by Marilyn Muir, LPMAFA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
When we begin our awakening process, it can be a bit bewildering. Sometimes we think we are imagining things; then we do not know who to talk to about what is happening to us. If we do find someone with whom to speak, we may not know what questions to ask. I mentioned in a previous article that at times your growth can feel like two steps forward and one step backward as we consciously pursue our own evolution. Hang in there – such confusion does pass, or perhaps just gets easier to handle. I have gone through some of this myself. First comes the surprise that there is more to life than eating, sleeping, drinking or whatever physical experience interests you. Your delight is the incredible vista of possibility that opens up for you as you move beyond limited and limiting physical experience into all possible dimensions of experience. One moment after another, your world enlarges, your experience varies and you grow. You find answers to your questions only to open up 100 new questions. Your view enlarges as you reach for more and more.
Somewhere along the line, you start to get serious about your development and you seek out books, classes, teachers, and companions. There is so much self-help material and classes available right now. At the time I started to wake up, opportunities were few and far between and books and teaching material hard to access. Much of what my generation learned was self-taught, and such experience could produce some pretty odd results, but you did still learn and grew.
Some of the time you learned what you should not do or be, and please know that was not a mistake. Any time you have an experience, you learn; there are no real errors. It is a good idea to keep your powers of discernment alive and well so you pick and choose the most valuable use of your time and effort. I have taken classes and listened to companions and teachers who were not truly headed in my direction, but I still learned from them. To know where you do not belong is also valuable and that includes studies, teachers, companions, and pathways. Nothing is wasted.
What should you study? There are so many avenues to pursue and that question requires a very individualized response. What is suitable and useful to me might not answer your need. If I had to point you in a specific direction, I would start with simple meditation. The act of clearing your mind and entering a receptive state is perfect for most people. There is no one right way to do it, as there are countless methods of meditation. Five minutes of good meditation is worth far more than an hour of a fretful mind that is doing everything except meditating. Start simple and build your receptivity and your skills. As you get better at meditation, you will be able to place a question into the silence and that silence can and may answer you. My suggestion is to ask what you should study. Just remember prayer is you talking to universal consciousness and meditation is you listening to universal consciousness.
With no books and no teachers or companions available when I first awakened, I would lie down and chant silently inside my mind, “I am one with the universe.” And I was. It was wonderful. Over the years I have tried many forms of meditation and none have satisfied me as much as the simple oneness exercise of my early development. If you did nothing else besides meditation to aid your spiritual development, you would eventually succeed in your growth and evolution.
Should you go the psychic route? Been there, done that. It is interesting, exciting and frustrating. You can do a lot of good to help others with your psychic skills. This area also can be a dead-end street unless you remember that the psychic is only one skill and not the only skill. If you study to increase your understanding and to raise your consciousness, all the gifts of spirit can be yours to enjoy including a naturally developing psychic ability. You will find that some skills develop faster than others, which depends on the individual. Of all the developmental methods this one can lead directly to an ego trap. Applause is addictive. It is a very interesting path on which to journey. It is up to you to keep your experience positive.
What about astrology, numerology, tarot or other studies and other types of readings? Personally, I have gotten more mileage out of astrology than any other study, but have truly enjoyed those other areas. Each has its own value and I did benefit from them. I have read cards, stones, colors, even clouds and it all works because the spiritual essence of us has no limits, all the skills belong to each of us. What captures our interest is one technique to study, but not the only one.
Should you follow the healing field, which has so many avenues to explore? Life is not easy and many people can use all the help they can get, so any form of healing is a wonderful gift. It is something you can study with a variety of techniques and lots to explore but as with everything else, it is one facet to your growth.
Should you follow a philosophy, a teacher, a set of rules, a religion, cult or sect, or something else codified? Each will teach you. You might not like the lesson or your consciousness may get trapped in codification for a time… or for a lifetime. Not to worry, the universe has all the time and experience you will need to learn and grow. The journey will continue.
What do I suggest to you? Stay eclectic. Spiritual development is a smorgasbord of possibility. Do not be afraid to sample or try a variety of experiences. Avoid being superficial and make sure you delve deeply enough into each subject to learn what it is about and to satisfy what you came to learn. Avoid becoming entrapped by a belief, a code, or a set of rules. Spirit is free and so are you. No one knows better than you do about your own growth. As I said in earlier articles, you cannot get lost. You are a droplet of a universal consciousness which knows where and who you are every moment. The universe will not throw you out because you are not an expendable piece of junk. The universe thought enough of you to make one of you. Think enough of yourself to honor and promote that gift.
Published on EZine online May, 2010, republished with slight editing.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.