Dear friends in the spiritual community,
To those of you who have known me in the past, from my spontaneous journey through Egypt, my epic synchronistic summers in Toronto, or even in the wild southwest adventures in New Mexico.
Hi there. It’s been a while. Too long really, and for that I am truly sorry. I’ve tried staying in contact with some of you. But after a while, you know how it is, life gets funky… hustlin’ picks up, the journey continues. But, if it’s any consolation, I’ve been in the periphery, liking posts and following your burgeoning businesses and awesome healing events. Occasionally maybe I’ve managed to go to attend a few virtual gatherings or chat w/ you in some brief capacity. Maybe you only know me from my poetry. Totes cool too.
I know I said it before, but it bears repeating, I’m truly sorry I’ve lost contact with many of you. I’m expressing my sorrow because I cannot express how so many of you changed my life over the years. I can honestly say without any doubt, all y’all spirit fam have taught me more about myself and what energies I want to align myself with than my blood fam. If it weren’t for all of you, I wouldn’t have been inspired to self-publish my first book of poetry. And let’s be real, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had the honors of traversing dimensions through sacred (mostly) plant medicine.
But most importantly, if it weren’t for all of you, who are reflections of me, as I am of you, I would not have the discipline nor patience to simply check in with myself; to just be and breathe. The process of meditation (which I totally admit to needing to do more frequently), sitting, being one, sacred prayer, whatever you choose to call it have been a game changing lifesaver and an eye opening upgrader.
As you know, one of the benefits/side effects of meditation is that once we are able to breathe through any trauma or emotion that occurs (which can take years), then we begin to see patterns in our actions and behaviors. All these years later, be it through meditation, spirit animal card readings or other (mostly) culturally appropriated activities, two major lessons/themes continue coming up for me.
The first lesson is about taking time for introspection and/or integration. I can’t even remember how many times this lesson has come up for me over the years while I was traveling around, meeting some of you. Unfortunately, I acknowledge that I was unable to do this for a variety of travel related reasons. Long story short, while I am and will forever be appreciative of the work xchanges and periods of karmic yoga (yoga of service), I feel like most of those places and people hosting them did not allow myself or others constructive time for self-examination. Granted, I acknowledge that an alternative explanation could be that I am not disciplined enough to work 12 hour days and endlessly serve the whims of others. Time and more reflection will tell I suppose.
Fortunately, as you’ve also reminded me time and again, everything happens in time, and I’m happy to report I’ve found that time, though be it in a rather unconventional manner. In certain aspects, I’ve put myself on autopilot as i, not entirely to my liking but as a way to slow down and create some flow, rejoined society for a part time job. While in many ways my life now is way more stressful with an income and condo, this time has allowed for much reflection and self-examination. This time has allowed me to implement some of your teachings in the matrix, or whatever you want to call it. Regardless if it’s the simple act of recycling or taking time to honor myself, my space, my food, my friends, etc, I’m proud to carry some of those teachings with me in my life. This is all thanks to each and every one of you.
The second, and perhaps much larger lesson for me has been about boundaries. The funny thing is, I always thought my boundaries were pretty good. But then in 2018, the art goddess totally changed how I saw and understood boundaries, thus allowing myself to understand what real discernment is.
That quote by John Lennon about having the ‘right friends’ rings and resonates with me more today than at any point in my life so far.
Ever since that time, I’m proud to say I feel as though my healthy boundaries/discernment have grown exponentially. But because of this growth, I have learned that I need to be much more discerning about not only who or what I put my energy towards, but also the types of information I sort through too.
Through my abilities to create healthy boundaries and also have some time for self-reflection, especially in this current time during a global pandemic, I’ve come to a major conclusion, which is that the movement all of you have worked so hard to champion is in danger of being demolished from the inside.
I don’t mean to sound alarmist, but from what I have been reading and understanding, some folks you may know are falling victim to what I believe is a massive sabotage. This disappoints me, because I want to be able to continue championing the many lessons I’ve learned from you.
Please note: my goal in writing this is not to shame, lecture or call out anyone. Mind you, this is NOT limited to those only in the spiritual community either. It is happening all over. My goal in writing this is to galvanize my divine spirit fam to not only continue practicing the openness you all admire so much about the community, but also the important practice of discernment for which you have championed too.
All of you and your lessons mean the world to me. And I don’t want to see any of you or your teachings become relegated to conspiracy nonsense and granola woo woo. Now, more than ever, it is important to practice the lessons you’ve learned through synchronicity, healing, head trips and energy work. Indeed your movement has come a long way, even in the short amount of time since I’ve peaced out.
The challenge though, is that some within your spheres are going about things in a way that is less than, shall we say, enlightened. Granted, while we all may agree that who am I or any of us to judge such a thing, I think we can all acknowledge that there has to be a certain amount of (courage?) (integrity?) for all of us to find the strength within ourselves to stand up to those who either accidentally or purposefully misrepresent what our spiritual movement of awakening is about.
You may or may not agree with this analogy, but I want to share it with you because it’s the best comparison I’ve been able to come up with about this practice of discernment.
Imagine if you will, us as a community being on a large raft in the middle of the ocean. Every now and then we find more people either just treading water or on a deserted island, and we invite them to join us (only if they choose). However, at one point there’s one person on this raft who says “I’m nervous/bored/whatever so I’m going to use this sharp object to poke the raft,” I would think someone would stop said person because at worst it could endanger the rest of us or at the very least cause a panic. In some instances, like this, I don’t think anyone on the raft would just “agree to disagree” (or say something like “Well they’ll learn eventually,”) with the person using a sharp object poking, prodding the raft.
I use this metaphor because in many ways it perfectly encapsulates where our community is at right now, only the number of people poking and prodding at the raft is growing, which is disappointing.
It’s disappointing because for all our talks about peace, love, and inclusion, many of us are shunning or sometimes belittling those who don’t fully conform to our worldview. It’s disappointing because for all our talk about expanding awareness and opening third eyes, many of us don’t recognize the (sometimes anti-Semitic) lies others are encouraging us to push.
I’m not even trying to discredit or shame those of you who subscribe to certain conspiratorial thinking. Look, I get how it’s interesting and even “fun” in certain contexts. For example, I know a bunch of people think Hitler didn’t really kill himself. While I suppose that’s interesting and ‘fun’ for some to think about, it’s important to be able to understand that there’s a deeper, more sinister aspect that sometimes comes with these types of thoughts.
This is also why I write to you, because I’m concerned that some of us, or perhaps friends of ours are being radicalized by forces looking to grab our hard earned (and sometimes hard to come by) cash flow. For example, while I guess for some it’s fun to think about “what if” Hitler is still alive, it becomes less fun and even hurtful if one were to start going down other rabbit holes that deny or diminish the number of those killed in the Holocaust, or that the world is run by elite Jewish (sorry, reptilian) pedophiles.
Do you see the distinction?
Comedian and musician Tim Minchin once remarked that “If you open your mind too much your brain falls out.” While I’m all for opening one’s mind and awareness, it’s important to not lose sight of basic facts and reality. Think of conspiracy theories like a drug trip (in a way, they are), where you often need an anchor of some sort that keeps you tethered to reality.
Author F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”
Basically, what I believe he means is that we need to accept that there are dichotomies and paradoxes in life, and that one paradox or dichotomy doesn’t need to cancel out the thing it’s opposing. Like him or not, Bill Maher shared the best example of this intelligence in a stand-up special, where he explained how it’s possible to hold two opposing ideas in one’s brain, using OJ Simpson as an example,
“…As I like to call it, ‘O.J. killed his wife, and the police are corrupt.’ ”
I could go on as well, but will share a few of the dichotomies with which I often have to wrestle.
- I agree that big pharma is a problem, but I also don’t think we should demonize all science and experts, especially ones sharing information that fills you with skepticism.
- I agree that eating healthy, balanced, locally sourced food or even creating gardens is a much better health treatment than a bunch of chemical meds, but I also think that type of medicine has a place.
- I also agree that there is a cabal of billionaires who run the world, but I don’t think it’s run by Zionist Jews, mostly because that’s a false and antisemitic narrative.
- Speaking of pedophiles, I agree that human/child trafficking is a major problem facing the world, but I don’t believe that it’s perpetuated by nearly all of Hollywood and the political elite. And I don’t believe that COVID-19 is a way to cover it all up. If anything, conspiracy theories are actually hurting the work actual people do in preventing human trafficking.
- I agree that social media shouldn’t regulate speech and their standards for doing so are sloppy at best, but I also understand why they are doing so and acknowledge that it is their right as a private company to do so. We agreed to these rules when we clicked ok after not reading the terms and conditions when we signed up with them.
- I’ve already written at length about why I don’t like wearing a mask, but I do anyway because it’s a practice in empathy.
I understand why some within our community might feel a certain way about not wearing masks, or about child trafficking, or about the government. I understand because I’ve been there. I too can see how the mainstream media, mainstream health, mainstream education have let us down. But that does NOT mean we need to reject 👏 every 👏 single 👏 thing 👏 from those paradigms. Matter of fact, we don’t even always do that even when you talk about doing that.
Here’s an example, if I were to share a news article from Reuters, CNN, NYT, ABC, CBS, NBC, WaPo, etc about the health benefits of meditation, I’m willing to bet a bunch of you might like or even reshare it. When I share something like that, I’m certain that I’m NOT going to see anyone comment something like “that’s fake news,” or “they’re not telling the whole story.”
But here’s the rub, if I were to share an article from Reuters, CNN, NYT, ABC, CBS, NBC, WaPo, etc about how Trump was doing more harm than good in terms of human trafficking. If I were to share something like this, I’m fairly certain that I’ll either get crickets or maybe a few comments saying it’s fake news or not telling the whole story.
And I will fully acknowledge that the mainstream media does not often share the whole unfiltered story, but that doesn’t make the things they do share less valid. But, if you’re attacking me about how I’m sharing from corrupt sources, then why do some of you still share stories from those sources too. Also, even if you’re 100% mainstream news and get your info from “alternative news sources,” that doesn’t make those alternatives less corrupt. Alex Jones is always talking about how he’s going to lose funding if people don’t send him money (sometimes while wearing an $8000 watch) even though that never happens. Judy Moskowtiz says COVID is a hoax and she’s being silenced from telling the truth even though that doesn’t add up with what she’s said in the past. Does anyone even remember the crowd-sourced fiasco that happened after the Boston Marathon bombings?
This is a momentous, highly unpredictable time in the history of our entire planet, not just for one country over another. Let’s be real, what’s happening in 2020 and 2021 is a worldwide dumpster fire shit-show. It’s confusing. It’s scary. It’s humbling. But most important of all, it’s historical.
The choices we make individually and together are going to define things for years to come, and I so desperately want all of us to be able to say that we practiced what we preached and showed the world that we are for realz light-workers and Earth healers, not just ill-informed posers half-assing a spiritual revolution.
My point being is that by ascribing or associating with certain “alternative new sources” without practicing a little discernment, it is undermining the positive messages all of us are attempting to promote.
This means we not only need to educate ourselves, but those around us too. It means we need to hold our leaders accountable. It means we have to examine why we defend the people and ideas we defend, examining our biases toward or against others. It also means we need to show compassion and empathy, but also not just roll over passively spouting positivity because conflict makes us uncomfy.
This means we need to hold ourselves accountable for the choices we make, especially the information we share in person or online. For example, while it might be tempting to share a meme or video you saw about a doctor claiming they have a cure to COVID-19 (or how it’s all a lie, depending on the narrative you subscribe), it would be beneficial to look up said doctors credentials, because not all doctors are created equal. While John Oliver and his writing team illustrated this quite clearly in a recent episode, it should go without saying that a podiatrist (foot doctor) probably doesn’t have the same knowledge or expertise as an immunologist. A better example is the fact that Dr. Atlas, the doctor hired by the former Trump Administration to talk about Coronavirus, has an expertise in MRI’s, which again is not the same as an immunologist. That would be like me being asked to run the New York Times because I got a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, even though my area of expertise was in Advertising.
I recognize that there is so much going on and it may feel impossible to carry the mantle of all the voices speaking out right now. I appreciate comedian Hasan Minhaj’s approach to speaking out in terms of picking picking 3 issues you feel least passionate about and letting them go. But remember, in trumpeting whatever cause you hold most dear also means taking the time to do the research, which includes checking sources, checking biases and checking egos. It means having to get uncomfortable by studying all parts of something, even if it means moving through some tough cognitive dissonance.
For example, did you know that the history behind the Illuminati conspiracy is probably rooted in anti-Semitism? What about the fact that adrenochrome isn’t what you think it is? Or, even though the Trump Administration was putting money forth to fight human trafficking, they may also be doing more harm than good to survivors. Even if you don’t believe the things mentioned, this is what others are saying. You still have to do the research, especially if you’ve taken it upon yourself to champion whatever issues you decide to take up. As champions of love and light, there is a certain responsibility when it comes to sharing information to others, and part of that responsibility (imo) involves a certain level of transparency.
It’s also fine if you’d rather not champion anything either. Maybe you’d rather just sit in a drum circle in between chakra aligning yoga classes or go to 2 week meditation retreats every month. That’s cool too. However, then it’s also you’re responsibility to acknowledge either online or in person that you don’t have much knowledge on certain subjects while also refraining from speaking on such things until you do your own objective, unbiased research.
The reason I say this is because there are people who have already spent a considerable amount of their time to become what most agree are experts on certain subjects. So if you want to engage in a conversation with them or about the subject, it helps to be at least modestly well read, otherwise you’re just wasting the time of others. Unfortunately, that’s something we can’t afford right now if you want the movement you support to continue flourishing.
As I’ve said, I want the movement to succeed, but I acknowledge it can’t if all of us don’t step up and take some responsibility for it. A cusp is coming; a moment that will determine the credibility of not only each of us individually, but the movement as a whole. Let us please make sure we are there to meet this moment together with open arms and good vibes yet discerning eyes and ears. It is imperative that while we should continue spreading love and light, be strong in our hearts and minds to offer teachable moments to those who are not representing this movement in healthy ways.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for being.
I am by no means a sociologist or a spiritual guru. I don’t even hold a degree in political science or sociology. But still, like many people, I’m not immune to noticing certain patterns about how the world apparently “works” for some. So I write about it, hoping more will notice these patterns, get inspired and perhaps feel inclined to also speak up. Feel free to read more of the patterns I have noticed on Medium or check out his website to learn more about him.
