The Known and the Unknown (III)

Beyond the Borders

 

To respond to the lure of the Unknown is to celebrate the grand, heroic adventure –: that archetypal journey in which the protagonist leaves home to seek something — a magic potion, healing gift, insight, or atonement — in those unexplored and unmapped territories beyond what we know.

The impulse and tug of the Unknown opposes the literal interpretations of sacred texts; chafes at the leash of our Cartesian-thinking world. It would undermine the foundations on the tower of reason and jump the fences round the well-managed and manicured lawns of logic to seek freedom on the other side.

This freedom does not mean license, chaos, or lack of responsibility. The power to throw off the shackles of consensual reality and effectively act in literal or psychological landscapes with different characters, energies, and rules takes courage, practice, and an inner sobriety. The discipline of meditation, the apprenticeship of a shaman, or the development of an artist includes a commitment to learning as great as that required for any university degree; a commitment that includes challenges to one’s definition and sense of the self in addition to the effort required to become proficient in whatever skills and tasks are involved.

To respond to the lure of the Unknown is to celebrate the grand, heroic adventure: that archetypal journey in which the protagonist leaves home to seek something — a magic potion, healing gift, insight, or atonement — in those unexplored and unmapped territories beyond what we know. The landscapes and characters of these mysterious realms can be strange, wondrous, or frightening. Stories of these journeys can involve descents to the underworld, flights to heaven, battles with dragons, or times of fascination or fear in Oz or Wonderland.

But remember, myth is not just a collection of stories from the past. Myth determines what we consider real or important. In the world created by today’s myths – abstract, ego-based, intellectual, and alienated from the earth – the vast landscape of the Unknown may include domains and territories labeled emotional, sensual, irrational, or spiritual. Entering this world might include forays into instinct, wildness, sensuality, the shadow… encounters with power animals, spirit guides, shamanic realities… explorations in dream synchronicities, conversations with ancestors, or interspecies communication… and much more. All these forms of engagement lie outside the current consensual circle of the known, and any (or all) could be labeled frightening, flaky, irrelevant, or simply unreal.

The Unknown is immense, stretching far beyond the boundaries – literal, conceptual, and perceptual – of the known. To evoke and experience this Unknown, we affirm the presence of the Great Mystery through seeking out what is great and mysterious. Opting for fascination over fear, we aim to be entirely unreasonable, and — profound or profane — we celebrate curiosity and choose clowning over catechism – hopping over the line and bouncing beyond the pale. We welcome you to let down your hair, take off that suit of seriousness or self-importance, and come along on this little romp.