spirituality

A recent post was about spiritually-based weight control methods, so since I've already introduced the subject, let me expand on it here.

I am not a member of any "organized religion." Growing up, I was exposed to several Christian religions and was never really "at home" in any of them. It would be years before the reason for that discomfort was discovered during several past life regressions.

So, as an adult, I began finding my own way. Once the search began in earnest, I was in my mid-thirties and had grown increasingly uncomfortable with my suburban life in suburban Northern Virginia in the DC metro area. Finally, I felt the need to completely leave that life and a marriage of 15+ years and move into my own energies and indeed needed to MOVE away from that area.  I didn't realize it then, but that was the beginning of a journey that eventually landed me in Colorado and the Denver area in early 2000.

Along the way on that journey were many helpers and teachers who appeared when I was ready to listen to them. Many of them were American Indian. (Excuse me! "Native American" is anyone born in America and I've never met any "native americans" who objected to the term "American Indian." In fact, many I have known prefer it. The original translation from Italian (Amerigo Vespucci's description of the indigenous peoples he found here) was something akin to "those close to God." So here, we will refer to the indigenous people's of American as American Indian.) My teachers ranged from Tuscarora to Lakota, and Lumbee to Cherokee; and there were many others along the way as well. Many met at pow wows of the spiritual kind in the East (in the West, those meetings are more about trade and commerce while the sweat lodge is the place for spiritual gatherings); many met at "gatherings" in homes; and those met in the West who had lost their spiritual connection and could only find it again in the Federal Prison system. (You will find a very high concentration of American Indians in the federal system because the reservations only fall under federal jurisdiction. A common joke was that they were all in there for jay walking.)  For in the federal system, they must respect all religions, so sweat lodges are accepted as are medicine pouches. Inside, many can reconnect with elder/older role models they may never have seen or had growing up. In fact, I have had some comment to me that they have noticed patterns in certain family members who loose all of the teachings and spirituality once "out" and that they only reconnect and recapture it when they are "in."  That's a very sad state to be in. But for most, it is also a choice made, consciously or subconsciously, the results are the same.

Also, during this time, I ran into many Wiccan / Pagan folks.  Most of those I met along the "red path" were also very comfortable with those on the Wiccan / Pagan path.  Both of those are Earth Religions. There are also some parallels between the "red path" and Buddhism:  both respect all living beings and the interconnectedness of all living beings. Wicca also recognizes this.  You may wonder how that can be when the American Indian cultures were not vegetarians. What you have forgotten is that before any other being was sacrificed to feed "the people" its spirit was blessed and it was thanked, as was the Creator/Great Spirit for the food.

(Update Dec 2012: It's interesting that some recent research shows that all living beings react to being "eaten" or hurt (See The Source Field Investigations by David Wilcock). A surprising finding is that the reaction or hurt is minimized when you bless the being and thank it for its sacrifice. So, remember to bless and thank your food and those beings (including plants) for their sacrifice before you consume them. It puts them at peace. :))

And shortly after landing in the Denver area, I noticed (and it was confirmed) that there is indeed a large Wiccan / Pagan community in this area. The way it was described to me is that because the overall attitude in this area is one of  "do what you want --- just don't scare the horses" so that others feel quite comfortable here in their "uniqueness" which is not quite so unique here. Denver also hosts a larger American Indian population than surrounding areas, once again because of the willingness to accept others who are off-beat and unique.

In recent years I have been studying more with a gifted, local clairvoyant (although she claims her clairsentience is much stronger). These weekly meditations and apprenticeship has helped me strengthen my own connection to the Divine, clear many ingrained  issues with instilled religious dogma, and control my own often overwhelming empathetic tendencies. In fact, those empathetic talents are now firmly under my control for the first time in my life.

For those wondering about readings and such, I do not work with "guides" I work with my own divine selves that are located above the subconscious barrier receiving information from the higher realms of the light and ascended masters.  I choose not to work with "guides" for the simple reason that those guides may or may not have incarnated in human form. If they have, they may have clouded perceptions from that incarnation. If they haven't then they really have no business providing advice for those of us who are experiencing it for ourselves. The "guide" could also be a darker, less evolved spirit pretending to be a lighter, more evolved form. Working with guides leaves too much to chance. Working with your own higher divine selves and your own connection to the divine provides clear signals, promotes self-sufficiency, and strengthens the connection to the Divine that is within you and a part of you.

What I can tell you, after 15+ years of  in-depth searching, is that the "kingdom of heaven is inside you and all around you."  That phrase gave more comfort to my mother on her deathbed in her semiconscious state than any other words I could find.  I alternated the excerpt below w/ the Lord's Prayer for her, and I believe it helped ease her transition tremendously.

      "for the kingdom of heaven is inside you....and all around you....
       pick up a stone . . .  I am beneath it.....
       split open a log.... I am inside it...
       for the kingdom of heaven is inside you....and all around you...."
                                ----Stigmata, 1999
                                      quoting the gnostic Gospel of Thomas, part of the Dead Sea scrolls

The other thing I can tell you is that you have to find something that works for YOU. For some that means traditional, organized religion. For others that means living their beliefs and their spirituality whether or not anyone else believes in exactly the same way they do. For some that means finding something with a lot of ritual involved. For others that means finding something with no rituals. The bottom line is that there are many paths to the center; some are shorter and some are longer, but they all lead to the same place. If you are sincere.