Provincial Master's Message

Sisters and Brothers, Sorores and Fraters;

Each of us is undergoing many challenges in life at this point in history, challenges that are new and different from those we have experienced previously. There are common challenges we all share like the potential of COVID-19 illness, its economic effects, and its required social isolation. Add to this the effects of climate change, social unrest and other “changes” in our world. Individually many of us are experiencing other, personal disruptions in our “normal” life like non-COVID illness, legal problems, family stresses, the death of loved ones and such. These are, indeed, troubled times.

There are those who say this is a spiritual event, a cosmic crossroads where humanity is to undergo a divinely ordained “push” to a realm of higher consciousness and refined spirituality. “They” say this period is one of stress and confusion because we are resisting rather than embracing this change. The pain comes from striving to keep our old, material ways rather than embracing new, spiritual awarenesses.

There may be some truth in this way of viewing current events. But being a walking question mark, I say “maybe so, maybe no.” I’d rather take the step back and observe the effects and results of all this life disruption and interpret it in the context of our traditional mystical philosophy. What is the purpose?

We know that the law of Karma drives our lives – what we experience is the direct result of our thoughts and actions. Sometimes Karma works slow and takes many lifetimes before Divine justice balances the scales of action/reaction. But then we sometimes encounter “instant Karma” and immediately get to experience the result of our way of life. I suspect that this time in history is one of accelerated learning and working through of Karmic debts. The result of both our past actions and our current actions are being dramatically displayed and we all are having to pay the price in life disruption.

It is disruption, but is this all bad? We are told to “know thyself.” When we live a tranquil and controlled life we have no stimulus from which to learn. I think we naturally desire and strive for a stable environment in which to live – we like to feel in control and have no upsets or surprises to cause us to feel insecure. This is fine but it may leave us with nothing new, stimulating, or educational. We need surprises to grow, to come up with new ideas, to expand our experiences in the world. So, perhaps all this life disruption is allowing us to discover more of ourselves, who we are, how we think, what hidden talents and abilities we have when we have to get out of our ruts, have to improvise in continuing to live. In alchemist terms it takes the fire of the crucible to refine the dross.

The bottom line here is that rather than fighting and resisting the changes in our lives we should examine them, discover what lessons they are presenting us, and modify our way of thinking and acting to take advantage of the new knowledge. It may be hard in the middle of serious life upset, but consider all this a gift for our continued (accelerated?) spiritual evolution.

May you ever dwell in the Eternal Light of Divine Wisdom!

David Schloegel, S.I., F.R.C.

Provincial Master

Traditional Martinist Order