Copyright Soul Arcanum LLC. All rights reserved.
Dear Soul Arcanum:
I feel the need for greater balance in my life. At the moment, what I lack most is spiritual fulfillment. What would be a good way for me to start on this path? Where should I go to begin seeking spiritual guidance? There are so many paths out there; how do I know which is right for me? Since I am a Christian, numerous people have suggested that I go back to church, but the attraction is just not there. When I do go to church, the spiritual void I feel remains unfilled. Others have suggested that I try exploring other paths like Buddhism. Where do you suggest I start?
Michelle
Dear Michelle:
You are already doing the most important thing: you are listening within and allowing yourself to be led to what you really need. You are also trusting your feelings to determine what does and does not feel right to you.
God/Spirit/the Universe whispers to us in our own hearts. The only way to determine the right path for us is to pay attention to how we feel and trust that what we long to do is what we are meant to do. Unfortunately, this is a far cry from what most of us have been taught. In my view, the “the Church” generally teaches people to distrust themselves. They are urged to follow a prefabricated set of rules instead of allowing their own heart and conscience to guide them to right action. Traditionally, the church has also asserted that one needs a priest to serve as intermediary between oneself and “God.” The Church not only discouraged a personal relationship with the divine, it suggested that for most people, this was an impossibility.
That being said, I believe traditional religion does have its place. People who are more rooted in their base instincts than a quest for spiritual growth are much like sheep who need shepherding. This is a natural stage in our spiritual evolution that we probably all passed through at some point. However, it is also natural to outgrow this stage: to start to question what we’ve been taught, think for ourselves, and hunger for direct personal experience in order to build a solid belief system. It sounds like you have recently reached that point in your own spiritual evolution.
The first step is to trust that your desire is trying to guide you. Allow yourself to go exploring with trust in your own interests, desires, instincts and intuitions. You might begin exploring by going to a local spiritual/metaphysical bookstore to peruse the possibilities. If you are in an open, relaxed frame of mind and trusting of your intuition, you will feel drawn to certain subjects and titles. Many people even have strange experiences where books fall off the shelves at their feet or strangers strike up a conversation during which they recommend titles.
While you’re there, check the bulletin board for a listing of classes, seminars, workshops, practitioners, groups and other offerings. There will probably also be a local spiritual magazine with articles by local teachers, a calendar of classes and events, and lots of ads for local spiritual practitioners of various sorts. You will discover options you’ve never even heard of before. Don’t become overwhelmed; if you listen within and trust your own interests and instincts, your intuition will guide you.
Sometimes we don’t feel called to a certain path simply because we haven’t yet stumbled upon the path that is right for us. If you are only considering whether to go back to church or explore Buddhism and neither of these paths is the one for you, then it’s no wonder you’re not getting a clear sense of direction. By exploring all the options available to you, you are more likely to hit upon something that really speaks to you.
Now that you’ve selected some books, start reading! One book and subject will naturally lead you to another and another. If you keep trusting your own curiosity to guide you, you will never run out of paths to explore. Similarly, if you have hit upon a class, group, or other local offering that seems intriguing, check it out.
A word of caution: no path is “perfect.” Just as you wouldn’t expect to like everything on the menu at your favorite restaurant, you probably won’t love every aspect and tenet of a particular path. Though I have had some wonderful spiritual teachers in my life, I haven’t agreed 100% with any of them.
Next, pick a spiritual practice you feel drawn to. This may be a certain form of meditation, an exercise like yoga or tai chi, chanting, prayer, or even community service. Whatever you choose, give it some time before you decide if it’s really for you or not. This will take some discipline and devotion. Getting spiritually in shape is a bit like getting physically in shape: if you judge a certain form of exercise based on how it feels the first couple of times you do it, you’re likely to give up before you begin to see its benefits.
Next, keep in mind that you are constantly creating your own experience of life. You can use the law of attraction to manifest spiritual abundance just as you would use it to manifest financial abundance. I count my understanding of the law of attraction as the most precious spiritual knowledge I’ve been blessed with this lifetime. No matter what you desire, working with the law of attraction is the way to get it. For this reason, I encourage you to study the law of attraction and start using what you learn to manifest the spiritual guidance and fulfillment you long for.
Do keep in mind that if you keep telling the Universe, “I don’t know what to do. I feel lost and empty,” then you will get more of that same sort of experience. If you tell the Universe, “I want magic! I want a clear sense of spiritual direction and deep sense of spiritual fulfillment” and you imagine how it will feel when you get that, then you will naturally begin to attract what you desire.
Finally, start a dialog with Spirit. Instead of just asking questions in your mind and heart, listen for insights and answers. Ask for signs to come to you and honor the ones you receive by acting on them. It’s wise to ask for signs to come in threes so you’re sure that they are what they seem to be.
Many years ago, I was in a similar place. I was having all sorts of spontaneous spirit communication experiences but I was far from being able to control or initiate them. I felt called to try to help people with this gift but since I couldn’t control it, that path seemed closed to me. Then I prayed to Spirit. I basically said, “If this is what I’m meant to do, then show me how I can learn to use this gift in a purposeful way.” Within two weeks, three different people had mentioned Lily Dale, New York, to me. This got my attention and I just “knew” I should go there. When I visited, I saw the school I ended up attending advertised on a flier, and I just knew I was going to go to the school. It wasn’t even so much that I knew I wanted to go to the school – I knew I was going to do it. This school proved to be the answer to my prayers.
You ask where you should begin to seek spiritual guidance. I recommend you stop asking other people (including me), and start asking God/the Universe/Spirit – whatever label you personally put on the source of intuition and inspiration. This is a very exciting time for you, my friend. May this new journey bless you with faith, wonder, and the spiritual fulfillment you desire.
Soul Arcanum