As psychosynthesists, we rely on theories and assumptions that point to the great potentialities of the human being. We also attempt to explain what happens when "things go wrong," as they inevitably do. Then we try to link the two together - what is possible and what is needed to create healing-in ways that lead to a better world. And although I trust in the process of "Cosmosynthesis" - the notion that everything will be fine in the long run - I also believe deeply that wholeness is a self-initiated process, and that some "assembly" is required. In other words, we have to participate in wholeness for synthesis, on any level, to occur. For me, it's as much effort as it is grace, with effort leading by a slight edge.

My work on myself and with others focuses on being an active participant. To me, there are few or no free lunches (except maybe for the 4-year-old kid who has recently been named the second highest lama in Tibet). This, along with the long-held belief that "no good deed goes unpunished," has led me to assume that no divine blessing will rain down on me or others just because we're onto something. Don't get me wrong, I think we are. Psychosynthesis is a beautiful, comprehensive, elegant way to view the world, relationships and ultimately the Divine Mystery. But, as they say in corporate America, "the bottom line is - we have to produce."

Being personally integrated is great. We all have spiritual practices for body, feelings and mind, and work hard (or soft and lovingly) aligning our personalities with the transcendent. But I think we need to take a next step, a collective step that brings us out from behind the bushes and requires us to put our fine-tuned mental weapons down and work hard to build world together. This is a construction project that requires us to stop worrying about what's off or imperfect, roll up our sleeves, and dig in.

From my understanding of the post-modern Jungian thinkers, we have four major "biograms" on our inner hard disk. The fact that humanity has forever quadrated the world (e.g., four main schools of modern psychology, four basic psychopathologies) may be evidence of these four energies or archetypes seeking expression in the world. Using mythological names, the biograms are referred to as: King/Queen, Warrior, Magician, and Lover. When all four of these energies are present and "on line" in the psyche in a good enough way, we could say that the person is ready for a visit from the Self, which is actually a well-balanced interplay of the four into one divine expression. The integration among these four energies is called "The Dance of the Four Quarters," similar to what the Buddhists and others call Self-realization-a state in which the sacred informs and influences all that one does and is, and at the same time, the personal influences the sacred, creating an elegant dance between the two.

We psychosynthesists seem to identify most with the dance from above downward, and pay less attention to how the form can and must influence the sacred. Thinking about psychosynthesis in relation to the four energies, I realize that it is what could be called "form-shy" - perhaps because form has traditionally been split off from spirit, with form linked with the profane, and spirit with the holy. Or perhaps because we tend to be mystics with a low tolerance for the density of form, or what some refer to as a "basic contempt for form" (as Ross Perot said, "the devil's in the details"). Another reason we are form-shy is because many of us have had painful experiences with form, e.g., coming together to create forms like partnerships, centers, or businesses which have fine purposes, but which fold, either because we can't seem to get along as humans or we are unable to give solid structure to our wonderful abstractions.

In terms of the quadrated psyche, it may be that we in psychosynthesis have developed some of the treasures within us to a high degree and left other capacities unrecognized or undervalued. For instance, psychosynthesis raises the energy of the Magician to an art. This energy is about insight, intuition, analytic discovery and transformation. Masters of hermeneutics, innuendo and interpretation, if it moves, psychosynthesists will see it deeply and think about its origins and how to transmute it. The healer in us is the mature Magician, and we use therapy as form of modern ritual process, invoking the sacred each time we sit with another.

Psychosynthesis has abundant access to another primary energy-the Lover. Roberto was both a Magus and a Lover. His Lover knew unity as a lived experienced and saw all as One. He loved people and doing things with others, which may be why he had so much help writing and why much of his work lies still unedited in his office in Florence. The Lover in us is not organized, doesn't pay much attention to structure, and is not concerned with form. We Lovers are relaters, sharers of experience, and appreciaters of beauty and everything else. We want to sing, dance, eat, enjoy and make love most of the time. I feel safe around psychosynthesists because the Lover energy is non-threatening, and there is no pressure to do, just be. I'm accepted not because I'm spiritual, but because I'm imperfect, limited, and just plain human. This is Lover space. The energy of the King/Queen is plentiful in our community too. We traditionally have a deep caring for the whole. We are creative and seek an ordered universe in which all are cared for and blessed. We have visions of unity, and express a particular kind of royal "presence" in which others feel seen and heard. If it moves, we will nurture it, and many of us have been "parents to the world," adopting an assortment of good causes.

Yet there is one more energy among the four. At the risk of sounding critical, I think we are less developed in this one - the Warrior. The Warrior carries the energy of action, form-building, assertiveness and yes, that terrible "A" word, aggression. One-pointedness, focused attention, perseverance and the ability to overcome obstacles in the service of a higher goal is the nature of the Warrior. We cannot "wish away" this energy. It is hard-wired in the human, and we need to learn to use it in our community constructively, for a specific purpose, aligned with our vision.

Coming together to form the AAP is definitely a Warrior challenge and requires a healthy dose of this energy. As psychosynthesists we need to use our Warriors to support this process actively, working together, tolerating our differences when necessary, and staying "constructive" in the building process by inhibiting the impulse to cut to shreds with our over-developed minds the tender new shoots that are trying to emerge.

The initiation of AAP is clearly a sign of us overcoming what I call our collective "formophobia." This construction project requires large amounts of love, nurturing and insight - which we have, both individually and collectively. But we also need a portion of power that is strong and assertive. Power and goodness are seldom linked together in our culture, especially between the sexes. Historically, when men act powerfully, women experience it as abuse, and when women act assertively, men feel threatened and withdraw. We simply have not learned how to use assertiveness or aggression in mature, life-enhancing ways. The cause of violence in our world today, however, is not this energy of aggression itself, but the improper, undisciplined use of it. The martial arts are evidence of how beautiful and powerful this energy is when responsibly mastered.

As I watch the AAP Steering Committee work together to launch this new venture, I can't help but say to myself, "be prepared." Not because the idea is not sound, but precisely because it is! I can imagine these first courageous efforts at form-building coming under attack from well-intentioned lovers of formlessness, both outside and inside the community. The Magician in us is highly critical and, in its shadow side, can cut form to bits. The Lover will romanticize the attempt and not anticipate or expect conflict, a fatal flaw in the Edenic "wish world" of the Lover.

Perhaps this next step is about the incarnation and growth of our collective Warriors. We are being challenged to come together for a reason, a transpersonal one, with the intent to grow and expose our principles and techniques to the world. Will we fight each other, or work together in service of the goal? Therein lies the difference between the immature and the mature Warrior and the task that lies before us. Assagioli clearly stated in his monograph on Height Psychology that we should make extensive study of the energy of aggression, both in the individual and in groups (1973). I think this points to the need to transform this Warrior energy into something magnificent, and not just put it away or shame each other when we step into our power.

As Earth Men and Women who are working to build a viable planetary community, we need to learn the skills of the Spiritual Warrior and take our next step to organize, link up and cooperate with others in creating a form that represents an integration of our many practitioners and centers throughout North America. In doing so, we might even develop a new field called "formosynthesis," that will enable us to mobilize and cooperate in the self-affirming, sacrificial actions necessary to secure the safety and well-being of all individuals and communities on our planet. Let's actively support the AAP that it may be a viable and healthy organization that can help bring the energies of the Self into our world.