Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Spirituality and Courage

Spirituality

I have often said that I follow a spiritual path not  religious one. In watching George Carlin the other night, I heard him say, "Religion is what we call other people's beliefs." This caused me to work out the difference between religion and spirituality. At the moment, this is what I have.


Religion is living in the faith and dogma of your choosing. Any religion can lead one to a spiritual life but it can also be a thin costume of righteousness. Spirituality is fulfilling the deeper meaning of the words and ideas we follow. Spirituality is living your core values because it is who you are, not what you wish to be.

Courage

As you know, I have been working with my version of the Prayer of Jabez. I am noticing radical changes in my life. I have made huge progress with my work related frustration. Huge. I still have work to do but I find myself continually smiling at work. This is odd. This is the first major progress that I have ever made on the issue. I have expressed irritation twice in a month instead of three times a day. In my mind, it is the last of the major and mundanely obvious alchemical issues I have to face. The rest are much more subtle. My self-perception has solidified by leaps and bounds.

I have also noticed some challenges. First, as long time readers know, I wear a ring. That ring contains information regarding my HGA. On rare occassion, people comment on it as would happen with any other piece of jewelry. In the last month, I've been asked about it five or six times. I don't think I've been asked about it five or six times a year. It would be just a fluke if it wasn't the way they were asking. It is if they know it has more meaning than the average ring. No big deal but...

As I pray, I can watch my life changing. I am being asked for assistance and guidence. My tarot reading is nothing short of spectacular. I've made correct medical diagnosis with the cards, helped an artist find her style and had a crying woman leave my space happy and with hope. I have spent a lot of time in service to others. I look around and see speaking engagement after speaking engagement knowing more are coming. As one drunken magician said at the Con, "I am happy to help, Robert. This is your destiny."

My work with the Helpful Deity and Hermes has drawn a third and a fourth arrival has been indicated.

Change is scary. Responsibility is scary. Being in service to others is joyfully fulfilling and scary. I look at the above and ask what is so scary? I have no idea but to say that I am without trepidation would not be true.

I've worked hard to get to the point of knowing what I'm supposed to do in this life. I am nearer and nearer to that point. Continuing that prayer may be one of the more courageous things I've done on the path. Though, I'm not sure that it should be.

I continue to pray.

Upcoming Posts

How to use the raw psychic energy of conventions to your advantage
Is the Helpful Deity Internal or External?

1 comment:

Amethyst said...

>It is if they know it has more meaning than the average ring.

I was pretty sure your ring had some special significance for you when I first noticed it, before I knew much about your spiritual/magical work. It could just be because single adult males in the US don't usually wear jewelry, and it it could have something to do with the way you toy with it and stare at it unconsciously sometimes, drawing attention to it. Or it could be that even a person with beliefs as mundane as mine and your coworkers' is capable of sensing magical things. ;)