Some of my regular blog readers may feel that I am against
some of the love and light brigade or certain spiritual groups or of those who
are being the arch typical spiritual person.
Quite to the contrary.
It is good for anyone to hold to the affirmation “today I am who I am”.
The hot bed of spiritualism is thriving amongst our
communities and indeed is having their own “coming” out of the closet like a
dominant gay queen stepping out in Canal Street in Manchester, loud and clear
and ensuring everyone knows they are there.
Anyone who is amongst like-minded people tends to grow in confidence and
feel encouraged as they recognise that there are similar people to them out
there. There is, however, like in gay
society, and in every society, the catty backbiting competitive crowd who stirs
up the party, and some who just follow the crowd as it is safer being on the
inside than the outside.
The strong “love and light” outlook, with the odd swing of
colourful garments, that marks many spiritualists is just a way of them trying
to show that they are dedicated to their spiritual belief and enjoying being
who they are with passion and intent, and it is the same amongst Wiccan and
pagan groups. It is normal to want to
fit in, and even like the young generation in trends and fashion, the “in”
crowd lead the way as to what is going to be acceptable – or not. Natural instinct is there to protect us all
and, the human as an animal, is much like any other herd animal and attempts to
stay with the herd to ensure its safety, and look and act much like the rest of
its brothers and sisters. The one on the
outside or looking different is the one more likely to be identified by predators
lurking hungrily around the edge.
As you work with Spirit, and learn to understand how they
work, you will be taken through many experiences to assist you in your
knowledge and development. Spiritualism
has though, become a religion with many at the helm applying human nature to
control, manage and apply rules to how modern spiritualism exists within
society. You can give a thousand points
to them for being passionate and wishing Spiritualism to thrive compared to the
old days when we were all drowned and hung as witches or eternally fired for
being a heretic and practicing our belief – the good old days of living in the
closet. Many good things have been done
to aid modern Spiritualism but a fundamental thought seems to have been somewhat
forgotten. Being spiritual is a way of
being, it is not a religion. It is an unfoldment, a realisation, an epiphany,
and experience all rolled into one. Everyones’
personal journey is not totally the same, and is theirs to claim alone. The age old human thing of trying to reinvent
the wheel, where ego and insanity takes over what needs not to be a
manufactured way of being with dogma and dictators influencing who you are and
how you should be.
Spiritualism has grown organically from the closet days,
where devoted spiritual pioneers sat in circle learning and working with spirit
and allowing them to grow in their knowledge and wisdom. With the dawning of the internet and a more
accepting society, we now have big schools, workshops, churches, spiritual
centres with the traditionalists and the new all trying to spread their wings
and bring to the world modern spiritualism.
It is truly wonderful that we can now share our spiritual awakening and
as to how we feel about it and who we are. But with the labelling of a religion and being
part of a specific society, new rules come in as to how we should behave and
think and how we should practice in being “spiritual” people. Someone somewhere originally had a great idea
to do good, to further the way forward and a little group got together to
influence the way – and bang everyone is on the wagon and the generalist guide “how
to be spiritual” is born. Our version of
the bible has arrived in all its glory, and not a second coming messiah in
sight.
Some rules are good – the Seven principles are a good
standing point for anyone with a spiritual belief. I won’t discuss these in detail as they are
easily found, and appreciated by any person wishing to understand spiritualism. But every religion has started with a seed
and its flower been admired and beheld, to only be torn up by the root and put
in a greenhouse and given a label as to how best it is grown and propagated.
Like any wild flower it grew well enough on its own without
help.
Human history and today’s multicultural society still shows
that most religions end up with humans fighting against humans whether it’s by
word or by sword. Whatever it is, it is
still a sad day for mankind and spirit alike.
Is it what we truly want for our spiritual legacy? Personally, I don’t think so, but somehow I
am not sure those who are waving our banner will be listening to me. For me it is straightforward, Spirit is always
there with their blazing light of love and it’s us humans which play the hokey
cokey with the dark.
It is true; there are some people out there who do need human
guidance. A spiritual awakening is a
confusing place to be at times, especially if you have great Aunt Mabel or even
Angel Gabriel materialising at the breakfast table for a chat unexpectedly. It’s
enough for anyone to suddenly choke on their Cheerio’s.
What we see and what we think about spirit
can be overwhelming, and our minds can run around like an abandoned chicken on
a motorway dancing in front of dazzling headlights. In our need to gain knowledge, we do need to
understand that there are many ways of thinking, many different experiences. Specifically if we are going to tune into the
spiritual realm and invite strange spirits for a bit of a natter because we
have their loved one sitting in front of us, is not about having a duty of care
and abiding by the law, but caring about a fellow human. We do need to
appreciate that there is a way to deliver the fantastic news that little Jonny isn’t
going to be in pain anymore and will be shortly journeying back home to the Spirit
world on a one way ticket. It is not about wielding a new found power, believing
that as you have an insight to someone else’s life and they have given you
money to give that insight, does not mean that you have acquired the god given
right to destroy or ruin it by the “truthful” words you are blessed to give
from the spirit world. Too many times
I have heard how a message has been given to an unsuspecting happy client, and
the next minute they are lost feeling their lives are in tatters due to a
message given thoughtlessly and without care about its effects.
Spirit is
indeed loving, but there are so many mediums who are untrained, not in tune,
and misinterpret their communication with Spirit. Evidence is all about having “a
lovely lady with grey hair, your grandmother, who gives you her love”, rather
than the real evidence of the lady you knew who sat and watched the wombles
with you and fed you peanut jelly sandwiches.
If you have the privilege of having someone sitting waiting for your
words and that what you are giving or feeling matters more than what the person
sitting in front of you is feeling or receiving – then check you are hearing
spirit. It is likely they are jumping up
and down in front of you trying to get you to hear them.
That being said, we are human and spirit sharing a journey
together and as human’s we are dominated by our fears and our doubts. It is safer to be in a group when you are
first developing. There are many excellent teachers out there who are every so
willing to share their experiences and wisdom for free and even more so if you
wave a score note around like a red flag to a bull in the right place. It is
not wrong to earn money from teaching spiritual matters, but often where money becomes
the main motivation, what you get in return can lose its soul.
The point is though....if you are working with Spirit, truly
working with Spirit, you shouldn’t need to be told. Spirit will guide you. It is
good to find out different views, and experiment with new ways of working,
traditional ways and different modern spiritual thinking. You can be angelic, Buddhist, ascended
masters, seventh heaven, ghost buster or mystic meg – it is a case of learning to be a apple, then
a pear, then a banana – or just being a fruit basket like me! It is not wrong, it is just the way you are
evolving and learning. You do not have
to trash what you first thought or the knowledge you first acquired, you just
have developed it and decided what is right at that time for you. You are all that you are because of
everything you have ever done, not just because of one single moment.
Sometimes I may sound somewhat cynical about some Spiritual
things. It is not that I am truly
trying to put down – it is a case of every man for himself. It is ok to follow the crowd, it is ok to
wear rainbow outfits and have crystal chandeliers as earrings.....I have done
it. So do still do it occasionally. They are so beautiful! I do it not as a uniform, but as an
expression of me.
I have a lovely knowledgable friend called Jay, who the
other day came to circle wonderfully wearing beautiful orange and colourful
Indian garments in celebration of Ganesha, one of her favourite Hindu deities.
It was his birthday and, because she resonated with him, felt it was a way to
honour him by dressing herself in colours she believed he would appreciate.
Other days Jay will be just Jay, another day she will come in wearing outfits
which make her resemble a little native Indian squaw. She is not trying to be something, she is
just being Jay – comfortable and enjoying being aspects of herself.
The point is that is what spiritualism is truly about, being
who you are, as a spirit. Your guides
and your spirit family know you inside out.
They have known you for eternity; you do not need to be something you
are not. They will help you find who
you are inside, and if you feel for a moment that you should dress like someone
else, they will happily not say a word, as they want you to benefit from the
experience of adopting a persona which makes you feel that you can be confident
and bring out the innerspirt, the true you.
It is your human experience and for you to decide what is right for you.
You do not need me, or anyone, to criticise or to tell you
are wrong in your way or thinking, or living or to tell you how to be or what
to believe...and if they do, then do wonder about what it tells you about
them...or even you. If you feel it is
right to be there, then that is where you should be. It is all about synchronicity at the end of
the day. Allowing the universe to
conspire to help you develop who you are, and it is all so amazing how it comes
together to bring the like-minded friends, the daring of being something
different than you may have been before.
You may allow them all to influence to you, wear the same outfits to fit
in, be draped in crystals, use the same Tarot cards, go to all the workshops
and circles to feel acceptance or part of something bigger than yourself. Even
read a blog to look for insight. It won’t
always be that way, as like most people you will grow in confidence and being and
enjoying who you are will become who you are.
You may one day feel that you don’t need to know it all, don’t need to
be like others, don’t need to wear a “spiritual” uniform to fit in, not needing
to acquire knowledge or being part of something bigger. You will just be you in
the way you want to express yourself and be comfortable in saying that.
I have found it is good to say...
”today I am who I am”.