Wilderness as Axis Mundi and Spiritual Symbolism - Carter Jobe

In reading Wilderness as Axis Mundi by Kip Redick, I encountered an idea that I wanted to expand on.

Redick speaks of the shame it is that traditional literature and studies concerning religion and history focus solely on what is true, what is fixed, and what is directly obvious. This practice has led to the idea that everything must be proven true to have any substance. Many non-believers in any religion hold this belief and think that all religions have nothing to study or learn from. 

However, this is not the case. There is a profound spiritual symbolism found in many stories and journeys throughout myth and religion, and in many cases, it seems quite unlikely these events actually unfolded in the exact way they were described. 

To build on this, Redick draws the comparison in this text between being in nature and an Axis Mundi (a connection between the real and spiritual worlds). He makes the claim that not all stories and takeaways need to be concrete, rather that one can learn more from writing their own symbolic version of events.

Meaning is made, not memorized, and it can lead to much more spiritual development if one searches for a deeper meaning in the little things. In short, romanticize life and all of its interconnectedness. Don't limit yourself to purely facts, for you will only limit yourself.

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