Urban Shamanism

All trees have roots that we don't see

We've all been taught to split the world in two: Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Light and Dark. This isn't merely a human thing, it's a quality of dual reality. At this point, I don't use these dualisms as much as I did, preferring instead to refer to varying degrees of vibration, from the densest to the lightest. By what I've seen and experienced, the people, actions and situations that we're taught to identify as evil are merely filled with subconscious patterns that haven't been dismantled or even detected. In other words, I don't regard criminals and oppressors as evil, but as very unconscious individuals who are quite unaware of their actions and their consequences. As for good, we all see ourselves as that, we're not educated to see other people's side but only our own, but the more we delve into our psyche, feelings and behavior, the more we realize that we too commit injustices, that we can also abuse others and cause harm, whether intentionally or not is irrelevant. These are things that common morality can't process well.

I don't see morality as an asset, looking at the world as if it was split neatly in two is a great way to remain ignorant about the infinity of nuances that surround us. We exist in scales of grey, in constant oscillation: a person generally assumed as bad can have many virtues while another assumed as good may be plagued by a myriad vices. Moral judgments blind us from such subtleties and thus we make decisions based on nothing but prejudice. We're the product of thousands of years of evolution and have colossal amounts of unconscious data, programming that's active in our bodies and minds whether we detect it or not. If we had access to our full ancestry, memories and feelings, we'd know that, encrypted in our every cell, we have stories of blood, oppression, horror and suffering untold that guide our hand from the shadows of our being. With that knowledge, it's impossible to claim moral superiority above anyone, even the most abject individuals we can think of; "abject" is in fact a judgment that prevents us from seeing the simple yet profound fact that those individuals are also the product of conditionings of which they're not aware at all.

It's nigh impossible to empathize with those we deem unworthy, cruel, callous or disgraceful, but everything is a reflection of what we have inside, and what we see in others is also within us. We can struggle against it, attempt to deny it, but it's inexorable. We have to check our history, to open our hearts and feel, instead of passing verdict as if we knew ourselves and others perfectly. We don't and we never will. Uncounted generations have come and gone, their prompts and experiences are embedded in our flesh, and everyone around is in the exact same boat. Next time you see someone who inspires you admiration, remember that they too have suffered and hurt others, that their ancestors also committed crimes and behaved in ways you'd find questionable today; do the same with those that move you to spite or criticism, try to stand in their place for a moment and realize that they too can love, laugh, be genuinely excited about things, and that they also have great heroes and acts of beauty in their cells. Then perhaps you'll be able to cultivate a better understanding of your reality, and live a life less constrained by black and white considerations, a life where all colors have their place and all entities fulfill a necessary purpose.

Rune of the Day: Othala

Ancient pacts, responsibilities that you assumed in the past return as demands, pay attention to your promises. Pending payments delay your process, clarify doubts and fulfill with the regular procedures. Difficult memories, repressed emotions, what you seek to control controls you. The ancestral conditionings continue to act in your system, work on your subconscious, there are always deeper knots to unravel. Untangle conflicts, unweave narratives and discourses, beware of issuing or accepting statements without support. Prevent others from involving you in their karmas, each person has their own path to the truth. The most profound revelations reside in the darkest of spaces, purge and cleanse yourself, see with clear eyes underneath the surface, extract the talents hidden in the ground.