The Currents of Life

Last updated on: September 25, 2013 at 6:16 pm by John Beckett

The Currents of Life 2013-09-25T18:16:25-06:00 John Beckett

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For me, blogging is first and foremost about the discipline of writing. It isn’t enough to think big thoughts – too many of those thoughts are random, impulsive and disorganized. Writing forces me to examine my thoughts, see if they’re in alignment with my values, and determine how I should integrate them into the rest of my life. Keeping a blog forces me to do this regularly – nothing runs off readers faster than long periods of silence.

Though some of my posts are intended to inform or persuade, most of them are a form of self-analysis. If others find them helpful, that’s great, but if I didn’t have this blog many of these posts would still have been written – they’d just be in my private journal. Though I try to interact with readers and I love learning from readers, I’m mainly writing for myself.

So when people I just met or see only once a year say things like “I really enjoy your blog” it’s a bit surreal. I got that a lot at the East Coast Gathering. Now, I’m human – I like hearing people say nice things about me and my work. More than that, it’s an honor to know people read what I write and that it means enough for them to say something about it. At the same time, deep down I know I’m writing for me.

In one of our conversations, Eric Singletary said many times I write what he’s thinking or feeling. My first response was a sense of amazement that I could connect that well with someone I see once or twice a year. But then the Awen started flowing and it hit me.

We live in the same mainstream world. We experience the same world events. We’re both tapped into the currents of Paganism, polytheism, and Druidry. We share common stories and songs. With all that common ground and common experience, how could we not have similar responses?

All of a sudden the idea that these are my thoughts seemed a little silly.

Each of us has a unique experience of the currents of culture and events and of life itself. But the currents themselves – the concepts, ideas, theories, trends, and perhaps, the spirits and the gods – are their own individual entities. By participating in these currents we influence them, but we do not control them and we certainly do not own them.

Some currents are hard to get into – others are hard to get out of once you’re in.

Some currents bring harm, others bring peace and growth. When we work together, when we share what’s worked and what hasn’t, we can learn to manage the difficult currents we must navigate.

With dedicated practice, we can learn to tap into the currents that help us live meaningful and happy lives.

So that’s pretty much what this blog is – my accounts and interpretations of the currents of life. If you find it inspiring, helpful, or even just entertaining, that’s probably because you’re plugged into some of the same currents as me. If you find it puzzling, then you’re probably plugged some very different currents.

And if you don’t understand it but you find it curious nonetheless, perhaps you’re feeling the call of a current you don’t yet recognize.

Here – have a sip of this brew. You only need three drops.

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