Higher Consciousness is a Beautiful Thing

Even those of us who are fairly well tuned into the energy out there: our own, that of others, the earth's, sometimes experience those moments we all occasionally have of a sort of hyper-awareness of all that is and all that has been. When it's on a personal level, Gurdjieff referred to these fleeting feelings of acute self-awareness as true self consciousness (as opposed to that awkward feeling we get when we need to do something in front of others that makes being in our own skin uncomfortable). But sometimes this feeling is more akin to universal consciousness, where the whole shebang becomes radiantly clear for just a moment or two.

The other night I built a big, beautiful outdoor fire. It had nothing to do with any sabbat or esbat, nor was it intended to be of a spiritual nature at all. It was, in fact, merely a way to clean up some spring yard waste and destroy quite a bit of old paper files that I finally cleaned out of the old filing cabinet in the cellar. (It was pointed out to me that this wasn't exactly eco-friendly, but it was efficient as hell and quite lovely to sit before, so sue me if I enjoyed it).

So, as I sat there on a chilly night before this gorgeous fire, I couldn't help but think of all the people through the ages who have sat before fires on dark and cold nights for various reasons. This thought warmed my heart and was just the beginning of my mind making a great many spiritual and philosophical connections (sometimes it doesn't take much for me to get rolling). And those feelings that occasionally overwhelm us all with such emotion, such joy and such awe rocketed through me for a moment or two and were gone, leaving in their wake that sweet feeling one feels when truly experiencing the inter-connectedness of all that is.

There is nothing on earth quite like experiencing this and it can be felt in the smallest and most humble of moments. It doesn't require being in a majestic place, though that would be sure to trigger these feelings. No, it can be felt anywhere, anytime. And it's in these moments that simultaneously emphasize the enormity of the universe and the incredible interconnectedness of everything within it (ourselves included) while also making us painfully aware of just how small and insignificant we are, that really gives the soul an energy charge it needs to continue on its journey towards enlightenment.

"Stars over the Church of the Good Shephard, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand" courtesy of petatt on flickr.