10/05/2023
For many, religion is the foot in the door towards spirituality. That was partly my story. Well, Religion and nature. Brookhaven, Mississippi was where these foundations where laid, and boy, were they laid on thick. I didn’t understand that one could be spiritual and not be religious until I was older. Spirit was so tangible for me through the guise of religion. Through church sermons, and prayer, even reading scripture. It felt like such a divine connection, and it was so palpable. I felt the spirit of god in my body, and felt so called to share the messages that I would receive. My life would be one of mission work, no doubt about it. It was validated and confirmed by strangers and teachers alike. I led prayer groups and went on mission trips; I read the bible front-to-back; my relationship with Jesus was so important daily.
But then, there was nature. And I felt spirit there, too, only it was different. There was a connection in nature that came from a place with no words, beyond this realm. So soothing, and comforting, as if grace were a thing you could hold and be held in. As I grew, I questioned things silently to myself. I felt that I had gifts and intuitive skills that might be labeled as “the devil’s work”. I started to secretly question more in church, attending less and less. My definition of god didn’t align with how other people defined god. It didn’t resonate in my body, how they portrayed faith and love and belief to be. There was no box, limit or conditions that could be placed around my love or my god. Reclaiming my religion and faith meant allowing myself to structure my beliefs in ways that feel true to me. I haven’t claimed one religion in a long time, but there was also a long time of not claiming anything. Now I see my belief system as a multi-faceted, layered system. I am a little bit Pagan, Wiccan, Buddhist, Hindu, Naturalist, Humanist, and have many Native American practices. I believe god is everywhere, everything, and everyone. God is me; God is you. I’m deeply spiritual and work with spirit daily in my work as a Massage Therapist, Somatic Bodyworker, Reiki Master/teacher, and through Tarot. I channel spirit in so many ways! And I believe that most religions have the same core beliefs. Whether you say god, goddess, Spirit or Universe, it’s all the same: It’s love. Pure, unrestricted, unfiltered Love. It’s trust, grace and compassion. It’s living with integrity and hope, and allowing ourself to create a life that is fused with ease and joy, and pursuing the things that feel good. It feels like a very healing thing to say: that though I wouldn’t have chosen it for myself, religion was how I discovered this innate, interconnected spirituality.
