Happy Ragnarok?
Published: Fri, 12/21/12
Today is the day that Venetia and I are finally clearing Mum's
house and that will be the end of an era for my family. Especially
my mother of course but it is also the end of a permanent link with
Barnet where I was born and grew up. So while we have been
physically emptying a house there has also been a strong sense of
releasing the past. My mother cried for a few moments as she left
the house yesterday and I found myself joining her, lots of reasons
and memories and not least that she moved here with my father and
it was their last home before he died in 2001. But my mother
doesn't brood on the past and by the time we got to the top of
the road she was chatting happily about how much she was looking
forward to Christmas with my brother and his family and then moving
into her flat in the new year.
So my extended family is having a kind of mini Ragnarok, and
although hard work and disruptive is actually proving to be a very
positive experience. All members of my family have been supportive
and encouraging, the other buyers and sellers are delightful people
and the professionals; Estate agents, solicitors and the removal
firm have all given first class service. Sometimes it does work
like that, and believe me, we are all truly grateful.
But what about the wider concept of Ragnarok? I have suggested
above that, drawing directly on current personal experience, that a
ragnarok (total change experience) will be emotional but can be
painless if there is genuine decency and good will from all those
involved. Ragnarok in the Norse Mythology is not that experience,
of course a peaceful change with friendship and good will amongst
all parties involved wouldn't have made such a good story. But
if we look around our wider world we know that violence and ill
will is present in far to many situations. We also know the
goodness that is present in human beings and, for most of us, most
of the time, this is what we experience. So the big question is:
If we know how to be good to each other, and everyone does to some
extent, why do we see so much bad treatment going on in the world?
Okay, that is one of the big philosophical questions and I have a
move to complete today, so just this thought about it.
At Ragnarok only the gods and the bravest who have already fallen
in battle actually turn up and fight. Most beings probably
don't even know what is going on and just cower in fear until
they are destroyed. Those who do fight seem to think they are
struggling with their foes on equal terms. In some cases they are
handicapped by previous mistakes and compromises. Frey gave up his
sword for obsessive love, Tyr lost his hand to restrain the Fenris
wolf, Thor has a piece of stone lodged in his forehead. These
brave warriors may take their opponents with them but they die in
the struggle. Even Odin is swallowed up by his nemesis. Only
Vidar has what it takes to tear open the enemy and see what is
inside, discover what he is really fighting. Once he has seen the
true nature of the old order he is fit to lead in the new world
that emerges from the destruction of the old.
So which are you? Are you really unaware that the world is
changing and believe that you don't have to take any notice of
what is going on outside your own little world? Or are you willing
to engage with the issues of the world but believe that voting for
the right person and the adoption of the appropriate social policy
will put things right? Or are you willing to discover how to tear
open the wolf's jaws and have a hard look inside? A lot of
people already are doing this, when enough people do then we will
have our Ragnarok or the change of consciousness that has been
predicted for today. You may think I am being cryptic and should
give more specific examples and maybe links to what you should be
looking for. But I am not going to, if you are ready to open the
wolf's jaws then you will be guided to the right way for you,
if you are not then no one else can show you how until you are
ready.
Happy Winter Solstice.