Beliefs have always played a significant role in shaping human society. From the earliest civilizations to the present day, people have sought to understand their place in the world and to find meaning in the universe. However, as time passes, beliefs evolve to fit the changing needs and perceptions of society. Unveiling ancient beliefs can provide valuable insights into the origins of human spirituality.
The idea that beliefs evolve over time is widely accepted by scholars today. As society changes, beliefs are tweaked and adapted to fit new circumstances. However, some of the main points of ancient belief systems are often retained, forming the basis for modern religions.
This was the motivation behind my search for the earliest spiritual understandings. I wanted to find the purest belief system that formed the base of all faith, hoping that this would help explain the differences in religions.
What I found was surprising. Despite the popular perception of ancient religions as primitive and superstitious, most ancient cultures had similar structures that believed in a supreme God and Goddess. These deities were not seen as good or bad, but rather as possessing specific qualities that could be beneficial when in balance or harmful when out of balance.
The supreme God, commonly known as God the Father or Father Sky, ruled the sky. The power that emanated from Father Sky was known as the Divine Masculine. This energy was represented in mystical language as water, rain, lightning, bread or manna from heaven, or the white dragon. It always spins left as it moves downward from the sky to the ground. It was associated with the color white or iridescent.
The supreme Goddess, known as Mother Earth, ruled the earth. The power that emanated from her was known as the Divine Feminine. This energy was represented in mystical language as fire, wine, blood, serpent, the red dragon, or Kundalini. It always spun to the right as it moved up from the ground to the sky and was associated with the color red or black.
What struck me was how similar these beliefs were across different ancient cultures. It seemed that these two divine energies formed the foundation of most belief systems, albeit with variations in names and descriptions.
Today, we may no longer worship Father Sky and Mother Earth, but their energies live on in different forms. The Taoist Yin and Yang, the Hindu Shiva and Shakti, and the Christian Bread and Wine are all representations of these ancient energies.
In conclusion, the search for the earliest spiritual understandings has revealed the surprising similarities between ancient belief systems. While beliefs have evolved over time, the foundational elements of many religions remain constant. By understanding these ancient beliefs, we can get a glimpse of the foundational structures that the ancient cultures built into their religions.
