MY PERSONAL SPIRITUALITY

In my 'spirituality' I am seeking to explore the seen and unseen worlds around me without the constrains of any set religious doctrine which makes it easier for me to embrace religious tolerance. - I desire a spirituality that is without borders or confining dogmas.Not that I don't believe in ULTIMATE TRUTHS, but I have found that many religions  say they have that, which I find in many cases differs and contradicts other religion's Ultimate Truths that they say they have, so what I do is keep those UNIVERSAL TRUTHS that all seem to have in agreement .  I strive to have perspectives that points to a more holistic worldview that  emphasizes that the Mind, Body and Spirit are interrelated and very connected and that ALL OF CREATION are connected as well-In the past I have been bound by a negative self image and wallowing in self-doubts which were inspired by religious beliefs taught to me that I now see as not DIVINELY INERRANT  but based in man's thinking to control others.  When I began my journey  to confront myself and my negative thoughts and beliefs and when I began to find the  causes for many of those negative feelings of self hatred and anger, I learned that either I received this information wrongly or that it was just plain wrong ideas being planted in my mind from various means.I have learned that  I  can change those feelings  , thoughts and beliefs to more healthier and truer versions...or  that I can just let them go. That those negatives in my beliefs, thoughts and feelings do not have to control me. This involves taking responsibility for what I think and how I feel; becoming more consciously aware of why I feel ,believe and think the way that  I do. In doing so,I am expanding my conscious awareness. I believe that peace for the world begins with peace within ourselves. The biggest hurdle I am  learning is how to create that inner peace and balance for myself. -The best way to inner peace as I am beginning to learn is to go within. How do you go within? You meditate. If prayer is talking to God, (Divine ,Source, Creator,Great Spirit or whatever word you prefer to use) then "meditation" is the art of listening to God the SOURCE who resides within you.By going within, you connect with your God-Source, there is no better way to connect if SOURCE  resides within than that,because that is where you have to go to do that. So through meditations, of which I am not good at, but I do quiet my mind as much as I am able to do at this time, I contemplate ideas and messages I have received from God/dess and quieting your mind which for me is best done out in nature where connection to Momma Earth is very conducive to opening those gate ways to the Kingdom within. Then  you can receive the answers you seek about your life that you might have. This is what gives you back your power. For we are  children of SOURCE and as a child of SOURCE..we are co-creators and truly One with the Infinite. I do not need a priest or a minister to come before SOURCE to  intercede for me.  One more thing I believe that Jesus Christ the Incarnation of that SOURCE is my only THEOLOGY,  Jesus came to reveal Mother/Father God to us and so as far as I am concerned Jesus Christ is God/dess on earth, what we see and hear Jesus say and do you have seen GOD/DESS  as well. And that scares many religious leaders. I have come to realize that I do not need anyone to tell me what SOURCE says to me or the plans SOURCE may have for me, SOURCE is truly within us then we do not need a go between to accomplish that.
In my spirituality I NEED THE DIVINE FEMININE to be there in all her glory! I need a sense of BALANCE, it is an important aspect of my life. That half of TRUTH is missing in a lot of religions. One of the major reasons I left the 'religion'  . I believe that the DIVINE HOLY SPIRIT  is the manifestation of the FEMININE ASPECT OF THE DIVINE. I was taught that from the bible strangely enough. I and all women are left out and delegated to a sub-servant position in all facets of life by the religion of Chrisitianity. I know that the Bible is a mythology which does not make it un-true but very true, just not literally true and that   the stories are allegorical or metaphorical and the use of the word male/male/husband and female/woman/wife are metaphors for spirit and body, but damn many of the OT  stories themselves suck ANYWAY,even if I know what is being said spiritually , the only reason one understands the metaphor or spiritual intent is because the story itself is being played out in real life as a fact of life ,the women are indeed lower than men. I can not abide by that thinking in real time or in myths be they Christian or Pagan.
My spirituality also entails NATURE and is a large part of my practice. I spend as much time outside as the weather conditions permit. I plant gardens, I feed the birds, I watch the clouds, I watch for signs all around me of Spirit talking to me. I look for symbols all around me because symbols are the language of Spirit, that is how Spirit communicates with each of us personally, so I strive to learn the language so I can receive connection from them as well.
I love watching the weather changes, the seasons come and go, Grandmother moon changing face everyday. They all have lessons to teach us if you are willing to listen. I am more connected to SOURCE by the SPIRITUALITY I have today than I have EVER been in my life............for that connection I am truly thankful and blessed.
in light and love
SPIRAL BLESSINGS
PATC

RELIGION OR SPIRITUALITY?

I would say I lean towards the non religious aspects of Spirituality. For me 'religion' means a group of people who agree on most of the terms and expressions and rituals and holidays of said religion. In a Religion there seems to always be someone in a leadership position who in many cases relays to 'the people' and laity what their version of the DIVINE has to say to the group as a whole and most often he and their god is male. It seems to me that the people involved in an Organized Religion spends much of their time debating their beliefs with everyone trying to push their beliefs on others as if ours are not worthy to be mentioned or to keep. I find that one's spirituality is such a personal expression of one's self that there is no room for debating who is wrong or right because the nature of it is that your spirituality is only right for you and mine is right for me and lets agree with that. 

When and if we have a spiritual experience of the Sacred 'other' it will , or at least it should mean something only to the person who has it ,because it was your experience and not everyone else. Various religion's scriptures are stories and myths of the authors experiences with the sacred and the Divine and it is OK to tell someone about those experiences as long as you know that they only   mean something to the one who experienced it and the message you may have gotten from the Divine is for you only and no one else ,because each of us should have our own experience with the sacred and Divine and should not take it from someone else because it does not apply to anyone but the one who personally receives it. I believe that we are all capable of hearing from the Divine and the Sacred if that is what we desire, and we are all capable of our own personal experience and expression of our own personal spirituality.

I do not need for any person to tell me what the DIVINE has said to me,who they are and what they want me to do. I believe that I and you are quite capable of getting our own messages and having our own sacred experiences. The Divine knows where I am at and I am quite sure that if they have a message for me they will get it to me some way or fashion . It seems arrogant and narcissistic to me that a person or a religion   thinks that they are the only ones who has the market on Truth. That they are the only one's who are hearing from spirit. There are thousands and thousands of religions and expressions of spirituality in our world, and folks no one has all of the Truth , you may have some but not all.

I have noticed that each country, culture or tribe seems to emulate the Gods they worship, you can find out a lot about a particular religion's gods by the people who worship them. Those that cruel, who love to war and take from others and force their beliefs on everyone else tends to have a Warrior god and it will most often be male or they may be atheist. Those people who love justice, who care for others  and choose not to war with others and who believe in equality will have gods and goddesses that they worship who are like minded, or  they will be secular or atheist for the most part as well. If the people are more into sexual areas their gods will tend to be sexual.Apparently either we are emulating our gods or we are making our gods into our images.

Right now there is a stink about whether or not Islam ,Jews and Christians worship the same God.Here I would have to say at least half of all of them do and that God is a mean ,warrior and vengeful God. The other half seems to have a more loving tolerant and caring God . But why the debate in the first place? If that is what this lady believes, then cut her some slack, that is her beliefs that she is expressing.
I have found that people who do not claim a religion but consider themselves as 'spiritual' are more likely to be tolerant of all religions and can care less what you do or don't believe, as long as you don't bother someone else with it. And those who are in a religion will be more likely to think their's is the true or right one and most likely to be intolerant of anyone's beliefs if they are different from their own. Why is that so often the case? I am not saying it is true in all cases but it tends to be that way at times.
I have tried countless times to enter into a religion but it does not seem to stick because I do not want to be associated with what I see within that religion. I rather go it alone as a solitary and experience the Divine personally without being told what to think or believe and how to live. I  think I am old enough to handle that on my own.
for what it was worth,
in light and love
PATC