What do you consider spiritual? When you think of the word spiritual what is it that comes to mind for you? For me it has always brought up things like meditation, magic, the idea of the Divine and the sense of something I cannot describe but I know on some level. However the whole notion of spirit and what is spiritual has dramatically shifted for me of late. I’ve come to realize that I’ve compartmentalized or limited my spirituality for most of my life creating a divergence between what is considered spiritual and everything else. The everything else was actually most of life and many aspects of my experience that are quite important to me.
Recently as part of my deep studies of the Tarot I received a teaching that stated, everything is spiritual because everything is spirit. A very simple statement I know but one that at least for me even though I might mentally agree with it and understand it was not something I really lived on a daily basis. I didn’t BEHAVE as if I truly realized it. From this point of view there is nothing that is not spiritual, there is no action that is not spiritual, there simply cannot be. The result of the deep contemplation of this was a great expansion and a redefining of my spirituality to essentially include everything in my life. Now its not so much of a challenge to walk around and see trees, the sky, cute little kittens and lovely works of art as manifestations of spirit. But what about people you detest? What about the aspects of your personality you’ve struggled with the most? What about sexuality? What about destruction? What about your fears?
When spirituality is compartmentalized we create a concept out of it and then proceed to judge ourselves, other people and our experience based on that concept. However that concept is not real except in our minds and it creates separation which cuts us off from reality. Whatever our concept of spirituality is it is in some way problematic because its limited and spirit knows no such limits. Spirit is life itself, the ever flowing life energy of the entire cosmos of which we are a unique expression, just as we are now. Our personalities being a vehicle for the creative expression of Divine Will. We are the means by which the universe becomes aware of itself in an infinite number of forms and actions. Some of those forms are considered beautiful and some are considered horrible but ALL are spirit. There is no form or expression in existence which is not Divine.
One way this shift has impacted me is in terms of how I view my sexuality which I’ve unfortunately repressed and struggled with for most of my life. Part of that repression was due to an inner judgement that my sexuality was not spiritual or healthy and not something to indulge without unfortunate consequences. This is partly due to the fact that I’ve always been very much outside the norm sexually including things like bondage, polyamory, dominance and submission, various fetishes and a fluid gender identity. These things were judged based on my concept of spirituality and pushed away only to resurface with enormous power and then be indulged in resulting in feelings of shame. I felt like I was a hopelessly fucked up person who would never find the freedom that I sought on my spiritual path. In the process of letting that go and seeing these things as manifestations of spirit and my inclinations as pathways to creative expression of the Divine I have found a new sense of freedom. I’m now able to more openly and freely express who and what I’ve always been without so much judgement and shame. Seeing the sum total of my personality as a unique expression of Divine Will, both the dark and light. These things are just a part of who I am and they reflect my true nature which cannot be conceptualized but can be expressed. From the occult perspective all personal actions and inclinations are responses to the influence of the Divine.
I think its a great practice for those of us who walk a spiritual path to question all our assumptions and concepts to be sure that they truly serve us and that they don’t cut us off from life. If we include all aspects of ourselves and our experience in the realm of spirituality we are then able to work with them in a new way and embrace ourselves fully just as we are. We are able to truly BE ourselves and we can bring consciousness and awareness to everything we do and dissolve whatever may be dysfunctional. The direct experience of the absolute has been described by many mystics in erotic terms and my experience of communion with the Goddess is often experienced in just that manner and it is a very profound experience. When you truly embrace spirit and follow your heart you end up having to drop all your conceptions and allow life to flow though you however that may look which I think is beautiful.
Tags: authenticity, spirit, Spirituality
Simply BEAUTIFUL, TRUTHFUL and amazing – - Thank You for writing this from your heart and soul and reaching within to Find You Divine!!!! W o W !!! And You Are soooooo VERY Divine my Love <3 Excellent work and Excellent to share for All those perhaps struggling & grappling with some of the same misconceptions. You R o C K!!! I Love YOU!! ~sheleigh love