New Pioneers
The sacred stories of our ancestors will help us form the new myths that are needed for our troubled times. Without such myths, we are lost, and have little hope of finding our way. With the right myths, miracles become second nature and the promise of a more beautiful world is restored.
At the beginning of 2021, it dawned on me that Sacredphrenia is about much more than transmuting the state of consciousness we call “schizophrenia.” I asked Spirit to show me what this project is really about, and the answer honestly caused me to question my hard-earned sanity a little.
“You want me to do 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵?“
Mind you, grandiosity is an allegation that gets tossed around in these spaces on the regular. The common stereotype is the “schizophrenic” who thinks he’s Jesus. Me being the mental health renegade, I can’t help but wonder why similar archetypes show up so consistently. Is it possible these sensitive souls act as channels for a higher consciousness (or sometimes a lower consciousness) that wants to express itself, but somehow the wires get crossed before the message gets delivered?
What happens when a healthy sacredphrenic delivers the message? Do they cease to be sacredphrenic and instead enter the realm of the shaman-mystic? Have they gained a special position precisely because they’ve distilled an unbelievable amount of darkness into light?
Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you I’m Jesus. However, I am going to tell you we must become Christ. If we do not, history will swallow us whole.
No image summarizes it better than Mark Henson’s “New Pioneers,” the artwork featured above, a sacred painting if I’ve ever seen one. It tells the story of the crossroads we face, the biggest crossroads humanity has ever faced.
If you look closely, you will see the central pioneer studying cave paintings, seemingly the coded message that will help us escape the gravitational pull of our own extinction in favor of a world based on honoring nature’s laws. In order to evolve, we must return to what made us human in the first place: an intimate understanding of these laws, stemming from a sacred view of life and our own divinity.
Beneath “New Pioneers,” I’m seated at my desk. I can see the crossroads furled out in front of me as I type this sentence, blazoned over my mind’s eye like a perpetual filter. It informs much of what I do, including my decision to take a hiatus from Sacredphrenia so I could work on my health and prepare myself for the next phase of this project.
I have to be honest, I don’t always choose more life. There are parts of me that are addicted to the old story, that tired tale that says we are separate and there’s no way we can make a meaningful difference in the face of the colossal challenges we face.
In this moment, I choose more life. That muscle gets stronger everyday.
I see you standing next to me at this crossroads. I’m glad you made it here at this incredibly important time. I bet you’re weary from your decades-long journey. Here, set your load down awhile. We’ve quite a decision to make, all eight billion of us.
Pull up a lantern and let’s study these old cave paintings. There’s never been a better time to become a New Pioneer.
