Knowing The Darkside

Published by Mistic under New Age, Personal, Psychic, Spirituality, Stregheria, Wicca on January 21, 2008

Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. At all counts, it forms an unconscious snag, thwarting our most well-meant intentions. — Dr. Carl G. Jung

Jung had a brilliant way with words. I do not. I choose to be blunt about the dark side.

You have a monster inside you. It is mean, vengeful, spiteful, angry, greedy, ugly, blunt, manipulative, rude, crude, impatient, negative, and just plain nasty. You have a dark side. I have one too. Everyone does.

Our dark side is primarily in our subconscious. If you don’t believe you have a dark side, it’s because you learned how to suppress it well to obtain acceptance. If you don’t think you have a dark side then you are not taking responsibility for who you really are.

The dark side can grow, it can get bigger and bigger as we have a daily dose of denial. It is so deeply buried within us….. and the more we deny it, the more it actually comes out in some way. Thinking happy thoughts doesn’t change anything about the dark side. It still remains and it eats your “happiness” for breakfast. The more you protest against the dark side, the stronger it becomes.

How can I explain it more directly? Here is an example…. You can tell yourself to believe “Today will be a positive and good day where I am comfortable and things go my way”. But the minute you have a fight with a neighbor, your friend, your spouse, your partner, your child, etc…. you have turned to the dark side. Changing your thinking will not change your life completely, that is only a band aid. It’s just too easy of a solution, because the dark side can steal our thoughts at any moment…. subconsciously. You’ll never see it coming. It is far stronger then you think it is. Stop fighting it. Fear is not the answer, the inner child is not the excuse, and parental influence is not the problem. It goes even deeper then what pop psychology wants you to believe. Give the monster a hug.

Repressing the dark side of ourselves is likely to take us into situations where it will overwhelm us. When you avoid conflict, when you run from a confrontation, when you hide your true selfish desires… you are repressing it. When you tell yourself that money isn’t important, that you love everyone, that you didn’t do anything wrong…. You are repressing the beast. And the beast KNOWS it.

The dark side does have positive aspects within it, but you will not find that if you cower from it or repress it. The dark side can be discovered, accepted, understood, researched into, and expressed at the right places and times. The beast must get some sun, it must be expressed, because it will not sleep forever. Ultimately, our dark sides can help us to grow spiritually, and it can allow us to change the behaviors instead of just the thoughts. The beast has a purpose that you will never discover if you hide from it.

A witch knows all of this, at least hopefully they do. A witch works to balance the core of their own personality and is never afraid of the shadows. We feel at home in darkness, we work to control our inner monsters. We can’t deny their existence, we know the forces and the energy they possess. We embrace our dark sides; we go deep into our own underworlds to figure out what created our personal monster. Only then will our magic be powerful, only then will our thoughts not betray us. Separating the light from the darkness is just…… another separation in our lives. A witch must never allow their being to be separated.

Addicted to Psychic and Tarot Readings?

Published by Mistic under Astrology, New Age, Personal, Psychic, Stregheria, Tarot, Wicca on July 17, 2007

A woman emailed me this week and told me her “story” and then asked me if I thought it was possible to be addicted to getting tarot or psychic readings. Why she felt I would have this “answer” is also part of the problem. I’m not a psychologist. But I guess I do have an “opinion”.
Think about the whole self help movement or the wellness industry. Hundreds of books, CDs, classes, and groups can be utilized;. And they are. Its a billion dollar industry I would assume. Right now as I write this “The Secret” and the whole “Law of Attraction” is the BIG deal, meanwhile these companies bid on key words in the search engines and are making tons of money. The true secret is about how much money is made from it lol.

There are many people who feel “weak” or like they aren’t as important as they should be, so they seek all of those things to fill in some empty hole inside of them. Some people can be very addicted to all those techniques, but never end up truly applying solutions to their life. They can stop relying on their own common sense and follow someone else’s instructions on living life. They are often seekers of “the outside answer” or the quick fix instead of building their own personality, self esteem, and philosophy. If you think about someone you greatly admire, someone who really made a difference in the world (Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, Susan B. Anthony) you’ll realize they were great thinkers, innovators, creators, and even rebels, but not gurus. I just don’t see Thomas Jefferson looking into a mirror daily reciting his affirmations: “I am good enough, smart enough, and dog gone it people like me. Can you?

People are seeking “growth” or preaching that we all need to make a “change” in our life in order to grow. The fact is that with age;.. growth and change happen NATURALLY. You become wiser, you become experienced. Our bodies change naturally over time too as we move into different life phases. Change is inevitable. Personal growth happens because it is necessary, and because your choices and actions allowed it. There is also usually evidence that appears in your life from growth that can be measured. For example: My household is making double the income I did 2 years ago. Does that mean that money is all that matters to me? No, of course not, but the evidence and the manifestation of my actions is measurable and has made a difference in my life. It is seen and felt, it allows me additional or new ways of growth too…. but that’s just one example.

The same is true with Tarot or psychic Readings I think. I feel it can at least be compared to the type of self help junkie addiction I am referring to. A tarot/psychic reading isn’t a problem solving technique. It’s a form of divination. A tarot reading can make a person FEEL better about a problem, a person, or a situation. But it doesn’t make you HEAL or GET better in some way and it in itself is not a solution. A person addicted to tarot or psychic readings wants to FEEL better usually.

If you rely on a fortune teller or psychic too often then you are making them your “guru”. It’s just not what they are intended for. A reading should be “fun” since technically it’s just another form of entertainment; not any sort of “therapy’.

I remember one woman when I worked on the 900 psychic lines years ago. She called me literally every single day for weeks at a time. She specifically sought my personal extension number to reach me, it wasn’t random. She wanted up to the minute reports on a relationship. Information on her boyfriend or spouse, what he was thinking and feeling blah blah. It was obsessive behavior in my opinion. The reading you got yesterday had a spiritual message for you, and that basic premise won’t change in 24 hrs I would tell her. What she really wanted was for me to tell her what she wanted to hear; not a real reading. She wasn’t actually seeking anything except confirmation on what SHE believed, assumed, and perceived. For all I know this man was a horrible person and all of her friends got sick of telling her the same things I was. So she came to me instead of annoying them any longer, hoping to get that one person who would agree with her.

I had a male client that did the same thing. Weekly he’d call and ask me about the woman he wanted to get back together with. She was his “soulmate” he believed and they had remained as friends after their break up. I’d read his cards for maybe 10 min each week, and he’d go on to tell me every detail of their contact since the last time we talked for another 40 minutes or so. He would literally describe to me a “look” she gave him and try to get me to tell him what it meant. Sometimes after the phone system disconnected his call, he’d ring me back to finish his details. The truth of the matter was he really just liked talking to me, getting a female perspective, and having a friend. I was reliable for him, I was on his side, and he could say anything to me because it was over the telephone which allowed a certain level of anonymous freedom. I made great money off these two people; but the readings were not genuine at all. This was one of the contributing factors that caused me to have a real moral dilemma for “charging” for readings and especially so in the “900 line” atmosphere.

Yes, I do believe that a person can be addicted to getting tarot or psychic readings. But most of them aren’t really addicted to the “cards” or the “reading” or the adviser of the service. Typically they are getting something else out of the situation for themselves, and that’s true for any type of addiction.

I have known tarot readers who felt they could do a card a reading on a person that wasn’t present and think they could READ their motivation, thoughts etc. And truly believe it without any doubt or question! Or some people learn how to do their own readings for instance and make 90% of their choices based off it. And no, I am not joking or exaggerating. I don’t read my own cards; I feel that I can “influence” the cards too much. I can very easily allow my energy to influence what I want to see too. I believe I can make the cards agree with my emotions and that just makes it self serving. I always get someone else to do a reading for me, I want their objectivity.

A tarot reading is divination, and divination is a touch different then fortune telling because it involves more “ritual”. Divination has a spiritual element involved yet the terms are still a little interchangeable. Divination is something every culture has done throughout history and basically continues to do even in modern times. It has never gone away or lost it’s “popularity”. Why? Because there are so many seekers, people who want comfort, people who want the “answer” to what is a mystery to them. Divination tools are interpreted rather then “factual”. A reading is only as good as the person who can interpret it TO you. And seriously this is true for a psychic that uses no divination tools too. They must interpret images, sounds, visions, etc. They can misunderstand them, and do so probably more then they’d like to. A lot of normal “human” error comes into play. This is often why something may appear “wrong” to you from a psychic or a reader. The message may not be translated to you properly, clearly, explicitly etc. Much is dependent upon the reader’s life experience, cultural experiences, education level, verbal skills etc. Also what YOU the querent is capable of understanding comes in to it also. The reader can be as clear as a bell to 1000 other people, but maybe not to you personally.

So let’s suppose a reader tells you there is money coming your way in 60 days time. People always want to hear that, maybe it’s only a $500 windfall coming your way. But who wouldn’t get a thrill out of hearing that? Then you “hope”, “wish”, “daydream” and even “fantasize” about it happening. Getting this kind of information COULD come true of course. But maybe it doesn’t;. and even if it doesn’t it still made you “high” from the fantasy. It made you feel good for 60 days. So sometimes even if a tarot reader or psychic is wrong, we still get something out of it.

Let’s also think about this too, again, maybe it’s just my personal opinion. I see tons of tarot readers and psychics who advertise what they do as “advice”. Think about it. How often in your life has a friend asked you for your advice and actually taken it? Or what about you? Didn’t you ever have a relationship, a work problem, a marital issue and received advice from someone else? Did you take it? Surely you know someone who has had a bad relationship and they continued in it, did stupid things etc while everyone sat back KNOWING they were in trouble. When they do not listen to the advice; eventually you stop offering it. We’re human; it’s natural for us to seek the advice and opinion of others. But we’re all also ego driven and still think we know better. We ALL do it. But I am not sure I want to pay for advice all the time. I’m not sure that one sided advice is even helpful at all.

I believe in the Tarot wholeheartedly. But even I have must maintain a certain level of skepticism to be really honest with myself. If I do not; I lose a little bit of my own intelligence and my faith in myself to make competent choices without a “tool” as my crutch. I also must allow my faith in a higher power outside of myself that may not want me to know the answer I want right now. Or perhaps the higher power wants me to learn a lesson the hard way rather then the arm me with knowledge. Maybe some things are just better left “unknown” to us. Sometimes the “mystery” is best left to be unfolded by me alone, and with nothing else but the great wide abyss. Our lessons have a purpose and they aren’t always going to be revealed or even easy to understand. Personally, I have not had my own cards read in YEARS now. I grew past it in some way; it helped me to build up the confidence to not need to know the future for every step I take. It taught me how to analyze situations from different angles on my own. I use the cards all the time, but more for ritual purposes. Sometimes I give readings to friends but it’s more just to for fun now. Like a hobby where I get to be creative.

So my truthful answer to this woman who wrote me is: you need to ask yourself what you are REALLY addicted to. Maybe it’s just fluffy feel good talk from a reader, like a friend. Is it your desire to hear the answer from another person that YOU assume, believe in, or want to hear? At what point do you get that “rush” of excitement? Where is the thrill for you? When you figure that out, you’ll know the answer. My judgment of you means nothing.

My post isn’t meant it knock anyone down who practices, or reads the tarot. This journal is my own sounding board where I just get to post my own deep thoughts. I believe a tarot reading can be beneficial; but only if you have a really well rounded reader and a truly open mind yourself. In my own personal experiences I felt that at 50% of the readings I gave fell on deaf ears or were like the examples I gave. For me, and in my experiences, it was self esteem destroying to perform a reading for someone who did not really want my message. I really have tons of respect for the tarot readers who do it as a career because they obviously have the ability not to feel that way. I am too much of an empath sometimes lol! It is just not my personal path and I grew from learning that lesson. However, those things apply to me alone, and I do not speak for anyone else! The internet is certainly full of “lofty opinions” and mine is no different.

Books I suggest if you want to learn about cold readings and the tricks of the fortune telling trade
The Skeptic’s Dictionary: A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions

Acting Psychic: How To Spot A Fake

The Naked Quack: Exposing the Many Ways Phony Psychics & Mediums Cheat You!

Herbs

Published by Mistic under Personal, Spirituality, Stregheria on May 7, 2007

Herbs are the culinary and medicinal plants. These are the low-growing aromatic plants which are used fresh or dried for seasoning, for their medicinal properties, or in perfumes. There are a wide variety of herbs such as super kelp, garlic, parsley, green tea extract, horse chestnut, milk thistle and oregano oil.

Herbs are very useful in strengthening the body and in treating the diseases. However they contain active substances that can trigger side effects and interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. So, they should be taken on the advice of an herbal practitioner.

Super Kelp
Super kelp (also known as “Sea kelp” and “Sea wrack”) is a sea herb that is one of the best sources of natural iodine and trace elements. It is also used as the principle agent in cures for obesity. In addition, it cleans out the kidneys and stimulates the thyroid and pituitary gland to produce growth hormones.

Garlic
Garlic is a natural anti-biotic and is used to disinfect wounds, treat ear infections, cholera and typhus. This herb is anti-fungal and anti-oxidant agent and can help lower cholesterol. It may also be beneficial for risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and cancer. The excess of garlic can cause upset stomach/flatulence, occupational asthma, postoperative bleeding, bloating, bad breath, body odor, and skin irritation. People with bleeding disorders should not use garlic.

Parsley
Parsley (Petroselinum) is one of the best known, diuretic and most nutritious herbs which contain large quantities of vitamins A, B, C and minerals calcium, iron, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium. It’s very useful for kidney and urinary problems and water retention. Its usefulness can be judged by the saying: “if parsley is thrown into fishponds it will heal the sick fishes therein”.

Green Tea Extract
Green tea extracts are one of the nature’s most powerful anti-oxidants. It helps prevent both heart disease and cancer by helping prevent vascular blood clotting and reducing cholesterol. It possesses antimicrobial properties that support immune-system health and protects against digestive and respiratory infections. The excess of green tea extracts may cause irritability, insomnia, heart palpitation, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and loss of appetite.

Horse chestnut
Horse chestnut supports the vessels of our circulatory system and helps strengthen capillary cells and reduce fluid breakage. It is believed to be an excellent antioxidant to prevent wrinkles. It also helps in the treatments of phlebitis, varicosity and hemorrhoids.

Milk Thistle
Milk thistle has some active substances that helps maintain healthy liver function by protecting the liver from damage caused by viruses, toxins and alcohol. It is a herbal remedy for anthrax, asthma, bladder stones, cancer, catarrh, chest ailments, dropsy, fever, bleeding from the lungs or bronchia, hepatitis, rabies, jaundice, vaginal discharge, malaria, melancholy, piles, plague, pleurisy, spasms, and spleen and uterus problems. Taking excess of milk thistle may cause stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, rash or other skin reactions, joint pain, impotence, and anaphylaxis. It should not be taken in pregnancy and while nursing.

Oregano Oil
This herb has healing, antioxidant and anti-microbial properties. It is used to treat a mildly upset stomach, bronchitis, nervous tension, insect bites, rheumatism, earache, toothaches and even athlete’s foot. It is also useful in relieve bloating, gas, urinary tract problems, rheumatoid arthritis, swollen glands, and lack of perspiration. In addition, it is as powerful as ‘morphine’ as a pain killer.

Knowing Your History

Published by Mistic under Personal, Spirituality, Stregheria, Wicca on February 6, 2007

I love the Daily OM, I got this one today…. perfect for me, it hit home.

Today’s DailyOM brought to you by:
http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/display/adspolink.cgi?iid=63&aid=2008

February 5, 2007

Unearthing Your Roots
Knowing Your History

Each of us is a piece of a larger puzzle. We are all born into the unique and complex network of individuals, settings, and circumstances that constitute our heritage. Whether or not you are aware of your ancestors, you family’s country of origin, the cultural history of your people, or the trials faced by the people responsible for bringing you into the world, these forces have had a hand in shaping your values. Knowing your family history and reflecting often upon your own personal history as it relates to your heritage empowers you to look at your life in a larger historical context and to understand that you are a vital part of an ongoing drama greater than yourself.

Researching your heritage can prepare you to meet the future. The traits of your ancestors can give you insight into how your character has developed and the beliefs that form the foundation of your worldview. The knowledge you gain can help you appreciate your values and your character, giving you the confidence to be more expressive where both are concerned. At a cellular level, you carry a genetic code from your family determining things like how you age, your blood type, and personality traits. But as a spiritual being you bring in what you chose to do with that genetic coding, your free will. Unearthing your heritage is not simply about uncovering who did what when or reconnecting with long-lost relatives. Rather, it is a method of building self-awareness and bridging the gulf that divides your past from your future.

In researching our individual histories, however, we may encounter relatives who made interesting choices or were involved in traumatic events. It’s easy to overestimate the importance of these pieces of our past and to cling to them. Balance is key. While your heritage has influenced the development of the person you are today, you are more than an ethnicity, a culture, or a family name. You should not feel driven to alter your likes and dislikes, dreams, preferences, or values because you feel your heritage demands it. Knowing your history is about loving who you are, understanding where you’ve come from, and preparing for your future.

DailyOM Website: http://www.dailyom.com/

Words of Wisdom

Published by Mistic under Personal, Spirituality, Stregheria, Wicca on February 2, 2007

Over the years I’ve collected an extensive handwritten diary just putting in it Words of Wisdom that I felt a particular connection to. If I have a bad day, or a troublesome problem I go to that book its near me on my desk. It almost always helps me to re-focus my attitude. Just sharing as much as I could type up today before I have to get back to work LOL. All of these came from some source, some of which I no longer recall. Some sources are cited. The photo above I took with my crappy cell phone so the quality isn’t so good. It was from one of my vacations this past summer.

We must constantly seek to improve ourselves, because we create our own realities. We must out “expectations” on ourselves instead of other people.

Listen twice as much as you speak. You have two ears but only one mouth.

Allow yourself to be as you are. Allow other to be who they are.

We aren’t born with knowledge, we have to attain it. But it is the only thing we can take with us when we die.

All of our ancestors practiced religion without prophets or holy books.

Guilt is destructive instead of useful.

Spirituality is what you are, not what you do.

No one has ever promised you that you’ll get a “tomorrow” so we must accept each day as a gift.

If you persist at doing something, it will become easier.

Feel no need to defend your point of view.

When a person shows you who they really ARE, believe them the first time.

Repeating the same behavior will bring the same result.

You can’t bring home a dog and expect it to purr. We cannot change anyone else.

When you truly decide on anything, on any choice, then everything will fall into place.

If you aim at nothing then you will get it every time.

Either you control your own attitude, or it will control you.

What has happened to you in the past does not matter; only what you have done about it that counts.

It takes years to build trust, and only a few seconds to destroy it.

Sometimes we do not have to change friends, if we understand that friends just change.

Work SMARTER not HARDER.

A friend to all is a friend to none

Not every question deserves an answer.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Never explain: Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it. - Victor Grayson

Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment. –Stephen R. Covey

I am for freedom of religion, & against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendancy of one sect over another.” –Thomas Jefferson 1799

Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know. - Jim Rohn

The world is full of willing people; some willing to work, the rest willing to let them. - Robert Frost

It takes humility to seek feedback. It takes wisdom to understand it, analyze it, and appropriately act on it. — Stephen R. Covey

If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way; if you don’t, then you’ll find an excuse. - Anonymous

People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don’t know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to. - George Allen

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. - Walt Disney

I like thinking big. If you’re going to be thinking anything, you might as well think big. - Donald Trump

I have made the tough decisions, always with an eye toward the bottom line. Perhaps it’s time America was run like a business. - Donald Trump

Talk of nothing but business, and dispatch that business quickly. - Aldus Manutius

I mean, there’s no arguing. There is no anything. There is no beating around the bush. “You’re fired” is a very strong term.- Donald Trump

Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out. - Stephen R. Covey

People spend money when and where they feel good. - Walt Disney

Most people struggle with life balance simply because they haven’t paid the price to decide what is really important to them. - Stephen R. Covey

One worthwhile task carried to a successful conclusion is worth half-a-hundred half-finished tasks.- Malcom S. Forbes

We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be. And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of these assumptions. - Stephen R.

Marketing is not an event, but a process . . . It has a beginning, a middle, but never an end, for it is a process. You improve it, perfect it, change it, even pause it. But you never stop it completely. - Jay Conrad Levinson Covey

Don’t argue for other people’s weaknesses. Don’t argue for your own. When you make a mistake, admit it, correct it, and learn from it–immediately. - Stephen R. Covey

All things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation of all things. You have to make sure that the blueprint, the first creation, is really what you want, that you’ve thought everything through. Then you put it into bricks and mortar. Each day you go to the construction shed and pull out the blueprint to get marching orders for the day. You begin with the end in mind. - Stephen R. Covey

Effective people are not problem-minded; they’re opportunity-minded. They feed opportunities and starve problems. - Stephen R. Covey

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing. - Abraham Lincoln

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. - Abraham Lincoln

It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues. - Abraham Lincoln

No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. - Abraham Lincoln

You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. - Abraham Lincoln

Ignorance, the root and the stem of every evil. - Plato

Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. - Plato

Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much. - Oscar Wilde

Illusion is the first of all pleasures. - Oscar Wilde

Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. - Oscar Wilde

One is tempted to define man as a rational animal who always loses his temper when he is called upon to act in accordance with the dictates of reason. - Oscar WIlde

The basis of optimism is sheer terror. - Oscar Wilde

Festival of Compitalia

Published by Mistic under Stregheria, Wicca on January 12, 2007

Today January 12th is the festival of Compitalia. This ancient Italian holiday celebrated the Lares — ancestral spirits that protect and preserve family traditions and knowledge. According to tradition , the Lares are associated with the hearth. A small Lare house was consturcted by the hearth, Daily prayers were spoken there, and offerings of milk, honey and cakes were left for the spirits. If you’d like to work with the Lares today, try calling them now, on their festival day. Leave out a traditional offering and ask them to bless your hearth, family and home.

“The Lares are the guardians of the family.

Welcome to my house, bring peace and security.

On this your festival day, I do honor the past,

Bless us today, may our magical traditions last.”

Ellen Dugan
Llewllyns 2007 spell a day almanac

Spiritual Advancement

Published by Mistic under Astrology, New Age, Personal, Spirituality, Stregheria, Wicca on September 13, 2006

Ask yourself?
Do you experience any of these patterns in your life?

Turmoil in relationships with family, friends, or lovers?

Quitting relationships/people. Quitting or changingWork/jobs often?

Blaming all your failures on others?

Feeling like people are purposely doing things to harm you in some way?

Feeling as if you have no control in your life?

Feeling plaque by “what if”, or “if only”.

Constant arguments with family, friends, neighbors, and lovers?

Being easily angered?

This is just a small list of negative life patterns that many people experience daily. All of them are things within your control and things you do to yourself. Why do they happen? Sometimes it’s a simply lack of spirituality.

Spirituality is much different then Religion. All religions require or have the desire to PHYSICALLY FEEL a connection to a higher being no matter what it preaches. That’s what true spirituality is… what you FEEL.

You can go through the motions of spirituality and not genuinely FEEL it. Take for example someone who has to read tons of self help books or religion books etc. They may still be experiencing the same negative life patterns but just going through the motions of what they believe spirituality is from books.

At its very basic core… feelings cannot be taught, learned, or forced. Spirituality is a moment that happens in your life when things “click” and life becomes balanced. It’s a moment of total “enlightenment” with almost near to no explanation. The path to spirituality is of course through learning, and teachings, perhaps sometimes even therapy,… but it is always an on going process to evolve as a human being.

Some things in my own personal experience that validate my own spiritual growth were:

Realizing that the only people who can emotionally “hurt” me, are the ones I allow.

Knowing the difference between being a “quitter” and doing everything that I could have.

Knowing that when a person shows you who they REALLY are to believe them the very first time.

Understanding the difference between knowledge and intelligence.

Not dwelling on the past and allowing things to rest.

Realizing that I don’t have to defend myself when I believe I am right.

Knowing that I can accept my own responsibility in failures without blaming anyone else.

Does any of this mean I am a super human being that lives every single moment with my spirituality? Nope, of course not. I work, have a family, have friends, etc in a normal life too. But I am so much more balanced and secure in who I am than I was 5 or 10 years ago. I have faith that I had my own personal ‘moment of enlightenment” and I continue to have them often. I don’t have to live my life forcing myself to BE spiritual either.

Spirituality will not make your life perfect indeed. But FEELING your spiritual side and really being in tune with it allows you the peace of mind of knowing you have control of yourself. Feeling the spirit is always dramatic in books or movies but in reality we experience it on a much more human everyday level.