I spend a lot of time pondering what the deeper forces that are shaping world events might be. News stories tell us facts about the world we inhabit. But they often just skim the surface of what’s going on at a deeper level. We rely on philosophers, cultural commenters, spiritual teachers, and others to help us understand these kinds of truths, but what fascinates me is trying to connect the dots between the two. The narratives we’re presented with about the world and important world events are constructed narratives. Some may remember Carlos Castaneda, who wrote many books that studied the life and ways of Mexican shaman. His term for this was “consensus reality." But when there are huge changes taking place in the world picture, consensus reality dissolves because consensus dissolves. Things begin to seem chaotic, unanchored, and impossible to understand because, basically, we’ve lost our map of reality. While this feels alienating and troubling, the good news is that what’s being experienced isn’t a permanent condition. Rather, it’s just a characteristic of a transition when the old world is dying and the new one is still being born. It might be useful in this context to explore the roles of tribalism and spirituality. In this context, we might reflect that history has been described as “the lie commonly agreed upon,” then remember Peguy's famous saying that “What begins in mysticism ends in politics.” This beckons the realization that, to understand changes in the world, we have to peel back the surface of things and look deeper at the powerful forces behind world events including spirituality, religion, and culture. These are sometimes grouped together under the heading of tribalism. But tribalism can also include other powerful beliefs such as a belief in science and technology as the ultimate arbiter of truth. We see this most obviously manifested in the increasingly disturbing transhumanist movement, which appears to be an attempt to replace spirituality with science.

Ultimately there are only two parts of you that you are expressing or existing in at any one time. Either your Ego self or your Authentic Self. It's a simple and easy and as black-and-white as that. The spiritual journey can be understood as a return to your always already whole self. The part that doesnt need to be fixed. Check out my long form podcast on Ego and Authentic Self HERE

I have long been moved by the mystical world of Rumi. This piece captures something of that spirit, especially in the energy of this Pisces New Moon. It resonates deeply within me, and I hope you may find a sense of peace in its words and melody, as I have in these times… “where love remains as the only truth”. The symbol of Pisces shows two fish swimming side by side, held together by a delicate thread at the center. One moves toward the depths of the unseen… the other toward the currents of the world. They do not separate. They are tethered— a reminder that within us lives both the longing to dissolve into something greater… and the call to remain, to feel, to love within this human experience. The thread between them is the quiet knowing that neither path is complete on its own. And perhaps that is the “field” Rumi speaks of… Below is the original description and link from the video/song, shared here as written: This song is inspired by the timeless wisdom of the great Sufi mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rumi. In his poetry, Rumi speaks of a place beyond judgment, beyond identity, beyond the endless noise of praise and blame — a place where the soul remembers its true nature. The “field” he describes is not a physical place. It is a state of being. A space where the mind falls silent… where the self dissolves… and where love remains as the only truth. Through music and verse, this piece invites you to step beyond the boundaries drawn by the mind and rest in the stillness of that inner field — the place where souls meet, where words fade away, and where the heart finally come” https://youtu.be/SnEdGAeudQ0?si=zywEfyboUIGRA9JF

A short reflection on something we often overlook: the attitude we bring into a room affects everyone in it. Across centuries, philosophers, spiritual teachers, and modern psychology have all pointed to the same idea. Our mindset shapes our experience and quietly shapes the environments we share with others.

You cannot exercise preference for one without contributing to the oppression of the other. All sides of a conflict are locked in an energetic polarity, quantumly entangled in a duality, and what is thus done in fight for one is done against the other.