Persevering with on the theme of how social non secular historical past impacts us personally, I’m observing that the additional again our reminiscence tries to go, the deeper it penetrates additionally into our souls.
Questions comparable to these I touched upon yesterday — variations on the understanding of the Eucharist or the democratization of the non secular group — have been extraordinarily necessary for the non secular historical past of the US, for instance, and preserve subtly affecting all People. Nonetheless, once we speak concerning the earlier phases of our species, such influences on our souls grow to be a lot extra related and intense, despite the fact that they’re scantily seen and acknowledged.
Just lately, I stunned myself by stating in a category that the unique faith of humanity as an entire was shamanism, from which Judaism in addition to early Christianity derived a very good deal — take into consideration the healings of Jesus.
This notion isn’t new to students of faith, however I’m wondering how a lot or how nicely we’ve got integrated it into our spirituality.
Some thirty years in the past, I went on a visit to the island of Sardinia with two mates. I believe I may need been the nerdier, however the different two weren’t far down from me on the size. For a minimum of 20 days, every single day, we visited solely Neolithic sacred websites, of which the island is replete, generally strolling miles to get there. Each time we had been within the neighborhood of Bronze-Age or Iron-Age websites — additionally quite common there — I might shout: “Too current, not attention-grabbing!”
The joke grew to become trite, however the which means of it was not misplaced on my mates: we had been looking for the period of the goddess, looking for remnants of a doable peaceable period of humanity, earlier than weapons of warfare had been produced, and when shamanic practices of union with the cosmos — in addition to cosmic therapeutic — had been widespread.
In Could 2026, I will likely be main once more such an exploration (this system could be accessed HERE….) It’s going to essentially be lowered in time and scope. It will be means too difficult to convey a bigger group into the wilderness of Sardinia, scouting round for Neolithic tombs and artifacts. The expertise will likely be a lot deepened, nonetheless, by way of religious workouts and artwork as meditation.
Matthew Fox himself will take part on-line, providing responses to the expertise of the individuals. A group of devoted practitioners of varied sacred arts will be part of me to assist every participant chill out into the womb of the Goddess — the feminine fiery side of divinity — and thus rediscover forgotten points of their (gendered) self or new avenues for his or her religious journey.
Among the many locations the place meditation and rituals will likely be supplied, there will likely be: sacred scorching springs and deep contemporary wells, a necropolis hewn within the rock, and a Neolithic temple — maybe the one one in existence right now, a minimum of in such a conspicuous means.
Banner Picture: Two completely different representations of the Goddess level to quite a lot of cultures inside the Sardinian Neolithic. Photographs courtesy of Mario Bonfanti.
Queries for Contemplation
How do you method the shamanic roots of your soul?
Beneficial Studying
One River, Many Wells: Knowledge Springing from World Faiths
Pure Grace: Dialogues on creation, darkness, and the soul in spirituality and science
Naming the Unnameable: 89 Fantastic and Helpful Names for God…Together with the Unnameable God
Meditations with Meister Eckhart
Whee! We, Wee All of the Method House: A Information to Sensual Prophetic Spirituality
Matthew Fox: Important Writings on Creation Spirituality
