Reading for Friday, December 19
December 19, 2008
The time is ripe for action to interrupt something that has been flowing. This may generate difficulties or a path through difficulties or both; such is the risk of interrupting a flow.
Enlightenment and Maturity
November 16, 2008
I came across an essay by Kant, “What is Enlightenment?”, while doing some research online. This piece first crossed my path the senior year of my undergraduate studies, and revisiting it proved interesting and fruitful.
While I’m no longer as skilled as I was in reading such dense prose, the gist of the essay comes across to me that Kant equates enlightenment with maturity, and defines this as the individual’s choice to step out from under the authority of others. Kant’s attitude is one of supporting social structures and maintaining this freedom as an academic pursuit of the mind.
One can trace the same sort of arc in personal development, and as Kant points out, those who choose to remain immature are many. To genuinely become an adult means to accept yourself as the authority of your life - and thus to also accept responsibility for the conditions of your life. If you are not willing to accept that responsibility, can you really be considered an adult, no matter your biological age? How many people are still operating under the authority of their parents, years after moving out or even the death of their parents? And what then of those parents and their parents?
In a shamanic context, concrete steps in enlightenment or maturity are marked with initiations, in which an individual accepts both the power and responsibility that comes with being granted (a degree of) personal authority. Initiations are usually highly ritualized, and they often include a very real threat of literal death with the idea of provoking a metaphorical death. In a runic context, initiation is represented by Peorth.
Reading for Tuesday, November 11
November 11, 2008
Having what you need, work hard to manifest and prepare the circumstances you desire for your future.
Reading for Monday, November 10
November 10, 2008
Work with others to gain their perspective as you plan for the future, remembering the circumstances that led to here.
Reading for Wednesday, August 6
August 6, 2008
Having the requisite skills and tools, the time is ripe for action to face and overcome the obstacles in your path.
Reading for Tuesday, August 5
August 5, 2008
While things can’t help but eventually change, for now, you have to deal with your own issues arising from past circumstances. Was it really the circumstances, or is it how you handled them?
Reading for Friday, July 15
July 25, 2008
Your ability to draw on the strengths you have built to be who you truly are will greatly impact your future circumstances.
Reading for Wednesday, July 23
July 23, 2008
The moment is ripe for taking action to manifest the future glimpsed through transformation.
Reading for Tuesday, July 15
July 15, 2008
To step into the container of initiation, you must be willing to let all your ideas of the world die.
Reading for Thursday, June 26, 2008
June 26, 2008
Even as you enter new territory, using the perspective of the past can help you to understand the changes occurring in the present. This is important because these changes will define your future circumstances.
