the link between nature and art, ritual and myth.

by meredith murphy

Isn't it amazing that the things we love in life eventually are revealed as deeply intertwined and related?

I love how as life unfolds the constellations which are actually structural arrangements of our very interests, ideals and domains, and all this becomes visible.

The other day I was giving a reading to a client who was telling me that she had changed her major in college "too many times."  I shared how I had 13 majors while in undergraduate school.  Eventually all that led me perfectly to where I needed to arrive.  I shared with her that early in life many of us are in an intensive gathering phase; that we cast a broad net and sample many things--all of which create a broad foundation for our later work.  In my own life I have typically avoided fields and jumped fences--a mode of being I adore!  As a result I have seen this truth about the underlying integrity of inner urges emerge countless times.  Over and over things I pursued that which seemingly had no purpose, which I felt passionate about, and it actually led me right to something amazing and new, although the path at times meandered a bit, or so it seemed.

Today I was reading some Joseph Campbell.  I am one of many who love his work--and there are countless reasons to do so--not the least of which is the reminder that we're the main character in our own life.  His work about "A Hero's Journey," is such a fundamental mirror of my feeling that we are one with the landscape of our own life, that it set me boldly afire upon encountering it.  His work resonated with me when I was young and helped me feel connected to others who saw the world the way I did--resplendent with patterns, meaning and clues that I could learn to recognize, create, follow and be uplifted by.  To have my impressions of the fundamental nature of things so articulated by another, and in such a way that harmonized so perfectly with my own understanding, was one of those great gifts in life.  The kind too that all of us leave and yet have no idea we've given. (Remember this when you're feeling like you don't have as much influence in life as you might wish for...you're probably missing a great deal of the view.)

His presence is a continual call to creating our experience with a sense of grandeur and beauty.  This writing of his in particular spoke to me today:

For nature, as we know, is at once within and without us. Art is the mirror at the interface. So too is ritual, so also myth. These, too, bring out 'the grand lines of nature,' and in doing so, re-establish us in our own deep truth, which is one with that of all being." - Joseph Campbell

Just another way to tap into our fundamental oneness.

Joseph Campbell called us to oneness and to our heart as a compass, long before ascension and the great shift we're now experiencing.  He was a visionary voice of clarity and inspiration who if you haven't had a visit with him through his work ever or lately, consider this a nudge. 

And if you have too many books on your nightstand and just want a little Joseph Campbell to infuse your day with the beautiful and link you to yourself, just take this famous three word instruction of his to heart "follow your bliss."

Comments

[Patrick]

Thank you for the nudge. Joseph Campbell is one of the most inspiring people I know of and it's about time he and I got reaquainted. :)

[Meredith Murphy]

Hi Patrick | Perching Wolf :) So nice to hear from you again. I hope youre well an thriving. Yes--hes a treasure, I entirely agree! Much love to you!

[Anna Hoener]

I remember having this feeling of "tapping into our fundamental oneness" as you say, when I was in elementary school, when I learned how water cycles through our world - how it's in our bodies, then to the earth, then vaporizes to the sky to be in the clouds, then back to us. I remember how wonderful that feeling was of seeing the patterns of nature and feeling the connection of my self to the rest of the world.

And I like what you said about how we never know how we will influence or inspire others. So true! I remember when I was a teenager seeing this girl walk around the Rose Bowl where I used to jog every weekend. And she didn't do anything super athletic, but she was just so happy and content with her walkman and totally digging her music and she just had this aura of being so in touch with herself and accepting herself totally. Or, at least, that's how I was interpreting it. But I remember being *so* inspired to be like that, and thinking how cool would it be to grow up to be like that. And I always carry that image of her around with me. She will never know. She was just on a walk!