Spiritual Autodidacticism

An invitation to chart a course inward without the anchors of dogma to slow you down

Autodidacticism: the process or practice of learning a subject without a teacher or formal education; self-education

I am writing this post after having contemplated the focus of a Corbett Report “Solutions Watch” episode (titled Autodidacticism https://www.corbettreport.com/autodidacticism/ for the last couple months in an attempt to take a step back and see the broadest implications and applications of this process of Autodidacticism.

Pursuant to this, I would like to present concept the of Spiritual Autodidacticism (spiritual autonomy/self-learning).

Before I share my thoughts on spiritual autonomy however, I would like to preface by explaining why this concept of self-education (or “autodidacticism”) is important to me.

The process of self-education is what I have devoted my life to over the past ten years. I have always been someone that sought out specific knowledge and ‘lenses of perception’ that are off the beaten path (educationally speaking). Conventional education systems often seemed to hinder my growth more than nurture it. Sensing that I was not being given the whole story in the school system I began a quest to create my own curriculum with the interest of seeking out a nuts and bolts understanding that might empower me to create a home, life and way of living that which are holistic, resilient, adaptable, joyful and intentional. After reading an array of books about soil science, nutrition, ancient traditional medicine practices, apiculture, mycology, botany, horticulture, molecular biology, geology, biophysics, mycology, electromagnetism, biophysics, food preservation, carpentry, pottery, basketry, masonry, plant identification, foraging, indigenous cultures and other subject matter I felt was relevant to my path it was taking a hands on course (APSO) and putting the knowledge into action with my own two hands that really accelerated the my autodidactic process.

These are some of the books I have read on my autodidactic path in recent years.

It was looking at all these seemingly separate paths of learning through the permaculture lens (looking at things through the ‘eye’s of nature’) that I began to see intersecting points where I could synergistically combine what I had learned in those fields and apply them in my life in a practical way.

I put these skills sets to work in the garden, in the forest and in the kitchen. Lots of trial and error occurred and continues to occur. Sometime I let that get to me, but if I approached these learning experiences without ego and emotional reactions, this served to exponentially accelerate the learning process. The convergence of applying these ways of seeing and perceiving has brought a deep sense of purpose, empowerment and gratitude into my life. When I take what I have learned in a scientific sense and then I look out at the world with the permaculture lens (seeing patterns in nature and our elder species that dwell there as wise teachers) with an open heart and with humility the things I am offered a chance to learn and put into practice are truly extraordinary.

When I really think about it, plants, fungi, microbiology (even rocks) are ancient libraries in which the history of millions of years are inscribed. When we observe the geometry of the leaf of a plant we are observing a mechanism for not only transforming/gathering energy but also moving water against the force of gravity in an extremely efficient way. We are also observing the architecture of a self healing structure that is resilient and flexible in the face of wind, water, cold and heat. These facets of a single plant leaf (and more) are the result of millions of years of trial and error as nature experimented with what works and what does not, finding equilibrium after eons but never the less always continuing to adapt and evolve. I feel we have much to learn from these ancient libraries of the living world and this is especially true when one closely obverses the interdependent/symbiotic relationships that exists in nature between the plants, fungi, microbiology (and yes even rocks too).

some of the fractal geometry which is omnipresent in nature, offering us pathways to engage in autodidacticism via developing and applying our pattern recognition capabilities.

This is the path of autodidacticism I have devoted my life to (seeing nature as my teacher). It can be described as “self-learning” and “self improvement” since I am of course part of nature and the community of life that calls this planet home and my intent on this path is to feed myself, my loved ones, help others do the same and leave this place a little more free, wild and beautiful than it was when I got here for those that call this place home after I am gone.

Thus, it was a natural progression that when I sought to learn more about the realm of spirit and the Creator of all things that I applied this same approach of self learning as I looked inward.

For many people, when they hear the word “Spirit” or “spirituality” they think religion, and that’s understandable considering religious institutions have claimed for millennia that they are the ‘celestial middle men’ that can sell you a ticket to connect with that which is beyond the physical. Theoretically, religion is supposed to be (or at least it is marketed as) a medium for knowing and connecting with the non-physical, ‘the mystery’, ‘the divine’, or “Spirit”. Unfortunately, in my experience, it rarely serves that purpose and most of the time it ends up driving a wedge between the individual and that cosmic knowing, that spiritual awareness, that inner light. Religious belief systems have become distorted and proliferated through centralized global religious institutions as tools used by individuals who covet power and manipulation to control the global population and create complacency as well as to shape a limited world view, inflate egos, as to enable them to direct many of the working class into conflicts ‘wars’ for profit. Belief systems that promote guilt, fear, ego and a pretentious sense of being more important or ‘more blessed’ than other people or other forms of life, are belief systems that are disempowering and not based in truth. When we take a look around at the world today those are the characteristics of most mainstream religious institutions. The core principles of a given religious belief system may have some value to an individual seeking to better him/herself, but the institutions as a whole have been infiltrated and corrupted by humans operating in the ego, feeding their greed and want of power over others.

Charles Eisenstein describes some of the foundational teachings of Christianity and compares that to it’s institutionalized historical expression in his essay titled A Temple Of This Earth by saying “Forgiveness is the defining teaching of Christianity. Properly understood, forgiveness is not a kind of indulgence—you are bad but I forgive you anyway. Forgiveness comes from the flash of understanding: “If I were in the totality of your situation, I may well have done what you did.” In other words, it comes from a felt recognition of our common humanity. This same understanding is what obviates judgment. Some of the most potent images in the Gospels are about forgiveness and judgment. Jesus on the cross says of his tormenters, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” It isn’t “Forgive them Father because you’re a nice God and believe in second chances, so please go easy on them.”

The horrors of the human condition cannot be blamed on a scattering of psychopaths on earth. The sum total of millions of ‘good’ intentions also ends in tragedy. Why? Because they know not what they do. In the crucifixion scene, what they do not know is that they are crucifying an innocent man.

It is in the nature of organized religion that its institutions tend to enact the very opposite of its core esoteric principles. Thus, it is that Christianity has no rival in judging, condemning, dehumanizing, and scapegoating. That history is plain to see: the Inquisition, the witch hunts, the enslavement of Africans, the genocide of indigenous people, and the subjugation of women all happened under official church sanction.”

I personally came to acknowledge we (human beings) are a result of an intelligent design of a being that some call “God” through my own direct experiences perceiving that facet of our reality through inward exploration, however where I diverge from the majority of monotheistic dogmatic religious views is that I do not feel that humanity is the most important, nor the ‘most blessed’ or ‘most sacred’ beings (or any other idea that placates the ego that is so wanting to be praised by any anthropocentric story other humans are willing to invent). I also do not believe we have been “given dominion of the Earth” nor do I believe that the whole vast and complex universe was created merely for our entertainment. I do not sense that a wise, humble and courageous man like Jesus of Nazareth would have endorsed the anthropocentric ideas described above either. When he invited us to treat others as we would want to be treated this was intended for all beings.

When we are talking about Christianity or the Bible I think it is also worth keeping in mind that Jesus himself was opposed to religious institutions and never sought out to create them. The accounts that became the substance of the bible were transcribed by Greeks, from memory, several decades after the death of Jesus. Even if those men were doing their best to remember what was said, they are imperfect humans (as we all are) and those words were remembered through the filter of their perspectives, beliefs (and have since been twisted and distorted extensively). The result is that I find much of what is pushed by dogmatic religious institutions (and their adherents) to be nothing more than a collection of unhealthy anthropomorphic projections onto a being (that is so far beyond anything resembling a human) and a surrounding set of beliefs that often constitute junk food for the ego and paths that lead towards psychological states that promote stagnation, scapegoating for our own shortcomings/mistakes, hubris, adversarial/oppressive behavior towards our fellow beings and irrational xenophobia.

Jesus of Nazareth was very much opposed people hoping that someone else was going to solve their problems for them. He suggested that people live as he did (he sought to empower others through living by example). He did not seek to gather "followers" but rather sought to offer people tools and pathways for empowering themselves. He offered examples of how one might nurture a direct connection with the Creator of all things and to unlock their true potential as human beings (he never said he was more special or possessed special abilities that others were not capable of also attaining). Jesus did not seek to solve everyone's problems for them then, and he will not seek to do that in the present or the future either. Whether or not the spirit of the man that was once called Jesus is incarnated onto the Earth now (or becomes so in the future) will not result in our problems being solved for us, nor will it result in any kind of vanquishing of evil nor any kind of temporary soul respites to "heaven".

Engaging in life on Earth is a voluntary journey that each of us chose willingly. The Creator of all things respects our choice to be here and our free will. We did not come here to see a dramatic dualistic showdown happen and applaud the ‘good guy' for vanquishing the bad guy (from a distance as a spectator). No, each and every one of us (whether we are currently consciously aware of this fact or not) came here to co-author the story. That means no-one else is going to do the hard work for us (not a savior, rebel leader nor a politician) we came here to do that work of transforming this world ourselves.

Besides propagating unhelpful myths about savior figures (that are supposed to whoosh down from the spirit world and solve all our problems for us if we just wait long enough and keep living the way we have been living) Christianity (and other dogmatic religious belief systems) also often have myths of a big bad boogie man (or multiple bad guy characters) which are used for all kinds of scapegoating, excuse making and for justifying stagnation and laziness. Some people choose an action that is malicious and/or without compassion and then say “the devil made me do it” others blame this vague and illusive interdimensional half goat half human creature for all the ugliness that takes place on this world and (in their minds) wash their hands of any responsibility in the perpetuation of this modern society of obscene inequality, profound narcissism, materialism, vanity, environmental devastation and endless war. Both of these scapegoating uses of this myth of a super nasty interdimensional goat man are enabling mechanisms which cowards, apathetic individuals and predatory individuals latch onto for their own selfish reasons. These ideas serve to perpetuate the very “evil” in this world (that the religion they claim to subscribe to is supposed to be opposed to) by passing the buck onto an invisible bad guy character (and/or a savior figure that is hopefully going to appear and clean up our mess for us) rather than doing the work ourselves and taking responsibility for this consensus reality we help to shape (with each of our thoughts, words, choices and actions).

In present day, a new kind of dogmatic belief system has gained momentum which involves unflinching trust of authority figures/government institutions (that are systematically abusing and harming the general population) and fanatical/aggressive promotion of various experimental injectable pharmaceutical products. Author Cj Hopkins refers to this emergent dogmatic belief system as “The Covidian Cult”.

One of the aspects of this religion involves our corporation/oligarch dominated governments exerting pressure on little children through coercion tactics to take an experimental injection (which poses them a higher risk of being hospitalized than the virus these injections are supposedly supposed to protect them against).

Many have become so indoctrinated into the "new normal ideology" (a type of plutocratic totalitarianism) that they refuse to read any studies or consider any data which is not approved by their government (and the corporations that dominate said governments). What that says to me, is that these indoctrinated people are involved in something akin to a dogmatic religious belief system. In their belief system, only that information which has been 'sanctified' and approved by the 'high priests' (government/public health authorities) is 'pure' and all else is 'impure blasphemy'. While it is of course anyone's right to invest themselves in dogmatic belief systems, they cannot pretend that such a path has anything to do with science.

In a similar way to how Christianity’s institutional expression involves behaviors that embody the polar opposite of the core teachings behind the religion, the core principle of the ‘religion of science’ is humility; thus its institutional expression is arrogance.

So now the adherents to said religion are injecting little children with biotech cocktails offering them Zero benefit and causing lifelong damage to their circulatory systems. Not only are many children be permanently injured/disabled due to these fraudulent injections, some of these children are dying as a direct result of being injected.

Meanwhile, Doctors and nurses in Canada were pressured to join the cult via coercion tactics demanding they submit to being injected with synthetic mRNA (and 4x boosted with the genetic slurries) to keep their jobs. The Canadian Medical Association is being urged to investigate the unusually high death rate of 80 Canadian doctors who have died since the mandate – 800% above baseline / expected number. Canadian doctor deaths in 2022 are 8X higher for under age 30 than in 2019-2020; age 30–40=5X higher; 40-50+=2X higher.

some of the 80 plus doctors that have “died suddenly” since being injected

These people were supposed to be experts in extending longevity, but instead of doing their homework and using their God-given intuitive capacities they trusted “The SCIENCE™” and paid the ultimate price. The price they paid is multiplied by many magnitudes when you think of how many people inevitably sought out their professional advice when considering whether or not to put these genetic slurry injections into their bodies (and their children’s bodies) resulting in thousands of individuals being maimed and or losing their lives. Thus, we are now moving beyond Malfeasance, Medical malpractice and anything resembling science and into the realm of something closer to a Cult.

Here is an example of the kind of fanaticism we are dealing with. This is a clip of New York Governor Kathy Hochul bragging about her cult jewelry and calling on people to be her ‘vaccine apostles’ :

Take a step back and see this thing for what it is. It is a religion, a very dangerous, irrational and psychotic form of dogma that operates a lot like a religious institution , thus, it is in fact accurately described as a cult.

Some people estimate that the number of people that have been killed and maimed by big pharma's most ambitious project in history in the last year or so is significantly greater than all the victims of the holocaust combined.

I bring this new cult/religion up for this is one of the types of things that results from following and putting our faith in institutions, dogmatic belief systems, “experts”, gurus, priests, politicians (and cult leaders) rather than doing the hard work ourselves, exercising our discernment, looking inward to directly perceive spiritual truths and applying our intuition to everyday situations in our lives on Earth.

Some would contend that belief systems that use threats of “cosmic eternal punishments” to coerce adherents to said belief systems into behaving in an amicable way are the only thing keeping people from turning on each other like rabid animals. I would contend this idea shares parallels to people’s fallacious ideas about the necessity of involuntary governance structures.

The adherents of the religion of Statism say that punitive measures being applied by top town governmental systems (via armed military and law enforcement personnel that are given a monopoly on violence) are required to keep us safe from “bad guys”. History teaches us otherwise, as we can see in present day or throughout the past, governments often engage in mass murder operations targeting their own citizens. Also, regardless of what ideological wrappings they have, and regardless of the “benevolent” intent that may or may not be behind such measures, punitive measures being applied by top town governmental systems are not effective long term solutions as threatening someone to behave how you want them to only remains effective as long as the threat and ability to act on the threat does, and even then industrious and inventive people will wind a way to circumvent said punitive measures if they really want to.

Similarly, being threatened with “eternal hell fire” by priests if you choose an action that is self interested, disingenuous or malicious is not an effective long term solution for encouraging people to be “good”… for even if the one being threatened believes the threat is legitimate, they can always just repent after choosing one of the above forbidden choices. Additionally, said systems of belief that claim to be able to threaten people into being “good” are systems that nurture fear and guilt, rather than love and integrity.

Rather than looking to myths of eternal damnation or institutions to threaten us into being “good” I instead look to nature (which is an intrinsic part of Creation and thus infused with God’s design/truth) for inspiration in these matters. When one is planting a garden and seeks to avoid unwanted plants (aka “weeds”) from taking over that space, one can go about it in one of two ways. Firstly, the conventional approach that sees weeds as “the bad guy” and takes on an adversarial approach that fears the “weeds” (seeking to threaten them with physical and chemical ‘punitive measures’ if these sinful ‘weeds’ dare appear). This approach results in an endless and futile internal conflict in the garden, where “weeds” find ways to become resistant to the chemical and physical attacks and they persist despite the relentless efforts of the gardener engaging in the ‘crusade against their evil weed foes’. The other approach seeks to plant the seeds for that which is desired and beautiful to flourish in that garden (until the point in which that which is “good” outcompetes the so called evil “weeds”). This approach to gardening plants can also be applied to the gardens of our hearts and minds.

In the end I feel that the most permanent and systemic change cannot and will not be brought about via any top down policies, but rather, must originate from within. The societal changes that set down roots and persist through the millennia begin with seeds planted by individuals that are living and embodying the change they want to see in the world, embracing radical authenticity and starting fractal chain reactions in our collective that spread outwardly in all directions.

In essence, it is the seed that rises from within that is born from living the way one wants the world to be, which readily self sows and sets down roots far and wide. Individuals embodying the intrinsic abundance, purpose and joy that results from living with integrity, compassion, courage and generosity provides an incentive more enticing than any promise of a religious bribe for others to follow suit. They show other people a way of living that heals the broken parts within us, heals the land around us, begins to bind our shattered communities together again and offers nourishment for the soul.

Therefore, for those that seek to embark on a path to learn about the more than physical aspects of our existence and come to know the essence of Self that existed before they came into this human experience (and will continue to exist after the body they currently inhabit ceases to function) I would suggest that embarking on that learning/remembering path without the baggage of stagnant, distorted and often ego inflating dogmatic belief systems and the corrupt institutions perpetuating them is the most effective path to gain a solid awareness of the spiritual aspects of our existence. Being raised in a devout atheist family and then being confronted by experiences that could not be explained through conventional scientific lenses of perception my path to Spiritual Autodidacticism was embarked upon out of necessity. For me, it began when I would spend time in solitude in the deep wilderness, allowing my mind to become still until I was able to sense that part of me that is more permanent than my human body and mind. That journey inward became a launch pad for perceiving many nourishing, inspiring, humbling and beautiful realizations and understandings and I do not think I would have gotten there if I had sought out some Guru or Priest with predispositions, assumptions a limited dogmatic worldview (and perhaps ulterior motives as well.)

On my journey I have learned that this human experience is about a marriage of “spirit” (non-temporal higher dimensional consciousness) with the physical. The relationship is mutually beneficial, a kind of cosmic symbiosis. We come to inhabit these magnificent bodies as they allow us to navigate through this physical dimension and experience its beauty through the 5 senses. We are offering opportunities for growth and enrichment through both challenging experiences and moments of profound beauty. And the benefit to the physical human being, is we open up gateways to joy and peace unattainable by the ‘ego’ and its body alone, windows into higher complexity and richness of creativity as well as the deep serenity and bliss that comes from the Love we imbue into these lives on earth. The brain is the operating system for these advanced molecular machines (human bodies) that we use to explore and interact on this physical plane. The brain is a bio-chemical electromagnetic computer capable of interpreting and synthesizing our experiences on this plane and storing memories that are painted with the rich spectrum of human emotion. Although this advanced computer can create abstract thoughts, images, along with other sensations, put them into action and is even capable of self-awareness, but it does not represent the essence of who and what we are.

On my journey I have come to understand that the moment is where the magic resides. The eternal Now is where ‘paradise’ can be sculpted and experienced. We cannot truly come to know the divine through priests nor scriptures. The path is found Within, and can only be accessed through the heart, in surrender to the moment, in surrender to our eternal spirit and in surrender to the Creator of all things. There are no rules to follow that get you a golden ticket, and the only one passing judgement on us, is ourselves. There is no “good” and “evil”, those are concepts created by mankind based in duality. If we take a step back, discard the judgments, and illusions of the ego, we can see from a higher dimensional perspective, and come to the understanding that there are simply choices that serve to nurture and enrich ourselves and the collective we are a part of… and those choices that do not.

Each of us can choose to embody the template for the type world we want to live in.. Each of us can learn to perceive the same spark we have come to know in our own core in others. This is a pathway for becoming a catalyst for positive change on planet Earth.

Thus, one of the most critical steps we need to take in order to break from the old paradigm and shape a new one we need to stop seeking outside of ourselves and look inward. No amount of book knowledge can help us along this path of spiritual self-learning. As each of us become reacquainted with the part of our selves that existed before we came into these bodies (and will continue to exist long after) we move into an awareness that involves self awareness and intuitive discernment. Critical thinking is a powerful tool (and I endorse exercising it regularly wholeheartedly) but intuitive discernment surpasses the capabilities of that lens of perception and process of analyzing situations by far. Outside and beyond the ‘jurisdiction’ of that which the human brain can know and perceive, all is already known and perceived.. if one attunes their alternative organs of perception (heart/third eye) through spiritual self-learning (non ideologically defined meditative practices) one becomes capable of perceiving glimpses of that infinite library of knowing and crystal clear lens of unlimited perception in key moments in life.

This is the realization/state of being that when embraced by enough people, can be the catalyst for rendering the current system on earth obsolete and planting the seeds for a future of peace, resilience, abundance, and equality for all mankind. For through living and embodying that knowing, each time as we look into the eyes of another human being, we don’t see a Canadian, or Brazilian, a black person or a white person, or any other arbitrary programmed label based on appearance, geography, or any kind of sectarian differences… We just see a human being. A being that carries the same spark of divinity that we know shines brightly in our own core. With this knowing, and the common ground that such a realization and truth bridges between us, “the corporate parasites” that currently thrive on this world would no longer be able to survive. When combined with intellectual/practical skill autonomy (self learning through books and hands on trial and error) as well as combined with decentralized regenerative food production systems (food autonomy) Greed and fear based ways of thinking would have no place in the midst of those who understand who and what we truly are (and are capable of providing knowledge and sustenance to ourselves and our loved ones) and so, people would not be swayed by those fear based manifestations of the brain nor the illusions of the ego.

The sickness of the mind that is greed and lust for power is a symptom of a society of humans who have forgotten who and what they truly are. The humans that sit in the seats of material power in this society actively work to spread the seeds of fear, greed, selfishness, self-importance and a way of perceiving ourselves that says that our consciousness is nothing more than a bi-product of our physiology, for those that embrace that mentality (and live it) become prime candidates to be fed upon by their parasitic corporate systems. It is a lot like how some physical parasites that use mammals as hosts will actively manipulate the brain chemistry of the host organism as to make the host crave foods that will nurture the parasite (often to the detriment of the host organism). The Bill Gates’, Elon Musks and Klaus Shwabs (and the other “philanthropaths”) of this world are among a number of dominant individuals and institutions in the human world that have created systems around us that are nudging us to look outward for purpose, guidance and fulfillment. These entities promise us an ‘easy’ high tech life (transhumanism) with less (mental and physical) effort, all we have to do is give up our humanity and conform to ‘the new normal’. They promise us that the centralization of food, energy, education, pharmaceuticals, taxation, communication and enforcement systems will keep us safe and happy.

These are the promises of deluded, ignorant and fearful humans, (some of which are in fact engaging in behavior that would be accurately described as malicious, predatory, apathetic and parasitic). The mentality of the individuals pushing forward the above described systems of oppression and slavery (appear to me) to be a states of awareness that (at their core) arise from a perspective that does not perceive what a human being truly is.

From what I sense of the current trajectory of dominant institutions it appears that the cost one will pay for buying what they are selling will be their autonomy, their Humanity and their individual uniqueness. They will pay this toll slowly, spanning a lifetime of mental, digital, biological and financial slavery. The substance that makes up their shackles in this new form of slavery will be made up of their physical dependency, the ‘atrophy’ of their spiritual awareness, their infantilized minds, their access to their bank accounts and their always leaning into the false hope that someone else (in some high up position of influence/finance/strength) will do the hard work for them/us to create a better future.

We have all been conditioned to latch onto the comforting (and infantilizing) idea that someone other than ourselves is going to solve our problems for us. This has never been true and it never will be true.

I feel it is important to note that all of the above described behaviors and systems of oppression are being put in place by human beings that were innocent children once. Children born with unconditional love, curiosity, compassion and the capability for self-awareness and intuitive discernment. Slowly but surely, those humans had those innate facets of their being dampened, suppressed and beaten out of them by decades of programming and indoctrination. Those that they end up preying upon (the vast majority of the population) are also indoctrinated into that same state. Thus, I propose that one of the core pillars that holds up and perpetuates this monolithic global oligarchic empire that has built up around us is a lack of spiritual autonomy. Some specific characteristics of my particular approach to what I consider to be spiritual autonomy (or spiritual self-learning) involve things like always choosing to be open to the possibility of being mistaken (or at least to the possibility that my ideas/beliefs may be askew and in need of adjustment/honing). It involves taking long hard looks in the metaphorical mirror through honest assessments of whether my thoughts, words, and behavior is aligning with my moral compass.

My path to engage in spiritual autodidacticism is never-ending (both in this lifetime and beyond). It involves seeing the friction of encountering different view points as a way to sharpen the blade of consciousness that is my mind (so that I may wield it more precisely to co-create a world I want to live in and pass on to future generations). It involves seeing the scars that are left by trauma and challenging experiences as maps for my earthly path ahead and my soul beyond that. I strive to remain centered in my autonomous knowing of what is truly important as I live in this broken society that often covets intellect, physical prowess, material objects and sees compassion and humility as weakness. It is a path where I choose to see moments that appear to be mundane or monotonous as opportunities for expanding my capacity for gratitude, noticing the beauty of the little things and patience. It is a path that involves striving to widen my circle of compassion, to embrace not only all humans, but all living creatures and the whole of nature so that I may escape the illusion of separateness that the current dominant institutions (‘educational’, religious, ‘journalistic’, ‘entertainment’ etc) on Earth pushes onto the people and instead consciously embrace the innate oneness and intrinsic interconnectedness of all beings and all things.

For me, the choice to go inward, tap into my alternative organs of perception and then allow my spirit (or ‘soul’) to take the drivers seat is the single most profoundly beneficial and meaningful action I chose in this life on Earth. For not only does inward stillness, exploration and coming to know your eternal self inevitably invoke beautiful realizations and knowledge, it helps one to attain a kind of lasting inner peace, joy, and knowing not attainable through any amount of outside stimuli, whether that stimuli be “education”, religious belief, material wealth, or even intimate connections with other humans.

From this perspective we can move forward not purely for the sake of a benefit to ourselves as individuals, but towards a new path where the evolutionary process is consciously determined from within each of us to enrich the collective of which we are an intrinsic part. This is a path where embracing spiritual autonomy can take our human family. The transformation begins with each one individual, inside out.

There is no elected official, institution, politician, guru, priest, revolutionary, savior or any other external force or individual who can do this for you. Engaging in life on Earth is a voluntary journey that each of us chose willingly. The Creator of all things respects our choice to be here and our free will. We did not come here to see a dramatic dualistic showdown happen and applaud the ‘good guy' for vanquishing the bad guy (from a distance as a spectator). No, each and every one of us (whether we are currently consciously aware of this fact or not) came here to co-author the story. That means no-one else is going to do the hard work for us (not a savior, rebel leader nor a politician) we came here to do that work of transforming this world ourselves.

If you are reading this than that means that on a soul level you chose to be here on Earth in this particular time (and critical stage in the unfolding of humanity) because you are resilient, courageous, capable of spiritual autodidacticism, transmuting pain into wisdom, radiating light from within to make the darkness flee and serving as an exemplar to help those who are ready to also become catalysts for a metamorphosis.

You are the sowers of the seeds of change and the remediators of humanity's collective consciousness. You are the gardeners that sow the seeds of hope, healing, remembrance, kindness, respect, solidarity and compassion (even in the midst of the cold winter winds) having faith these seeds will germinate and their roots take hold when the time is right.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.