John Michael Greer is the Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA). He is the author of many books including The Druidry Handbook. Visit him at www.thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com.
According to the author, "The authentic teachings of the mystery schools offer a profoundly different way of making sense of the universe and our place in it, rooted in a deep knowledge of whole systems — a way that can, without exaggeration, be described as 'spiritual ecology.' " There is a long and noble tradition of these learning centers going all the way back to the ancient Greeks. Today, the spiritual seeker has quite a large number of choices among New Thought mystery schools. But be prepared to spend a lot of money to study the laws of the universe and the meaning of life.
Greer presents the seven core principles of spiritual ecology:
1. The Law of Wholeness
2. The Law of Flow
3. The Law of Balance
4. The Law of Limits
5. The Law of Cause and Effect
6. The Law of the Planes
7. The Law of Evolution
Each of these laws of nature is explained and then followed by a meditation, an affirmation, and a theme for reflection. Along the way, Greer offers commentary on the obsession with money, self-knowledge as the heart of the mystery teachings, the significance of beauty and power, the web of cause and effect, the lesson taught by karma, and the necessity for us to see ourselves as part of an evolutionary process.
Greer closes with some philosophical musings on mystery teachings on initiation, secrecy, awakening the soul's hidden potentials, taking our time with inner development, and living deliberately. There is stern warning for citizens of the world today in the legend of Atlantis about the high price of ignoring the laws of spiritual ecology (see the excerpt).
