I began a concerted spiritual practice July 2013. In six years, my world view has dramatically changed and I continue to evolve every day. Brenda from July 2013 would not understand Brenda of September 2019, but she would let the energy wash over her. That is what I still do when I hear something that resonates with my soul but my third-dimensional mind can not understand.
Naming something has so much power. It can clarify and shape and open to experience. It can also limit and obscure. Over these last six years, there has frequently been a question of how to name my spiritual path. Pagan, Wiccan, Witch, eclectic Witch with Wiccan leanings. That one held me for a long time. Then I began to expand the traditions from which I learned and grew. A description that began to feel most accurate was, ‘I receive inspiration from many traditions and home base is a Pagan path’. It worked for a time. And reflected a space of allowing to see how the path unfolded. And it didn’t quite convey how much I feel Divine everywhere.
Listening to Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday podcast, I heard a Sufi teacher, Llewellyn Vaughn Lee say, “I am primarily a mystic. ...is someone who wants to lose themselves completely in God.” I heard this and thought, ‘Yes’. I am primarily a mystic. I believe in the Oneness inhabiting all of the cosmos and I desire to be in full alignment with that Oneness. That isn’t to say I want to leave the body. I want to return to Oneness while in body. On my return to One, I have seen God in many traditions. One of the most important books I read early in my journey was “God is a Verb” from Rabbi David Cooper. One of the most important teachers in my awakening has been Jagadguru Sai Maa. The Catholic Eucharist ritual moves me and Jesuit retreat has been an amazing gift. I can feel oneness, spirit, God, Goddess in many places.
And, home base is still a Pagan path. Pagan ritual is where I first viscerally felt the connection to Oneness. It is the touchstone that connects me on a daily basis. My altar is held by the directions. It is the tradition of my maternal lineage (dating back one generation!). It is rooted in the cycles of life on this planet and my journey in this incarnation is so much about embracing the physical experience. Ritual is a big part of the Pagan path and ritual for me is a strong entryway into BEing in alignment.
Comments