A wise old idea states that whatever we refuse to face within ourselves, will become a collective fate acted out in the world. The conflicts within people do not simply disappear; rather, when denied or left unattended they eventually erupt and can wreak great havoc on society. Tragically, it is our mutual fate to be alive when a maelstrom of issues long denied erupts into our lives at the same time.

 

It becomes increasingly clear that conventional ways of looking at life, not to mention contemporary practices in politics, are bereft of any capacity to genuinely respond to the onslaught of violence and the weight of personal and collective tragedies we are experiencing. No amount of data or information can add up to the wisdom needed to understand, much less interrupt the flood of violence and tragedy.

 

An old proverb advises that we can only go as far forward as we can reach back. When we lose our way we must backtrack to pick up the pathway again. Michael Meade reaches back to ancient ways of wisdom to find threads of meaning and coherence that might shed some light on the darkening shadows of violence and ignorance that threaten modern societies.

 

When things become stuck, when it seems that life has lost all sense of meaning, when we have lost our collective sense of direction, something dangerously crosswise has fallen over us. At that point, what we are waiting for is not simple knowledge or minor legislation; what we are waiting for is a return of wisdom, the kind of deep understanding that waits to awaken in the depths of the soul.

Thank you for listening to and supporting this podcast.  You can hear Michael Meade speak more about myth by joining his new online series and companion workshop “Personal Myth, Cultural Change” that begin on Friday, April 2. Register and learn more at mosaicvoices.org/events.

 

You can save 30% on these online events, receive additional podcast episodes and further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium.  Learn more and become a member at patreon.com/livingmyth.

 

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