In today’s episode of the EMP Podcast we have our good friend John Vervaeke back for a discussion that circles around the concept of balance as it relates to spirituality, culture, philosophy and life.
In a lot of ways this episode is a continuation of some of the concepts we presented last time John was on the show (check below to find that episode).
Balance is a primary attribute of the sage archetype because of their expert ability to understand and draw wisdom from many sources— even those that may seem to be at complete odds with one another.
Through their own individuation and ego death, they are able to avoid being manipulated, swayed, corrupted by false dogma or blinded by ideologies, so we look towards the sage as being an embodiment of wisdom.
Of course, in our own lives this is a staggeringly difficult process, and it’s made even harder by the fact that many of the guiding doctrines and institutions we have available to us do little to cultivate a broad and balanced viewpoint of the world.
In fact, many actively guide us away from that balance and when we find ourselves tied to them, it can be a harrowing process to free our minds and hearts from their grasp.
So in today’s conversation we’re going to dive into some of the ways this shows up in our culture and how it has a lasting effect on our ability to find meaning in life and develop deep connections to ourselves and the world around us.
We will look closely at the divide between western religious practices and nature based spiritual practices and see how they can both draw wisdom from one another.
We will also look at Jordan Peterson’s work to critique some of his tendencies around favoring certain archetypes and narratives while neglecting those that balance and oppose them, particularly his underdeveloped appreciation for the feminine heroic and how that is reflected in Christianity.
Once we become aware of these pitfalls, it becomes at least a little bit easier to avoid them and to furthermore create an ecology of practices aimed at cultivating more wisdom and more meaning in your life.
John has been absolutely instrumental in helping us at Evolve Move Play grasp and refine a deeper understanding of what meaning is and how movement plays a crucial role in it’s attainment.
If you’re interested in hearing more about his work, check out our previous episodes with him by clicking the links below or check out his YouTube series “Awakening from the Meaning Crisis.”
