I got a discussion for you....

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-12-2007
I got a discussion for you....
11
Tue, 11-20-2007 - 11:20am

Since lately I have been very skeptical and have been questioning spirituality......


What was the one experience in your life that made you realize there was something more out there. Was it something you saw? You felt? Was it a particular type of religion or teaching? Was it someone in particular? How did you feel when you experienced this?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 11-20-2007 - 5:14pm

Actually, I've gone just the opposite direction, becoming less and less convinced there's any

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Tue, 11-20-2007 - 6:30pm

I, too, have gone the other way somewhat...


iVillage Member
Registered: 07-12-2007
Wed, 11-21-2007 - 8:25am

So, what I am seeing is a trend to your "personal" energy is what reflects your place in the universe. It's more important to reflect on your inner self and, if you concentrate on

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 11-21-2007 - 10:31am

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-09-2001
Fri, 11-23-2007 - 1:34pm
I have been a spiritual seeker since my early 20s, reading everything I could get my hands on. ;)) I was a cradle Catholic, raised in a devout home, with a devout extended family. And as a child, I loved all of it, being a part of it, the "culture" of it, all the special days, etc. Once I grew up, this faith stopped nurturing me spiritually and I started reading about the Eastern religion of Zen and Buddhism, as books became translated and available here in any quantity, in the late 60s and early 70s. Alan Watts, etc. I have tried other forms of Christianity as well as practiced Zen for several years as well. Some years as an Agnostic, too, just devouring a lot of books, trying to sort things out for myself, finding a path that would nurture that spiritual part of me that cried out for being "fed." It took me many years to realize what I was lacking was a respect and honor for what I term the "sacred feminine." That most religions were patriarchal and controlled and determined women's involvement and roles, stepping between women and their access to the God energy, telling them what they can and cannot do. To me, that meant cutting me off from this God energy. How could there only be a MALE God? Why only MALE? When male and female energies, like the Tao Circle, are a natural part of all of us, in Nature, in the Universe? Why value one over the other? Why should one control the other, define it? Sue Monk Kidd's book about her own journey concerning this, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, mirrors my own journey regarding these concepts. Other books on this that had a powerful impact on me: 1) The Feminine Face of God: the Unfolding of the Sacred in Women by Sherry Ruth Anderson & Patricia Hopkins; 2) The Once and Future Goddess by Elinor W. Gadon; 3) Women Who Run With Wolves
by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D.



I stumbled on Goddess as women began researching older Pagan religions and women writers began writing about the importance of the "divine feminine" or the "sacred feminine." And that to experience full connection, this idea of Goddess and God, of recognizing the value and sacredness of both feminine and masculine energies, of the need for they're working together, equality, blending in & out as the Tao Circle of Light and Dark, is where true connection with the divine can develop. Not when cut off or lopped off into separateness. My daughter, in elementary school at the time, also nudged me by starting to ask about Wicca and Goddess, so we journeyed together buying books, studying, beginning to design rituals, learn about the Craft (Magick), and so forth. Something whole and settled and satisfying, as though I finally was coming "home" spiritually, settled within me, and for many years now I have been Wiccan and worship the Goddess and the God. This path makes sense to me, nurtures me, in ways none of my other paths did. I'm a journeyer, though, and my path is distinctly my own, incorporates wisdom and practices from many spiritual sources. I have been a Solitary for many years, and just recently, I and my daughter have joined a Wiccan Circle. We all as members come from Solitary backgrounds, and have developed our own rituals, concepts, ways of working with divination, the Craft, etc., and are sharing with each other, teaching our wisdoms to each other.



I feel this is yet another part of my journey as Spirit, and there is no end to it, no specific "destination" other than enlightenment and evolution as a spiritual being. However I choose to define it and try to develop it. In my view, as it has developed over the years, is that all different religions developed their specificity to worship this same divine energy, but call it by different names, have different doctrines/dogma, ritual practices, etc. But in essence, I believe, all gods are one god and one god is all gods. No religion has all the truth, in other words and our "god concepts" are developed to reflect us as we are in this physical realm. But that is OUR way of relating to this divine energy or "divine ultimate" and therefore, is reflective of ourselves, as a way to deal with working to have a connection with the divine create energies of the Universe, so there is no single way to do this. And different religions and cultures have developed over time to provide this connection we seek, to try to answer the "big questions" of our existence. My task, anyone's task, IMO, is to develop our own path, not just accept some "ready made" religion or spirituality, but to make it personal, imbuing our own hard won wisdom and inner voice, to create our on true connection. For some that can be accepting and following an established religion. For others it can mean developing their own unique path. Neither is better or "truer" than another. Just different ways to seek the Divine.



So, there is no ONE experience or event or mentor or book for me. Life and my spiritual journey is a PROCESS. The journey is more important than any preconceived "destination."



Gypsy ✬

Hairetikos



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She changes everything She touches,
and everything She touches, changes.






Blessings,

Gypsy

)O(



iVillage Member
Registered: 11-27-2007
Tue, 11-27-2007 - 11:25am

Spirituality is a really interesting topic for discussion for me because it's been on my mind for a long time too.

Here are some of my thoughts....

There has never been one single experience that made me realise that there was something else out there but rather a growing awareness that things that happened to me, and thus my understanding of the world, wasn't random, but rather that everything had some sort of meaning and started to make sense.

So, for example, my dreams make sense to me now, so that when I interpret them they give me information about my thinking or my daily life experiences. By that I mean that my dreams aren't random but are a response to daily life events and experiences. I take intuition very seriously and take my gut responses to situations seriously too because, like dreams, they are giving me information about my experiences which allow me to make sense of the world.

I use tarot or oracle card readings just like dreams to make sense of my daily life. I am so used to using dreams and intuition and various other communications to guide my daily life that I couldn't imagine life without them. But that is beacuse I think that is what they are for. I believe, after about 10 years of learning how to use these extra 'senses' to guide my life (and there's still lots to learn), that they are a form of communication. But communication from whom? I now believe that we all have what might best be termed our own, unique 'spiritual partner' which uses dreams to communicate with its unique human partner and vice versa.

So that's my take on spirituality - each human being has a unique 'spiritual partner' that communicates with and guides its unique human partner using dreams as the language of communication.

Finally, I'd be happy to answer any questions on how I arrived at that conclusion or, indeed, on how I interpret and use dreams or intuitive experiences.

The Lost Language of Dreams: www.lostlanguageofdreams.co.uk
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Tue, 11-27-2007 - 5:39pm

I agree with you on so many levels.


iVillage Member
Registered: 11-27-2007
Tue, 11-27-2007 - 7:14pm

Interesting that you are such a prolific dreamer!

The Lost Language of Dreams: www.lostlanguageofdreams.co.uk
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-19-2007
Wed, 12-05-2007 - 3:22am

I do believe in a higher power, his name is God almighty. My experience was as a young lady around the age of 12. I was outside in the good ol' country playing in grandma's yard Sunday afternoon.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-25-2003
Wed, 12-05-2007 - 11:30pm

Mind if I stick my oar in?

There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

- Hamlet

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