacral Center, Tiger recognizes the value of resources sometimes better than those people he might have had handling his (Gate 14 activated with his conscious Venus). He has a way of getting to meet and become friendly with almost anyone (Gate 59 activated with his unconscious Venus). He has a whole arsenal of ways of going about a single task (Gate 42 activated with his unconscious Jupiter) and when centered, can wait happily and peacefully for as long as needed before re-engaging in activity (Gate 5 activated with his conscious Neptune).

Tied in also to his Root Center, Tiger has the Channel 58 - 18 defined through his conscious Sun, ( how he shines brightly in the world ,) and his unconscious Moon, (how he quietly reflects the world back to itself.) Gate 58 is associated with vitality and in the 6th line, exudes a vitality and drive that almost cannot be contained. The 18 is a Gate associated with self-authority, and in the 3rd line can produce a form of almost drastic self-correction. The entire Channel, 58 - 18 is associated with Judgment, particularly in how things can be improved, but also, in how one constantly needs to improve oneself and one's own efforts in one’s quest for Mastery. Tiger has an intense drive to constantly improve himself, whether it be though golf or through his role in life generally. When he finds his own limits in self-improvement, he can then turn his attention towards things that society can be directed to improve. This directing of society is where his true Incarnation purpose resides.

Also indicated by an activation in to his defined Root Center, Tiger has the ability to recognize a challenge or limitation for what it is, to be clear about it, communicate it to others and then move onwards with that limitation as an acknowledged part of his game plan (Gate 60 activated consciously with his conscious Mercury). Through activations in his defined Spleen Center, Tiger has a strong intuition that attunes to the real intent behind how things get communicated (Gate 57 activated with his unconscious Mercury), and attunes to who is playing fair and who is not (Gate 28, line 5 activated with his conscious Uranus). Tiger also holds values that are unimpeachable and that set the standard for all (Gate 50 in line 6 activated with his unconscious Uranus). He has a sense of taste that he sometimes has difficulty in relating to others, particularly his father, and he needs to be alert that he keeps his own standards in taste high. (Gate 48 activated consciously with Pluto and unconsciously with his Sun).

Three Open Centers
Open Centers in which no Gates are colored, give the opportunity for Tiger to detach from certain aspects of life that others might consider of great importance. For instance, Tiger has an open Emotional Center. This does not mean that he has no feelings, far from it, but it does mean that the feelings he has are going to be triggered almost entirely from the atmosphere in which he finds himself. In highly emotionally charged situations, like in the final phases of a golf tournament, Tiger has the ability to detach from the current of emotions playing out around him and devote his attention to his gut response and willfulness. In this way, he need not be distracted or put off by anyone else's concerns or emotions....he can remain cool, calm and collected while everyone else agitates.

An open Self Center can give Tiger direct contact with his environment in a way in which others do not necessarily experience. As soon as Tiger appreciates that everyone is seeing in him whoever they want to see, he is free to detach himself from everyone's expectations and get on with his own thing! Energetically, he can literally "take over" any place he is, making it his own......all eyes are on Tiger as he holds any location as a reflection of himself. And while everyone is entranced, Tiger dazzles them with his individuality.

An open Crown Center leaves Tiger "open" to be inspired from all sources. He can be inspired by concepts, nature, people, music, anything. As an individual who is open to all forms of inspiration, he can often take a path least expected by others. What he must guard himself for is to only take on a particular inspiration when he has qualified it with his own Gut response and his willfulness to do so.

In conclusion
In our quest for Unity in this Duality, it is clear that certain people offer us examples of how we can be encouraged to best to use our gifts. If anyone had the possibility to slip behind the scenes in a predominantly "white," upper-middle-class golfing environment, Tiger Woods could have done so. But in trusting in his own nature and in mastering and honing his own gifts and approaching his life meditatively, Tiger has achieved apparent wonders.

When we each recognize our inherent worth and abilities, we get to see that we are continuously offered opportunities to rise to occasions through trusting our unique nature, or to fumble those opportunities through giving our power away for one reason or another. We are each our own Master; each the holder of Truth and the key to Unity in our life. It is up to each one of us to find, hold, cherish and live our Truth. In this time particularly, we are being called to stand forth in our own right, regardless of who and what might tell us otherwise!

© 2005 Chetan Parkyn

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