growth
Are You Experiencing A Spiritual Awakening?
As a psychic reader, I sometimes have clients who quietly confess that they are afraid they might be “going crazy.”
In truth, they are usyally just experiencing the early signs of a spiritual awakening. These profound shifts in your awareness and energy can feel disorienting, yet are deeply meaningful.
So, how can you tell if what you’re feeling is part of a spiritual transformation rather than a personal unraveling?
The term ‘spiritual awakening’ is somewhat overused these days in metaphysical circles. Just about anyone who has a ‘woo-woo’ moment, or gains deeper insight into a situation, or suddenly sees chakra colors, seems to believe they are having a true, full-blown ‘spiritual awakening.’
Spiritual awakening does tend to occur spontaneously, and from what I’ve witnessed, the more open-minded the person is and the less attached to outcomes they are, the more available or ‘ripe’ they are for a spiritual awakening to occur.
Just the other day a client was telling me of her experience while peeling a carrot over the kitchen sink. She said she was looking down at her hands, watching them, and wondering what was animating them?
It can be a strange moment when you discover that you are not really who you thought you were. It can be disorienting, to say the least, to see yourself from such an objective position. However, if you know ahead of time that this is perfectly normal, and others have experienced these signs too, it can make your life a lot easier.
False Education Appearing Real (F.E.A.R)
I love the acronym F.E.A.R. (False Education Appearing Real) since we all have people, circumstances, phobias and so forth, that can put us into that space.
Fear is an instance of emotion that is triggered by the awareness, or anticipation of danger. It can also become a state of being. Excluding clinical fears, needing professional help, there are many fears we simply impose upon ourselves as a result of life experiences.
One of my fears is acrophobia, the fear of heights. When I get within five feet from the edge of a rooftop, I begin to shake.
Climbing 30 foot ladders has me nervous and when I hiked to the pinnacle of the mountain of Macchu Picchu in 2004, I could not take those last six nervous steps onto the plateau pinnacle rock. This was partly being due to a few other tourists already sharing the rock… and I am a little “accident prone.”
Although I was invited by my partner and the guide, I leaned against the rock debating my fear, shaking a little at the prospect and wishing that I could take those final steps, as I might regret it after I hiked down. Part of me did regret not taking those last steps when we got back to the base.
Yet, a bigger part of me knew I had to acknowledge the feelings in the moment, and since I am not a regular exerciser, I already had accomplished something tremendous by taking the hike to the top and back down the back side of the mountain. On the way I enjoyed the magnificent views and spiritual energy for several hours. Continue reading
What Makes A Spiritual Group Truly Work
We are all different. Each person is a piece of the puzzle that creates a group. All people are raised different. People may have different spiritual beliefs, different educational backgrounds, jobs, nationalities.
Yet, if the common goal is the same, there is no reason why we cannot achieve much more in our world. Some of us simply need to find a way to respect diversity.
Spiritual groups tend to be the especially challenging when it comes to diversity. Too often spiritually-minded people are expected to always agree with everyone about everything, in order to promote goodwill among group members and keep the peace.
But in any group people have to learn how to agree to disagree. It’s always okay to have your own opinion and express how you feel. One must just remember that not all of the group may agree with your thoughts.
In groups people all choose different roles, and the roles may change over time. Most groups have that one person that assumes the role of leader. The leader of the group is often selected by the majority. The leadership role usually fits the personality and consciousness of that individual, as do the other roles in the group.
The leader is usually a person that is able to communicate well with team members and good at listening to people. The ‘worker bees’ are usually good at taking direction and accomplishing the task at hand. Somewhere in the middle are the people that come up with ideas and can present them to the group, and help the suggestions come to fruition.
How To Be Mindful On The Go!
To some individuals, being mindful while on the go might seem a contradiction in itself. However, the truth of the matter is that there are a plethora of ways to cultivate the art of mindfulness that do not involve simply sitting still.
People turn to mindfulness for many reasons. For example, they may have a medical condition that needs managing, work issues that require resolving, or just simply want to feel more present in their everyday lives.
With the pace of modern life, it is clear to see why people become easily distracted and lead somewhat complicated lives as a result – all of which can be both emotionally and physically draining.
Whatever the reasons may be as to why a person turns to mindfulness, it should, indeed, help them to create a more balanced lifestyle.
That said, mindfulness should not be seen as a magical cure-all, but more an efficient way of relating to personal issues differently.
Interestingly, research has revealed that physiological changes do actually take place within an individual practicing mindfulness meditation. Such changes occur within the brain and some people experience better blood pressure and an enhanced immune system.
The above said, even those among us who practice mindfulness faithfully, can find it somewhat challenging to take what we have learned and incorporate it into our everyday lives. Instead, we tend to allow ourselves to be distracted and develop automatic behavior patterns instead.
Why Love Feels More Confusing Than Ever
Dating these days can feel like a full-time job — or a rollercoaster with no seatbelt. We swipe, like, text, ghost, reconnect… and repeat. It’s a fast-moving loop that can leave even the most grounded person’s head spinning.
Romance in the modern world is a strange mix of digital ease and emotional complexity. On one hand, dating apps offer endless possibilities.
On the other, they often leave us with decision fatigue and shallow interactions. You are connecting with more people than ever, yet feeling lonelier than ever!
Add to that a swirl of AI algorithms, shifting social norms, and sky-high expectations, and suddenly, dating feels less like magic and more like math.
Real emotional intimacy can seem like a rare treasure buried under surface-level chats and half-hearted DMs.
Everyone wants real love — but many of us are scared to be vulnerable, hesitant to trust, and reluctant to settle.
Social media doesn’t help much either. It often paints an idealized picture of love, all curated insta selfies and perfect dates. But what we don’t get to see are the quiet struggles, the messy growth, and the courage it takes to stay present and open-hearted.
And yet, despite all this noise, our hearts keeps searching — for that spark, that meaninful connection, that sense of being seen by someone who truly gets you.
Embracing The Shadow Within
When I first began to intentionally and consciously walk a spiritual path, I remember doing so because it just felt so right. Every step I took toward ‘enlightenment’ in this lifetime seemed to bring more brightness into my life, and so many more blessings.
In those early days I was really rolling! I was expecting this to be an easy ride – all joy and light and love. It was wonderful.
What I hadn’t expected was the inevitable emergence of my shadow through as a result of all my spiritual work. And it was not something I was going to be comfortable with – admitting I had places of darkness within me, unloved aspects of myself, disowned pieces of my soul which had been abandoned and in such pain.
Through a series of, what seemed like, unfortunate events, I was given opportunities to face my shadow side. Challenges in relationships with friends and loved ones arose. I couldn’t understand it at first, and felt very alone and misunderstood. I was shifting the blame for this onto the people around me, instead of going inward.
Going inward, into the light, was totally okay, but going inward into the darkness was terrifying. My ego-self raised every defense to keep me from going there. Eventually, I could avoid it no longer.
My life at this point had endured tremendous change in the course of only a few years- so much so, that the entire landscape of my existence and the people in it were now different. While many of the changes were positive, the magnitude of the differences between my ‘old life’ and my ‘new life’ forced me into robust self-reflection.