When you get lost in one story it’s useful to know where you are in another one….
I have always been “spiritual” but I have never been religious. I don’t even really know what that word “spiritual” means, and yet I still use it to describe the foundation of the deepest aspect of my existence simply out of default.
I was raised in the church as a Methodist. I learned all of the biblical stories that have been passed down through the ages early on in my life. I rejected literal interpolations of them almost entirely early on and still firmly hold this position to this day. I have always been concerned that literal interpolations of scripture trespass overtly on the territory of science and have the potential for conflict by means of interfering with scientific progress.
I have always been concerned that literal interpolations of scripture trespass overtly on the territory of science and have the potential for conflict by means of interfering with scientific progress.
It is strange when you think of these ancient stories if you learned them early on as a child. It’s as if you “believe them” rather you “believe them” or not in a way. Many scholars argue that the stories were never actually intended to be read in a literal way. They argue that our ancestors understood them taking place in a sort of mythical realm. I find this position interesting as I enter into the second half of my life. It is a perspective I have not given much consideration to until a series of recent events took place in my life that have caused me to question not just the literal truth of these ancient stories, but their practical value to humanity as a whole.
I met with a hypnotist several years ago to help with anxiety. He was a Nurse Practitioner in addition to being a hypnotist which I found appealing. What happened in my short time with him can only be described as one of the most significant events of my life. It was as if some floodgate had unlocked inside of me and my life began to slowly change for the better.
The night of the hypnosis session I began having very vivid and strange dreams where I was engaged in a series of pagan rituals. I never told anyone about them. They were so real I was freaked out by them. I did not know anything about paganism or what the significance of these rituals meant or even what I was doing in the dream. I just sort of sensed that was what I was doing instinctively without trying to interpret exactly what was going on. I would wake with a strong sense of clarity about my life without any real understanding of why.
At times I feel lost inside the story that is my life.
I am going through a drastic transition in my life at the moment. At times I feel lost inside the story that is my life. Perhaps that is why people often turn to religion in difficult times as the stories associated with Western religion as these stories have the capacity to reorient you to your surroundings and environment in times of change.
I have started reading a great deal about Paganism and Norse Mythology. It seems to have a strange effect on my mind as it reorganizes my thinking in a way that produces this same clarity. Norse mythology tells the story of man and his relationship to nature through a series of embodied personifications of varying aspects of nature. Understanding the way of nature is not new to me as I have studied most eastern religions in depth and in particular Taoism which refers to “The Way” of nature. Taoism understands nature in the abstract and more as a “thing” than a person. Because of the environment it emerged out of historically this makes sense to me. It seems self-evident to me that given a softer environment that is less competitive and ambitious can easily adapt to understanding and relating to nature in this way.
Norse mythology emerged from a very different, harsher, and more violent environment than Taoism.
Norse mythology emerged from a very different, harsher, and more violent environment than Taoism. This being the case, the necessity for stories and embodied archetypes of different aspects of nature in the form of the gods makes sense. It is a more concrete and solid way of thinking about the natural world that relates to me more now as I venture into the world alone than it would have in my 20’s. I no longer have the comfort of developing the ideals that I once did.
I do not know where this road will take me, but I intend on taking the next year to spend a great deal of time alone in solitude and to learn as much as possible about Norse Mythology and Paganism as I can, as I sense this is what I am supposed to be doing at this point in my life. I have learned to let go of the analytical mind when the time is right. As the Zen Buddhist quote says “The intellectual mind is a wonderful servant but a lousy master.” In other words, lead with your heart and use the intellect along the way and not the other way around.
I will see what is to come of it, but as Lau Tzu said:“ The greatest of woes comes from not knowing contentment; the greatest of faults comes from craving for gains.”
Fitness + Nutrition + Wellness Coach
Andrew is a graduate of Wright State University and has over 10 years of behavior change experience working with a diverse base of clientele. He takes a holistic approach to weight loss and behavior change with an emphasis on Neuro Linguistic Programming.
Andrew is a graduate of Wright State University and has over 10 years of behavior change experience working with a diverse base of clientele. He takes a holistic approach to weight loss and behavior change with an emphasis on Neuro Linguistic Programming.
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