Hello, I’m glad you talked about evolutionary reincarnation. It reinforced something that bothered me in the Part 1 of Christian magic, and that is the idea of the physical world being lesser. (You had said, “The human soul consists of multiple parts. Many of those parts are shared with other animals, the protective instinct of a mother toward her young very much included. These bestial parts of our soul are lower than the human parts,”). I don’t like this idea. :-P I did read your theory that our civilization, with it’s virtual life, has sunk even lower than nature and returning to nature is a step up; but I don’t find that satisfying as an explanation.
I feel like, as an expression of the creativity of God, plants and animals are awesome and complete in-and-of themselves, and they probably have interiority, awareness, and a connection straight up to God. It sounds like you had a similar feeling sitting with the mugwort. I’ve been reading Cherokee myths trying to understand their insights and know how to live in my place here in north Georgia. In those stories both humans and animals were spiritual beings (star people) who decided to come live on Mother Earth to take care of her. I’m not sure about the plants, but in the stories they are aware and have decided to be helpers to humans.
I notice the same view in the Bible sometimes that the earth is lesser and not good. (For instance, today I read in James 3:14-15, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.”). I know that sometimes “world” in the New Testament means the world system not creation, but I also wonder if the culture of the Middle East at that time made it hard to have a connection with nature and experience nature’s true nature. David in the Psalms seems much more respectful of nature because he lived out in it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
Nature is lesser?
Date: 2022-03-15 03:12 pm (UTC)I feel like, as an expression of the creativity of God, plants and animals are awesome and complete in-and-of themselves, and they probably have interiority, awareness, and a connection straight up to God. It sounds like you had a similar feeling sitting with the mugwort. I’ve been reading Cherokee myths trying to understand their insights and know how to live in my place here in north Georgia. In those stories both humans and animals were spiritual beings (star people) who decided to come live on Mother Earth to take care of her. I’m not sure about the plants, but in the stories they are aware and have decided to be helpers to humans.
I notice the same view in the Bible sometimes that the earth is lesser and not good. (For instance, today I read in James 3:14-15, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.”). I know that sometimes “world” in the New Testament means the world system not creation, but I also wonder if the culture of the Middle East at that time made it hard to have a connection with nature and experience nature’s true nature. David in the Psalms seems much more respectful of nature because he lived out in it.