The Gift To Be Simple
Look at any truly great idea of our world and you will see that invariably they are simple. Knowing that the greatest gift the Universe can bestow upon anyone is simplicity, I like to keep all things in my life as simple as possible. If you are familiar with my work, you may have noticed that I always use as simple language as possible. In the hope of avoiding misunderstandings, I keep away from words with many syllables and maybe have their origin in the Latin or Greek language. Whenever such words come to mind, as indeed they do, I replace them with some that can easily be understood by everybody, including people from other cultural backgrounds. In my view, avoiding many syllabled words in the English language definitely adds to the beauty of any author’s work.
This is a habit, a knack and a skill I developed during my school days in Germany; it has its roots in the love of all languages. It just so ‘happened’ that the first one I acquired during this lifetime was the German one. We were taught to avoid ‘foreign’ words, i.e. those that have their origin in other languages, as almost always there is a perfectly good German word available and waiting to be used. This perception I have carried forward into the English language, where I feel it works equally well.
Languages are tools the Divine places into everybody’s hands; like any other tool they need to be cared for and appreciated. The ability to communicate by using languages in speech and writing is a gift from God; the same as any other it deserves to be loved and cherished. The skilful use of the spoken and written word in any language of our world is an art form. Or at least it can be and, in my view, should be developed by all God’s children of the Earth. But, as in the whole of Creation all things are constantly changing and evolving, so are we and also the languages that were given to us to help us converse with each other.
It is interesting to reflect on the changing use of languages and to observe how the meanings of some of the words alter with time into their polar opposite. One of the finest examples of this must be the verb ‘to conspire’; an old dictionary reveals that it once stood for ‘to breathe together, to agree in thought and to unite’. The modern version of the Oxford Dictionary, however, defines it as: ‘making secret plans jointly to commit an unlawful or harmful act – or of circumstances that seem to be acting together, especially with unfortunate results.’
Clearly, the old meaning of the word is no longer of any use to us. If we wish to be understood by the generations that are present now, we have to communicate with them in a language that speaks to their hearts and souls. It is likely that in the meantime even our grandmothers and grandfathers will have forgotten what the word in question once meant.
Language is a wonderful and quite magical thing! Depending on the decisions we make, it can act like a sword that cuts and hurts that which is good. Or it can be used to slice away outdated, diseased and festering parts that are of no use to us any more. In the hands of a healer it can be turned into a therapeutic appliance for soothing the cuts and bruises a soul has received whilst trying to come to terms with its existence on the physical plane of life. In its great wisdom the Universe places this potentially highly dangerous device into every soul’s own hands and allows us all the freedom to choose how we wish to apply it. The outcome of this reveals much better than anything else which degree of spiritual maturity human souls have reached thus far and how ready they are to move on to lessons of a more elevated nature.
About ten hours after writing this chapter and posting it to my website, I ‘chanced’ to pick up the latest issue of the magazine of the White Eagle Lodge. As I had only ten minutes to spare, I turned to my favourite page, the last one, as that is usually a short one. To my amazement, halfway down the page I found White Eagle’s confirmation of my earlier insights into the gift of simplicity.
From ‘The Gentle Brother’ Stella Polaris April/May 2009: ‘We bear in mind that simplicity is the bedrock of profundity and that in the simplest language may be presented the grandest truths. You must become simpler before you can grow, but beware of foolishness. Simplicity stands for purity and beauty within your heart. Simplicity of heart means tenderness to all, tenderness even with yourself, and with your own particular problem.
‘May we learn patience. May we understand true simplicity, and through these qualities construct within our being the great Temple of Light. Let us pray for simplicity – simplicity of heart and life, that we may be clear vessels for the Great White Light. Let us concentrate our mind and heart upon the Great Light, knowing that all is good in God’s life. Love alone is the supreme knowing.’
This article is a chapter from ‘Astrology On The Healing Journey’.
If it has whetted your appetite to read more, please follow the link below:
‘Astrology On The Healing Journey’