Staying sane in the insane world.

”It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

Jiddu Krishnamurti

This quote has been one of my favourites since the moment I first laid my eyes on it. To me, it cuts right through the fog of the illusion of normality that permeates our lives. And since I am someone who has never felt (well) adjusted to this society, Krishnamurti’s words gifted me with the realisation that there isn’t anything inherently wrong with me.

There is a pervasive tendency in our culture to pathologise sensitivity and human struggle, especially in the realm of mental health. Yet the true pathology lies in environments that are hostile to human health. Environments that suppress our authenticity and disconnect us from who we really are - environments that are cruel to our bodies and souls.

I often wonder how many people, until recently, would have agreed with this narrative, though. While the quote deeply resonated with many individuals, it certainly hasn’t been a consensus among the masses; otherwise wouldn’t there have been a global uprising by now? Instead, we have mostly seen localized upheavals - in places where circumstances became so dire that people had no choice but to act. The rest of the world seemed to remain blissfully unaware, much like the proverbial frogs in slowly boiling water.

Until now. The collective ‘dark night of the Soul’, a time of making the unconscious conscious in Jungian terms. Hold on - but didn’t I imply earlier on that for some of us the dysfunction of the society has long been obvious? Indeed, and I suspect that it does take particular life experiences, including that of being a bit of an outsider, in order to begin to perceive a certain dimension of reality that usually isn’t noticed by the masses. Not an eagle- eye view, perhaps, but enough to notice patterns that insiders normalize.

The normalisation of the dysfunction.

Did I say that we also pathologise not fitting in and being different than the group? But of course we do; otherwise why would people like that be bullied beginning with their childhood? The irony once again is that the pathology lies with the bullies - and abuse of any kind, really. Yet that too is normalised, whether explicitly or behind the scenes - that’s another matter. Usually, it’s a bit of both: not knowing and seeing more often than not means not wanting to know and see. Minimising , deflecting , denying. Which brings me to the recent mass release of the Epstein files and the shock and outrage surrounding them. While I believe it is ultimately a positive thing that the truth is coming to light at last, the experience is bitter sweet and here is why.

Abuse exists in many shapes and forms, and as I mentioned earlier - some of them are pretty much normalised in our culture. Or at least have been until very recently. The latest revelations from the Epstein files are without doubt an extreme and very dark example of it - pedophilia, murder, cannibalism, ritualistic human sacrifices. And yet, people had been speaking about this behaviour in the so-called ‘elite circles’ for at least a decade, only to be branded ‘conspiracy theorists’. There were multiple disturbing stories leaking through over the years - not in the mainstream media perhaps, but with enough exposure to generate a buzz. Alas. Human beings have an uncanny ability to deny, avoid, and laugh off the uncomfortable truths, or simply truths that don’t fit their worldview. And an ugly truth that I want to touch upon in this article, is that sexual abuse of minors is far more common than people like to believe. I experienced it myself at a VERY young age. I was “lucky” in the sense that it wasn’t a violent or physically painful kind, but given how young I was - it was a very big deal. It was not perpetrated by a parent, however I was instructed by a parent never to speak about it to anyone, and so for a very long time I didn’t. I minimised and underestimated it for years - decades - which is why I know firsthand how shame and silence breed dysfunction and prevent healing.

As a result of this experience , I am not even remotely surprised that pedophilia exists within the so-called elite circles - sadly, it exists everywhere. And yet, what historically remained the most pervasive is the denial around it - for the most part it stayed in humanity’s shadow - a taboo subject that carries immense shame and stigma - a heavy weight placed for the most part on the shoulders of the victims. An elephant in the room - we know it’s there, but we don’t talk about it.

Biology and power.

There is also a primitive reason at play as to why a lot of people look the other way when the abuse of power happens in their immediate environment - a systemic, rather than the individual tendency. On a basic biological level, social animals form dominance hierarchies where submission to aggression becomes a survival strategy - and evidently many humans still fall into that pattern.

As long as we keep normalising abuse in our daily lives (regardless of its nature and scale) - nothing of substance will change, no matter who we arrest or vote into positions of leadership. Epstein’s list is merely the tip of the iceberg, and while it can serve as a powerful wake up call, we need to acknowledge and address the part hidden under the water - or the ship will continue sinking.

From an esoteric perspective, it is the collective consciousness, or in this case unconsciousness that shapes our direction. As powerful as the ”elites” may appear - they are often puppets of certain adversarial forces who are very much interested in the continued enslavement of the human spirit.

The rise of the spiritual warrior.

Speaking of the esoteric - from an astrological perspective, we are witnessing a massive shift. At this very moment, in February 2026, the outer planets Neptune and Saturn have moved from Pisces and met at 0° Aries. This is seen as the symbol of grand disillusionment and the rise of the spiritual warrior archetype. It signals the end of spiritual bypassing - the era when esoteric concepts were used to avoid facing our psychological shadows.

This shift demands a difficult balancing act: staying informed and outspoken about global events while fiercely protecting our own well-being. Staying informed used to mean reading a newspaper once a day. Now it means a 24/7 stream of catastrophe, injustice, war, abuse, collapse - and the commentary about it all. For a sensitive nervous system (especially one healing from trauma) this registers as immediate, local danger. In other words - we can regulate our nervous system all we want, but if we keep consuming horror, outrage, and urgency every day, we’re asking it to do the impossible.

I have learned to listen to my body, and to consume destabilising information only when I feel centered and grounded in myself; as soon as I feel stress hormones kick in, I either moderate or pause the exposure altogether. When it comes to Epstein files - I avoid reading them directly from their source, and instead try to stay on the periphery of it.

It helps to remember that this information is very dark, and it is a lot to process for people, especially when it requires a complete worldview shift, so compassion (and self-compassion) is essential.

But it is also essential not to bury one’s head in the sand once again.

The call for the healthy masculine

I feel a particular discouragement when I witness passivity and silence in men regarding these issues. On social media, the vast majority of outrage comes from women, and while this is partly due to the fact that so many of us have experienced unwanted sexual advances beginning with childhood, I wonder what else is at play. I personally refuse to believe the cynical narrative circulating online, stating that many men stay silent because they too are attracted to under age girls. I simply refuse to live in this reality, despite my early experiences. But I do think that masculinity is going through a crisis, and way too many men believe they are “good” as long as they aren’t active abusers. But a healthy masculine is not a passive bystander; it’s protective - and I really hope this archetype strengthens in the years to come.

Divide and conquer.

Gender differences aside, the current social fabric is not really supportive for anyone, there is more disconnection and fragmentation than there has ever been - which of course weakens the very defences needed in the spiritual war we find ourselves in. Connection - especially heart centred connection, is an extremely powerful force, and is the quickest way to remember our true Nature - Love. Which is why th loneliness epidemic is so destabilising for many. The below article wasn’t written by me, but it sums up my observations and experiences when it comes to this issue, and is an important read in this day and age:

When we are witnessing so much ugliness, it is important to surround ourselves with beauty where possible. Be it Nature, works of art, or the beauty of human connection - we all need a reminder that darkness isn’t the only thing in this world; there is also plenty of light. Light we all carry in our hearts.

I want to end this essay with another powerful quote by a wise woman I came across recently, one which to me unites the element of self-care with the spiritual warrior archetype.

"One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. Soul on deck shines like gold in dark times. The light of the soul throws sparks, can send up flares, builds signal fires, causes proper matters to catch fire. To display the lantern of soul in shadowy times like these - to be fierce and to show mercy toward others; both are acts of immense bravery and greatest necessity. Struggling souls catch light from other souls who are fully lit and willing to show it. If you would help to calm the tumult, this is one of the strongest things you can do."

~ Clarissa Pinkola Estés,