In about the year 1830 in the United States, primarily in New England, there emerged a philosophical and literary movement that emphasized individual intuition, the spiritual connection between humans and nature, and the belief in the inherent goodness of people. It was called Transcendentalism. The publication of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay: “Nature” is often considered the moment when the movement truly began. Other minds that made up this movement were Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller and Bronson Alcott to name a few.

These people sought a more personal connection to the divine. They believed in their own intuition and that spirituality was not relegated to institutions and churches and their doctrines. These men and women engaged with the Eastern texts such as the Hindu Bhagavad Gita and also the Buddhist scriptures. I am reminded of the Biblical quote, “For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” It is true that New Thought encompasses much of the eastern thought. We are taught in the Science of Mind that the Son of Man is not just Jesus. He already came. The son of man is each and every one of us. New Thought teaches that Jesus led the way. To us, he is the great Way-shower. Didn’t he say the “kingdom of heaven is within.”?

To go back to the Transcendentalists, I would say that they were quantum scientists of their time. They didn’t know that term, but they did believe in the interconnectedness of all life. In quantum science, we call that entanglement.

The Transcendentalists were the rebels of their time, professing that divinity was within the self and that meditation was a path to a higher truth. They also connected with Nature as a source of inspiration. Consider the works of Emerson and Thoreau. They understood nature to be a path to understanding universal truths. They believed in direct communion with the divine without the need for intermediaries like clergy. This was very risky thinking in the dogmatic world they lived in. However, like all pioneers, someone had to go first. They were willing to defy authority and think differently than their colleagues and acquaintances.

They didn’t just relegate themselves to the spiritual realm. They believed in taking their inner spiritual intelligence into the social arena and were involved in abolitionism, women’s rights and educational reform. We are meant to improve society as we think from the higher realms of thought. Thoreau spent a night in jail for his refusal to pay a poll tax. His refusal was a direct protest against slavery and the US Government’s involvement in the Mexican-American War.

“Today, January 6, 2025, Congress will convene in a joint session to certify the Electoral College results, officially confirming Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election. This constitutionally mandated process is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.” Many of us recall the horrible riot that occurred in 2021 when the joint session convened to confirm Joe Biden’s victory. Why am I mentioning this? Because I believe it is going to be very important in the present political consciousness on this planet, for us, who claim to be spiritually enlightened to uphold the values of love, compassion, honesty, integrity and the value of each human life as God’s life. We cannot sleep and we must take responsibility for our own evolution as spiritual beings, keeping our lives honest, loving and compassionate. It is up to us to uphold the values we hold as truth.

While all this happens in the 3D world, I believe we are embarking into the Unitive Age which is shift toward unity, interconnectedness and wholeness both within ourselves and in our relationships with others, society and the planet. it draws upon ideas from spirituality, psychology, and systems thinking. This is another jump in our evolution of consciousness. I know many of us feel it. It encompasses our interconnectedness and suggests that separateness is an illusion. Our actions ripple through a web where we are all existing. We are finding harmony between opposites, instead of labeling things as good vs. evil. We are moving from competition to a paradigm of cooperation as a way to truly move forward and solve the earth’s challenges in the environment, health care and other issues. With the advances in quantum science, science and spirituality are moving together to better explain our interconnectedness and individual and collective power to create a world that works for everyone.

These two seeming opposites that are occurring at this time, for me, is a call to decide what we each stand for. It is not about changing others or the system. It is about standing in integrity and love in our own lives and neighborhoods. It is being aware and conscious of those things we can change beginning with ourselves. The transfer of power that takes place today January 6 can be taken into our own lives, as we give way to the Divine within each of us, and just like the Transcendentalists, allow it to lead the way in our lives into social action when needed.

Love and Aloha,

Rev. Dr. Rita Andriello-Feren, Author and Co-Founding Director CSL Kaua`i