Truth is all Relative

Last week in class we discussed the relativity of truth and how our understanding of that concept can change reality as we know it.  It can allow us to shape our reality into what we want it to be rather than what it is at this moment.  Understanding this one concept or truth allows us to change the very fabric of reality.

The truth shall set you free.  Truth is truth.  What is is what is.  How many of you have heard those sayings?  Truth is relative.  One man's truth is based on his understanding of his reality in that moment.  Another man can hear and see and experience the same thing and understand it completely differently based on his reality at that moment.

Let's take the example two people at an intersection.  One is driving a car and has pulled up to make a turn.  He is watching traffic coming from both directions but is more concerned about the traffic coming from his left.  A young man is approaching the intersection on foot.  He and his friends are talking and goofing around.  The young man sees the car but as it is stopped begins to cross the intersection from the right side of the car.  The driver of the car had looked right and assumed the boys would stop at the crosswalk to allow him to continue.  As the driver begins to move his bumper hits the young man.  Both saw the same situation and came away with differing truths on who should stop.  Both leave this experience believing the other should have been paying more attention.  Both walk away with different truths.

Married couples bump up against relative truth all day long.  I'll give you one that typically happens in our household.  I work a regular job as well run the groups and events for my group, North Georgia Solitaries.  This keeps me extremely busy during the hours I'm not at work answering emails, sending out postings about upcoming events, contacting venues, etc.  Those few hours after work before dinner and bedtime seem to fly by with me on the computer.  My husband will usually decide that if we are ever going to eat, it will be up to him so he fixes dinner.  He gives me 15 minute, 10 minute and 5 minute warnings that it is ready.  I really do try to 'wrap up' my work during those warnings but seem to always be running over with 'just one more thing' and dinner ends up a little cold.  His truth - he works to make dinner and the least I could do is stop and sit down to eat it.  My truth - I am trying to get work done and just need that 'one more minute' (which I know always turns into 15.)  Am I being inconsiderate?  Probably.  Do I appreciate his efforts?  Absolutely.  I'd probably still be sitting at the computer by the time the alarm goes off to start the next day if it weren't for him.

Here's truth I keep bumping into every day.  The economy is hurting everyone.  The Pagan community is a huge part of that everyone.  The Pagan Assistance Fund is a product of this problem.  It's mission is to try and build the resources (some of them financial) to be able to assist families in crisis in the Pagan community.  However, raising money to assist the community means raising money from that very community.  It is hard to get money out of people that don't have it to begin with.  Donating money is something we all want to be able to do for causes we believe in.  However, if we are staring at bills we can't pay ourselves it is hard to find it in our hearts to give any of the limited resources we have away.

Once we understand that truth is relative, we can understand that reality is relative as well.  We can make the leap from there to understanding that we can shape that reality to be what we want.  That is the basis for our understanding of the Craft.  That is the foundation we can work from.