A strange place to start a philosophy...

Image by annamatic3000 via Flickr

When I was an evangelical Christian, we had a system by which we would share the Gospel of Christ with others (although it is based on a book written by Paul). We called it the Romans Road.

The first step on the Romans Road is taken from Romans 3:23 – “All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.” In one sense, this seems to be a starting point of shame, something I once considered to be a horrible place to start a philosophy. However, on the other hand, it is a tenet of equality. For if we look out into the world around us, when we often see people who enrage us with their selfishness, stupidity, fear, and violence, this verse reminds us that we are all in the same boat.

We have all forgotten the spark of divinity which resides within us. As Marianne Williamson put it, in archery, to "sin" is to miss the mark, and we have all done it. Not one of us has been at our best one hundred percent of the time. Very few of us fully dwell in the Presence of God.

So as we make our way down this road of life together, let's remember that we've all fallen at one time or another. Let's give each other a hand up when we're able instead of opting for the compulsion to shame.

I also find it an interesting correlation that the first of the Buddhists’ Four Noble Truths is that “All Life is Suffering.” While the rest of Noble Truths and the steps along the Romans Road differ greatly in their unfolding, they both start with the idea that we are lacking, handicapped, and in need of a new understanding.

I’ll be writing more about the rest of the Road as well as the Truths in later blogs, but I wanted to point out that two of the largest religious traditions in the world start out in relatively the same place. And while I want very badly to dismiss the idea that we are lacking and realize the perfection of the Universe, I can’t help but look around at the state of the world and realize at least some truth to this idea.

We’re engulfed in wars and battles of ideologies. We’re wreaking havoc on the environment. Our economic system is in turmoil. We’re almost defined by our addictions. And I just have to wonder if it is our nature to live our this idea of our necessary suffering and separation from God, or if our belief in this idea is creating the fact for us.

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Power vs. Force

Cover via Amazon

David Hawkins, in his book Power vs. Force, describes the levels of human consciousness based on his study of kinesiology.

Shame
Guilt
Apathy
Grief
Fear
Anger
Desire
Pride
Neutrality
Courage
Acceptance
Willingness
Reason
Love
Joy
Peace
Enlightenment


Shame is the lowest stage of consciousness, completely devoid of truth. It is the first thing Adam and Eve felt when they betrayed God by eating of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. As they were punted out of Paradise, their consciousness spiraled downward and felt the full fury of evil, Shame.

This is the state many of us feel when we are attacked by our former wrongdoings, be they intentional or only erronious. This is the state of mind which engulfs us when we are so embarrassed by our own actions that we despise who we are. This is the stage where we are most unaware of who we truly are, beings made in the likeness of God.

Each of us have lived in these moments at one time or another. Some of us live in it entirely, that feeling of not being worthy of the life we long for. Shame is often used by those in power to subdue others into abdication, by religions, by governments, by employers, even by friends and family members. It is an awful, hopeless state in which to live.

Regardless of what any of us have gone through in the past, regardless of the actions we have taken, this is a new moment in time, full of all new possiblities, especially the possiblity of redemption. Move in the direction of that.

Power vs. Force

The Fool's Journey

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The Major Arcana of the Tarot, what is often known as the Fool's Journey.

Fool
Magician
High Priestess
Empress
Emperor
Hierophant
Lovers
Chariot
Hermit
Wheel of Fortune
Justice
Hanged Man
Death
Temperance
Devil
Tower
Star
Moon
Sun
Judgment
World


The Fool is the first card in the Major Arcana of the Tarot. It is given the number Zero because it represents the nothingness from which we all come and the field of infinite possibilities. The character portrayed on the card is rather androgynous and is meant to portray all of us - each of us is the Fool, for we are all on this journey of life in search of our own experience.

The card depicts the sun rising behind the Fool as if it is a new day and we are at the beginning. The Fool steps toward the edge of a precipice, eyes toward the sky, unaware and unnassuming of what the next step will bring, just as we all are at the beginning of our endeavors. The Fool carries all that is needed for the journey in a bindle and has a flower in hand in appreciation of beauty. At the Fool's heel yaps a dog, perhaps warning of the impending danger, perhaps saying goodbye. In the distance is a range of mountains symbolizing the ups and downs of the adventure in store.

As each of us steps off on our own Fool's journey, we must move forward with a leap of faith, unsure of what lies ahead, but with the full knowledge that there is no challenge that we cannot handle.


Seventy-eight degrees of Wisdom

Playing CARDS

Image of Gale Fulton Ross

A few years ago, I was approached by an artist by the name of Gale Fulton Ross. She said that she wanted to write a book that could serve as a guideline for artists who wanted to make a career of their craft. She called the book Artists Must Play CARDS, the anagram representing the five things that the professional artist needs in order to be successful.

Commitment
Ambition
Resourcefulness
Dedication
Solitude

I will be discussing these elements more in further blogs as I find the Solitude to work on my own art. But suffice it to say that I marveled at the idea and was almost instantly drawn to how her concepts (minus the Solitude) aligned with the four cards of the regular playing deck.

Spades
Clubs
Diamonds
Hearts

Furthermore, I was engrossed in the idea of how these aligned with the four elements of material being.

Air
Fire
Earth
Water

I began to see how these four concepts further aligned with the four aspects of humanity

Mind
Spirit
Body
Heart

I was drawn back to the concept of cards. Though it recommended that I fear and shun it as a young Christian, the deck of the Tarot cards have been a source of much wonder for me. Though there are many different styles out there, I've tended to stick with the classic Rider-Waite deck. I find the artistry in the cards very telling, the way they interpret both the numberology and the meanings of the suits.

Swords
Wands
Coins
Cups

Looking into the many self help gurus and business consultants, I began to see more of this occurance. For instance, Wayne Dyer has his Pathways to Mastery.

Wisdom
Surrender
Discipline
Unconditional Love

Stephen Covey discusses the four modes of creativity

Pathfinding
Modeling
Aligning
Empowering

As well as the four styles of leadership...

Directing
Coaching
Supporting
Delegating

And the four human desires...

To Live
To Love
To Learn
To Leave a Legacy

The actual CARDS book will be out soon, but these four principles, in whatever words describe them, are also the basis for my new book The McAllister Code and I am very grateful to Ms. Fulton Ross for making me aware of them. Go to www.themcallistercode.com now to be a part of the adventure.


The Way of Four