Review of William Wildblood's Meeting the Masters

I came across William Wildblood through his enjoyable and useful comments on this blog, which led me to his web pages

http://meetingthemasters.blogspot.co.uk

And thence to his book Meeting the Masters: a spiritual apprenticeship. This is a autobiography of a young Englishman (slightly older than myself) who was of a nature that had powerful spiritual aspirations from childhood (and a strong sense of alienation from the modern world), and who needed to discover and experience things for himself.

The focus of the book is his experience of a relationship with The Masters (as he terms them: benign 'supernatural' beings, that a Christian would assume were angelic) who communicated with him over many years via an older friend and companion called Michael, by using the process sometimes described as channelling - in this instance, Michael would go into a trance and speak with a different tone and vocabulary as the voice of The Masters; and afterwards would not remember what had been said through him.

By such means, Wildblood (and Michael) learned what they needed to know, and what they ought to be doing. This book presents some of the communications from the Masters (transcribed from memory shortly after they occurred); but mostly reflection on the process and resultant knowledge - and expansions and consideration of the implications.

William Wildblood is a professional writer, and the book is easy to read and very well constructed - although running at nearly 400 pages, there is no sense of padding - it can be opened anywhere and the reader will find some substantive discussion or description. The general style is thoughtful, calm, considered; firm but unassertive.

Is this strange tale to be believed? Well, I believed it. If we are to judge by 'the fruits', the apparent result of Wildblood's education by The Masters is a validation - in terms of its general tone and tendency. Of course it isn't exactly the same as my own Christianity, and I interpret some of the phenomena and information differently; but I can certainly perceive how both of us might be viewing the same basic truth from different personalities, experiences, situations and traditions.

What I got from this book is that a serious spiritual enquirer may be met half-way by God, and provided with necessary teaching in the form he personally needs and is able to assimilate. This is what seems to have happened to William and Michael - the result was not anything especially startling, radical or spiritually impressive, and it is not claimed to be. It was simply that the necessary knowledge was provided in a way that was fitted to William and Michael and their situation - in other words, by direct 'angelic' communication.

I also got a renewed sense of the strangeness of modern 'Western' life, behind the official and privileged discourse of the public (including media) world with its nihilistic materialism - and that it is still possible for individuals to live (and live well) by a very direct contact with 'the supernatural'. 

This is a very encouraging thing - because it demonstrates that there are many routes to salvation, and that God is very keen that each of us takes one or another of these routes, and will do everything he possibly can to tailor things to each of our own limitations - so long as our spiritual seeking is sincere.

(Which is a major qualifier for many people - but Wildblood comes across as unusually humble and diligent 'spiritual seeker', over many years).

Which is all much as we would confidently hope-for, from our wise and loving Father in Heaven.