Off The Beaten Path

One of the things I notice about metaphysical fairs that has remained constant over the years is the underlying sense of optimism about them.

The variety of things that a person might encounter there have one thing in common. People who offer natural and traditional methods to healing, products that contribute to a healthy environment, alternative energy, ways of developing our pyschic and creative abilities, all are putting forward solutions to problems, and offering mind expanding concepts about life.

While the wide open and accepting nature of metaphysical people and events has also provided a platform for things that are without much merit, those things usually fade away while the people and methods of substance remain.

As we have seen in recent years, politics and power are often the stumbling blocks to progress. For example creative people have been promoting alternative energy for years, and invented methods to produce it. More energy efficient vehicles and homes are already possible, it is just that the powers that be have long chosen not to really promote their development and use.

Herbal healing has been a fact of human life for millennia, so it is interesting to hear experts express doubt about it. But it is about the money. Energy healing, hypnosis and other methods which have ancient roots are also considered alternative, although they were here first.

It is satisfying to see the wheel turning, as more people become interested in these things all the time. When grocery chains become interested in organic foods, there are yoga studios and herb shops in every shopping center, massage has become readily available, and people going through major life changes get readings to gain another perspective and some insight into how to deal with these changes, there is more acceptance of these concepts and methods across the general population.

This is one of the reasons I have long been involved in all this. Looking through a lens of life affirming methods and associating with life affirming people adds to our resources for getting more joy and satisfaction out of every day. Workshops and courses of all types will continue to be popular because people are always open to finding ways to improve their quality of life.

Looking into those many things that were at times dismissed as foolish, outdated or superstitious has proven to be a boon to many. When many of the realities of our world are crumbling and being replaced or rebuilt in unfamiliar ways, the whole spectrum of metaphysics, holistic health, environmentalism and personal growth have much to offer.

Journeying off the beaten path has a great deal to offer the traveler who is open to life's journey, savoring the experience and adventure of it all, and finding hidden treasures of joy and discovery in these unlikely places. Optimism, like laughter, and curiosity, make good medicine.