The Dance of the Seven Veils

In Skinny Legs and All Tom Robbins uses the Dance of the Seven Veils as an analogy for the stripping away of the illusions that come between us and reality.

Here’s the scene: “As her bare feet slapped the floor in time to polyrhythms more ancient than Petra, Salome whirled and dropped and whirled again… pushing and contracting her pelvis, as if straining to expel a child. Her eyes were wide and hot, and the purple scarves swirled all about her. She danced thusly for close to twenty minutes before the first veil fell.”

Much to the surprise of her audience this did not reveal her face, it revealed her loins.

The first veil reveals the sexuality of the earth – the biological, feminine, fecund rawness of life. Life is a sexual drama, and a struggle between the feminine and the masculine. Robbins sees the natural as “The Great Goddess”, which is labeled “promiscuous” and “pornographic”, especially by a male patriarchy in an attempt to compensate for what is perceived to be an inferior sexual role.

The second veil drops, revealing Salome’s waist and belly. It’s a reminder of the interdependence of all of nature – plants, animals, the very earth itself. Humanity cannot exist apart from nature.

The third veil drops and reveals her neck and shoulders. The idea that we can solve our problems politically is revealed as an illusion – our problems are philosophical, not political. Political activism is superficially attractive, seductive because it offers the illusion that we can improve society without the inconvenience of transforming ourselves.

The fourth veil has concealed Salome’s arms – the message is that religion is not an adequate response to the divine. Since it bears false witness, religion is blasphemy, and when allied with politics it becomes dangerous and repressive.

The fifth veil drops and reveals the dancer’s ankles. This reveals the illusion of money – ‘insufficient funds’ is an illusion, security is a form of paralysis.

The sixth veil uncovers Salome’s breasts, and reveals the illusion that we can sacrifice the present to the future. Those who tie their future to dreams of an afterlife have no life to enjoy ‘after’.

The seventh and final veil reveals Salome’s face, and leaves her naked. The illusion of the seventh veil is that you can get somebody else to do it for you. You alone are responsible.

This is the bottom line. The mind of humanity is ultimately one mind, but you alone have to establish your own personal, unique, direct relationship with reality, the universe and the Divine.

Everything in your life is there because you chose it, and you chose it out of love and wisdom for yourself.