“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things” (Isaiah 45:7).
This may be one of the most provocative, highly contested verses in the Bible. But there it is, in black and white. Yahweh,* the God of the Old Testament, is taking responsibility for creating both darkness and evil, juxtaposed to light and peace. It appears that there is nothing in the creation Story of this realm that was random or unexpected—not even evil.
From an immanent, on the ground perspective, this verse makes Yahweh seem cruel, bipolar even. Yet Genesis 1:31 says that “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”
What the heck? How could evil and the resultant suffering on this planet—in real lives like yours and mine—possibly be considered very good to any supposed loving or compassionate “God”? No one skips through this life and realm unscathed.
I realize that writing a post like this is setting myself up for serious criticism and backlash. As I’ve experienced previously when broaching this subject, many of you reading this are going to think of the worst-case scenarios and suggest that I am just glossing over them as if they aren’t happening or dismissing the egregiousness of these experiences—Satanic ritual abuse on children (or anyone), pedophilia, stealing life savings from grandmas, rape, murder, acts of war, and the reptilian despotic world leaders administrating a nefarious slave system on unsuspecting, programmed earth dwellers (who are currently in full compliance).
On the contrary! I grapple with these difficult concepts as much as anyone. Those are indeed horrendous acts of evil and perhaps we all find it difficult to see any possible benefit that could come of such.
But for now, let’s lay aside worst-case scenarios and contemplate the everyday evils and sufferings that most of us here and now encounter in our lives. Can we find an alternate perspective on evil that can help us find meaning and hope in our dark encounters in this world? Is it possible that we can count on something good resulting from all evil?
Did you ever notice that the word evil is a semordnilap for the word live? (And now you’re distracted by the word semordnilap and have forgotten the point of this paragraph 🤓🧐). To commit (or emanate) evil is to live backwards—to oppose the principles of life that bring about vitality, peace, harmony, and power—for yourself and others.
With the influence of religion and Bible translators, over time, I can’t help but notice that the concept of evil (and even the word) mushroomed into a life of its own, because of the way the word was assigned meaning as some powerful, dark, and all consuming force. In essence, it appears that the word evil became an egregore. An egregore is a "thought entity" formed by the shared beliefs, emotions, devotion, and intentions—good or bad—of a collective of any size. It is said that when a group of people rally together with a focused and shared belief system around an ideal, that they create a powerful energetic expression of that belief that takes on a life of its own. This is how groups of people are controlled by thought form narratives in religion, politics, scientism, education, etc., creating power-hungry entities through group intent.
Over time, the concept of “evil” morphed into such an entity, out of which came a powerful, controlling, fearful delusion on humanity via word magic (and here). We, as a modern collective under the delusion of religious programming, gave birth to a nefarious, fearsome concept out of which extreme forms of darkness, abominations, and suffering emerged. We collectively created our modern concept and power of evil by believing it to be so.
What do I mean? The Hebrew word for evil did not carry the same meaning or intention of what it has become today. The primary word used for evil throughout the Old Testament is the word “ra” ironically the same name as the Egyptian sun god. If you delve into Hebrew translations by Jewish scholars, ra has quite a different connotation than a pitch-black dungeon full of sulphur-breathing demons influencing humans to do wicked things.
Imagine if the original intent of the word ra/evil was simply about being broken, shattered, fragmented from our Source and each other (and all of the behaviors that would result from that perception of separation)? But then someone came along and redefined evil for us and we eventually and collectively manifested what we later believed it to be.
This evil through brokenness and fragmentation is where opportunity lies. In Japan (and other cultures), there is an art called kintsugi. This is where an artist repairs broken pottery with gold, rendering a new piece that is more exquisite and valued than before. Our areas of brokenness are where opportunities lie for a new creation displaying heightened beauty.
Another perspective, according to Jewish Kabbalists, evil is creativity gone sour. The original energy was there to do good and to create something positive, but that initial energy for positive creativity can also be the fuel for something negative or evil. (Kabbalists for Dummies, page 264).
No matter what evil is or isn’t, I know that it cannot be greater than good (or light, or love). I have come to understand this temporary earth realm as a unique experience of the opposite extremes—in an ultimately safe universe. We agreed to come here in an avatar (your physical body) under the influence of deep amnesia, to be subject to the rules and objectives that this realm requires, in order to grow into our power to overcome or escape the “Game of Earth.” While we’re here, we are to have the full spectrum of experience—light and dark, good and evil—and all the deep earthy emotions which are said to be unique to this realm.
This experience of evil and good—we did it to ourselves. We agreed to this, and maybe even wrote our own experiences ahead of time. We are the creators of our reality. If evil exists the way we think it does, it’s because we brought it forth through our mortal (earth) consciousness. If we want to heal or repair the world (Kabbalah: tikkun olam), we have to change our consciousness and dissolve the thought forms that are creating our own oppression.
Incidentally, they say that those who bring themselves into the earth realm (as opposed to other realms of play that could experienced) are the toughest, bravest, most adventurous souls who deeply believe in themselves. Tuck that in your pocket for those dark, difficult days! You are a very advanced, powerful soul with the belief in yourself to overcome anything that this illusive realm throws at you.
It’s okay though. Even if we created the manifestation of modern evil through our collective beliefs, it fits into the plan for us here. For the purpose of this realm, we needed evil to become what it is in order to wake ourselves up. Just as you can’t develop muscle without tension, or you can’t see form without light and shadow, you can’t grow your spiritual fortitude without opposition. You are always going to encounter the necessary opposition that you need in order to grow, until you recognize it for the fairy godmother that it is.
Even those survivors of the worst crimes we listed above often find deeper understanding of self, greater meaning from their lives, and deep transformational spiritual growth with unprecedented opportunities to impact hundreds of thousands of lives through inspiration and hope. Some noteworthy examples I have encountered are Kaia Ra, Cathy O’Brien, and Teal Swan, all women who survived severe MK Ultra programming, satanic ritual abuse, sexual abuse, and many of the worst case scenarios. Yet they all have overcome to the point of brilliance and light for humanity.
A very paradoxical principle of this realm is that with enough time, good—and I believe even great—will come out of evil and suffering. If you have endured great evils and suffering but have not yet found your healing and light, give it time. Your full healing might not even happen in this lifetime. The evolution of a soul is a journey across lifetimes (at least a few), so we cannot give up on the hope of restoration and healing for anyone, not even “lost causes.” The healing and good will come. For some, it comes more quickly if they are able to surrender themselves to the healing path in front of them. But surrender is not an easy path.
I’ve always compared this necessary path of surrender to a rushing river. You can’t hold back the river. You can try to move against the current, but you only wear yourself out. The only soul-ution is to put your feet up and let the river take you, which requires immense faith in the process, and faith in the ultimate goodness of the universe. Not easy.
I have written a lot in the past year about a “mother wound” of emotional abandonment that I have been trying to heal now for the last five years, ever since I became conscious of it. Something tells me from the depth and profundity of this wound, that I am not merely healing a few scary and sad experiences caused by my mom in this lifetime. It’s deep roots in my heart, mind, and body feel so guttural and overwhelming at times, that I intuit it is an unhealed wound I brought with me from a previous lifetime (or lifetimes). Or that I am alchemizing/healing an ancestral wound that goes beyond my own experiences. I believe in the possibility of both. I also do think that when we fall into this realm at birth, we attract a family and set of circumstances that will give opportunity for this deep work that our soul needs to experience.
Regardless, the very fact that good ever comes out of all forms of suffering—repeatedly and predictably—is complete evidence to me of a benevolent Divine Source, the presence of benevolent helpers and guides, and that we are living in an ultimately Safe Story.
Some of the positives that come out of trial, evil, oppression, or suffering—most of which I have experienced myself:
· Develops strong character, depth, and growth. As mentioned, suffering is the heavenly gym of our spiritual development.
· Develops compassion and empathy for others.
· Wakes people up. In this very sleepy realm, when things are too comfortable, we forget why we’re here and what our soul is trying to do (grow). Often the only way to wake up a very comfortable person in his bed is by throwing ice water in his face.
· Develops confidence, fortitude, and courage by giving us something to overcome.
· Strengthens our belief in something greater beyond the veil that frequently comes to our assistance in the darkest of times.
This realm operates a perfect dance between fate and free will. We are fated into certain lives and stories, but from that point, we have the ability to choose our responses and cultivate our beliefs. But first we have to wake up to the fact that we have the opportunity to choose, and to co-create our lives. Most people assume a subservient position to life, circumstances, or “God,” assuming they have little control. But once you wake up to your free will power, the sky is the limit.
For evil to exist as a medium for our growth in this realm of contrasts, it has to be unmitigated or uncontained. Just like all other experiences in this realm, evil (as well as good) has to have the full opportunity to express itself unabated. I know this feels scary. But remember this is a contained story in a contained realm. It is not ultimate reality.
It's also important to remember that one man’s evil is another man’s good—it’s slippery. Who’s to say what is evil or good? From whose perspective? Most people are doing “good” from their own perspective, yet there are many observing who perceive their actions as evil. Look at our country, divided between liberal and conservative political interests. Each side wholeheartedly believes its agenda is “good and right,” while believing that the other side’s agenda is “evil and/or blind.” Each side believes it has the very best interest for humanity, while perceiving that the philosophy and practices of the other side are detrimental and destructive to humanity. I know of no better example.
How to Create What You Want:
What you resist, persists. Whatever you focus on, evil or good, you magnify and attract to yourself. Focused on evil and darkness? That’s what you’ll attract. Back when I used to believe in a Satan as some nefarious archenemy of God waiting at every turn to trip me up, I lived in a constant state of struggle, sin-consciousness, and fear. But the very day I stopped believing in this mental construct of Christian philosophy (nothing more than an Egregore), the struggle and the fear evaporated. Into thin air!
You have struggles and obstacles to your happiness. We all do. Stop focusing on what you don’t want—all of which is rooted in fear: negative outcomes, loss, abandonment, financial ruin, making mistakes, facing an angry or unforgiving god, illness, or death.
Start focusing your mind’s eye on what you do want: glorious outcomes; confidence, exponential gain and bounty; undying loyal love; ease and grace in everything you touch and that touches you; financial abundance; performing everything perfectly and in perfect timing; a loving Source of Life who values you endlessly; vibrant health; and LIFE.
Evil isn’t defined in the way many of us have ascribed to it. It’s not all powerful, it isn’t all consuming. It’s not really personal. It’s a tool of this realm to help you grow.
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*Yahweh has been reported in history to be one of the Elohim, a demi-god race that came to earth to seed the human race. Yahweh is not the “Almighty God.” He was the demi-god of the Hebrew people. There were other demi-gods of other regions at that time. I have written more about Elohim in other blogs, and there are many modern historians and Bible translators who have demonstrated he is not some supreme deity based on the legends and even the Hebrew text in the Bible.
My dear Julie, this post is EXACTLY what I needed to read today! This feels like a dusting off of our old RH studies, but a much more enriching and evolved explanation to carry me forward with the incessant questions that continue to live in my head. Evil as an egregore... but of course!
Beautifully expressed. You know that this message will not be for everyone -and that's OK. It reached here. Funny thing is after I woke this morning, the normal rituals, I went out back hit my phone and here was your piece. I don't even think I hit substack, but there it was. It's the suffering of others that I think bothers anyone with a heart the most. Who asks for that? Someone tried to tell me that the soul asks for that before entering here. I don't but that. I think something is very terribly wrong here, not in your perspective, but the world. Hang on to love. I thank you for your insight.