When Man Discovered Gold

According to the ancient Roman mythology, there was a period in the history of mankind when nature provided freely and harmony prevailed. This was known as the Golden Age. When man discovered real gold, the era of harmony ended. Mankind deteriorated because of greed and people started killing each other. The Silver, Bronze and Iron Ages (present era) followed. Ironically, the Golden Age was characterised by the absence of gold whilst the discovery of actual gold meant the end of the Golden Age.

Two things come to mind when I consider the symbolism of gold: value and purity. When someone has an intrinsically good character we say that she has a heart of gold. When man discovered gold outside of him, he was so mesmerised by its beauty that he wanted to possess it. This gave rise to corruption. Man’s soul turned black because of his need to be in possession of something that didn’t belong to him.

Before the arrival of greed, the earth was a garden of harmony. Gold was within the earth, which produced all we needed to keep us happy. The test that the discovery of gold posed was whether man could remember that value was within. When we appreciate the beauty of something, it leaves its footprint in our heart. The fact that we can see it and understand its value means that it is inside us also. If we recognise the earth as our paradise then we would not need to take forcefully from her because she is part of us.

The advent of consciousness also introduced the potential vice of cunning. The message of gold is that we should use our intelligence wisely: to heal and not to destroy. If we do, the earth will become our paradise once more and life will be a wonder.

Alchemy is the art of turning lead into gold. If we change all our bad ideas about who we are, we can return to a state of purity, reversing the blackness that came about by our need to possess. On the positive side, our relationship with gold was one of love to start with. If we realise that love is free and natural and we don’t need anything to experience it, we can transform our relationship with money. Then we will live in harmony with each other and the earth once more.

A (Slightly Different) View on Manifestation

I have never really bought into the whole new age hype about manifestation. Surely if it were that simple then everyone would get what they wanted and there would be no problems, right? On the other hand I know that there is some truth to it. I cannot help noticing how often it happens that people get exactly what they asked for. Whether that makes them happy or not is a different matter. I’ll share some of my own experiences and also consider how I think manifestation can be used for real benefit.

As a child I remember going to church and reading in the Bible that we could ask for anything and it would be given. At other times I was told that God could answer in one of three possible ways: yes, no or later. In a way I think both views are curiously true in their own way. However I’m still not the master of life and neither is anyone else I know by the looks of it.

When I was about ten years old, I fervently prayed for something. I resolved to have faith that it would show up, regardless of how impossible it seemed. About ten years later it did, but by that time it was completely meaningless to me. I couldn’t help marvelling at the extraordinary way in which the “thing” eventually made its way to me. As a teenager I also had a deep wish which I prayed would come to fruition. A few years later something along those lines (which was about what I could expect seeing that my prayer was sufficiently vague) played out. Needless to say, it wasn’t half of what I expected it to be.

At some point I gave up asking for things because it felt to me that it was no use – I never got what I wanted anyway. That wasn’t entirely true. I often got what I wanted on a physical level but with the inner experience of something still missing. When I honestly didn’t get what I wanted I ended up noticing that either there was a delay or I have outgrown that which I desired. By the looks of it, my subconscious mind was a step ahead of me. It contrived in helping me get what I actually wanted: the feeling of being whole and sufficient as I was without the need of something outside myself to feel complete. When that wasn’t the case, it didn’t help much asking for something when I wasn’t open to receive it. Once you notice that you are defensive, afraid to be open to good things coming your way, you realise that you have been the one dictating your reality all along.

On a very practical level, when we work for something and it comes to fruition, that is also manifestation. There is nothing supernatural about it. When it doesn’t materialise, I believe we have the option to give up and try something more worthwhile on one hand or persevere on the other. Perhaps it’s the Universe’s way of testing our resolve and asking us to reconsider what is really important.

I don’t think manifestation can be simplified to become the easy answer to all our problems. There is still the larger context of our relationship with life and how we define ourselves. Personally I think the key is in realising that we are manifesting anyway. What we believe in gains power and dictates our reality. Knowing this, we could ask ourselves what we deem important enough to want to bring into this world.

On Big Pharma, Science and Healing

This week I picked up a business and careers newspaper for students and the topic Big Pharma on the cover caught my eye. I’m not sure what I expected seeing that the article would hardly reflect my mindset. Yet when I read it it was all about the issues the industry faces and how they can recover to protect their profits. The article was also quite blatant about the fact that the pharmaceutical industry is one of the biggest industries in the world. I’m not sure why I was surprised at the approach but I thought it was pretty shameless in the way in which the profit driven aspect was depicted as something positive and desirable. I couldn’t help feeling a bit indignant though, let me explain why.

I have long since learned to shut up about my beliefs about healing. I have had too many conversations which go more or less like this:

“Why do you work in marketing if you studied psychology?”

“I wanted to be a psychologist but after having studied it I don’t really believe that the traditional approach to psychology is helpful. Which led me to turn to alternative forms of healing.”

“Oh, what does that entail?”

“Well…” (I usually just get vague at this point in order to avoid any reference to shamanic techniques or energy healing. I’ll continue as if I did in fact express my healing interests.)

“That’s nice. I have heard of such and such a person who was exploited very much by someone parading as a psychic or a spiritualist. They were never quite the same after that.”

Or: “This person got into trouble because he was actually a physiotherapist but then he tried to do ‘energy healing’ on his patient, which didn’t work. One has to be very careful of these unscientific things.”

So I shut up for fear of being ridiculed or labelled as a hippie or unscientific. I know it’s a bit lame but after reading the Big Pharma article I think maybe I could be more shameless about my “beliefs” and appeal to people’s common sense a bit more.

Let’s start with science, which is supposed to be about knowledge and rationality. Somehow I’m not convinced. In the mind of the average person it has become synonymous with authority. If “science” says so then so it is and most people will consider that the end of the matter. In that case their responsibility to make their own assessment of the situation is relieved because someone who knows better has decided for them. It is also interesting to see that in the mind of the average person “unscientific” means it’s nonsense. To these people I would like to point out that deciding on the merit of something without bothering to look into it, all based on what “authority” has told you, makes no sense whatsoever.

Can we really trust authority if we look at who is in control? The greatest destruction in the history of mankind has been caused by those in power and those with knowledge. We complain and rage that it’s time for someone else to take over but we continue to entrust ourselves to authority. Maybe it’s time to ask ourselves what is in our best interest, and to consider that it might be in the interest of some people to have us believe that we cannot trust ourselves, much less other people, and that we therefore need the protection of someone in power.

Continuing on the topic of science: it’s supposed to be about the methodology and the reliability of the results. Yet I think that money plays an important role: only those who have enough to be endorsed by the right authorities can have the status. I’m not speaking against science and I will not deny that great breakthroughs have been made. Yet knowledge is only useful if it serves us. It is how we use knowledge that will determine whether we heal or harm. If science makes man god over creation, as so many seem to believe, then that is all the more reason for us to act responsibly. Although science can provide us with some of the answers to the whats and the hows, it can never answer the question “why” in the context of our lives. That is something that we have to answer for ourselves. We have to own up to the consequences of our actions following the answer. Not many are willing to do this, which is perhaps why we are so quick to look up to authority to tell us what we should believe and how we should live.

Returning to Big Pharma, I have decided not to judge too quickly. The only way that any business can make a lot of money is if they supply something that is in demand. If people want quick fixes to manage symptoms so they can continue their lives as “normal” then who am I to say that what pharmaceutical companies are doing is bad?

A final thought about science: as helpful as knowledge can be, it doesn’t help much knowing anything if we don’t live better as a result. I’ll venture to say that if we can learn to cooperate, love and live in peace then we’ll be a thousand times better off not knowing anything even if we think the earth is flat. Potential often lies not in what is known, because what is known has already been created. Potential is in the vast sea of unknown possibilities. How we act today will determine which possibility we bring into the reality of tomorrow.

The Machine

Nori’s grandmother told her about the machine beings that will rule in the age of weapons.

“What’s a weapon, grandma?” Nori asked.

“It is a hard, sharp, deadly object that is created from materials taken from the earth. It is created in such a way that it will kill fast. The deadlier, the better.” Grandma answered. She knew about the coming age of iron because the auspices had told her.

“Why would anyone create these things, grandmother?” Nori asked, puzzled. Grandmother looked worried and a bit sad. At least that is how Nori would have described it in our words, but she didn’t really understand the feelings she saw in grandma.

“Because they want to dominate others and accumulate things. This is how they will know that they are important.” Nori didn’t understand at all, but grandma continued to tell her about the machine beings.

The machine beings will think that they are God’s representatives on Earth. Because they have been given intelligence, they can use it whichever way they want to. They will think that the Earth is their kingdom and that everything on it is their property. They will regard themselves as the highest life form. They will think that there is no life anywhere else in the universe other than on Earth. Because they are so important, God has given them the entire universe and placed them at the centre of it with their own kingdom of plants, animals and minerals.

The most interesting thing about machine beings is that they don’t care much about killing each other, much less killing other forms of life. The machine people group themselves into communities that function together as one large machine. They put all their efforts into creating something called “thin air” which they use to create a pyramid that gives some people power and impoverishes others. Another curious thing about the society machine is that it’s based on nothing but everyone believes in it because of the thin air, whether it works for them or not. They think the “thin air” is their reason for existence and they have to fight their whole lives to get more of it so others can respect them.

Within each machine there is hate and fighting amongst themselves and between the larger collective machines there is even more hate and fighting. Each machine society believes God to be on their side only.  They often think that their faith is the one true one and that people who have different beliefs will either go to hell or are delusional. The machine beings are intelligent enough to make weapons of mass destruction but they aren’t smart enough to figure out that that bit makes no sense.

“What will happen to these machines, grandma?” Nori asked.

“We will have to wait and see, Nori,” Grandma answered. “It will depend on whether they can wake up from their inflated sense of self-importance and remember that everything else they can perceive is also part of themselves. If they fail the test, they will die out, because what they have created is not sustainable. If they wake up, there is still hope.”

“Where can the hope be found, grandma?”

“In their hearts, Nori, although that would be asleep for a long time. The machine doesn’t think the heart is important. If they remember their capacity to love and forgive then there is still hope.”

“Grandma?”

“Yes, Nori?”

“Isn’t the machine lonely? How can anyone forget about their hearts - it must be terribly painful!”

“They forget because they are taught from a young age that love is better when received than given. When they give love, it should only be to those who are like themselves for only those are worth the effort. If they love anyone outside their group then there is a risk of mingling, fudging boundaries, and that would lead to more equal distribution of wealth. If people realise they are all brothers and sisters then they wouldn’t want to have too much when there are others who don’t have enough. And when everyone shares and stops stressing about gaining wealth and being at the top then the machine of society will no longer work. Then people will return to simplicity and live in harmony with the earth and all beings on it.”

“Just like us, grandma?”

“Just like us primitive beings, Nori, just like us. The machines will stop being machines and they will become people once more.”

How Would You Live Differently?

Recently I have been finding it increasingly hard to reconcile the world in my dreams with the world that I actually live in. The material world just seems too demanding and no matter how focused I am or carefully I plan, I cannot keep up. There are many who offer opportunities, but the premise is always that the competition is really strong so you have to be truly exceptional to “get in”. The world seems to be a place where everyone is really stressed out having to fight exceedingly hard to get a piece of a cake that is getting ever smaller.

Although the promises of success, opportunity and being one of a selected few outstanding individuals are alluring, I feel that it’s too draining to try for ever being better than I am. It feels like the harder I try to meet expectations, the more inadequate I feel. The satisfaction that comes from achieving goals hard worked for is always fleeting and somewhat empty. But although I would rahe to turn to re eo let me know your thoughts.used I am or carefully I plan, I cannot seem to keep upowed youther turn to the world in my dreams, it doesn’t exist to everyone. I feel fragmented trying to keep up with the material reality whilst at the same time remaining in touch with my soul.

Last night I meditated on my feelings, asking for guidance that would be useful. I went through different visions but will share what I feel is relevant. At some point I reached a place of nothingness where everything was white. I hit a barrier that I felt although I couldn’t see it. The guiding spirit that was with me continued past the barrier but I couldn’t move on. I hung suspended in the whiteness with the universe holding me although there was nothing else. To me the barrier is symbolic – the point where the old way of doing things can no longer work. When it is reached, everything falls away, including old identities and structures of meaning. Yet the universe is there to hold us while the way is paved for something new. There are forces stronger than us and although it cannot be seen, it can be felt.

Next thing I was led to a place where I walked onto a stage. The spotlight was on me and I had an audience. I was told that all eyes are on me and the world is waiting to hear what I have to say. They would listen to me, so what would I tell them? I walked forward and said with conviction, “Be the joy that you are. Do what you love. It’s the love that is important, so cultivate it.”

Then I was asked: if you have to take your own advice, how would you live differently? I thought about it and said that I would probably be less afraid to love. I would let go of expectations of the way in which love should play out. I would also care less about having been hurt before because if I can still love then it doesn’t matter. I would be quicker to forgive. The thought occurred to me that whatever is going on around me is perfectly fine because the details are unimportant. The important thing is that I love.

In my spiritual search I keep returning to the same place. The world in my dreams is about love whereas the reality I know is based on a strange kind of order that doesn’t actually work. This morning it occurred to me that as clueless as I often feel, maybe I have been making the right decisions all along. Maybe I am not naïve in thinking that bringing your authentic self to the world is closer to the target than for ever being at the mercy of the material world. It doesn’t take a genius to see that the old reality is collapsing and that we have to create something better. Perhaps the destruction of the fear based reality is the natural order of things and whatever follows will be better and more substantial. I’m hoping it could mean that humanity is waking up to the fact that love and joy are the natural state. That is what it’s there for – to help us stay on our true path.

A great deal of trust is required to embrace a world that the eyes cannot yet see. The challenge for me would be following my own advice when the world is begging me to do the opposite.

I would like to hear your thoughts. If you have one chance to have the world’s attention and everyone is willing to hear you out, what would you tell them? What would you do differently if you followed your own advice? Please comment or send me a message to let me know.

Why Myths Are Important

We tend to think of myths as forgotten stories from a past that doesn’t belong to us, one where people held irrational beliefs and didn’t know anything. But the truth is that we are still living myths today, individually as well as collectively. In fact, everything is based on myth. It’s because we believe in our present day myths that we live them and perpetuate them. If we want to change our personal or collective reality then we need to take a look at the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. We have to decide not only what we would like to discard, but also what we would like to take into the future.

Myths and dreams are the symbols that illuminate our current self-concepts and contain the seeds of what we can become. The Now-moment contains nothing at all, except what we choose to believe in. The Now moment is pure potential and completely insubstantial. But Now is also the bridge between our myths and our dreams - the space in which we can create. Now is often too fast on us – it doesn’t give us time to deliberate and make informed decisions. That is perhaps why it can open the door to change, because even though it is insubstantial, it is all that we really have to work with. Now is the moment of choice, the moment where all possibilities are connected and from where we can choose our experience. In my experience each Now moment provides the opportunity to either heal the past or direct the future.

Dreams are nothing other than the myths of the future telling us what is possible. If a dream stirs our hearts then it calls us to a better future. The question is often how to use the Now to transform our own stories, releasing myths from the past that no longer serve us to bring the dreams of the future into our present reality. But in truth all myths are important, regardless of whether we like them or not. If we want to get rid of a personal myth, it will probably re-present itself with more insistence until it is healed. We only heal our myths when we love them, because unwanted myths represent parts of ourselves that need to be loved back to life. Once it is integrated into our sense of self, the unwanted myth no longer has control that is beyond the power of our own will. It will then cease to run the show, because we are no longer afraid of it.

In Paulo Coelho’s books I have read about the personal legend. Being authentic means weaving our myth so life works for us and we fulfil our greatest dream, which should also be our biggest ambition. This doesn’t mean that we should be flawless, but that our chosen myth should be original and have the power of our own creativity.

Going Barefoot

The barefoot theme came up in different places for me over the last few months. Firstly, as an injured runner I had to consider whether barefoot running could be the answer to becoming pain-free. Secondly as a spiritual seeker I read about sun-gazing practices, part of which entails a period of walking barefoot on the earth for an hour every day. Finally, a few days ago I read a post on facebook about the benefits of going barefoot, one of which was reduced levels of depression. I don’t recall seeing any source of authority or research but the thought stayed with me. A few hours later I had the opportunity and couldn’t resist the urge to walk barefoot on the grass in the park. I use the word “urge” because my soul yearned to touch the earth through my soles. We have forgotten how sensitive our feet are.

As soon as my feet touched the grass, the effect was potent and instant. Not only did it feel very good but I became aware of the Earth talking to me even louder than usual, its spirit so very present in the hill called Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park, Edinburgh. I then recalled how good it feels when someone I love or at least like touches the soles of my feet.

Whilst the theme of going barefoot came under my attention through the barefoot running debate, it turns out to be much more than that. Being barefoot on a man-made surface is not the same as physically touching the bare earth with bare feet. Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that humans generally see the earth as just a solid platform that provides a base for us to carry out our daily activities. Ironically, the word “human” is derived from the Latin word “humus” which means “soil” or “dust”. But we have lost touch with our roots. If we can’t hear the Earth talking then perhaps it is no wonder that our souls are still asleep.

The phrase “as above, so below” comes to mind, meaning that there is a material parallel for all things energetic/spiritual. The shaman knows about the relationship between energy and matter and how intent is transferred through and shapes matter. This also pertains to our different levels of being, our essence not being limited to our physical bodies. In the same way that individual consciousness comes from the sea of the collective, so also our bodies spring forth from the soil from which we get our nourishment. The Earth represents the sacred circle of all things being connected. On a physical level she is our Source, providing all that we need for ourselves to be sustained. We may not be aware of this but our cells know and our feet remember, which is why the effect on my mood could instantly be felt the minute my feet touched the earth.

It is common knowledge that touch is very important in relationships, especially between mothers and children. We instinctively long to touch our lovers as a way of promoting intimacy, which also fosters a feeling of safety. If we have long since forgotten the importance of touching the Earth then it’s no wonder that we generally see her as cold and dead. In reality it’s the other way round – we have turned cold towards the organism that continues to sustain us with life.

What I find particularly interesting is that even our concept of career and vocation which supposedly revolves around our work on Earth seems to operate in a void. The range of valid careers in our cultural mind seems to be limited to the system we have created, all based on a concept of money which doesn’t exist. I often feel that my desire to work with Earth energies seems airy fairy. However seeing that our world revolves around a system of money that is based on thin air I am quite tempted to believe that our reality is less substantial than the actual forces that make the world keep turning. The world we have created seems to operate in a space on a solid empty platform whilst nature is largely ignored. I wonder how many people still notice the sun coming up in the morning, the plants teeming with a life of their own or the subtle magic contained in mountains and the ocean. These things have become completely irrelevant to us as human beings except as a backdrop to “doing” that either goes unnoticed or at best provides some pleasant decoration. We have forgotten about “being”, perhaps nature’s most important lesson. The world actually goes round of its own accord and we don’t have to interfere with the process. Being ourselves is enough as it is in this way that we feel connected to the essence of everything else.

Returning to barefoot running, this is actually a topic of its own. A runner that attempts to go barefoot having worn shoes for a very long time will discover in the initial phases that his lower legs aren’t nearly as strong as they should be. A lot of muscles will need to be rebuilt in order for him/her to attain proper balance, which will eliminate injuries. On a symbolic level I don’t think this only pertains to running. As human beings we have become disconnected from our roots because we haven’t been in touch with them. Maybe feeling the earth with our bare feet could be a step towards becoming aware of the larger picture, outside of what we concern ourselves with in our daily lives. Figuratively speaking, our lower legs have become too weak due to being out of practice. Only when we restore our point of contact with the earth will we return to balance and be free of the injuries caused by disconnection.