Where I Draw My Mystical Line.

This past Sunday was Father’s Day.  I had a nice day with my family.  But an unexpected thing happened.  A deeply spiritual acquaintance of mine posted a message to fathers on social media, praising those of us who have embraced the “Divine Masculine,” and calling us Kings and even Gods to be celebrated.  I’m leaving out a lot from her message, but the point is that I was unexpectedly affected by what she had to say.  I felt empowered in ways I hadn’t expected, and didn’t know it was something I needed to hear on Father’s Day.

The whole exchange got me thinking about where I stand on spiritual and mystical matters.  For someone who’s spent years playing roleplaying games and writing fantasy, I’m not very spiritual or mystical.  I find wonder in the grandeur of reality, from the miniscule to the magnificent.  In matters of religion, I’m an atheist.  But my friend’s words, the symbolism behind them, and the effect they had on me got me thinking about where I really draw the line.

Astrology?  It’s hard to deny that there may be something to it when the description of your astrological sign is frighteningly accurate.  Everything about Cancers applies to me.  Everything.  But I don’t believe astrology has any more power than that.  I don’t believe in horoscopes, or the effects of certain planets being in retrograde or what-have-you.  I believe in our connection to the cosmos, and that it have an effect on us, but not to the point where we’re blaming planets on our bad moods.

Tarot Cards, and other forms of fortune telling?  I think they’re entertaining and, for the most part, harmless.  I like getting my fortune read at Renaissance Faires and the like.  I like the game of interpreting symbols as they pertain to the journey of our lives, whether you’re reading cards or examining someone’s palm.  I’m especially drawn to Tarot Cards not only because it can be the most casual, but a good deck can have amazing artwork.  Like everything else, I believe these fortunes and predictions only have as much power as you’re willing to give them.

Energy Healing?  I can subscribe to that.  We’re not only connected to the cosmos on an atomic and molecular level, but also to each other in ways that we may not be able to fully fathom.  My dad has recently dabbled in energy healing, serving as a conduit* for more experienced healers.  He claims to have had shared experiences with people across the country he’s never met.  I can believe that there’s a way to tap into a connection we all share, and our minds can translate an otherwise incomprehensible experience into something we can understand.  Our brains have to deal with our eyes sending it images that are both upside down and backwards all the time, after all.

Mediums?  People who claim to speak to the dead, specifically your dead loved ones or even pets, for a price?  Fuck those grief parasites.  I hope every last one of them gets exposed for the frauds they are, and they’re forced to give back the money they’ve swindled away from people seeking comfort and reassurance.  Do not try to convince me otherwise, or even recommend a “good” medium to me.  I have very strong feelings about these con artists and the proven harm they have done.

Crystals?  I’m on the fence about this one.  Lots of people I know subscribe to the metaphysical benefits of crystals and certain other minerals.  Maybe there’s something to it, but I’ve never felt energized by tigerseye or the like.  On the other hand, I think crystals are super pretty, and I regularly go to a store in a nearby town that sells them for metaphysical purposes.  Crystals effect me with their visual appeal.  Bismuth is really nice to look at, both in its spectrum of colors and its physical patterns.  I bought a chunk of pyrite because it’s the mineral used to fuel the Pulse Engines in No Man’s Sky, a game I play with my son, and having actual pyrite to show him when I’m mining/processing it in-game adds a layer of wonder and bonding between us when we play.

I can only speak personally about these things.  These are my own opinions and I’m not trying to sway you away from anything that brings you comfort and empowerment (except for mediums, because fuck those swindlers).  Some of these things that I claim to have no belief in actually have some effect on me, albeit in a different way than possibly intended.  They have some power over me after all, but only as much as I’m willing to give them.

 

*Sorry if I got anything about your energy healing experiences wrong, Dad.