Image by Ravynne Phelan
Today I drew the ‘Destiny’ card in answer to the question; “What does planet Earth hold in store for humanity now?” I deliberately left out the word ‘future’ in forming my question as that pre-supposes the idea that our destiny is some ‘futuristic point’, as yet unknown… when it is my belief that we are (in some sense)creating our own destiny … as ‘a collective’ and as humanity progresses.
If you take the literal dictionary definition of the word ‘destiny’, it is believed ‘to be the force that controls our future and that which we think is beyond our control’.
‘What we think is beyond our control…’
I was recently reading an article in The Observer which quotes moral philosopher Toby Ord and references his new book, ‘The Precipice’.
Ord argues that we are much less adept at anticipating potential catastrophes that have no precedent in living memory. “Even when experts estimate a significant probability for an unprecedented event,” he writes, “we have great difficulty believing it until we see it.”
“This was precisely the problem with the coronavirus. Many informed scientists predicted that a global epidemic was almost certain to break out at some point in the near future”.
It was an existential threat that we were not prepared for. And it may not be the last.
“Humanity”, he says, “is in its adolescence, and like a teenager that has the physical strength of an adult but lacks foresight and patience, we are a danger to ourselves until we mature”. In his book, Ord recommends that, we “slow the pace of technological development so as to allow our understanding of its implications to catch up and to build a more advanced moral appreciation of our plight”.
Global problems don’t always have immediate global solutions and whilst international co-operation might be seen as some futuristic ‘Utopian’ aim never to be achieved, I truly believe that unless we strive for some kind of global unity and ‘working together’, the threat to humanity’s future survival remains a perpetual one.
And that isn’t meant to sound a pessimistic view… I am by nature the eternal optimist. But it is time for a Global reality check!
Like me I’m sure, you are probably hearing many ‘future predictions’ about how the world may look, post Covid 19. Perhaps the most important question is how us and the world might be changed…
Check out the image in the card. We see a ‘Dolmen’ (stone monolith) encasing what looks like static electricity. I am reminded here of the Ark of the Covenant, the sacred chest made by the ancient Israelite’s and according to the command and design of God. The Ark is believed to hold the Ten Commandments and ‘house’ God’s power.
The talons of the eagle are configured as tree branches suggesting the ‘higher vision’ needed to navigate our way forward as well as a return to the old, traditional and ancient healing practices. Humanity has lost its way… we have failed to uphold the message of those commandments. We see a woman (goddess) face encompassed within a darkening moon… a return to the sacred and feminine and a letting go of the patriarchal practices that have dominated us for centuries and are ruining our precious Earth…
We all have a personal destiny and that is one that drives us to achieve fulfilment; one that urges us to utilise our inherent gifts and talents and to find meaning and purpose in our life. At the same time we have a universal destiny to become whole and connected, to find our centre and to overcome everything that threatens and destroys our peace. Our universal destiny will influence the way future generations live. A universal destiny that places ‘peace’ as its central aim … is the only destiny that humanity should be seeking.
So just for today, find 5 minutes of quiet and solitude and dig deep within. Find that peaceful centre… and breathe it in … then radiate it out in any way you feel able. Smile at the good things in your life and make peace with the bad…
Be at peace.
In the film Forest Gump, I am reminded of the beautiful monologue by Forest as he stands over Jennie’s grave at the end of the film. He says; “I don’t know if we each have a destiny, or if we’re all just floatin’ around accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it’s both. Maybe both is happenin’ at the same time”.
I am with you on that one Forest.
Love, light and Blessings
Jacky