“In ancient lore it is said that a person can only feel at peace within nature if one has inner peace oneself. How many of us carry conscious secrets we refuse to unravel, and fears and emotions we fail to confront? How many of us miss the beauty and simplicity of the earth because we are too bound up in outward paraphernalia or too engrossed in our own internal baggage? Do we truly know ourselves or do we fear what we might find?

Kear, Katherine Flower Wisdom: myth, magic and mystery of flowers

I picked up this book at an old barn in Galloway as I love the old myths and folklore surrounding plants. This quote got me thinking though.

Do we truly need to know ourselves to be able to “see”?

For me I always felt that a measure of self analysis and introspection was a healthy step on the pagan path. Before I began seeking I felt that I needed to shift the emotional baggage that I carried with me. Kind of space clearing psychologically if you like.
I did not want to open myself to energy unless I could with ease erect protection and for this I needed to know my own weaknesses and strengths.
Certainly when new people to the path have asked me for complex workings or advice I have told them to go almost follow the adage “ Physician heal thyself!” i.e. before you dabble and perhaps take on too much, think on and see where you are coming from in the first instance. If you are bogged down with life, crisis or pain then working with energy is not a great idea ( for me ).

What does anyone else think of the above quote, life , universe or anything else?

I think that's a wonderful quote... reminds me a little of the famous saying of the delphic oracle 'know thyself' and also of jesus' teaching to look inwards and heal yourself before judging others.

I think introspection and self examination are vital for most religious and philosophical/spiritual paths... it's too easy to become irrational or deluded otherwise...

many thanks for posting this, I don't have much to say in reponse but I really enjoyed reading it.

Oak

Mahatma Gandhi once said: "In the attitudeof silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness."

It's important, I think, to go inside yourself frequently. This helps to get rid of unwanted or unnecessary emotions and attitudes that could be holding you back. I've gotten into the habit of going inside whenever I start getting upset about something happening and see myself getting angeried. I look inside for a way of viewing this issue differently and then I am able to get it out of mind. Letting go of attitude and destructive emotion is very important, especially if your on a quest for truth or spirituality.

So, yes I think it is imperative to know yourself before you can see.

Definately, knowing who you are and how you can response to things, is very important. I'm amazed how many people frequently delude themselves, and don't see who they really are.

I'm bipolar, and therapy is the best thing, I've ever done for myself.

I actually, believe most people would benefit from it and the world would be, a happier place, if more people went to couselors.

Also, I learned alot in group therapy too. I had no idea, I was such a strong person that I came off that way!!! lol

I have to work hard, on my tone of voice and I got rid of or learned how to control alot of my anger issues.

I get tired, of people, who want to play the poor pity me game, but refuse to learn and grow.

Therapy and really seeing yourself for who you are and working on your issues is hard work!! Also very rewarding.

Blessings Whisperedwind~

Thats another reason, I love this path, bc I am constantly learning and growing..hopefully!

A good question this Rhi

From the quote I would pick up, "How many of us carry conscious secrets we refuse to unravel, and fears and emotions we fail to confront?"

Guilty, highly guilty. But it is my choice to deal with them in my way, things from the past that should be dead and buried but still given life by me, but then again I have learnt much from them. Perhaps the lesson is remember until the lesson has been fully understood and learnt from, for mistakes will happen time and time again if we do not listen and learn from them.

From the quote too "In ancient lore it is said that a person can only feel at peace within nature if one has inner peace oneself? [cut] How many of us miss the beauty and simplicity of the earth because we are too bound up in outward paraphernalia or too engrossed in our own internal baggage? Do we truly know ourselves or do we fear what we might find?"

I am very much at peace with myself, both in life and nature. I live in truly magnificent and special surroundings and draw great pleasure from that. But the jewels of life and the earth are found in the tiniest and most horrible places too, a cobweb full of glittering dew, a rain drop on a rose, the life giving and life taking sun in the sky, the beauty of the moon, sometimes we try and look at the bigger picture not realising that it is made up of much tinier ones. I have no need for the majority of lifes mod cons, except those that are helpful, (washing machines ect) I have no television, rarely hear the radio and very rarely leave my house or land around me. I am basically happy.

"Do we truly need to know ourselves to be able to “see”? For me I always felt that a measure of self analysis and introspection was a healthy step on the pagan path."

Yes we do. We can see before, but the difference afterwards is exceedingly different, clarity, acceptance and a greater understanding come with the knowledge of really knowing oneself. When my illness really started to control my life and what I can and cannot do, I was left with a choice, that of either giving in and becoming depressed and angry about it, or that of accepting, understanding and learning to mourn for my loss and learn from it. I am far, far stronger for dealing with things headon, they might get me down while I'm doing it but the outcome is better. It has made me much stronger in all aspects of life.