Graduating Life With Honours  
Conscious Self-Governance in God's Kingdom
__________________  

My Spirit name is White Walking Feather
My vessels name is rob in the pagé family 

Copyleft 2015, 2017 

This book is free and to be shared with my brothers and sisters, no  matter how rich or poor they may be. I do grant to every spiritual being  the right and permission to distribute this work freely with the  condition that any copies or adaptations are also bound by a copyleft  agreement and will not be sold or commercialized in any way and remain  unaltered. If you are not familiar with copyleft, you can read more  about it at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyleft

Donations
If the Spirit moves you to support my work, I will accept gifts of  energy so that I may continue to write, explore, create and share along  my journey. Donations can be made through White dot Walking dot Feather  at gmail.com 

Revisions
February 6, 2015 – Prerelease   
April 12, 2015 – Final Release Version 1.0
October 12, 2017 - Updated Release on Steemit.com Version 1.1       

 Chapter Three 

Physical Realm

   In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. - Genesis 1:1  
  

There are literally thousands of different stories over history that explain how the earth came to be. The question of how the Physical Realm manifested has been argued for thousands of years. The debate continues today with recent news articles talking about how physicists may have evidence that the universe is actually a computer simulation. There seems to be a great divide between people in regards to how this whole Physical Realm came to be. For me, I have no doubt that the Physical Realm was created by the Spirit. Everything that exists physically is formed by and bound to Spirit. Despite how it got here or whether it is real or not, we still face the truth of this existence; we exist, we are here and what do we do about it?  

I find it difficult to talk about each realm without bringing the other two into the discussion as the relationship between all three is so close and interwoven. The last chapter talked about the Fictional Realm and how it is manifested from the mind. Some would argue that whatever our mind conceives, it is real and as such forms a part of this physical world. I disagree. I think what the individual is able to create in their own mind is their own interpretation and as such the individual creates their own world – in their mind. We all have our own separate and unique view and interpretation of our life, this physical world and how we interact with it all. Our views are separate from the actual physical world upon which we live as it is merely an interpretation based on personal experiences, knowledge, bias, thoughts and feelings. That is why we struggle so much to communicate with one another as each and every single one of us has a different view and interpretation of the world upon which we live. We struggle because we don't see or understand each others world and we fail to communicate our views. The fictional constructs we create in our mind can influence the physical world but only through our actions, beliefs and behaviours, as our mind has a very close relationship and impact on our physical body. It is the will and expression of Spirit that has the biggest impact and manifestation in this physical world, as it allows for the creative force that created the physical world to alter and manifest new physical realities. Either way, the physical body and it's environment seems to be the central focus of our current manifestation.    

Our physical body was manifested by the fusion of body and spirit within our mother. It may have required a male and female act to start the physical process but it also required spiritual intervention to make a viable fetus. That fetus grew with nutrients that came from the Earth. It is the parents, grandparents, friends and family who are all responsible for raising the baby to maturity. I'm not just talking about physical maturity, but also emotional, mental and spiritual maturity as well. The physical maturity is very much a natural and automatic process. The body can pretty much take care of that itself. All it needs is food, water, shelter and clothing. At times it gets sick so some intervention is required but for the most part, the physical growth is all automatic. The biggest challenge for the parents that requires active and conscious participation is with the mental, emotional and spiritual growth. Until the child is mature enough on all four levels, he/she will always remain dependent and will never achieve full independence. If the child cannot achieve full independence then he/she will not be able to participate in the bounty, joy and love of a healthy interdependent relationship. Many people fail to achieve full independence and as such end up in co-dependent relationships.    

Most parents use a very simple concept to help raise their children. The premise is based on the idea that parents provide benefits and privileges to the children to encourage wanted behaviour and they use consequences such as withdrawal of benefits and privileges, up to the use of force, to discourage unwanted behaviour. The reality of the situation, that most parents quickly realize, is that the child has free will of his/her own. Ever try to control or reason with a two year old during a temper tantrum? Just makes the situation worse or ends up in complete failure if a parent tries logical reasoning with a child who is behaving irrationally. However, force may be necessary at times in order to protect the child from harming him/her self. They don't have the emotional or mental maturity to fully comprehend the consequences of their actions. So they can be a danger to themselves due to their own ignorance and lack of maturity. This process requires fine tuning and many thousands of hours of dedication to raise a child to maturity. Many books have been written about the subject. The point I want to make here is that if the parent fails to bring all four aspects of the child to maturity, then the child will be dependent upon others until he/she can bring some level of maturity into their lives themselves, if they are even consciously aware of the dependencies that they have.    

In our current world situation, this is where the Fictional Realm comes into play. The problem that I see is that the vast majority of people have not been raised to any significant level of maturity, especially in the emotional and spiritual aspect of being. Because of that, most people then find other parents to provide some level of benefits and privileges in order to survive. When the child moves away from home, that new parent usually ends up being the State which is a fictional entity. If the individual was emotionally and spiritually mature, they would naturally reject the fictional entity and instead recognize the Spirit and govern themselves.    

The State is a parent to all the children that is dependent upon it and uses the same model for raising children as biological parents use; benefits and privileges. Although the biological parents' intent was to raise the child to independence, the state is very much interested in maintaining dependency. The child, most times, will leave the biological parents and engage the fictional parent using their own free will to sign up for benefits and privileges. Some examples of those benefits are employment insurance, pensions or health care. Some examples of privileges range from drivers licenses, voting, passports, or any form of licensing requirements. And just like a biological parent, the State will engage in force to protect the child because they are deemed vulnerable and needs protecting. Misbehave and they withdraw benefits and privileges.  

What if the child could take the necessary steps to gain full maturity on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level? Would there be any requirement to have a parent, biological or fictional, to provide for the well being of the individual? Would the parents have or owe any duty to the child at that point either? In nature, the young must become independent or perish. It is a harsh reality with all other life on this planet.  

I believe that in order to complete the process of growing up, it requires that we all achieve full independence from all parents on all levels of being (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual). The challenge is that there are very few, if any, who are truly 100% independent people out there. There are few parents out there that can raise children to this level of maturity. We live in a world where the parents are children themselves. Even the people who wear the masks of the State are children and that would explain why they behave like children too. The level of maturity being displayed in most provincial, state or federal assemblies is appalling and very telling of how much maturity the individuals themselves have actually achieved.    

So in order to accomplish a balanced level of maturity through all four states of being (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual), a significant amount of work must be done.   

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.    - Hosea 4:6 

Lets get to work. In January 2012, I asked myself an important question: Am I a Man searching for spiritual enlightenment or am I a soul/spiritual being having a physical experience? I then went through a thought experiment where I challenged myself in regards to the mortality of both. With my current belief structure I believe that the physical body will last for 80 – 100 years, give or take a few years. Could be much sooner if I don't look after it. However, the spirit most likely existed long before the body was born and it will exist long after the body is gone too. So given the immortality of the spirit, I came to the conclusion that the essence of who I am is not rooted in the body but rather is rooted in the spirit. That whole thought process significantly changed the whole outlook of who I AM.    

Is it possible then that the body is nothing more than a vessel for the spirit to express itself and experience what mortality is like? How else could an immortal being learn how it feels or what it means to be mortal without fully immersing itself? The implications are significant as I quickly realized that I am not a physical Man but rather I am spirit in possession of a physical body. As such it is my duty to be a good steward of that physical vessel. If I don't take good care of it, then the amount of experiences I can have here are going to be very limited. The other big realization for me came in the form of my fear of death. Once I realized that when the vessel dies, the essence of who I am continues on, then in reality, I cannot die. The vessel dies and it will then be returned to the earth from where it came, but the spirit moves on. This is where a huge paradox comes into play and this is where scripture really helped me out to make the transition in how I view who I AM. What I realized is that an undisciplined mind can be harmful for the body and spirit.

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. - Romans 8:13    

What if, by chance, the scientists are correct in that this universe is one big computer simulation or holo-deck? What if, by chance, this universe was setup so that the Spirit could participate in a kindergarten of sorts, to learn, experience and grow as a spirit? What if I am right and that we are here to mature as spiritual beings so that we can grow up to be independent, responsible, accountable Spiritual beings? Would that change how we view things here on Earth or how we live this physical life we find ourselves in?    

The paradox of those questions are significant. Many people out there believe we are all 'one'. The paradox is that we are all one AND we are also individuals. I believe we are here to express the truth of who we are and to challenge ourselves in an environment of mortality and individuality, not collective oneness. How else can immortal beings find greater expression than to add a little bit of jeopardy in the mix? What is even more profound is that I believe the Creator sent us here, his spiritual children, to learn how to grow up to be responsible, accountable spiritual individual adults. The Creator, just like any other parent, has provided us with benefits, privileges and consequences, should we not take this seriously. I've been exploring the construct of what that would look like and I am intrigued as to what I found.

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. - Genesis 1:26 

This passage has troubled me for many years. What does it mean in 'our image'? Could it be possible that this is a reference to how the Spiritual Realm got together to manifest this school yard we call the Physical Realm? I'm not saying that I am God here, but rather the essence of who I am, my spirit, is a child of God. The body is the vessel I choose to occupy and possess while I go to school. God helped our Spirit form the physical vessel in the image and likeness of our Spirit. So while I am here, what am I supposed to do while I have this gift? 

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.    - Genesis 1:28   
  

Scripture confronts me with the realization that in this physical form, our instructions are to be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. In order to accomplish this, one would be required to live in a model of prosperity where everything prospers, not just an elite group of people. The challenge here is that our current relationships with one another, on a physical and fictional level, is modeled on scarcity rather than prosperity. Corporations need scarcity in order to make profits through supply and demand. With prosperity, there would be too many commodities floating around in order to sell and profit from. Supply would out strip demand. So scarcity is counter productive to what our actual purpose requires of us. The other significant point that I'm confronted with here is that we are to have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. For me, that does not mean ownership and control. As with our modern interpretation of dominion, there is an implied duty of stewardship that goes along with having dominion over something. That duty is to ensure everything prospers on the earth, not just a small group of individuals. To ensure prosperity for all requires that I love all.    

So as Spiritual beings in possession of these physical vessels, we are faced with many choices in our lives. We are endowed with free will and as such we choose which benefits, privileges and consequences we will face as we move through this linear time-line in this Physical Realm. The paradox between the two Realms is clear, for those who want to consider the differences.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. - Galatians 5:17   

The paradox of merging a Spirit with the flesh in this Physical Realm is that the consciousness that resulted is also a merging of the two. We have a choice on whether we will let our Spirit guide us through our experiences here on Earth or let the flesh influence the journey. I think it would be safe to say that this could be equated to the analogy of having an angel and a devil on your shoulder. Both of these manifested in the mind and it is our free will choice as to which path we will follow. This same choice was made by Christ when the devil tempted him. The devil being that internal voice that we all have that tries to convince us to lean towards the Physical rather than the Spiritual. The devil does not physically exist but rather is the manifestation of temptation and is our adversary within the Fictional Realm that influences our experiences each day in this physical body within this Physical Realm.    

What I see in Matthew 4:8-10 which highlights the third temptation of Christ is the exact same challenge we all face, the lusts of the flesh. Christ was able to rebuke those temptations with a simple command. His mind was strong and disciplined enough to resist those temptations, where the vast majority of us still fall for them, including myself.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.    - Galatians 5:19-21     

How hard is it to reject or avoid these temptations? Very difficult, right? Especially with all the multi-media, websites, TV, radio and print out there published by those who are fully immersed in these activities and paid for by those who want to enslave the physical world through the fiction.    

Now, before I go any further, I think it is important to discuss the Bible. I read, study and research the Bible. However, I do not trust it. Yes, I know, lots of people believe it to be the 'Word of God'. I must also consider that the works of the flesh have had a few thousand years to manipulate and bastardize the writings in the book. Let me give you a few examples. The quotes that I write about come from the King James Version of the Bible. The Old Testament was translated from Hebrew and the New Testament from Greek. I have yet to explore texts that were written in Sanskrit, etc. But this will do for my point. So let's take the word 'witchcraft' from the most recent quote from Galatians. If I was to use the English translation, then the works of the flesh would include witchcraft; 'a female magician, sorceress; in later use, esp a woman supposed to have dealings with the devil or evil spirits and to be able by their co-operation to perform supernatural acts.' However, that word 'witchcraft' was translated from the Greek word 'pharmakeia' which is defined as 'the use or the administration of drugs, poisoning, sorcery or the deceptions and seductions of idolatry.' For me, the implications of this one word showed me just how much manipulation there is depending on the intent of those who do the translations. Yes, that would include my own bias as well in that list. Suffice to say, pharmakeia is the root word for pharmaceutical, the basis for the entire pharmaceutical and medical industry in the world today. So does that mean the whole pharmaceutical and medical industry is involved in the works of the flesh? I would suggest that yes, indeed they are engaged in the works of the flesh! So why the manipulation? Well, could it be that when the 1611 version of the King James Bible was being translated that there was a witch hunt going on? How much easier would it be to justify killing women when scripture suggests that witchcraft is taboo. So why not translate the bible so that the King can more easily justify his desire to hunt witches?  

Romans 13 is also a famous passage used by kings and those who wear the masks of the state to maintain control over the masses. I've taken translations of this passage from several different versions to show my point. The first is from the New International Version which was translated in the 1970's.

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. - Romans 13:1   
  

If I were to accept this version of the Bible then it would appear that I physically must submit to those people wearing masks. But instead, I firmly believe that everything I see, hear, read or feel should be filtered through some critical thinking and through my heart to find the true spirit of the original message. I don't accept everything at face value because I now know that everything is not as it appears. I will do my own homework. Remember who paid to do the translations ... kings. So is there bias involved? I'll let you decide that for yourself. Here are two versions of the same passage this time from the New King James (NKJ) Bible translated in 1769 and the King James (KJ) Bible translated in 1611:

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. - Romans 13:1 (NKJ 1769) 

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. - Romans 13:1 (KJ 1611)    

Wow, there is a huge difference between these translations. Now scripture is talking about souls and 'higher powers'. That may or may not mean 'governing authorities'. How can we know for sure? Well, the New Testament was translated from Greek, so what do the Greek words mean when we translate 'higher powers'? Well to do that, I use a publication called Strong's Concordance. It was written by James Strong where he created an index of all the words in the Greek and Hebrew books and linked them up with the English translations. So when I look up an English word, I can find out the Hebrew or Greek word it was translated from. I use www.blueletterbible.org to make this process easier than flipping through a book. Here is what the website's link said about 'Higher' and 'Powers'. 

'Higher' - Greek word 'hyperechō' (Strongs G5252)  
I) to have or hold over one  
II) to stand out, rise above, over top  
    a) to be above, be superior in rank, authority, power  
         i) the prominent men, rulers  
    b) to excel, to be superior, better than, to surpass

'Powers' - Greek word 'exousia' (Strongs G1849)  
I) power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases  
    a) leave or permission  
II) physical and mental power  
    a) the ability or strength with which one is endued, which he either possesses or exercises  
III) the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege)  
IV) the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed)    

So when I interpret this passage a few things pop out at me. First off, the passage is written for the soul which places the context of the passage in the Spiritual Realm rather than Physical or Fictional. In the Spiritual Realm, the power that rises above and stands out over power of choice, physical and mental power, power of authority, power of rule or government could only be that of the Creator, since the Fictional and Physical Realms have no authority in the Spiritual Realm! That is opposite of what the NIV Bible translated to, which commanded everyone to be subject to fictional constructs of government. Do you see how easy it is to manipulate the Bible in order to gain compliance over others on the earth? I pray you do.  

So when I do any of my work, I think long and hard about what I find and I then touch base with my Spirit to get confirmation that I am on the correct path. The mind is great for analysis but horrible for decision making. I must touch base with my heart to make these choices. I believe the solution to all these issues is simple but it still requires hard, difficult work to accomplish. It is all within reach of anybody. As with anything, context is going to be so important throughout this book. When we accomplish this level of discernment, we need to let the Spirit guide us rather than our mind as the fictional constructs will lead us astray.    

Let's get back to the works of the flesh. I suggest that the vast majority of people on the face of the planet have succumbed to the works of the flesh. I believe it occurred because we are all behaving like children and as such we all looked for parents to help look after ourselves so that we can go off and do what ever we wanted. Years ago, there were marauding bands of thugs who would go around stealing, burning, raping and pillaging. The people had a difficult time defending themselves from these marauders so they approached the king for protection. The kings of the world required centralized forms of governance in order to protect all these people and their property. The people in turn swore an oath of allegiance to the king in return for protection. The marauders changed their tactics. Instead of marauding villages and farms, they now pillage entire nations by infiltrating the organizations that were originally setup to protect the people. They now do it with the stroke of a pen rather than a sword. These marauders have succumbed to the works of the flesh and exhibit behaviours associated with psychopaths.    

Psychopaths have a very interesting list of traits that describe how they behave.

• Pathological lying 
• Manipulative 
• lack of remorse or guilt 
• lack of empathy 
• failure to accept responsibilities 
• incapacity to love 
• poor judgement 
• unreliable 

   Would these symptoms describe the works of the flesh being manifested? I think it is safe to suggest that the vast majority of those wearing the masks of the state and corporations are in fact, exhibiting psychopathic behaviours, whether consciously aware of it or not, and as such they are very much into all the benefits of the flesh at the expense of their spirit. That to me, is very sad and I suspect that is why we were asked to pray for them, for they are the ones who are the most lost and need the most help.    

If we really want to work on our relationship in the Physical Realm, I believe it will require we set aside the man made laws in the Fiction and really start to pay attention to the Natural Laws that govern the Physical Realm. These Natural Laws were established by the Creator and they govern all life on Earth. As our physical bodies are an integral part of the earth, they too are subject to those Natural Laws. We cannot escape it, no matter how far we bury ourselves in the Fictional Realm. The vast majority of us are completely ignorant of what these Natural Laws are, so we fumble around in life, victims to consequences we don't understand. I do not profess to being an expert in this area as I am still learning and working to figure this all out. 

My martial arts training did teach me a few key lessons though.  In the martial arts, we do extreme physical training. As an instructor, it is my job to observe the learning styles of each of the students. Some people learn best through audio clues. So as I train, I am explaining every move verbally. Some people learn best through visual observation. So I demonstrate physically every move as well. However, some people learn by having their limbs manipulated physically so that they can feel it for themselves. It is a challenge at times but a good instructor will be observant so that he can help the student. I don't know about most people, but I got into the martial arts to find some mental discipline to help with my depression. Through 10 years of training I found that the benefits of that level of vigorous training was way more than I thought it would be.    

Martial arts training taught me that the mind is a powerful tool and its own worst disability. The power of belief has real consequences in the physical realm. If one believes that their body is not capable of accomplishing or performing a specific task, it will sabotage the body to ensure that it is right (ego). My job as an instructor is to push the student to break through these self-limiting beliefs to show the student that the body in fact can accomplish way more than what the student believed it could do. The training is so intense that the student must focus 100% of the conscious mind on what they are doing in order to start to program the subconscious.    

Through repetition, we can then get to a point where the conscious mind can then focus on the next lesson and let the subconscious take over what was learned. We do it through gradual steps and repetitive training rather than a single leap. It would not be fair to a new student to setup five bricks to break in their first class. The student would not be able to break them. Not because they are physically incapable but rather they don't have the belief, confidence or technique to do it. The failure would cause the student to quit which would re-enforce what the mind thought from the beginning. However, through hours of training, I would help them build up their strength, teach them technique and have them start breaking boards instead. Through slow, gradual increases, the student slowly builds up the confidence and skills so that after a few years, they have the skills, knowledge and confidence to attempt a cinder block break. The mind would reject and sabotage the possibility of accomplishing such a break without going through this process. Once the student breaks the bricks, there is no longer any doubt in their mind that they can accomplish this significant physical feat because they actually accomplished it.    

What may have started out as a physical exercise has now turned into a tool to mold and form maturity, discipline over the mind, mastery over the body and a level of spiritual awareness that would not have been accomplished otherwise. We use physical techniques to teach the student how the mind and body works, what parts to listen to, and what parts can be ignored. We stretch the mind and the body well beyond the normal capacity and beyond what most people believe is possible. I've seen tremendous growth in many people who have made the conscious choice to do this level of training. Martial arts is only one avenue. There are many others.    

I believe all of nature works in the same way. Just as we observed, learned about and overcame the limitations of the mind and body within martial arts, our relationship with nature can go through similar training and scrutiny. I am not talking about forcing nature by changing how nature works through science. In my view that is extremely dangerous and irresponsible. However, with observation, knowledge and familiarity of the laws of nature, we can interact with nature to perform and produce more than we could normally. Scientists attempt this through genetic manipulation, chemicals and other harmful techniques which violate the spirit of nature. As a result we find people, animals and plants getting sick or dying. We see extreme fluctuations in populations, huge deforestation and mass extinctions taking place. Why is that? Because greed, economics and ego drives the decisions rather than love, observation and a full understanding of how nature works. It is not balanced but rather forced. It would be equivalent to me sending all my students out to get mechanical and computer implants and take steroids in order to make them stronger and faster. I am not helping them reach their full potential and as such they lose out on the emotional, mental and spiritual benefits of the training. Not only that but the gains are only temporary as the body would burn out over a short period of time.    

Economics is what drives the corporate agenda which is all based on scarcity rather than prosperity and it too will soon burn out. The drive for exponential growth is impossible as it violates Natural Law. It is lazy and irresponsible. Only through proper observation and training can we fully realize the true and awesome potential of our own bodies and that of the natural world around us. In order to accomplish that, we must be like the martial artists; we must observe, learn how things really work, train hard and push the boundaries while maintaining respect, honour, love, peace and freedom.    

Learning what Natural Law is all about is critical to our ability to be proper stewards. There are masters who know Natural Law best. They will be our instructors in the art of nature. The problem is that they have been nearly wiped out or persecuted. The near extermination of the indigenous peoples of the world and other talented individuals means there are not many masters of nature left on this planet. They are speaking up and it is time to take them seriously and start to learn from them. Just as I was a student at one time in the martial arts, I consider myself a student in the art of nature. I listen, learn and have deep respect for the masters as that is the only way I will master the art myself. I have much to learn.  

Since I am not a master of nature yet, I will not be able to explain Natural Law properly. But as a student, I will do my best to explain it with the intent to encourage others to start learning the art of nature and become Natural Artists.    

Nature is all about the cycles of life and how the physical world is governed. Natural Law is the Creators' way of governing all life on earth. Nature requires ebbs and flows to exist. It expands and contracts. Biological systems find an equilibrium as organisms work out their relationships with one another. This process is complex. Should one organism break free and follow an exponential growth curve, natural law will remedy the situation to bring it back into balance. Our human bodies are a part of that process and as long as we view nature as a resource to consume rather than exploring our relationship with it, we will continue to struggle and Natural Law will assert itself, whether we like it or not.  

Part of our journey in exploring Natural Law as a Natural Artist was to unplug from the fictional constructs founded on scarcity and move out into nature and start living these cycles. Living with the fictional, rigid and predictable fictional exponential cycle is very different than living within the fluid and seemingly unpredictable cycles of nature. We are used to rigid schedules and deadlines. But in nature, each day is different and as such one must go with the flow. The length of day light changes throughout the year based on the earth's position around the sun. Shorter daylight in the winter, longer in the summer. We also have lunar cycles that govern tides or when animals go into heat. Seasons govern when it is time to plant, grow, harvest or rest. Living off grid, we generate power with solar panels and collect rain water off our roof. So on a sunny summer day, we have the power to perform extra tasks such as doing laundry or running saws as that is when we have the extra power to do those sorts of activities. On a cloudy day, we find other things to do. These kinds of observations were interesting to experience as we were completely ignorant of them having the grid provide all we needed at all times and being governed by clocks and calendars. We found that nature provides all that we need, but it does require that we plug in and start participating with those cycles. The cycles of the corporate world are broken and incomplete. They will fail.  

Building relationships with nature also exposed us to a whole new paradigm. Having corporations grow, process and deliver all our food resulted in a complete detachment to our food. Most people have no idea where their food comes from, how it was raised, treated, drugged, processed or shipped. By unplugging from the corporate model, we were forced to build a relationship with our food. Being responsible for planning, planting, raising, growing, harvesting, killing, packing, freezing, cooking and consuming the food required that we come to terms with what it means to consume another life. Because each life has a spirit, all of a sudden there is an emotional attachment which must be recognized and honoured. Our physical bodies are a part of the earth and as such they need physical nourishment to survive. That requires the body to consume the bodies of other life forms to provide that nourishment. To kill in order to live is a relationship that most of us seems to want to avoid at all costs. As a result we are more than happy to pay somebody else to do the dirty work. The relationship between life and death is as important as day and night. There cannot be life without death and death without life. It is a law of nature. We are terrified of death because of the pain associated with it. We fear it. We avoid it at all costs. But when we contemplate that Spirit cannot die but rather it is just our vessel that dies, would that change our relationship with death? If I was to kill a chicken to eat, would it be prudent to give thanks to the spirit of the bird for giving its vessel so that I may live? Am I able to do that if I purchase it in a store long after the spirit has moved on? The relationship is not even close to being the same. To honour the spirit of the plant or animal that I kill is to recognize and honour my relationship with the spirit at the very moment I separate the spirit from its vessel and get consent to do so prior to forcing that separation, no matter what form the spirit took while it was here (plant or animal).    

Just to be clear, I don't have a hate on for science. I recognize that science is dedicated to learning about the natural realm. It has its place and it is important. What I caution though is allowing science to play God. I want to do the work to learn about nature and build a strong, healthy relationship with it, living within its cycles. Only through observation, trial and error, training and repetition will I then come to terms with what that relationship truly is and be able to prosper with it. In the process I will find further mastery over my mind, body, emotions, feelings and spirit. That for me is what true stewardship is all about. To get there will require great disturbance as mankind is well beyond the point of sanity when it comes to having a healthy relationship with our physical environment. Our way of life is so detached and unplugged from nature that we are in perilous danger. It is impossible to govern nature using a centralized model because every location on earth is as unique as each individual. Natural Law is going to reassert itself and reestablish balance. We are all in for a world of change. Those that embrace the change will do fine, those that resist will perish. It is up to us to steward our little corner the best we can and work together for the betterment of all.  

The test for me will be to see if we can all look past the letter of what I write and look into the spirit of what I am talking about. If we can find some common ground and agreement, no matter the background, culture, religion or belief structure, then we are more likely closer to seeing the physical world as it actually is rather than what we all think it should be.