The Celtic Spirit

 
 
 
 
In nature there is a pecking order of dominance to which weaker species bow;
but the sense of superiority seems to be especially strong in human beings, regardless of any real power we possess.  Our culture has told us that our species is superior to all others, that human convenience is at the top of the heap, and that every other inhabitant of earth must give way to us.  This view is not held in traditional cultures such as the Celtic, however, instead, all life forms are seen as fellow participants in life's dance.
 
Superiority separates us both from the other species and all file forms and from our fellow human beings.  To live even one day with an awareness of our interconnected participation in life is a profoundly humbling experience that reconnects us to the community of nature.  To experience, say, trees without the barrier of human superiority is to meet and interact with wise beings; to greet a child as a living soul, without understanding; to stand in a shower of rain and experience every drop as a kindred being is to be washed clean of separation.
 
We do not have to walk around feeling mystically merged with everything, devoid of a sense of our own distinct identity; we need only to remember that the beauty of life is too precious to be hidden by superior attitudes.
 
Practice experiencing the world for a short time without allowing your sense of superiority into the driver's seat.
 
From "The Celtic Spirit" daily meditations for the turning year by Caitlin Matthews