EMBRACING PERSONAL HISTORY.

The more commonly recommended approaches to advanced perception involve, among other things, the abandoning of identity, ambition and ego. Among the cliches of the Casteneda influenced Toltec teachings is to 'erase personal history'. This is just fine for the guru who is waiting to take over for you. The life events of the surviving Casteneda accolates don't speak well for the results of this abandoment of personal life. There is something very sad and oppressive there.

By contrast, there is something naturally invigorating and loving about the realities and possibilities of what our ancestors and ourselves have done with 'embracing personal history'. It is by knowing who we are that we know where we are going. There is no need to insult the individual by admonishing him to lose his family. To really 'see' the entire picture of the presence of our mystic lives should come into focus.

The notion that to perceive hidden dimensions requires one to 'sign up' with arbitrary moralisms of self-sacrifice to ruling religious institutions. The esoteric doctrines of 'independent' gurus too often remain influenced by accepted rules of despots who have dominated from headquarters and pulpits. The surprisingly good news is that there is much more to our souls and spirits than we have been allowed to remember.

There is an intellectually forgotten yet instictively remembered greater understanding of our Spirit and Souls. The current assault on the 'ego' by people who have books, TV networks, and magazines with their names prominent on the covers is a hint that for success the 'ego' should not be abandoned. That there are only two functioning realties - - the 'ego' and 'non-ego' - is an oversimplification of how the psyche relates to the phenomenal and the numinous. Even Freud was working with limited concepts of the 'id' and 'ego'. Carl Jung was empowering with his erudition of what mystics and teachings of ancient mages had to teach us. His work is valuable in regaing a greater understanding.

The works of Edred Thorsson have the most comprehensive study of the many aspects of an individuals many spiritual aspects. Rather than repeat these at the moment, I want to read some of our Primary Sources and let the Lore guide me to experience and then communicate aspects of our true Spiritual identity.