Author Topic: Progression of my spiritual journey (Read 999 times)

EclecticWheel · « **on:** July 13, 2013, 08:41:33 pm »

I am new to these forums and just posted a brief introduction. I'm glad to be here.

I've gone through many sets of beliefs -- sometimes even two or more sets of different beliefs in parallel -- and that has been confusing at times. Some of my neo-pagan friends (in real life) have been through something similar.

Things have finally settled a great deal and a worldview has emerged out of the different facets of spirituality I've explored. The way I practice is hard to define, so I hope by explaining how I came to this I might find out if anyone else has similar experiences. Maybe not, but I enjoy learning about other paths, too.

I've always had spiritual sentiments, but wasn't raised with a certain religion. I did read the Bible as a child. Pretty early in my adolescence I realized I was a panentheist and that's pretty much how I've felt ever since. In college I became an Episcopalian. I have really enjoyed this somewhat eccentric community, have made great friends, the rituals are strengthening and soothing, and it keeps me in touch with the seasons through the liturgical year. I'm also familiar with the Bible, Christian history and imagery and so on. The Anglican/Episcopalian tradition has an interesting history and development of religious principles, so the modern Episcopal tradition is often eclectic and even has a few Christopagans in its midst. Panentheism is not hard to find in this tradition even according to our Presiding Bishop Katharine Schori: retired bishop John Spong and lay theologian Borg are two important panentheist theologians in my tradition I can think of right off.

So I've had a lot of room in this tradition with its particular history to have a unique take on my path, and I'm not the only one in my parish. For the most part, that was my main path -- praying, the rituals and sacraments of my community, spiritual friends. During the season of Lent a couple of years ago a friend and I underwent what I can only describe as an awesome, even terrifying, mystical experience in the woods at night, and it transcended normal religious categories. Since then certain notions of my Anglican Christian tradition, such as catholicity, have become vastly enlarged and spiritualized because of my expanded worldview. I still love my community, its traditions, sacraments, prayers, myths, and so forth, but I have lately been inspired and creating rites and rituals that are related to the mystical experience I had. The rites seem to be Christian, but beyond simple and conventional interpretations, and they seem to enrich my communal Anglican practice rather than conflict with it. They are much more beautiful, deeper than anything I was ever able to create before the experience occurred to me, and for the first time it seems to actually be working. It is like a form of poetry that I simply wasn't able to aspire to before, and I think it's because of how my religious principles seem to have deepened and broadened.

My practice doesn't look or feel like anything I've researched, not even Christopaganism. What I've seen of that doesn't really fit my own experiences. I am very happy with how my path has developed and hope to advance more, but I do feel a little lonely wondering if there's anyone else in a similar boat and having no one else to talk to.

Maybe this is the place to be!

Peace.

Sophia C · « **Reply #1 on:** July 14, 2013, 04:28:19 am »

Quote from: EclecticWheel;115538

I am new to these forums and just posted a brief introduction. I'm glad to be here.

I've gone through many sets of beliefs -- sometimes even two or more sets of different beliefs in parallel -- and that has been confusing at times. Some of my neo-pagan friends (in real life) have been through something similar.

Things have finally settled a great deal and a worldview has emerged out of the different facets of spirituality I've explored. The way I practice is hard to define, so I hope by explaining how I came to this I might find out if anyone else has similar experiences. Maybe not, but I enjoy learning about other paths, too.

I've always had spiritual sentiments, but wasn't raised with a certain religion. I did read the Bible as a child. Pretty early in my adolescence I realized I was a panentheist and that's pretty much how I've felt ever since. In college I became an Episcopalian. I have really enjoyed this somewhat eccentric community, have made great friends, the rituals are strengthening and soothing, and it keeps me in touch with the seasons through the liturgical year. I'm also familiar with the Bible, Christian history and imagery and so on. The Anglican/Episcopalian tradition has an interesting history and development of religious principles, so the modern Episcopal tradition is often eclectic and even has a few Christopagans in its midst. Panentheism is not hard to find in this tradition even according to our Presiding Bishop Katharine Schori: retired bishop John Spong and lay theologian Borg are two important panentheist theologians in my tradition I can think of right off.

So I've had a lot of room in this tradition with its particular history to have a unique take on my path, and I'm not the only one in my parish. For the most part, that was my main path -- praying, the rituals and sacraments of my community, spiritual friends. During the season of Lent a couple of years ago a friend and I underwent what I can only describe as an awesome, even terrifying, mystical experience in the woods at night, and it transcended normal religious categories. Since then certain notions of my Anglican Christian tradition, such as catholicity, have become vastly enlarged and spiritualized because of my expanded worldview. I still love my community, its traditions, sacraments, prayers, myths, and so forth, but I have lately been inspired and creating rites and rituals that are related to the mystical experience I had. The rites seem to be Christian, but beyond simple and conventional interpretations, and they seem to enrich my communal Anglican practice rather than conflict with it. They are much more beautiful, deeper than anything I was ever able to create before the experience occurred to me, and for the first time it seems to actually be working. It is like a form of poetry that I simply wasn't able to aspire to before, and I think it's because of how my religious principles seem to have deepened and broadened.

My practice doesn't look or feel like anything I've researched, not even Christopaganism. What I've seen of that doesn't really fit my own experiences. I am very happy with how my path has developed and hope to advance more, but I do feel a little lonely wondering if there's anyone else in a similar boat and having no one else to talk to.

Maybe this is the place to be!

Peace.

There is something I find very compelling about Anglo-Catholicism - as you say, the liturgical year is seasonally based (at least in Britain), and for some people, it can all be an interesting context for mystical experience. My background is Anglo-Catholic. I always find it very odd when people talk as though I must have 'converted' to Paganism. My worldview expanded, like yours, and Christianity couldn't quite contain it anymore - but my spiritual journey has been a long, unbroken one.

I wish you many blessings on your path. It can be as individual as you want it to be.

EclecticWheel · « **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2013, 04:09:15 pm »

Quote from: Naomi J;115556

There is something I find very compelling about Anglo-Catholicism - as you say, the liturgical year is seasonally based (at least in Britain), and for some people, it can all be an interesting context for mystical experience. My background is Anglo-Catholic. I always find it very odd when people talk as though I must have 'converted' to Paganism. My worldview expanded, like yours, and Christianity couldn't quite contain it anymore - but my spiritual journey has been a long, unbroken one.

I wish you many blessings on your path. It can be as individual as you want it to be.

I'm so glad to see your reply!

I know exactly what you mean. My experience was a natural development of principles. Of all things, an essay by Cardinal John Henry Newman on development of doctrine helped me understand this process. It happened within me as an individual, but starting with a set of principles grounded in Anglo-Catholic (Anglican) spirituality rather than Roman Catholicism.

It's really cool to hear a perspective from someone with a similar unfolding. Thank you!