Greer's Enchantment Series

Well… this is certainly timely, given what else I’ve been experiencing this last year and will be reporting upon more as we go forward!

John Michael Greer is veering back into essays that I appreciate more in the last year or so, and this next one coming up is especially welcome. But before we go on, a link to the first in his next essay series (which only has one as of the date of this writing):

www.ecosophia.net/the-nature-of-enchantment/

I suppose some of my childhood enchantment never left, but much of this was a conscious decision. As a child, I saw how absolutely nose-to-the-grindstone miserable adults were and realized some of what caused it, even if I didn’t always have the words to articulate it the way I do now. I genuinely had (and have) experiences that defied what was supposed to be “possible” for one thing, but for another, children with their ability to wonder at things and to pretend things were qualities that I noticed were absent from all those grim adults. From ages 5 until about 8, I referred to “grown-ups” as “grumps” for short, being well aware of how well that fit!

I’m pleased to say that I retained my imagination and ability to play (whether alone or with other teens/adults — roleplaying games came along at just the right time in the 1980s!) and continued to have my “impossible” experiences. Though much of the wonder lessened as misery took its toll upon my life, as it does for so many others, I kept getting swept into semi-regular meetings with the liminal– which included no little horror alongside wonder (and maybe that’s a part of the bargain? I don’t know…)

I’ve always said the result is that I’m both deeply rational (I freaking love science and logic!) and deeply intuitive in a world that doesn’t really allow for both. Now the last doubting-Thomas part of me is being challenged by some personal experiences that are often being witnessed by others around me, some of whom have entered their own wonderment journey! My fellow tribesmen and women don’t need me to know that some weird shit happens, and I have to say that it’s wild and cool to watch other people jump on board, doing their own thing quite aside from myself and coming to some very similar conclusions. They like hearing my own take on the matter, as I have many years’ experience with such oddball wonders and horrors, but they’re very firm in wanting their own space and time to experience and ponder what’s happening to them. From Sleep’s toe-sucking imp to Reese’s faerie troupe to Cat’s growing ability to see astral energy… I’m suddenly surrounded with others who no longer live quiet mundane lives.

And then I started having fae experiences of my own, and– most recently– a Norse god stepped up and asked to work with me. A part of me is aware that some of these types of things are symbolic, or representations of our own mind. However, physical proofs of teleported objects seems to indicate that it’s far more than that. Also, dreams or visions that come true… just little stuff, nothing to win the lottery with, but still–!

My rational side, trained by the society in which I was raised, is furrowing her brow and saying, “Come now! Really?” And apparently, the answer is, yes– really. Though outside proof happens, in general most of the time it is far subtler and therein lies the challenge.

Perhaps Greer’s work will help that part of me co-exist more peacefully with the more open and easily intuitive side. One can hope!

In any event, the whole she-bang is certainly entertaining in an otherwise often dreary existence, so I’m going along for the ride. I’m learning a great deal as I do, and now this essay series fits perfectly with where I’m at at the moment intellectually, so I’m particularly welcoming to it.

As a prelude to the series, this particular essay from a couple of years ago is especially pertinent and was referred to in the comments section. It’s a very logical view in contrast to what many people have been told about reality and the paranormal and science. Enjoy!

www.ecosophia.net/blogs-and-essays/the-well-of-galabes/three-fallacious-arguments-an-interlude/