What even is spirituality?
Fair question, to begin with the most common misconception; spirituality is NOT religion. It is unlike most faiths you may have been taught of, but it is very well the root of all faith based religions. Many religions refer to spirituality as the equivalent to faith itself. For this reason, there are three different types of spiritualities and you get to decide which best compliments your journey in this lifetime.
First let’s explore the history of the word “spirituality,” dating all the way back to the late Latin word ‘spiritualitas.’ The concept was first recorded in the fifth century, or a time period well known as the end of the Classical era. This has since evolved into the classical Latin form being, ‘spiritalitas,’ translating to the concept of spirituality. However the English form of this word originates from the French word ‘spiritualité.’ The French adaptation derived from the Latin word “spiro,” a verb meaning to breathe or to be alive. Which connected to the Latin noun spiritus, meaning breath or spirit.
So are you still with me? Great, now let’s cover the three types of spiritualism.
There is Spiritual Dialogue.
Faith which stems from the coexistence of ‘I’ and ‘thou’ this type of spirituality believes in the equal importance and divinity of self and all created in this universe. This belief system works off of the concept that the all divine spirit is present, within and between. A holiness that is not based on the standards of a religious text, nor the qualifications deemed by an authoritative holy messenger of the divine spirit. This spirituality relies solely on your inherent divinity as something naturally created in a naturally created universe. However, stopping at the acknowledgment of our own worthiness is not dialogical spirituality. This faith must balance the spiritual state of oneself, relationships with others, and connection to the natural ecological creations.
There is Spiritual Individualism.
This is the faith rooted in personal beliefs, whereas all prayers are based on the individual’s spiritual goals. Faith motivated by personal attainment and growth. This exists within the exclusion of relationships to other spirits and the ecological spirit. Fully self-focused belief system. Not always manifested as but in major unbalanced cases, may evolve into self-centered belief systems. AKA, the nationwide spread of narcissism.
There is Spiritual Collectivism
This is the type of spirituality you expect to see featured in some news headliner or as a hashtag under a daily quote post. This is the more common kind, you may have heard of it in history class right around the renaissance era. A faith based on a strict set of externally sourced religious rules. This is where we step into institutionalized spirituality. Now you find the urged compliance and devotion to an all encompassing spirit, holy man (priest, pope, etc.), or said religious institution itself. This form of spirituality does not always lead to, but does in fact encourage depersonalization from self spirit.
The reason behind this column educating on the personal and artistic benefits of dialogical spirituality is simple. The spiritual messages brought to you through this column will be equally about self discovery, and the connection to the Ethers. To stray from the narcissistic shadow aspect to spiritual evolution we must highlight the need for acknowledging the state of our relationships with others; the human connection. As well as the benefits of balancing the human connection with the need to acknowledge the state of our ecological spirit. This is the belief that everything natural is everything divine.
This type of spirituality it’s based on a belief system that equates the value and divinity within us as conscious beings to that of the world and spirit realm. To revisit the idea of divinity existing within, without, and between the two, this aids the concept of spirituality entirely. As the meaning of spiritual is “concerning the spirit”, it is imperative to understand the need for a balance in our personal spiritual journey. The overall point is that “the spirit” cannot exist outside of us, unlike the beliefs of spiritual collectivism. As well as it cannot exist exclusively to that which occupies a human consciousness.
This balance aligns our mind’s roots within faith to that of the laws of the universe, principles of spirituality, our personal strength and intuition, and the purpose of our inner alignment reflecting into our three demential reality.
In a nutshell, spirituality is unique to everyone who chooses to explore their individual path within this sense of blind faith. If you are unsure whether spirituality is meant for you or not, ask yourself these simple yet self-discovering questions:
- Do I trust myself enough to have unwavering faith in the universe?
- In what instances has my intuition failed me, and what inspired instances of optimistic decisiveness?
- Has my emotional immaturity or lack of emotional intelligence ever had me back from growth within, with others, or in regard to my future?
- Have the choices made on my behalf been inspired by a place of fear and uncertainty, or spirit and empowerment?
- Am I more emotionally receptive to fear, insecurity, and doubt? Or is my heart more open to evolution, growth, and expansion of my inherent worthiness?
I am asking you to reevaluate the ways in which you choose to show up for yourself, others, and the energy you choose to move through, which returns to you in the means of a manifested future. Are you taking care of yourself day by day or defending yourself in every way?
Many people are fooled into believing that they have no control over their own fate. Especially so when we take into account trauma mindsets and triggered instinctive behaviors, but that’s another lecture for a soon to come Thursday. I’m here to help you discover exactly how you’ve been denying yourself of your own true divinity. The fresh starts and uncharted waters have instilled so much fear across the population that many have settled for standing completely still. In uglier cases, some of us resort to running back to our past every time we are met with difficult life decisions.
So where do I begin?
A dialogical spiritual journey has no definite beginning nor ending. You start where your mind is first awoken. For some that looks like redefining freedom, abundance, individuality, and for others it is an awakening to how they play a part in their own suffering.
Once a spiritual awakening has ensued, in whichever way that might manifest for you personally, there are three things to be aware of. This is a call to maintaining the health of your mind, body, and spirit. When one evolves we cannot leave behind the others.
Faith cannot thrive in a home where fear deceives.
