I feel like something has been missing from the collective for a long time. Something that's been buried deep beneath money, sex, fame, and power. Add in the layer of "not offending anyone" and there'll never be mention of this again collectively... (maybe even individually), but I want to talk about it. It's been brewing in my mind for a long time but I haven't really understood the breadth of it until I started studying Traditional Western Medicine and Medical Astrology.
I grew up in a split religious household: my mom is Christian, coming from a very Christian family; and my dad is Muslim, coming from a Christian family (which I always found interesting). Christianity had a stronger hold when we were younger; I went to a private Christian Academy for preschool, and we would go to Church often. As we (my younger brother and I) grew older, we went to Church less, but I often kept my relationship up with God, I spoke to Him (prayed) every night for a very long time.
In my teens, we barely went to Church, but we did go to the Mosque with my dad a few times. I don't really know much about the Nation of Islam, but I could tell the people there (including my father), were devoted to their faith, each other, and the act of giving. Giving of their time, their energy, and their cooking skills. There was always food provided after the service, which I thought was neat.
I'm not sure if this is true for everybody, but I feel my connection to God was dampened inside of me in my teens and early twenties. The way Christians were portrayed in the media, unwelcoming of love, judgmental as Hell, that wasn't me. I wanted no part of that. Christianity was all talk, but no walk. Add in school stress, partying with friends, and relationship drama, I wasn't even thinking of God. I was fighting through insecurities in love and self-worth, and God had nothing to do with that.
In the media, there is no God. In politics, there is no God (until very recently). There are no teachings of good values, or a Creator outside of oneself. There are no messages of humanity and the wholeness of life, each other. There is no God; unless the God is money. Or, power.
God has never left for me, but they haven't been at the forefront for a while until recently. Lately, I've been questioning my religious beliefs. Is it considered, "religious beliefs", if I don't really believe in the different religions out there? We're all about "identifying" as things these days, so I don't identify with Christianity, or Judaism, or Islam.
Did Jesus exist for me?
It's funny because my boyfriend's sweet mother asked me that question recently, and I said... no. I think back on that often because why did I say that when I was taught he did exist?
He died on the cross for us, how could I not believe in that?
But, I don't. At least not the way the story is told. I don't believe there was a man spontaneously born who died on a cross specifically so the People would be saved from sin, as I don't believe we are inherently sinful.
I do, however, believe there was a man who was born with the specific purpose to show people the way of positive, honest living. How to be Christ-like, as in how to live in love and service, not only to our neighbors, but ourselves, the environment around us, and the Creator. I believe there have been many people born with that purpose (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. comes to mind).
Studying Traditional Western Medicine has opened my eyes to what feels like the truth. My Ultimate Truth. This doesn't have to be your core truth, nor am I saying you need to adopt my Truth, these are merely thoughts by another human...
Traditional Western Medicine is rooted in the balance of all that is, from the Earth below to the stars above and beyond. It shows us that everything is connected; everything affects everything. Karma and consequences are real. I believe there is an Ultimate Creator responsible for all of this. Life and existence itself. They created soil, grass, ants, rocks, cows, jaguars, cars, breath, the heart, money, the planets, black holes, the Sun, existence, us.
The Ultimate Creator is neither Him or Her to me, but It or They, as gender is an Earthly experience - male reproductive bits and female reproductive bits. Masculinity and femininity transcend gender, they're more-so a concept like Yin and Yang. Positive and Negative. One is not better than the other, they are both equal and need each other to exist.
Just like the human existence, we are not born good or bad, we just are. The choices we make are what shape a positive existence, or a negative existence. Materially and beyond. Both exist to balance each other out, just like the Four Elements.
I believe there are consequences played out materially and spiritually depending on the positive or negative choices we make in this human life. Do you move with love and we at the forefront, or hatred and me? Do you see how connected everything is and strive to serve the collective, or do you view yourself as separate and strive to serve no one but yourself?
What is spirituality then? Do Heaven and Hell exist?
I believe that's another Earthly concept, just like gender. On your happiest days, it feels like you're on cloud nine and everything is just, perfect. On your worst days, life can feel like every single thing is against you and there is nothing worst than your own life with guilt, shame, and hate eating you up. Could be physical as well - Heaven on Earth being beautiful lush gardens and forests, abundance abound; with Hell on Earth being the literal molten lava spewing from Earth’s core. I don't believe that when we die, our Souls either go to Heavenly Eden or the fiery pits of despair. However, I do believe there exists realms beyond this physical plane that we access when we pass, built on ever-lasting love and truth. I believe the human experience is where we learn love, and the after-life is where we truly understand the depth of it and everything it stems from - The Ultimate Creator. I believe there is life after this life, a different kind of life though unlike the human experience.
The Ultimate Creator is how we're able to exist; we were created in Their vision, to be creators just like Them and experience creation from all different perspectives, angles, and possibilities. We were given five human senses and a brain for our Souls to observe what we create and re-remember our connection to all. The Eternal Soul that is the Ultimate Creator lives in and around all of us, animating life itself. Would this not be the Holy Spirit, or Pneuma, the breath of Life?
In the sense of our world, humans, animals and the like are able to exist through the power of the Sun. The Sun gives us light to see, be, and grow. Without the Sun, life on Earth dies. The Sun is with us day in and day out, consistently and constantly providing the energy we need to thrive, healing us when we are ill and empowering us when we are weak. The Sun is a being of its own. Would this not be Jesus... the Son?
God, Jesus (the Son), and the Holy Spirit.
The Ultimate Creator, the Sun, and Pneuma (the Spirit of Life).
Similar concepts, different stories.
Maybe it's not the way the story is told, but the core of the message itself.
Love.
Held within the Ultimate Creator/God is the possibility of all that is and can be. It is infinite in its creation! We are a version of creation that has the Spirit of the Ultimate Creator within a physical, material realm of creation confined by time. When our physical vessels dissolve to time, our Spirit lives on eternally, infinite in the Ultimate Creator's creation.
Do I sound crazy? Possibly; but there's something there.
I need to think deeper on this. Maybe I'll add to it; after all, I never answered the question regarding what is spirituality.
What do you think?
What is spirituality?
Tune I feel jives well with this episode:
Podcast Playlist featuring all episode tunes:
Resources that impacted my views on life:
Interesting interview on the secrets to life and hidden societies
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