Let me explain myself...

... you don't have to obviously.  But I hope you will.

I have read the holy works of several religions.  I have spoken to those whom see our future in the stars.  I have spoken to those whom see themselves in the stars.  I have looked upon ceremonies, traditions, celebrations, and rituals with an inquisitive eye.  I have always been concerned that I would give the wrong impression.

Although I don't want to be overly simplistic, I am a seeker of truth.  I am a devotee of logic.  I see magick everywhere but in my world, magick is not distinct from physics, biology, or mathematics.  I find it inadvisable to ignore any idea just as I feel it is inadvisable to simply accept an idea on its face.

I often find new information in really unexpected places.  I put together seemingly random pieces of data.  I cannot say I arrive at new insights.  I cannot say that the result is profound.  I do look at different perspectives and find more similarities than differences.

The midwife of 700 years ago, the shaman of centuries innumerable, the alchemist of the 17th century, the medical doctor current practicing... all would have similar recommendations in some cases.  Very many concepts and ideas have not stood the test of time.  But, if we look, there are practices and beliefs that endure.  For in truth, what has been true in all human endeavor is that it involved humans.

Whether a human believed that no higher power existed, believed that only one higher power existed, believed that only one higher power should be worshiped, believed that high powers existed but that they did not desire worship, believed in many higher powers, there is human belief.  Even if there is nothing else, there is belief.  We need not agree.  It doesn't matter.  Belief is a beautiful and powerful thing.  What we know has been disputed for centuries.  What we believe cannot be disputed.

For the past few centuries, many have strove to turn form the mysticism of the past.  There was an inherent danger in it.  It had in some cases become dogmatic.  But I believe that in steering away from dogma, we may have ignored things that at their root were based on empirical evidence.  It is difficult to be certain now, because human belief is so powerful.   One need only look to the placebo effect to see some small part of what that power is capable of.  The healer and the charlatan often wore similar guises, but the fact that many patent medicines contained opiates in no way meant that the opiates should not continued to be used.

I do believe we have gained insight.  I believe that written language has had a huge effect on our capabilities.  The shaman would have gained much from the work of other shamans if that knowledge was saved.  The alchemist would have been the chemist if fear had not led him to destroy his notes.  Those that destroyed a Books of Shadows doomed themselves to have to learn again what had been gained.  I do not believe that knowledge has been lost.  I do however believe that we have spent many years retracing steps taken long ago.

And so, I look to Stonehenge and see an observatory.  I look to the Mayan calendar as an amazing lesson in many respects.  I look to the Great Pyramid of Giza as an amazing and horrifying endeavor.  I look to the design of ancient temples and marvel knowing their intrinsic properties from calculation rather than experiment.  All in all, I marvel at humans.  They have learned and forgotten many things.  They have arrived at the same result from dozens of different directions.  It is in these results that I find truth.  Sometimes, I simply choose to follow multiple directions myself.