“A culture falls apart when its sense of youthful imagination disappears at the same time that the wisdom of the elders is forgotten.” ~ Michael Meade
Thanks to a few evocative posts and links from my fellow blogger at Elegant Universe, (and other kindred-spirits in the blog-o-sphere!), I found my way to a series of beautiful inspirations that brought with them both affirmations and reminders this morning.
You know how those reminders and affirmations pop up sometimes like shiny breadcrumbs on the (metaphorical) path the middle of the forest, or the less traveled road as it were? And often just when they’re really needed.

So from this Sun Magazine interview with Michael Meade, comes a reminder of one of the very core purposes of why I do what I do, and share what I share; why I value the restoration of ancestral and timeless wisdom and the reclaiming of those Divine Gifts and virtues, like imagination (which has been wildly co-opted); and why I (like you, maybe) keep going, bumbling along the forest path in these wild times of ours in the face of all that could bring us to our knees in perpetual fatigue, disillusionment, and despair.
Perhaps you’ll find inspiration here, too, and so I share this bit of wisdom from Michael Meade, by way of The Sun Magazine:
“Yes, it is rare that a culture would be so thoroughly troubled at the same time that nature is so deeply disturbed. A culture falls apart when its sense of youthful imagination disappears at the same time that the wisdom of the elders is forgotten.”
“Young people are growing up in a world of tragedy. They may appear to be ignoring it, but they are actually feeling it strongly. You’re not supposed to be worrying about the end of the world as a teenager; you’re supposed to be bringing your dream to it. The world seems old and troubled now, and the young are no longer allowed to be as young as they should be.”

“On the other side of the road of life you have the elders, who are often just “olders.” They could become elders in the collective story if they could awaken from the fear that they are over the hill and going downhill.”
“They don’t understand that elders awaken through a descent into the depths, where life renews itself. Going downhill involves a process of going deeper into oneself and realizing, Aha! My life has meaning if I see it from the angle of fate revealing a sense of inner meaning and destiny.”
…
“When older people become elders, they act not out of fear but out of wisdom and understanding. They’re not sitting at death’s door still trying to check their portfolios online. Elders feel inspired to give back the wisdom they’ve extracted from life and not simply be receiving material benefits.”“If there were to be a genuine revolution in this culture — which claims to be free but increasingly lacks freedom — it’s more likely to come from older folks who give up the fears associated with aging and dying and become elders instead.”
~ From The Sun Magazine, “Your Own Damn Life: Michael Meade on the Story We’re Born With,” by John Malkin, November 2011 | issue 431. Follow the link to read the full interview.
May we find both the moxie and the courage of our heart-centered convictions to reclaim these lost gifts, embrace gathered wisdom, and step fully into the roles of dreamer-of-a-new-dream and wise elder to point the way, each in the unique way we’re called.
For more personalized Guidance for Now, explore Sophiastrology or mentor-coaching consultations:
Big Love,
Featured Image Credit: In ‘The Path’, by Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947), the artist depicted his own arduous journey through the Himalayas, and also symbolized the ‘Narrow Path’ taken by true spiritual journeyers.
March 7, 2015 at 6:29 pm
My Sage Self ~ whom I like to call The Woman with the Spices ~
is dancing with delight. Love this post, Jamie <3
March 7, 2015 at 6:59 pm
The Woman with the Spices … that’s a delicious name for your Sage Self. 🙂 Thank you, Anna Lin. I’m so glad this inspiration touched you as well. xoxo Love, Jamie
March 7, 2015 at 6:31 pm
Reblogged this on Healing Soul Streams and commented:
Lots of Sage Wisdom here for those of us who are privileged to be growing into Elders. May it be so.
March 7, 2015 at 7:00 pm
Thank you for reblogging this one, Anna Lin, and sharing the inspiration. In Spicy Wisdom, Jamie
March 7, 2015 at 8:41 pm
Loved this! Thank you Jamie!
March 7, 2015 at 9:36 pm
Thank you, Julianne Victoria. I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m still savoring your March Aquarius Tarot themes. 🙂 xoxo Jamie
March 7, 2015 at 11:04 pm
Thank you Jamie. I am gratified that you found some wisdom in the reference contained in an old post of mine. It made me go back and re-read MM’s thoughts again. (Always a good thing, yes?)
March 7, 2015 at 11:26 pm
You’re welcome, and thank you as well for the inspiration you share. Yes, I followed the links from the most recent post (WordPress is great that way, suggesting other posts!) and enjoyed those as well. And yes, it’s really nice to be reminded of what treasures are in the archive! 🙂
March 8, 2015 at 3:48 pm
Thank you for sharing this, Jamie. Very well spoken and illustrated. I feel there is so much to be gained by bring the generations back together again. One of the “blessings” of the 2008 financial crash is that many families have begun to share housing out of financial necessity. I grew up in my maternal grandparents’ home, along with my sister and single mom, who could not afford her own place to live. As a result, I was often included in social events that my grandmother attended and was doted on by her peers.Even though I was very young at the time, I felt the gift that each of us gave to the other from our generational spirits — I gave to them my youthful inspiration (infusion of energy) and they in turn shared their wisdom that came years of experience (to me this was felt as a sense of stability and groundedness.) I believe that our future holds a renaissance of inter-generational gift exchanges that will re infuse our Humanity with wonders we cannot imagine, yet some of us surely feel. Blessings, Alia
March 8, 2015 at 4:02 pm
Greetings, Alia. Thank you for sharing that; it’s a beautiful example of the the multi-generational blessing, having grown up in your grandparents’ home and the richness that added. I think it used to be more that way, especially so in some other cultures (whereas America and perhaps other Western cultures have that ‘Lone Ranger’ sort of thing going on!). But yes, I think you’re right … from the 2000 onward, even, and moreso from the 2008/2009 bankstuh shenanigans, it may be that more people are exploring more mutually supportive, connective (vs. that false sense of complete self-sufficiency/reliance). Though I didn’t live with my grandparents growing up, they were very much a part of daily life, sharing stories of their parents and ancestors, and I continue to value that foundation even more. It seems so many of us were/are unmoored, disconnected, uprooted, so we’re really having to re-root in a sense, don’t you think/sense? Thank you for opening up this pathway of the conversation! Love, Jamie
March 9, 2015 at 11:40 am
Excellent thoughts..
““Young people are growing up in a world of tragedy. They may appear to be ignoring it, but they are actually feeling it strongly. You’re not supposed to be worrying about the end of the world as a teenager; you’re supposed to be bringing your dream to it. The world seems old and troubled now, and the young are no longer allowed to be as young as they should be.”
Yes so many of the younger generation is now facing so much more pressure, Is it anywonder they constantly have their heads within their App World.. And feel lost at times I am sure..
We have lost the art of sitting down together as a family.. I always brought my own children up to sit around the table for our evening meal.. Something which is getting lots in the TV dinners and bedroom snacks on trays..
My own Granddaughter is 4, she so loves us having our meal times at the table when she stays over, and says to her parents.. ” We have proper dinner’s and Grandma’s”,
Gathering together, sharing thoughts, and your day over a meal is a healing process too..
Wonderful reminders within your words Jamie..
Have a Blessed Week
Sue
March 9, 2015 at 5:58 pm
Hi Sue. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights.
It’s so true that the ‘art of sitting down together’ — so beautifully phrased — seems often to be cast aside in the ‘high tech low touch and always on the move’ times of ours. I do think other generations of young were also ‘worrying about the world’, and many are now.
But there are unique challenges for kids now and those who’ve come of age ‘plugged in’ to wee gadgets ever holding their attention (and rewiring their brains!).
Maybe that’s why the ‘Slow Movements’ have appeared and are spreading to a variety of areas? And the same with seeking out ‘the medicine’ in what seems missing now? I recently read a powerful perspective shared by a ‘millennial’, and another that was titled ‘Everyone I know is heartbroken’, so at least some are very aware that something essential is very much missing, which is a good thing to notice!
I may have linked to that in the ‘Wisdom of Elders’ post; if not, I’ll add it or weave it into another post.
It’s so nice that your granddaughter has the experience early on of the art of sitting down together, sharing a meal together, etc. That may turn out to be one of those formative memories for her!
Thanks for visiting, Sue; always a pleasure. 🙂
Love,
Jamie
March 10, 2015 at 7:44 pm
The pleasure is all mine when I read your posts.. 🙂 Love and Light
March 10, 2015 at 8:44 pm
Thank you, Sue. That’s both kind and generous-hearted of you! And I’m glad that’s the case. 🙂 Love, Jamie