This quote kind of hits home for me. Of course, we all carry with us the DNA of our parents, grandparents, and so on. But there is a thinking in many ancient traditions that we carry much more. Native Americans, Celts, many Asian traditions, and others believed that the collective memories and spirits of our ancestors live on in us. I don't know how empirical this may or may not be, but I think there's something to it. A contemporary example would be some in the Southern states who seemingly remember the Civil War as if it just happened yesterday. In fact, many in the North joke that their Southern brethren act as if the war never ended. (I don't think everyone in the South finds it amusing.)
How is this possible? I can't speak for Southerners, but I think people who seriously explore history can become so immersed that a certain immediacy evolves. One really can find oneself in the mindset of that time and place.
I have found myself in that very situation over the last
several years. In beginning research for a book idea, I started to examine
Celtic spirituality. Part of my heritage is Irish, so I felt an affinity for
this topic. As my study continued, the affinity grew into a true fascination. I
felt so drawn to the Celtic culture and the Celtic philosophy that it started
to reshape my own. In particular, the Celtic approach to spirituality—specifically Christianity—wormed its way into my personal worldview.
In coming posts, I will explore what this means. I don’t
mean to set up my way of thinking above anyone else’s or to denigrate other
views. My aim is to explain my vantage
point as I discuss things here. The secondary benefit would be that some
readers might encounter a new way of viewing things, or at least a desire to
further explore certain ideas.
So I would simply encourage everyone to keep an open mind
(good advice in any case, I would hope). You might discover some new ways of
looking at things. And perhaps your own Old Blood will sing within you!
No comments:
Post a Comment