Think back on your life for a moment and reflect on some of the unfortunate things that have "happened to you." How did you react? What did you learn? Perhaps you are still recovering from specific moments in your past. I know I'm still recovering from a variety of traumatic incidents in my life. But I'm not giving up, that's for damn sure, because I know that without those moments of intense challenge we don't learn. And if we don't learn, we don't grow. And if we don't grow, then what the hell are we doing here?
COVID-19 was the perfect opportunity to more deeply analyze the Hermetic Principle As within, so without. While the non-sensical intensity around the COVID drama at the onset has simmered, the consequences of this mind virus are very much active in the collective psyche. COVID, and our human reactions to it, is an external representation of our collective consciousness. And damn if COVID hasn't revealed some bitter truths. It has shown us that some of the players in this game are scared shitless about literally everything. Others believed that all of the scary madness would just go away if they ignored it or chanted Kumbaya cross-legged on a pillow. COVID showed us that some people want to control other people, and other people want to be controlled because they believe that control = safety. There's a lot to unpack, for sure.
There's even more to unpack when one considers that our collective consciousness is but a reflection of our own individual consciousness. Everyone harbors all of the beliefs above to varying degrees. But if that's the case, then why, during COVID, did some people act rational while others appeared to have lost their damn minds?
The answer is quite simple: some people have done the inner work - others haven't.
Take Donald Trump, for example. Trump is an exceptional gift for this reality. I'm not joking - not even close. Donald Trump has unknowingly offered humanity an incredible opportunity for inner healing and self-reflection. Trump is the Great Mirror. For many people, he is either the Savior or the Anti-Christ. People praise him, or they curse him. Individuals worldwide are projecting their beliefs, traumas, and perceptions on a person they've never met. The most voraciously vocal of these individuals are also often
very disembodied - that is, they live their lives vicariously. They don't know who they are, they think reality happens to them, and they have done little to no self-reflection on their own lives. They gather energy by projecting their shadow onto Donald Trump, proclaiming that he is this or that, and telling everyone who thinks differently that they are part of the problem. So goes The Great Mirror of Life.
Things on this planet will not change until we do. Planet-destroying floods aside, that's just how it is.
The good news is that we can change. We change ourselves by changing our role in the game, which sometimes seems to have the cards stacked against us. Let's be honest - it is no easy process. It is a long, arduous journey that takes time, dedication, and, above all else, bravery. It takes bravery because sleeping people don't like it when those around them wake up and point out the lies that we have all been living.
Within the first few years of our life, our inherent Wakefulness is dragged into the heaviness of the world. We come to accept our lot as victims on a blue marble floating through empty space. The script tells us that life is suffering, that nothing's fair, that magic is fiction, and that the only two things one can count on are death and taxes. But when a person is bold enough to peek behind the proverbial curtain, they recognize that everything is a choice. This moment is where true sovereignty begins.
Remember, you are the greatest character in your story. Don't let another writer pen the script.
Sovereignty, like Wakefulness, is the inherent state of every human being, yet many must reclaim it. This reclamation begins by acknowledging the falsehoods we have lived and then taking deliberate steps toward the truth, no matter how sharp or blinding that light may be. Our pursuit of truth must remain unwavering, as it will guide our divergence from the lies of Babylon.
The Awakening Sovereign must possess the courage to eradicate everything that obstructs their own mental and physical freedom. This requires a deep self-examination of fears, personal dramas, addictions, and any crutches that have thus far convinced the Seeker that they cannot walk and, thus, will never run. The path to self-knowledge is not for the faint of heart, but the rewards reap riches beyond anything you can imagine.
Sovereignty is not about "letting things happen." While finding harmony with the Great Mystery requires a degree of surrender, there's always a fine line between faith and apathy. Many people have been conditioned to believe that all they have to do is think positive thoughts, ignore the problem at hand, and stick the keys into the ignition of the manifestation machine. That, my friend, is New Agey nonsense. Our relationship with our external reality is reciprocal, requiring our psychic and physical involvement. The individual imbibed with self-knowledge learns to apply the wisdom of their lessons and skillfully engage with reality to better themselves and the world around them. Purpose is no longer a search but a state of being.
The Awakened Sovereign is more powerful than any king or dictator, for this individual has seen and experienced their true power and divinity. They have marched into the fires of life and have emerged better in every way. They know who they are. They know what they are capable of. They walk the path for others to follow.
Travel as Medicine
Wow, what an incredible experience these last two months have been. I feel full, grateful, charged. It’s been over six years since I took a trip that lasted longer than 2 weeks. I started my long-term travel lifestyle years ago (16, to be exact). A four month journey to South America primed me for the two year hitchhiking pilgrimage I would take a year later.
Landing in Cartagena after 10 days at sea from Panama. This is the halfway mark of my two year trip through Latin America.
For me, travel is medicine - potent medicine.
Any duration of time on the road is better than none at all. Last year, Amy and I travelled to Iceland for two weeks. Iceland was indeed a powerful, enlightening experience, but by two weeks it felt like we had just gotten into the new groove - and then it was time to go home.
Finding balance in Iceland
Fast forward a year and we found ourselves with an open-ended ticket to the South Pacific and no plan whatsoever. Yes there were motives and intentions which I’ll get into at another point, but there was no timeframe - This trip was all about flow.
Grinning away on our private kayak tour through Tonga
Flow-State travel is a new term for an old way of life. Many people know what it means to fall into the current of synchronicity. Sometimes when we’re open and aware enough, certain potentials appear on the path. People show up with the right advice, the right ride, or the seemingly impossible happens at the most improbable moment. This is Flow State.
Travel transforms the way I look at the world. It challenges my perceptions for a lot of reasons, but mainly because in many ways I’m in survival mode. I’m in a new place, surrounded by a new culture, waking up in a new time zone…you get the idea. Our conscious mind constantly filters out the things that it perceives are unnecessary. Most of us are walking around at half capacity, unaware of a universe teeming with life all around us. But travel forces my mind to let in new information; certain receptors that haven’t sparked in years alert me to new surroundings. With the right attitude and clear intention, amazing things come to light and form.
This medicine is a reminder that this state of being is not dependent on travel. Higher states of awareness are accessible only in the present moment. Whereever and however we travel, it is the present that must be the destination.
Wilderness Therapy: the healing power of nature
A year ago today I was camping in some pretty dire conditions. I was one of three staff members in charge of keeping a group of 8 emotionally unstable teenage boys alive during one of the biggest storms Oregon has seen in years. One experience comes to mind:
I’m awoken at 3:00 A.M. by one of the boys. “Staff! Staff! I can’t breath.”
I roll over and groan. (Totally the way to handle a potentially life-threatening emergency.) This particular individual had just had a panic attack around 11:30 that night and so my response was, “OK, just take some deep breaths, bud. Everything’s fine.”
Ten seconds pass. “Hey, I’m still having a tough time breathing.”
Another voice: “Me too! I’m having a hard time breathing, too!”
And another: “I can’t breathe either. What’s going on??”
Oh! I’ll bet that the four feet of fresh snow on everyone’s tent might have something to do with it. Holy crap! These kids really can’t breathe. Time to shovel them out.
This was one experience out of dozens. Anyone who has been exposed to Wilderness Therapy (either client of guide) knows that it’s the real deal. These kids are out in the elements anywhere from 1-3 months at a time – rain, wind, snow, or shine. The idea is simple: unplug from the “default world” and get back to basics. Surviving in the wilderness builds confidence; nature helps people develop a sense of place and belonging in a world gone mad.
I’ve been a wilderness guide for a long time now. I consider myself extremely blessed to be able to guide people for days on end through remote wilderness. When you take people out of their comfort zones you get to see what people are really like when they don’t get their fix, be it the internet, alcohol, or the sound of traffic (seriously some people can not go to sleep if they only hear crickets).
The transition away from the default world can be a rocky one, but after those first two nights of sleeping on the ground, something happens. It’s like we’ve realigned with an ancient memory encoded in our blood and we realize this is the real world. Afterwards, it’s the coming back to civilization that takes some adjustment.
This post is just a teaser. I want to dive much deeper into the philosophy of using nature to heal the human psyche in the weeks to come. I believe the earth has much to teach us. All we have to do is listen.
The Power of Collective Creation
This experience has taught me a lot. Yes the power of intention is essential to manifesting what it is you want. And yes, it is important to be specific with your desires. But never underestimate the collective power of energetic support. In a world that is so bogged-down with so many large problems, we must remind ourselves that these are problems we are facing together. We must learn to rely on each other and trust that whatever we put out, we get back. The more we support others, the more we ultimately support ourselves.
A Community of Change
Our life is made up of individual acts and decisions that have created our current present reality. In order to create positive change on this planet we must first evaluate our own motivations and why we do the things we do.
