Uncle Thor's Lessons, Anecdotes and Humor

There is within us a thing that responds to something that is almost etheric. We have our senses, our intellect and our instincts to survive as individuals and a species. These each have their reciprocal elements in the world of experience. Within us is another faculty that seeks something different. It is that which responds to creativity, a feeling of balance and motion and art. This aspect of us is what calls a sunset beautiful and appreciates the rhythms of music. It sees movement as dance and patterns as symmetry. For some, this facet of the self leads to creativity expressed as art, music, dance, crafts, and other aesthetic pleasures. Perhaps it is connected to our sexual instinct, which is a manifestation of the Creative Principle.

One can debate whether there is a Creator or not, but all of Life shows evidence of a Creative Principle. We have it within our own human nature. It is evident in every invention and every innovation concocted by the human mind. The Principle is visible in every work of art, every attempt to beautify, and is audible in every rhyme and song. The Creative Principle even thrives in science. It is that which urges scientists to seek and discover and reveal.

Life is creative. We see innate creativity in the many forms of life and many variants of creature that inhabit this planet. What else would urge Life to thrive in even the most inhospitable places, such as the deepest oceans and the frozen tundras? The luminescent species of the very deepest parts of the sea show the Creative Principle at work expanding the reach of Life. Bacteria that thrive in geysers and sightless fish which abide in deep underground pools are examples of creative adaptation. It matters not whether the principle is guided by an intelligence or is simply a mechanical law of nature. What matters is that this principle takes us beyond the material realm to that which can best be described as spiritual.

Our abilities, reason and instincts mostly work to keep us alive as individuals and communities. It is the Creative Principle which urges us forward. This aspect of us is what impels us to make things better, to evolve and to improve our conditions. Without it, we would still be living in trees. The Creative Principle is what takes us beyond the world of effects. Think about it and consider it in terms of your own life. Your experiences will lead you to the clearest understanding of the Principle. An appreciation of the Creative Principle will benefit you greatly.

Stephen Hawking, noted physicist, has concluded that there is no “God” because there is no time before the Big Bang. Time and space did not exist until the Big Bang. He also came to the conclusion that there is no afterlife

Many people give a high level of credibility to Dr. Hawking’s statements. He is one of them most prominent scientists of our times. The man applies scientific methods to come to his conclusions. Therefore, can we trust his statements about the spiritual side of things?

Before we give a definitive answer, consider the evidence that scientists use. They rely on things they can calculate, weigh and measure. While their methods work well for the physical side of things, they have had little success in delving into the spiritual and astral parts of life. Physicists, astronomers and chemists would never come up with a concept such as Jung’s synchronicity, for instance.

Science is good for what it is, but it has its limits. Those of us who have probed the esoteric side of life know that there are things that cannot be subjected to scientific standards. Think of those who have had so-called near-death experiences. What of all the messages that have been received from the other side? How can we explain prophetic dreams and omens that come true? Science says that we cannot know the future. Centuries of human experience with divination, omens and dreams says otherwise.

What of Gods and other spirits? What of people who have had inexplicable spiritual experiences? Were they all delusional? Superstitious? How could so many people separated by continents and millennia have similar experiences?

The fact is that science claims to consider all of the evidence, but in fact uses only that evidence that fits within its standards. Science is great for understanding our physical Universe, from subatomic particles to galaxies. It is not so good at dealing with the human side of things. Even sciences such as psychology and sociology often fall short of genuine understanding of that thing we call our “humanity.”

We recently discussed what might be at the top of the Universe. A God? A Universal Intelligence? Or just one of those inexplicable things? We do not know, and we might not be able to know for a long time coming. We know that there are entities which we call Gods and that they are not likely to be that thing at the top. There is an afterlife, if you want to call it that. Many people have gotten messages from the “afterlife” that proved true. Science might not have a way to examine it, but millennia of human experience tells us it is so. Indeed, you might have had such experiences, yourself. And if not those experiences, you more than likely had others that confirm that there is a spiritual realm.

Consider ALL of the evidence.

People are naturally driven to seek the meaning in things. Just as with reason and our other faculties, the desire for meaning must have some reciprocal element built into the world of experience. If we have that innate urge to seek, then there must be something to be found. There is more to this world than what we can weigh and measure. Our lives have meaning. We have a purpose and there is more to us than a bunch of sentient entities abiding on a relatively small planet in an average-sized solar system.

Dr. Hawking knows a lot about astronomy and physics, but he has not considered all the evidence when it comes to that subject of humanity. On matters of spirit, his statements can be dismissed. Even the logic of such a concept that there is no time before the Big Bang and so nothing could have been prior to it to create it is flimsy. After all, could there not be something other than time as we know it? Might there be another dimension that pre-existed this one, for instance? The possibilities are intriguing and might be far beyond our understanding.

Consider ALL the evidence. Life is much bigger than science and much bigger than intuition. Our vision must be big, as well.

Basically, the principle which Carl Jung called “synchronicity” deals with the coincidental nature of two or more otherwise unrelated events. It deals not only with events here and now, but the connection of events in time. Synchronicity may be the principle behind divination. It certainly leaves us much to consider.

The search for meaning is connected with synchronicity. Why else would unrelated events have meaning to an individual? We find many examples in odd coincidences and various omens. Somehow, these isolated events take on new meaning when combined with others.

Science says that we cannot divine the future. Aside from making forecasts based on accumulated facts as in weather prediction and economic forecasts, true precognition is scientifically impossible. Nonetheless, it happens. Rare is the person who has not brushed wings with an uncanny set of circumstances.

What causes synchronicity? Is it a result of some subconscious activity? There are many explanations ranging from superstitious to religious to near-scientific. None have been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. The plain fact is that despite the ways we try to explain it, synchronicity defies science.

Here is one of the many cases where meaning is a key ingredient. It is up to us to provide meaning to the seemingly coincidental events of synchronicity. An aspect of ourselves that is not subject to science must come into play. Meaning of this kind is not available through calculations, measurements and the scientific process. Meaning comes from intuition, insight and inspiration.

One day, science will be better equipped to deal with synchronicity. No matter how much better science gets, meaning will still have to come from our human nature. Our humanity gives us the answers that science cannot provide.

When we look at the wider Universe with its billions of galaxies and black holes and unimaginable distances and speeds, we wonder what it all means. What is the meaning of black holes and quasars and an incalculably vast Universe?

The same question arises if we look at the tiniest things, such as atoms, molecules and their components. We look at protons, neutrons, photons and electrons and ask what it all means. We wonder why light acts as waves if we look at it one way, and particles if we look from another perspective. There has to be a meaning, does there not?

What if there is no meaning? Why does any of this have to have meaning? If there was meaning, why have the scientists not bothered to mention it?

Meaning is a spiritual thing. The concept of meaning has no place in the physical sciences. Motion, weight and operating principles are the focus of science. Meaning and value judgements have no place there.

Meaning is not a neutral thing, nor is it without value. The point is that its value is different than that of science.

At the end of the day, meaning is a human thing. It is important to us to seek meaning in all aspects of life. No matter how coldly scientific we may think ourselves, our humanity demands its portion. Science is a human activity which is shaped by human nature. That is inescapable. It is only reasonable, then, that we seek meaning in the findings of science as much as we might seek it in other facets of human experience.

Inwardly, we know that life is more than self-animated entities inhabiting a planet in a very average solar system. Our humanity intuitively knows that there is more than mechanical principles and accidental events. We seek a reciprocal component in the world around us as much as we feel it in the world within ourselves. Things like synchronicity remind us that there are objective things that science cannot describe. They validate our belief that there is more to life and our world of experience.

Once again, we come to the balance of heart and mind. The human heart knows that mind is only half of the equation. It leads us to find that intriguing essence of meaning that we intuitively know has to be there, wherever we look. From there, the journey is up to us. Those of us who are Heathen have found meaning through the Gods and the Runes. Our beliefs light the way to finding meaning in the Universe around us, from the smallest subatomic particle to the Big Bang.. Science can at best give us half the story. We must discover the other half. Indeed, what we explore is also the greater half.

I had a very bizarre experience. Back in March my wife and I went looking for a new sofa. We found one we liked at Ashley Furniture in Freehold. Township. The price was right and the salesman assured us we would receive it with no problem. He also told us the movers would put the old sofa outside for us.

The sofa was delivered at the end of March. Well, almost delivered. The moving men put the old sofa out on the porch and then tried to get the new one through the door. They could not do it. The movers brought the old sofa back inside and brought the new one back to the warehouse., We were told we would receive store credit but would be hit with a 25% restocking fee.

Nobody contacted us further, so we went to the store. Another salesman offered to help. He suggested they use a different moving crew. Their computers were down that day, so we had to call again to make arrangements.

Friday, they delivered the sofa. It was a different crew and they got it into the house. They also refused to even touch the old sofa unless I gave them $30. I had offered them a tip, but they refused. They demanded $30. I told them they would get nothing and they left. Now I have two sofas in my living room.

I called Ashley and got a representative named Carl. He explained that the movers do not have to move the old furniture. (That is not what the salesman said.) He promised a manager would get back to me.

Nobody called.

Let’s see. The first crew could not even get the sofa into the house. The second crew could. The first crew moved the old sofa without a word. The second crew demanded $30. We had no warning that they would extort us like that. The company has been unresponsive. Do they stand behind that kind of extortion? What if it had been someone who had no room for the new sofa without removing the old one? What if they had been elderly, for instance. Or in my case, have a heart condition which makes it almost impossible for me to move it.

Had I known that they would not move the old sofa, I would never have ordered anything from Ashley Furniture.. Here is the anomalous thing: they have a good product at what looks to be a good price, but the service and delivery end is so pathetic that getting it home is a nightmare if not impossible. I found out that others have had the same problem. Apparently, Ashley Furniture is smooth at selling but can be nightmarish at delivering and at handling problems.

That is the first and last time we deal with Ashley Furniture. My wife liked their furniture, but it is obvious that the problem of delivery and service outweighs everything else. After all, we might get the movers who cannot get it through the door, or we might get the ones who want to extort us. In between, the only other resource is store credit and a 25% restocking fee. That brings up this question: what is the point of buying something if you cannot physically take possession of it? If things go wrong, all you can do is lose.

I do not recommend Ashley Furniture. As nice as the product is, the service is so pathetic that it negates anything positive. Hopefully by announcing our experience I can help someone else avoid a similar hassle.

The Yew Rune is the opposite of the Elk Rune. One is focused downward and the other upward. One is dark, the other light. One is flexible, the other is firm. One holds its ground, the other can move. Both are protective. Paired together, they offer amazing protection.

Perdra is the opposite of Sig. The Sig Rune is bright, warm and expansive. It radiates outward. Perdra is dark, enclosed and draws inward. One is open, one is closed.

There is an analogy to stars. A normal star is like our Sun. It radiates energy. The Black Hole is a collapsed star that can even affect light. Rather than give energy, the Black Hole pulls everything into itself. We can liken it to the concept of “give and take.” The Sun is a giver and the Black Hole is a taker.

Sig does all in the open. Perdra conceals its workings.

Just some ideas.

The course on the origin of the great ancient civilizations is fascinating, as it goes far beyond the curriculum of the old Western Civilization classes. There are many parallels to later periods of history.

The collapse of the Bronze Age occurred between 1200 and 900 B.C.E. The specific years varied by location but the results were the same. Civilizations were toppled. One might guess that the catalyst for collapse might be epidemics or barbarian hordes. That is not quite correct. Invaders did sack cities, but they could only do so after the collapse made the civilizations vulnerable.

The real cause of the fall of the Bronze Age was not much different from that of the Romans. It started with a collapse from within. Oversized bureaucracies, rampant government spending and chronic mismanagement started the process of decline. The policy of hiring foreign mercenaries from the borders led to a condition where the nation’s safety was left to people who saw themselves as outsiders. All of these factors led to a decline, and that led to conditions which made them vulnerable. The irony is that they actually armed and trained many of the people who would later sack their cities.

The same thing happened to Rome.

Many an institution falls not from an adversary. It falls by decaying from within. What happened to the Romans and the Bronze Age civilization can happen to modern businesses and organizations. Internal discord, runaway spending and mismanagement lead to more failed enterprises than do competitors. The ancients provide a very conspicuous example of mistakes and their consequences.

Learn from the mistakes of the peoples of the past. It is far less expensive to learn that way than it is to learn by your own mistakes.

There have been no new Lesson the past few days. The reason is simply a matter of intellectual overload. I just finished a course in physics and quantum theory for non-scientists and another course in Black Holes. I am now taking one about the origins of ancient civilizations. At the same time, I am doing some heavy reading on physics, psychology and history.

In my notes and old lessons, I had catalogued many correlations between science and aspects of Heathenism. My wife and I are interested in science and often watch the Discovery, NatGeo and History channels. (And for me, the Military Channel. Aha!) Granted, those programs are “science-lite.” They led me to the realization that there are huge gaps in my knowledge of modern science, among other things. As a result, I have been trying to gain a deeper knowledge of physics, relativity, and cosmology.

This stuff has my head reeling! Last year, I had the idea of compiling a work showing analogies between science and Heathenism. Thinking I had enough information, the work began. Then came the realization that more information was needed. Getting that additional information has revealed even more correlations between scientific principles, human nature, the Runes and the Gods. This goes beyond such trite statements but true statements like “The Special and General Theories of Relativity are contained within the Raido Rune.”, “Thor is connected with the expansion principle and indeed may be linked to the astronomical phenomenon known as dark force.” and “The Fe Rune would also include invisible aspects such as dark matter.” Are you satisfied with those comments? I am not! The statements need to be followed with reasons and solid examples to illustrate the things they describe.

Here is one mind-boggler. I had been sure that the Black Hole could be explained as a Perdra phenomenon, and the Event Horizon also had elements of the Yew Tree Rune. Now that I know so much more about Black Holes, I have to account for white dwarfs, neutron stars and the fact that some aspects of the Black Hole may not be limited to Perdra. This is but one of many things that have come to light by making a deeper study.

So stay tuned. Just as one Rune leads to another, so it is with science. And I thought this was going to be easy….

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I’ve tried three courses from The Teaching Company. Basically, the classes are on DVDs and they come with a small course book. The lecturers are professors from various universities. They are convenient because I can study at my own pace. For me, that means doing two or three lectures a day.

Every so often, one cable channel or another may run a marathon of popular old television shows. For instance, the SyFy Channel has Twilight Zone marathons two or three times a year. One thing common to all of these marathons is that they choose television shows that tell a good story. The scenery and special effects may seem hokey by today’s standards, but the story lines and characters are so good that it does not matter.

Movies used to tell great stories, too. Many of the old movies are classics because they presented great stories and memorable characters. The old television shows and movies had a blend of good writing and originality. There is much less of both today.

The problem is that the folks making the movies and television shows are focused on making money rather than telling a good story. Producers and writers are not content to earn the people’s interest. They want to buy it. The result is a continuous stream of formulaic story lines and one-dimensional characters. When ideas for new story lines run dry, remakes of old stories emerge. Remakes are actually cheap attempts to make a profitable new version of the original. Remakes usually fail.

Many new shows are actually thinly-veiled remakes of others, with a few cosmetic changes.

A good example of a storytelling crisis involves a book entitled “Starship Troopers.” The book is a classic of science fiction. Its writer, Robert Heinlein, populated it with a solid cast of characters and gave it an intriguing story line. It is considered one of the best books in its genre.

A Dutch movie maker wanted to produce a film version of Heinlein’s book. He claimed to be inspired by the V2 rockets the Germans launched when he was a little boy in occupied Holland. There were sensational special effects but little else. The characters were as flat as the script’s story line. “Starship Troopers” the movie could not hold a candle to “Starship Troopers’ the book.

A similar thing happened with two movie versions of a book entitled ;’”I am Legend.” The first movie, released with the title “The Omega Man,” turned out to be an excellent story. Charlton Heston played the lead role. A modern version entitled “I am Legend” starred Will Smith. The story line had suffered and it was nowhere near as good as the earlier movie. Obviously, the writers of the latest version felt that special effects would win the day. A good story would have been a much better option.

The current fare on television and in the movies is not much. The only good story being told is “Game of Thrones” on HBO. I am led to ask myself: “Where have all the good stories gone?” Writing is like any art. The object made for money is never as good as the object made as art. I’ll take art over the potboiler any day. How about you?

What runs the Universe? What started the Big Bang? Monotheists will tell you that it was “God”. They believe that the creator of the Universe was their God. That is pretty funny, since most of them also think their God is a great big magickal man. They believe that he wears a shining robe and sits on a throne in a great palace, attended by angels and the dead. How could such a being create a Universe? Many of them believe that it did so by giving orders.

What runs the Universe? What sets things in order? Is it a sentient being? A single Universal principle? The aggregate of all the laws of science? A subatomic particle known as the Higgs Boson? Those are very simplistic answers.

Perhaps the highest thing in the Universe is of such a nature that we have absolutely no concept of it. It may be totally different from every idea of a deity or spirit or “intelligence” that has been conceived by mankind since the origin of our species. The thing could be incredibly complex or absolutely simple. The nature of its existence could be so far outside the capabilities of our mind, intuition and senses that it is literally unthinkable. We cannot even make an educated guess as to what it is or what it does. The slightest inkling of what it is could be something that we cannot understand at our present level of evolution. We would have no parameters by which to understand even the smallest aspect of it. Such a thing could be so elusive to our thinking that it would take thousands of years of evolution before our minds could even come up with a name for it.

Possibly, such a distant being would have no means for communicating with us, or we with it. The separation between our nature and its essence could be so vast that deliberate interaction would be rare, if not virtually impossible. We have Gods with whom we can interact. Perhaps they know the nature of this highest thing in the Universe. However, if it is that distant from our understanding, the Gods might not be able to explain it to us. It may be so bizarre to our way of thinking that there is no way to explain it to us.

This is all speculative. It is just one possible explanation among many. In a Universe this vast and varied, it stands to reason that whatever abides at the highest levels of existence is beyond the reach of our most inspired thoughts. The classic idea of a Creator God pales when viewed in context of the size and nature of our Universe. Things such as the speed of light, the curvature of time and space and the behavior of subatomic particles tell us that there is more to existence than would be available through the traditional Creator type.

One of the consequences of exploring the spiritual realm through the use of reason is the realization of our own intellectual limitations. We encounter things that are instantly knowable and other things that take time for us to know. At the far end of this are the things that remain unknowable. Some will take a much longer time to know and others will remain out of reach for the foreseeable future. There are limits to our intellect and intuition. Transcending those limits may take more than patient effort. We can safely say that there will be things beyond our current state of consciousness.

For those who like to believe that Gods made humankind out of trees or dust or clay, trite answers concerning the nature of the higher Universe will suffice. We who believe that our creation was a more complex thing and that Gods are not great big magickal will settle only for the truth. A trite answer will never do. Doubt may persist until the truth is revealed, but better to abide with doubt than accept a convenient explanation that is probably false. Spiritual discovery at this level takes a special kind of courage. There are no easy answers.