“The
job of the wayfinder, whether an ancient oracle or a modern scientific
theorist, is to reach beyond current human knowledge into the realm of the
unimagined and bring back something true and useful.” ~ Martha Beck
Do
you have a strong sense of having a specific mission or purpose in life? Do you
have a compulsion to master certain skills, to become proficient in a certain
profession? Do you have a high sense of empathy? Do you feel a strong desire to
lessen the suffering for people or animals? Do you feel as if you don’t quite
fit into normal society?
Martha
Beck addresses these questions in her rich and layered book Finding Your Way
in a Wild New World: Reclaim Your True Nature to Create the Life You Want.
Hers isn’t the first treatise on the subject of life purpose, but her approach
is more in line with ancient shamanic teachings rather than modern-day
psychology. In an engaging manner she outlines the basic tenets of the Team.
The Team, you see, is here to change the world, and many of us are on this Team
whether we realize it or not. She points out that in today’s world, knowledge
is common place; the real need is human attention. And not just any attention,
but a focus based on authenticity, inventiveness, humor, empathy, and meaning.
Team
members are wayfinders, and wayfinders have been around for millennia,
utilizing ancient technologies. Beck calls these the Technologies of Magic:
Wordlessness, Oneness, Imagination, and Forming.
Wordlessness shifts the mind
from the verbal center to the more creative and intuitive side of the brain. Oneness allows you to feel the
connections we all have to one another and the world around us. With
wordlessness and oneness activated, using Imagination
will help you achieve a level of problem solving that won’t feel like work. And
finally, Forming will bring what
you’ve imagined into the physical world. The first two are states of
consciousness, not something society places a high value upon, but without them
not much of consequence will be accomplished. People are more acquainted with the
last two skills; they are more active states, more doing states. However, it’s
important not to skip the first two because without them what you form in this
world will have no real significance or impact on those around you.
To
achieve Wordlessness, any activity that dissolves verbal attention will do,
such as singing, painting, poetry, literature, dancing, or any type of
repetitive exercise like running, swimming or cycling. One well known path to
Wordlessness is yoga.
If
Wordlessness is becoming present in the magical realm then Oneness is
connecting and communicating through it. In Oneness there is no separation
between yourself and anything else in the universe. Ancient teachers say that
we communicate with everything and everything is communicating with us. In the
Gospel of Thomas, Jesus says, “I am the light that is over all things…Split a
piece of wood and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.”
One
way to master Oneness is through deep practice, an intense way of learning a
new skill that requires persistence. It’s not a matter of repetition but rather
fully embracing the new skill, integrating it into your neural pathways, and
then branching out in new and innovative ways.
Beck
states, “To master Wordlessness, heal your true nature, and become a wayfinder,
you must unlearn almost everything you were taught in school about what it
means to be intelligent.”
Wordlessness
and Oneness can seem challenging for a person of western culture to master. “One
South American shaman who was trained by a tribe deep in the forest…has to work
to step out of Oneness so that he can understand the fear and neuroses of his
First World patients.”
Using
an analogy of a computer, mastering all four facets of the Technologies of
Magic can be thought of in this way: log on to the energetic Internet using
Wordlessness, communicate by sending energetic messages via Oneness, write code
to create things online using Imagination, and finally, print out the creation—Forming—bringing
it into the physical realm.
The
time is now. The world needs what you have to offer. Don’t wait. Perhaps you
want to rescue animals, perhaps you want to bring safe drinking water to a
third world country, or maybe you simply feel called to help an elderly
neighbor down the street get groceries. We all play a part, big and small. Nature
can heal itself and Team members are willing to leave their gilded cage and
embrace the change needed in today’s world.
