Spirituality

what does it mean for you?

Hello Dear Friend,

Apologies for my absence, I am not sure quite what happened, but I think the universe wanted me to take a couple of weeks off. I am back, thank you for your patience. I missed writing these letters to you, I hope you have all been well and that all is good with you.

This week I wanted to discuss what Spirituality means to me, to you, and how that is reflected in our day-to-day lives.

Spirituality

A simple word, but a tricky word nonetheless.

What do I mean by Spirituality?

Over the past few months, you may remember I have mentioned The Nearness.
I have been a part of their small groups since last October and it has played a large role in what I think of as Spirituality. If you had asked me before, I probably would have said that spirituality had something to do with organised religion, whatever flavour you could think of, Christian, Pagan, Wiccan, or any of the many others out there.

Spirituality, as I was raised in a mixed Catholic/Protestant household, usually meant God or Jesus.

This never felt aligned for me. I had a hard time thinking of a man-shaped God, or Jesus, who may or may not have existed. This became harder when I realised that it had been a bunch of men who had decided which of the ‘stories’ would be included in the bible. With the rest sealed away as not fit for the everyday person.

Hmmm.

Over the last little while I have realised that really Spirituality, at least for me, is being in touch with the energy of the universe. At the end of our Nearness Gatherings, we finish with a blessing, part of which is

‘a final breath to give thanks for the spellbound moments of love and beauty that sit at the centre of our lives.’

That is, in a nutshell, how I think of spirituality.

It is those moments when we are able to lay aside our human mantle and allow our own spark of universal energy to connect fully with the world around us. Allowing our energy to fly free for a moment, not weighed down by our daily lives, the dramas which may be taking our time and energy, or any worries we may have.

Photo by Muhammad Ma'ruf on Unsplash

It could be standing in a forest, just listening to it breathe, the animals and insects going about their daily lives, with the wind in the leaves.

Photo by Roland Denes on Unsplash

Or sitting on a beach, just lost in watching the ocean rolling onto the land, pulling back out, then rolling back in again.

I am sure that you have felt those things during the course of your life.

My intention now is to notice more, to heighten my Spirituality by simply paying attention to those moments, watching the bees buzzing from flower to flower, the birds flying around, the crops growing in the fields, even the rain falling from the sky and to be grateful to them. To acknowledge their place in the world as of no less importance than any others.

We are all sparks of the universe, our energy or our soul if you will, it all comes from the same place, a place of compassion and unconditional love and it is our job, if you will, to nurture that spark and to share it wide and far. Making connections, speaking from a place of love and honesty with one another. I still feel that if only we could approach one another with an open-hearted, curious mind, the world could be such a bright place, with so much more love in it.

The Nearness

If you are in any way curious about The Nearness, and would like to see what they offer, take a look here. The next round of Nearness group meetings starts next month, as the website says -

This is for you if...

• You’re looking to explore life’s big questions in an open-minded way

• You’re looking to jump-start your spiritual life again, or you’ve been on the journey for a bit but are still finding your way

• You’d like a weekly rhythm of reflection and connection

There is no pressure to join, but, for me, it has honestly been a wonderful thing to be a part of.

Things catching my eye this week:

Recent low tides on the beach at Holme, in the northwest of the county, (Norfolk), have exposed extensive peat bogs dating back 4,000 years, remains of ancient forests which once blanketed the area.

It is fascinating to see how widely we were all once connected by land and forests and to see that none of it remains today, except under the seas.
More pictures and the full story can be found here.

I think that is enough of my ramblings this time. I would love to know what your thoughts are about the theme of Spirituality, and if they have changed over the course of your life. Leave me a comment or send me a message, I always love hearing from you.

Until next time, as ever, may your angels and guides watch over you and protect you until we meet again.

Love and Light,

Tracy

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Until next time, bye for now.

Links:

The Nearness - 8 Weeks to Explore Big Questions

Holme: Tides reveal remains of ancient forest below beach.

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