There is absolutely no escape from the drive of marketing, advertising and consumerism in our lives today. We have been bombarded over the years with advertising that has filled magazines, made our weekend papers a form of weightlifting and created a generation that cannot sit still for an entire movie.
What I am seeing more and more is ‘pseudo spirituality’ , and with this comes marketing and retailers that are catering for the world of the “unseen”, the realms of woo-woo, and the ooky-spooky brigade.
“New Age” retail outlets and services are appearing at an incredible rate. All offering things that will ‘fix’ our lives. All with promises of ancient wisdoms, magical energies, secrets being unleashed, and the elixirs that will cure many symptoms of discomfort. And good for them. They are entrepreneurs .Their intentions are worthy, but are their hearts truly aligning with what they offer and advertise.
However as person who has been walking the path of spirituality for quite some time, and believe me it is not easy, all of this commercial activity has created a very healthy dose of scepticism in me.
Spirituality is not a product, nor can it be seen as one. It the the very essence and authenticity of a person. It is all around us; it is the pulse of life.
To access this part of us, to bring it to life, requires much more than a handful of crystals, a few OM’s and a yoga mat.
The awareness of living a life of spirit, or to allow your sprit to flow in your life, requires constant mindfulness. We have to look within, we must take time to contemplate and ask the questions, ‘Who am I ?, Why am I here?, How can I be better?, How can I be of service? What can I contribute? among other questions. We need to look at the healing that we must engage in, the releasing of what no longer works for or serves us, in the truth of our journey. We have to be accountable and responsible for all actions, thoughts and intentions
The tools, the classes, the paraphernalia are all wonderful to use. They assist us to create ambience, they give us something to focus on, they remind us to take time to reflect, but ultimately, WE have to do the work. It is our responsibility. Some
feathers, a smudge stick, a Tibetan bowl and some books on self-awareness, can be beautiful to work with, but if you do not use them, if you do not allow these tools to help you come back into who you are as a reminder or a tool of guidance, then they just become things, like all the other things we have in our homes. These items are only of value if you are working on you.
I am fortunate to have many crystals, some singing bowls, oracle cards, essences and other things I love to work with, however they are not giving me the answers. They are giving me the opportunity to create a space for me to sit in silence, to contemplate in a surrendered stillness, in order to connect with my spirit, so I can seek my own answers. So I can ask the questions and journey within to hear my own inner wisdom, my spirit whispering to me
We have to show up for our own life and we have the responsibility to keep growing, expanding, and bringing the essence of who we truly are into this life.
There are no ‘New Age” miracle cures that will allow you to awaken after one night, to be an enlightened spiritual being. You have to constantly and consistently work on yourself. We keep discovering new aspects to ourselves, as we journey deeper into our truth.
What has concerned me, especially in these times of tragic earth changes, are the sales that are pitched at people who are in very desperate times in their own lives. These people are truly seeking some guidance, some hope, some faith as they piece their lives back together. I am sorry to say that a bag of crystals will not give you your life back, however they can help you work towards deciding what your priorities are and then helping you to focus on a plan of action to move towards that. As long as you take the time to sit with these tools as a guide, and see them as a level of energetic support , then the answers come from you.
Much of the commercialism that has been running our lives is based on ‘instant gratification”, and this has now leaked into the world of Spirituality.
The marketing of new age goods and the ‘instant gratification” response that plagues our lives right now has to be questioned, constantly. When I am told anything, one of my first responses now is ….. “Who said”? This dose of scepticism is not about being rude, or doubting. It is purely a question asking where the information has come from. You will ‘Feel” if the response resonates with truth or not.
Many of us now in this plague also suffer from dis-ease called “miss-out-it is”. We must have everything that shines and sparkles with promises of accessing spirituality, only to get it home and in a week or two, it is forgotten, as were the good intentions of honouring ourselves a bit more, and using the items we HAD to possess, for our highest good.
Don’t get me wrong or misinterpret my words, I LOVE all the bells and whistles that are on offer, and yes my house at one time was a ‘temple”. My intent with this is to remind you, that true , authentic spirituality, is really the inner work not the outward trappings.
So yes have all your crystals, but use them to focus on the issues that they energetically support as you work on yourself. Yes have your oracle cards, but use them to give you a direction or some clarity to work with. Yes take your essences, but exercise mindfulness and sit with the reasons of why you are taking them. Yes, read all the self-help books as they will help you to remember aspects of yourself and you can discern which things you can utilise. Yes do courses, learn, expereince and review, but remember that these things will not deliver you into a state of instant spirituality.
Let us enjoy all the tools that we can use on our spiritual journey, however the most important tool and the only one that has no cost, is your own heart and the truth of who you are that resides there. Investigate that, as it is your spirit. This is when we walk the talk, instead of talking the talk.
Bring that to life and be the life you were born to live,..... limitless, free and joyful.
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