So, it’s 2010, we’re ten years into the new millennium and a brand new century. I can remember New Year’s Eve 1999 well, along with all the hopes people had for change. It was as if something magical would happen and that all the ills of the world would fade away.
Ten years on here we are, living in a much larger world than before. We’ve seen our technology evolve at a massive rate, we can be anywhere in the world in less than a day, and a great invention called the Internet has revolutionised the way we live our lives. But for all our advances we’re still not happy. Just watch any news channel and you’ll see the state of the world – wars, terrorism, failing economies and suffering on a global scale.
In the age of instant communication it’s as though we are drifting apart as a species. Governments, the media and society in general tell us to be suspicious of each other – that strangers in the street are out to get us, and our children are in constant danger. I remember as a child walking past people in the street and they would smile and say “good morning”. Now, people walk head down in their own private world of fear.
When I talk with people, my friends, work colleagues or just random strangers out and about I get a sense that things are not well with the world. We’ve become disconnected from that most precious of gifts – our spiritual selves. Science and technology are great, but we’ve become too dependent on them. All we’ve found is the cold numbness of lifeless machines which can only bring the illusion of the contentment and happiness we need and desire. I’ve found myself regularly asking the question – have we lost our ability to believe?
It all sounds like doom and gloom, but if you look hard enough the answer to that question is NO, and for me that gives great hope and optimism for our future. So what made us turn away from our spirituality and belief in the divine?
I think that deep down, despite all that’s happening in the world, people need to believe in the intangible, the divine. The things we can’t see or touch. We need to know that the world and the universe has a plan and that we’re helping it work towards playing that plan out to completion.
The problem lies in the “new religions” of the world that arrived only a short time ago. They came into being as a means of control. A way for an elite core of individuals to selfishly steer the course of humanity. We’re told that we must follow the doctrines and teachings of these holy paths, or face eternal damnation and suffering. On the one hand the new religions preach peace and tolerance, yet on the other they encourage hatred and intolerance for anyone, or anything that does not conform to their world view.
Ask yourself the question – if the modern concept of “God” is a supreme being who is all powerful, all seeing, all knowing, and all forgiving, then how could he tell us that certain aspects of humanity are an abomination and should not be allowed to live? We’re told that God made us in his image and that he is incapable of making a mistake, so would it not be true that these same aspects of humanity are in fact exactly as God intended and go to make up the diverse whole that is the human species? It’s more likely that men introduced these rules under the guise of “God” to make sure we squabbled and bickered amongst ourselves so that we didn’t see what was really going on.
It is my belief that after centuries of enforced intolerance and doctrine we’ve come to the realisation ourselves that this can’t be the true face of the divine. So we’ve rejected the modern faiths and flocked away from the churches, mosques and synagogues in droves.
In our defection we turned to science to show us the way, but when we looked we couldn’t find God there either. So now we wander helpless, alone and in despair. But there are a few who remember that it wasn’t always this way – that we come from a rich heritage of spiritual belief and fulfilment that has been lost for so long.
So what is this rich heritage that I speak of? In plain and simple terms it is the ancient beliefs of our ancestors who were more in tune with the world, nature and the ways of the universe. They knew about the seasons and how they affected life, and of the spiritual beings that interact with us in all the things that we do.
All this is so much hocus pocus you might think, and best relegated to the psycho fringes of society. But you’d be wrong in your assumption. Everywhere we turn the “looney new age freaks” have become more acceptable to society.
People are searching for something more to life, and they are increasingly looking to more natural, simpler ways to live. We’ve seen a surge in holistic therapies such as Reiki, Aromatherapy, Chinese Medicine and herbalism. All these practices have been handed down by our ancient “Pagan” ancestors, often in secret to prevent persecution. We’re discovering that they have as much relevance in our lives today as they did thousands of years ago.
We’re also rediscovering that nature can heal the soul by spending time walking through a forest, or swimming in the ocean with dolphins. Here, we are close to the life essence of the universe and it invigorates and recharges us.
People go to counsellors and hypnotherapists to work through issues and to relieve deep seated psychological problems. In the modern world we’ve sanitised and given clinical names to these practices. But not too long ago anyone practicing these arts would have been branded a Witch, because these are the ancient practices often viewed as “magic”.
Think what you will, the simple truth is that the spiritual part of our nature is waking up and more and more people are starting on a journey to re-discover that lost part of themselves, the soul. We don’t need the rigid doctrines telling us how to live our lives; we want to connect with spirit and the divine in a way we can relate to personally.
The old ways are often called “the mystery religions” because each person’s journey will be unique. There are simple frameworks and practices, but the path to your own enlightenment and knowledge of the divine universe is yours to take. Each and every person is unique, diverse and individual. It’s only right that we experience the truth of universe in a way that’s appropriate for us.
So, even though life is complicated and hard in this modern technological world, you can take comfort in the fact that our spiritual selves are still there, sleeping under the surface. You can find happiness in the simplest of things.
Next time you feel down, go for a walk in nature, find a quiet spot and just sit and be still. Open your senses to the true world around you and you’ll experience the beauty of the universe. The wind in the trees may whisper a message to you, or you’ll just experience the healing energies of the Earth. Whatever you experience just accept it for what it is, no need to look for an explanation, it’s just your connection to universe waking up. Enjoy it.
Blessed Be.
Nodens
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