There’s a moment that comes upon us all, sometimes early in life, sometimes later on, when it becomes meaningful to say that we are on a path, that we are walking a road that is unique to us, that we are on a journey of some kind. The word path and journey seem to have momentum in the collective mind because it’s the most common way we describe the process of individuation; that act of carving our own unique way through reality, a way that separates us from everyone else, and holds a greater promise of personal fulfilment, life satisfaction and contribution. As in nature every fruit ripens in its own time, but when that time happens regardless of when in life, it marks a significant turning point.

For me the perception of journey began to coalesce around the time when I was 19 years old. I didn’t know this at the time, but life events were driving me to recognise that I was born to live something unique if only I would allow it. By the time I was 22 years old the notion that I was on a path of some kind, going somewhere that had purpose and meaning, was a comfortable one; it became the centre of gravity about which my life revolved.

Along the way, from time to time, somewhat sporadically, I accepted guidance, support and help from mentor figures. In those days it wasn’t an easy time to be on a path; there was no internet so information was more limited, and anyone able to competently discuss matters of an inner journey were few and far between. Yet these were the right circumstances that helped me hone the navigation skills and patterning skills that are part of the journeyer's toolkit. Nevertheless there were times when I yearned for a true mentor, someone I could turn to who was further down the track, more advanced than I was, who could not just understand the nature of the task, but also offer resonant perspectives that might quicken my own process of insight.

In truth I wasn’t alone with it all, I got my help instead from unseen dimensions;  from intelligences that dwell in the-more-than-human-world. But the desire for someone here in this world, warm and in the flesh was a real one. As I look back with the understanding I have now, I realise that the world is in the process of growing more elders, those innately qualified to be guides and mentors, because two world wars and several thousand years of violence for the sake of dominance have not provided the best conditions for eldership.

Fortunately times are changing, and the birth of the internet has given us the possibility of connecting with people almost anywhere in the world allowing anyone on the path to self-realisation the chance to find an increasing number of those further down the track to draw support from.

The idea of journey infers movement and change; it suggests a symbolic landscape of sorts with topography, landmarks, weather conditions and denizens. To journey necessitates the need to navigate, to read the signs, to understand the signposts and possibly to piece together a map. Journeys also require resources and survival skills, and sometimes a helping hand.

Even when we know that there is a path to figure out and follow, it’s not always that easy to stay on it, at least at the beginning. In fact even after we have recognised that life is a journey, we can stall and end up on a path that leads us around in circles where little if any progress is made.