If someone had asked me 15 years ago what my cosmology was, I would have said I didn’t have one. I would have been wrong. We all have one. The question is whether we are aware of our cosmology.
A person’s cosmology is “a theory or doctrine describing the natural order of the universe,” and whether we’ve ever consciously thought about it or not, we all have an understanding of how the universe works.
Before I began creating a spiritual life that worked for me, my cosmology was a hodgepodge of what everyone else had told me about how the universe worked.
In that version of my cosmology, the “natural order” was that no matter how smart a girl was, she’d never be as valuable as a man; that luck and fate controlled everyone’s destinies; and that the “good life” was for other people.
Yeah, not a great universe to live in.
As I grew spiritually, though, I began to consider and adopt other ideas of how the universe works. For me, the “natural order” includes a friendly Universe that harmonizes everything through Divine Love, a recognition and celebration that I am the only thing I can really change, and an understanding of how words and thoughts create my reality and my experience of it.
I’m not saying my cosmology is any better than anyone else’s or that you need to change yours. I am saying that exploring my cosmology helped me weed out old beliefs that had kept me from becoming who I wanted to be and adapt new ideas that have supported me in growing into the person I am today.
If you’re not sure what your cosmology is, consider the questions below to begin your exploration of how you think the universe works and whether those ideas are supporting you in becoming the person you want to be.
What Is Your Image of the Divine?
Whether you were brought up in a religion or are new to the spiritual path, the image you hold of the Divine, or whatever name you use for the something that is beyond the physical world (God, Allah, Christ Consciousness, Higher Power, etc.), is a powerful aspect of your understanding of the “natural order.”
My childhood image of God was that of a judgmental, angry, old white man in the clouds who loved nothing more than messing with and testing “His” people.
As I began to explore what a spiritual life that worked for me might look like, I knew I had to let go of that old image and discern a new one. This new image, which continues to evolve and grow, allows me to live from a more heart-centered space. It makes room for mystery and awe, and I am better able to feel my connection with the Divine (my favorite “God” word) and grow in relationship with it.
I’m not suggesting that you have to change your image or name for the Divine. I’m just suggesting that examining what that image is might support you in deepening your own experience and understanding, which can inform a cosmology that works for you.
Why Are You Alive?
Pondering why you’re alive may seem like a deep dive, and it is. It is also a great way to figure out what you think life is all about in general and what your life is all about specifically.
My most honest answer to this is “I don’t know, but I have a few theories.” Truthfully, theories may be the best that we can do, so picking a theory that allows you to live a life that you deem worth living is paramount.
What I do know is that my theories have changed. The answer to “Why am I alive?” today is a lot different than the one I would have given 30 years ago. If you haven’t thought about this question recently, maybe revisiting it can help point you toward a mission or help you identify a purpose that you may, or may not, already be living.
What Is the Natural Order of…?
Finally, consider what you think the “natural order” of different aspects of life are. For example, what do you think the natural order of relationships is?
Would you say that they are great in the beginning but someone always gets hurts in the end? Would you say relationships have a rhythm and purpose to them that includes getting to know yourself better? Would you say they are more trouble than they are worth? Your answer is part of your cosmology.
To explore that cosmology even more deeply, try asking yourself what you believe the “natural order” is of the following:
· Money
· Work
· Family
· Sex
· Physical health
· Mental health
One Last Idea
As you explore your cosmology, keep one more idea in mind: How real or true are the beliefs you have uncovered? Do they still resonate with who you are today? And perhaps most importantly, if you could change a “natural order,” what would you change?
I’d love to hear how the exploration of your cosmology goes. What did you discover? Any surprises? What are you keeping, and what are you letting go of?
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