“The serpent is eating itself” – Dax Riggs

I’ve been thinking about time, consciously aging and the attributes of a magnum opus.  

My mind is what it is. Several concepts that don’t seem to be mutually exclusive flow and roll like waves within my psyche, creating a narrative that is unique to myself. This may very well be the spice of life, or at the very least, the essence of my art.

Braving the Days is an aging (in the most positive of ways) column full of contents surrounding spiritual exploration and conceptual fodder through the lens of existential thought. I’ve been sitting here for an hour and a half, resonating with myself, trying to write this new entry and wondering if I have anything new to contribute. Early this morning, I thought, “I listen to hip hop more than I do my guru these days,” but that isn’t entirely true.

I was listening to my guru last night, exploring a four part series called “Methods of Consciousness”. It begins with him explaining the seven chakras. But my relationship with my guru has changed. Now that I have more experience, I realize the way he explains things, which is through humor and mushrooms isn’t exactly what I need anymore. As I get older, I need things to be executed in a more straightforward manner. And I want to be moved and inspired through music and astrology.

Musically, I’ve been thinking “When will it be time to define and amplify classics of the future? Am I currently listening to my favorite artist’s magnum opus?”

Nonetheless, I am currently living in the midst of a global pandemic that is ripping through the earth like wildfire. Everything is on hold. My mind though, is ever changing and evolving, yearning to interact with itself and the external world with adventurous fervor.

But if I, or one of my friends or family gets sick, my experiential wonderlust will be altered. What I thought was important in the days prior will fall away…as did a few things I had been immersing myself in before the news of the pandemic hit. Some things I had been grappling with seem trivial now that the world is ravaged in a war with an invisible opponent.

It is hard to write without feeling the responsibility of acknowledging these unprecedented times. It almost feels selfish and privileged for me to have the freedom to  write about whatever concepts are coursing through my spirit. But if we are not cultivating the contents of our spirits how can we become the human beings we aim to be? Maybe the cultivation will make me a better caretaker. Is it possible that compassion comes through the will of the maturing soul?

I suppose these are defining questions of the human experience. These questions can be answered, but the answer will only emerge via the seeker of inner knowledge.