I’m doing some spiritual alchemy this morning. You know, calcination, dissolution, separation… yada yada yada. Fancy words for a messy process.
As most of you know, I don’t have much patience with fancy language to describe simple things. I also don’t have much patience with elaborate processes when the processes themselves should be (and tend to be) simple.
Stepping back…
I was thinking again, about this process of rewilding my spirit, getting back to the beginning. Part of that involves taking what you perceive yourself to be and going all Zen by seeking out the face you wore before you were born. Or, as the kōan would have it, before your parents were born.
[A kōan, for those unfamiliar with the term, is a Zen “public case” meant to help one realize satori, otherwise known as enlightenment.]
What better place to set as a destination for rewilding your spirit? Your original face, before even your parents were born!
Before nurture came around… Before your nature evolved…
What face did you wear?
And can you find it again?
Note: For the curious, my philosophy is largely Taoist informed by Zen, my spiritual practice is largely animist, influenced by panpolytheistic understandings (with many of those trappings removed). Confused? Now you know why I think these kinds of thoughts.
21 responses to “Half-penny thoughts | 12jun25”
Wow, what a great question. Thank you, Michael.
Thanks you. Something to chew on for the fun of it. 🙂
That got my noggin going! Going to have to mull that over a bit.
Management assumes no liability for what happens.
Haha!!!
You lost me at ‘spiritual alchemy’ … but good luck with whatever it is you’re doing. 😂😊
Mind games with myself. 🙂
Nobody else will play them.
🤔🤔🤔
More questions than answers, I feel. Would one recognise the face one wore before nurture? Or is it more a case of identifying with an inner spirit or sense of existence?
Hmm.
Much of this my mind waving wind of the flags, a whipsnapping sound.
Listen to the wind. It knows.
More than I, assuredly.
Or I
Mmm I enjoy theology so I’m glad I’m not alone wandering down these rabbit holes 😅
Well, come on down the primrose path on a wee stroll with me then. If there are rabbits (and there most certainly are — the “I’m late” variety) then you can help me chase them down and ask them these kind of questions. Perhaps one might even answer if we catch enough of them…
Honestly I’m not sure I’d want to go back – it seems simple but honestly with age comes wisdom & I, currently, wouldn’t want to change my path because it led me to be exactly where I am. Sadly it does mean enduring the darkest of depressions & the general trauma of life but I think if you can survive rock bottom & still find a way to appreciate all the light in that darkness – Well I think that makes life worth living…the question really is would I have still chosen my path back then had I known how hard it was going to be…..Questions to ponder amongst the primroses ☺️
While there are scenes from my past that I’d like a do-over on at times, I suspect the outcome might have been even worse had I chosen differently and followed another path. It’s a nice fantasy, but probably not for the better.
I won’t ask about your rock bottom, as that is not a public matter and it is none of my business, but I’ll admit at being curious. As a friend recently said, sometimes knowing that someone has bad times too makes the shit easier to deal with. You don’t feel like the world is only crapping on you.
As always, glad to have your comments. Thank you!
Well you know what they say – somedays you’re the pigeon & somedays you’re the statue 😉
🤣🤣🤣
That reminds me of an old off-color joke about statues and pigeons (and revenge served cold).
It is an interesting question though – would any of us be ourselves without the life we have led? Of course it reminds me of one of my favourite pins that says “unfck yourself – Be who you were before all that stuff happened that dimmed your fcking shine” 😆 I’ve censored cause I’m in your comments but I wanted to share that!
A little swearing never hurt anyone. Fuck em.
“Let that shit go,” is another, similar favorite.
But I like yours. It would be good for me to remember that. I forget such things.