I just finished listening to the new Wigglian Way podcast. The Wigglian Way is one of the longest running Pagan podcasts – now in its 6th year, with 87 episodes. It’s one of only a few I’m subscribed to – while it’s light-hearted and humorous, it has plenty of good content and very little of the “morning drive radio” silliness I hear on too many podcasts.
This episode included host MoJo’s commentary on the archetype of The King, taken from Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette’s book King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine. I’ve heard lots about this book but I’ve yet to read it – this isn’t a book review or even a podcast review so much as some thoughts that occurred to me as I was listening to the podcast.
“The land and the King are one” – the King brings order to society through right rule. When the King is just and wise the land and the people will flourish. If the King is unjust or ineffective the Goddess of Sovereignty will withdraw her blessing and crops will fail, enemies will invade, and other troubles will beset the realm.
Who or what is King of your life? Who or what rules your realm? Is your King (or Queen – this is not a gender-specific issue) wise and just? Or are there signs the Goddess of Sovereignty is displeased?
This is not a concept we encounter much in UU and Pagan circles. The idea of monarchical decision-making is unthinkable – we believe in the democratic process and in consensus. More than that, we believe facts should drive decisions. We’re reasonable, rational people – if we collect enough data the correct decision should be obvious.
If that was true we would not have such deep division in our political world. Liberals and conservatives aren’t at each other’s throats because they disagree on the facts. They’re at each other’s throats because they disagree on core values and foundational myths.
This is not a political post and I am not advocating a return to monarchy. This is a post about how we choose to live our lives as individuals. And my personal experience is that when your King is not your True Will, when you try to let decisions make themselves, when you act without thinking, then sooner or later your harvests will be less than they could be and less than they should be. They will not be enough to sustain your soul.
Why are you in this world? What great works did you set for yourself before you were born? What have your gods and ancestors called you to do? This is your True Will. Are you doing it? Does it inform your every decision?
Is your True Will the King of your life? If not, what do you need to do to make it so?
The land and the King are one.
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