Spirituality is something that I’ve been wanting to write a post on for so long, but I feel like it’s such a difficult topic to write about. Why? Because I believe that spirituality is all about an individual’s connection to a higher power. It is such an individualized experience, but to me that’s what makes it so much different than religion. Strip away the structure and rules and give me what’s left… the essence of goodness. Sprinkle in free thought, self-discovery and a magical journey that awaits those who seek it.
I was blessed enough to have a father that made it possible for me to attend parochial school. As such I was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church. I am grateful for my schooling on many levels, but there were a few teachings of Catholicism that I really couldn’t get behind. My inherent doubt in the strict teachings started at a very young age.
I was in Kindergarten or 1st grade, and we were in our religion class talking about the biblical book Genesis and how the earth was created in 7 days. I raised my hand, because I wanted to know how the dinosaurs fit into that. When were they around? How was it possible for them to be around for so many years when everything was created within a week? The teachers couldn’t answer me. Similar scenarios occurred throughout the years and eventually, I learned to stop asking the questions. But that didn’t subdue the curiosity.
While I have learned to look at the Bible as a collection of religious stories that hold very holy symbolism, there is a major hypocrisy in Catholicism that I can’t justify. Now let me go on record as saying that I am not anti-Catholic, or any other religion for that matter, I am simply sharing my thoughts and what my experiences have been to help readers better understand where some of my perspectives come from.
With that said, I will continue on. If you were to boil down the teachings of almost every religion out there… it comes down to the golden rule: Do unto other’s as you would have done unto you. In other words… be kind, be respectful. Treat people the way you want to be treated. It’s a very simple, easy concept that I am 100% behind. The problem major problem with Catholicism for me, comes from interpreting the 10 commandments. According to these stone tablets… other faith goers are destined to an eternity in Hell if they don’t convert.
I remember raising my hand for that one too. If we have all these people around the world doing good and treating each other as brothers and sisters, how could God send them all to hell just because they were raised a different religion? It made no sense to me. And the only answer that I could ever get that held any consistency throughout the years was… to have Faith.
Now anyone who knows me, knows that I am a HUGE believer in Faith. I even try to maintain my faith in those who probably no longer deserve it. So for me, holding faith in something that didn’t feel right 100% right wasn’t the answer, and that was the beginning of my spiritual journey.
When I was younger and going through an abusive relationship with my mother, it was my friendship and trust in God that helped get me through that. Praying for strength and receiving it. Praying for a better mother, and being blessed with so many incredible role models -both real-life and celebrity. Finding peace in nature and feeling the effect of the elements before I even really knew what that meant. The more I found myself, the more my spirituality grew.
As a teenager in high school, I had a period where every night I would have at least one prophetic dream. My dreams became a daily discussion at the lunch table and the two-week streak ended on a Friday night. I was telling the table my latest dream about someone jumping off a cliff thinking they could fly and one of my friends paled and freaked out. She had made plans to drive to some mountain that night with a bunch of friends to get high. They never made the drive – and the dreams suddenly stopped.
I’ve had many spiritual guru’s – most of which are non-traditional. But I’ve pulled lessons from every single one. I’m at a point in my life where I consider myself a sort of Omnist. I refuse to associate myself with any one Religion, because I believe there is truth in them all.
I believe in many of the teachings of Eastern religions and philosophies -which is no surprise if you follow me here or on Facebook. I know in my heart that I am an old soul who has lived many lifetimes and that I carry those lessons and wisdom with me. I believe in the Eastern notion that God is nature, but I also talk to God as if I were made in His image as is taught in Christianity (or even Her image which is not taught in Christianity). I also believe in the evidence of evolution, the wonder of science, and the mystery and magic of the metaphysical and paranormal.
I am part witch, drawn to the moon. I have an affinity for water and the earth. I feel the power of nature in my heart and in my soul… it runs through my veins. After all, are we not made up of the same cells? The same energy? The same life source?
And speaking of energy… I was drawn to Reiki before I even knew what it was. Before the Internet was a resource for expanding the mind. I distinctly remember seeing the word Reiki when I was eighteen years old and my soul stood at attention. Twenty years later, in a strange turn of events, I was lead to become Reiki certified without even really knowing what it was. Once I had a date set up for my attunement and I started researching it, I was floored to discover that it is energy work. It naturally lent itself to my ongoing process of self-healing… mentally, spiritually and physically. Perhaps I was once a medicine man, or a Shaman, or another ancient healer?
The more that I read, and learn, and explore; I find that I am not alone. There are so many others out there who share similar perspectives and beliefs. There are many meme’s promoting the unsourced quote, “Your vibe attracts your tribe”. And I have been blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people. They all have huge hearts, are incredibly supportive and encouraging. They are fun, loving, spirited. Some are strong and outgoing, while others are quiet and mysterious. But these wonderful people cheer me on. They encourage me to be me. And where I once may have been ashamed of my quirky ways, I now love and embrace them!
So, to all my friends and acquaintances out there who have asked me what I mean when I say that I don’t consider myself religious… I consider myself spiritual. Now you know. I believe in a God, a higher power, a source, the Universe. I believe in fate, destiny, signs from my angels and spirit guides. Stilling the mind and harnessing the energy from within. I believe in the power of our Earth and Mother Nature… she’s older then we are, you know. I believe in the underlying goodness found in all religions; to be kind and respectful. Because when you boil it all down and strip away the things that make us different… I mean truly take it all away… we are all creatures of biology; atoms being held together by energy.
