The Role of the Ego

By Jenny Griffin

It seems in spiritual understandings of the New Age there are many who suggest that the ego acts as a block to Oneness and enlightenment. The gist of the teachings says that the main goal is to drop our ego and become One with all so that we can allow for Source to guide us. Books have been written by followers of different faiths, by spiritual gurus, and by those wanting to follow the path of enlightenment on how to get closer to that place of ‘ego-lessness.’ Yet we are given egos when we incarnate into these bodies, and since they have not yet been evolved out of us, I believe they serve a purpose. I’ve called on my tarot cards to guide me, and to assure that I am keeping my own (egoic) understandings of the response at arms’ length. (I use the ‘Llewellyn Tarot’ and Doreen Virtue’s ‘Healing with the Angels’ cards.)

The first card to show up is the Ace of Pentacles, which has a number of possible meanings in this case. Is it suggesting that the ego keeps us focussed on material wealth and therefore keeps us from the spiritual riches that await with inner exploration and detachment from the ego? Well, yes, partly, but it also means that if we stray too far from our egoic understanding of the world through our life experiences, which we take in through our bodies and emotions, we lose sight of the ground, the Earth, the things that support us in this dimension. Without the ego, which acts as our filter while in this (human) form, we would not have the ability to process information and make decisions (based on past and current experiences) as to how to respond to situations that arise around us. If we were entirely without ego, we would become so detached from the physical experience that forward movement and positive action would disappear.

OMTimes Magazine » Metaphysics