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Seeking Spirituality
During the years of private study with my teacher, Adyashanti, he used to speak a lot about belief systems and spiritual practices. I learned from him, among other things, that to believe something, as opposed to having a direct experience of it, are two entirely different things. If you believe something because you’ve been made to feel guilty for being a non-believer, or merely because you think it’s the ‘right’ thing to do, it’s likely that this belief will be challenged throughout your life.
However, if you have a direct experience that is of a spiritual nature, you’re more likely to remember it and the impact it had on you, and you are more likely to truly believe as a result. The direct spiritual experiences we have, whether through meditation, dreams, or psychic and paranormal phenomena, are the ones that help us grow as an individual and bring us into alignment with our soul.
Why is this? If you think about it, we are bombarded with information every day that our minds must either believe, memorize, and somehow apply. Our authentic state, soul or higher self, has a direct, intuitive knowing that doesn’t come from this information or thoughts triggered by the external world. This kind of ‘knowing’ comes from within. When we have moments where our ‘everyday mind’ is out of the way, either through a psychic vision, spiritual experience, dream, or simply a quiet, meditative state, we come back in touch with this original ‘inner knowing’ or ‘beingness.’
Some call this ‘enlightenment.’ According to my teacher, Adyashanti, and from my own direct experiences, true enlightenment is not something that can be learned, rather it’s the ‘unlearning’ of all thoughts we’ve taken in.
The Legacy Of The Modern Crone
The time of the crone is the third stage in the life of a woman, may she feels she has come full circle. The Crone is traditionally an archetypal figure for a ‘wise old woman.’ In ancient times the ‘crone’ was considered, in a matriarchal community, to typically be a mature woman past the age of menopause.
In society today, many women look at the time in life past menopause as a blessing. It is now considered a time to get on with life and achieve the things that may have been put on the backburner. It is a time when one hits that age where experience counts as true knowledge.
In my own opinion most of the women I know personally, who lived as young adults through the 1960’s and 1970’s, are not very much concerned with their physical age, as long as they have their health and feel good about themselves. They are not concerned about what society may call the age one is deemed ‘a crone.’
The term ‘crone’ is believed to originate from Rhea Kronia. Rhea is the ancient Greek goddess of female fertility, motherhood, and generation, also known as ‘Mother Time.’, She is also associated with black creatures, such as the crow, which is sacred and related to death.
There was a time when the crone was recognized as a treasured valued member of the community. Her advice was sought by those younger and less experienced. The good old golden rule was her belief of ‘the way life should be lived.’
When Spiritual Leaders Let Us Down
It is a hard lesson for some of us to learn that people are just people. We are all capable of good and evil. The difference is the choices that are made on how to handle our emotions and feelings.
When you put faith and trust in an individual and are let down, you start to second guess your decisions and lose some faith in yourself to make wise decisions. It can leave a big hole in your heart and create trust issues in the future.
It seems impossible for a person who has done remarkable good deeds to also choose to do bad things. We must realize that all people have temptations in life. Some people can avoid the albatross on their back, while others simply cannot. It takes a very strong person to walk their talk.
The same applies to ‘highly spiritual’ people, because some healers, gurus and spiritual leaders certainly have had their own cross to bear.
Power And Protection From Your Ancestors
I come from a long line of female herbalists of European origins on my mother’s side of the family. They were seers, healers, and prophets who combined their psychic gifts with ancient healing practices. Today, they still come to me during meditation, to offer wisdom.
The family’s mainly Germanic connection is one I’ve researched for many years, but more recently I discovered that my ancestors crossed into Scandinavian and Norse territories too, which suggests a bloodline of fierce women who were warriors of their time. It’s really not surprising to me, as even my own mother today, who is 84 years old, can still kick anyone’s butt who crosses her path in an unkind way! I always knew she was strong when I was little, and I always admired her power and independence.
Your Personal Power Of Intuitive Resistance
We are constantly being bombarded with new trends about diets, places to live, what to wear, unique ways of exercising, fashionable holiday destinations. This also includes how and when we should leave this realm… despite our own personal inner beliefs, and our connection to spirit whom ultimately makes all our pertinent decisions based on the soul’s guidance system and truth.
Today, more than ever, with access to the Internet and social media, we are continually exposed to every health expert, fashionista and spiritual guru out there, as well as anyone who believe they can tell us how to decorate our homes, where we should eat when we dine out, how to find a soulmate, and what is the best food for our pets. The list goes on.
Angels Are Everywhere
A few weeks ago I was out running some errands. At a red light I saw a homeless man with his sign. It looked professionally made and I thought to myself that someone must have made that sign for him? The words Homeless, God Bless, Donate If You Can were printed in perfect block letters.
I then intuited who made the signs for him. I saw that his daughter-in-law was making it for him. That led me to wonder why doesn’t he just live with his son and daughter-in-law? I have seen him on that corner before and always assumed he lived at a homeless mission, or under a bridge somewhere. But this time I remote viewed and saw him living by himself in what was a fairly nice apartment. I wondered then why he was saying he was homeless, if he had a nice apartment? Continue reading
When Your Child Is Your Spiritual Coach
Coming from a family who never communicated their personal feelings, I learned a lot about the importance of communication between age groups in my early teens, when I was sent to live with a Dutch family with three children for several months.
I always admired their closeness, but it wasn’t until I actually moved in with them, that I realized just how far their caring and sharing went towards feeling part of such a close knit family. They prayed together too, and included me, always asking for healing for my mother who was having treatment at the time for her ‘nervous condition.’
In later years, as a recovering alcoholic in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), I would often hear the expression, “A family that prays together, stays together.” I am sure this family has stayed close all these years, even though we have lost touch. Continue reading