I’ve been thinking about this post for a little while. On my walk in the woods on 1st January, I decided to visit where I entered the Lower Realm in my Introduction to Shamanic Journeying course. It’s a beautiful little overhang of the bedrock in Craigmillar Woods.
I sat there for 5 minutes, and a young chap walked past me twice before approaching me. He told me that God compelled him to come and talk to me. He asked why I was sitting there, and after hearing about my meditation, he shared some of his history with me. After doing a lot of exploration of spirituality and astral projection when he was younger, he concluded that the places that he visited there were real. Further, he concluded that every spirit he met was demonic. They may have helped him then and told him things to help people, but in the end, they were demons. I said to him his view was interesting but left it at that.
It is fascinating that he considers the places real. I’m unsure where he visited, but I am glad he recognizes them as real. The Bible concludes that every spiritual experience that is not ratified by them is demonic. This creates a very simplistic, uncolourful worldview where everything is black and white.
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,/Than are dreamt of in your philosophy”
(Hamlet, 1.5.165–66).
I think a more nuanced view is that there are many creatures/spirits/gods and goddesses in the Universe. They all have different experiences, needs, wants, and desires. It is up to us to assess each creature/spirit/god and goddess separately.
We then spoke a little about our spiritual paths. He wasn’t surprised to hear that I’m not into Christianity after being disillusioned with it. I try to be a good person, and that is enough for me. If anything, I would say I am an agnostic Pagan. Some things are useful from Christianity, and some aren’t. As pointed out by John Beckett in this recent article, our actions matter the most.
It’s not enough to just be a good person, you have to accept and submit to God. Do you think if you go to court after getting caught speeding, the judge would accept if you were just a good person? It’s the same at the Gates.
Christian in the wood
After this conversation about eternal damnation, he suggested that part of the reason that society had lost its way was not following the teachings in the Bible, mainly surrounding homosexuality and gender identity. This was where I decided the conversation had gone on long enough. I’m not interested in someone’s opinion of sexuality or gender identity based on prejudice or “divine teachings”. This was then followed by an invitation to City on a Hill Church. I haven’t linked the Church as I don’t want the association.
His concluding question was whether he could pray for me. I told him I was sure he could do anything he liked. At that point, he grabbed my arm and started praying. This was very uncomfortable, as I hadn’t given him permission to touch me. After he left, I felt compelled to meditate and seek calmness from the Spirit of Place.
This whole encounter left me a little disturbed. Was it a coincidence that he appeared at that moment? Why the intolerance? Were all spirits demonic in nature?
I’ve since concluded that he was there to show me what I didn’t want to become.