The Difference Between Saying and Praying

In most religions and spiritual paths there is a practice of reciting memorized prayers, invocations, litanies and chants. When I was a little girl in Sunday School at the United Methodist Church I took pride in having memorized the Apostle's Creed before any of my classmates. I recited it loudly and proudly in church every Sunday.

These days, I still find power in the speaking, singing and chanting of sacred words, and know that their power is multiplied when uttered in unison with others. I know, too, that their power is enhanced with each recitation; that the chant I wrote five years ago has more power now, because it has been used so many times now, by so many voices.

There are also sacred words that we utter privately, in prayer, invocation, incantation, or to create sacred space. Many tarot readers and energy healers have specific prayers that they say before they begin their work.

As a mentor of professional tarotists, readers, healers and psychics, I often field questions from students who feel they aren't making the psychic connections as easily and reliably as they feel they should. Anyone who has been in this situation knows how frustrating that lack of connection can be!

Very often, the problem comes down to a simple root cause. I ask my student how they prepare for a session. The student will rapidly recite the prayer that prepares them for reading with the vigor of my child self in church, saying the Creed.

What generally ensues is a lesson in the ways we can use our words to connect with our will and our focus to move energy around us and through us.

It's the difference between simply saying “I am love” or using that phrase as you actively pull the energy of love from earth and heaven, run it through your body and send it out of your heart chakra into the world.

It's all well and good to affirm that you are, indeed, love, and it is a helpful affirmation. That alone, however, won't sustain you in an emotional crisis, because it's intellectual, not energetic.

The same is true for any affirmation, any invocation, incantation, healing energy work, chant, prayer of protection or preparation for psychic work.

The words we utter are sacred and powerful, but they need our active energy, focus and intention to bring them to life.

The next time you utter sacred words, use meditative breathing and mental focus to make those words more than something you say; let them become something you do.

The added power this brings to your prayer will most certainly make a difference.

Can We Please Stop First-Worlding Spirituality?

I think very few people would openly suggest that greed is a valuable characteristic to cultivate. Most people see greed as dangerous, or at least unpleasant. And yet, there are many churches, ministers, philosophers, healers, mystics and teachers who are promoting greed as a spiritual practice, and feeding their own greed doing so.

We don’t always recognize greed for what it is when in raises its ugly head. Truly, we’d prefer not to recognize our own greed at all. Many of us are happy to have a spiritual excuse to be selfish and self-absorbed.

It’s true that there are many religions that find grace in poverty and austerity. This can be damaging, too. Perhaps this new wave of “Prosperity Gospel" and “Law of Attraction” ministries (“Greed Ministries” as I call them) were borne of our need to heal from the idea that if we become professional artists we have to starve, or if we love God we can’t drive a nice car.

There’s nothing wrong with financial success. It’s also true that the focus and clarity one can achieve through spiritual dedication can aid us in creating our worldly success. But that is not the same thing as saying that we can achieve success by currying favor with God, or by creating good karma, or by simply setting our intentions to do so.

There’s a difference between being motivated toward success and being greedy. Greed is a response to fear. That is, fear that we aren’t secure, fear that we can’t be happy without certain possessions, fear of hard work, fear of not having enough.

Greed also suggests that we are more worthy, or have needs that are more important, than other people.

There are spiritual teachers and organizations that prey on our fear and narcissism, and then entice us with promises of that luxurious good life they convince us we so richly deserve. They teach extreme and unrealistic versions of solid practices like the Law of Attraction. In the Christian community, there is an actual “Prosperity Gospel” that teaches its congregation that God wants to reward them with money and health, if they are worthy of that reward.

Until recently, I had thought of the adherents of these philosophies as the fringy few – those who are easily misled by greed and false hope, and those who are greedy enough to give that false hope to others at a hefty price.

The other day, I read something that suggested that this concept of material gifts from a Higher Power is not just present in these extreme, fringe philosophies and “Prosperity Gospels”. This concept is ingrained in our western culture.

 Scott Dannemiller recently wrote a great piece for the Huffington Post Religion section entitled, “The One Thing Christians Should Stop Saying.”

According to Dannemiller, the thing Christians need to stop saying is that our good fortune is a blessing from God. He points out how quickly and easily we say things like, “God has really blessed me with a great job.” Or “My new car is a great blessing”.

I think it’s appropriate to be grateful, and to acknowledge and appreciate the good things in our lives. Dannemiller’s point is this. In the Western world, we say God blesses us with jobs, raises, new cars, and beautiful homes. In some parts of the world, “God’s blessings” just aren’t the same. He reminds us that thousands of people are blessed with only a dollar a day on which to live. How can our shiny new car be a blessing from God, when our neighbor is blessed with homelessness and unemployment, or famine and disease?

Dannemiller’s wise repudiation of Christian first-worldism can easily translate to Pagans, New Agers and the spiritual-but-not-religious. We can all be guilty of assuming our good fortune comes from a Higher Power. When we do, according to Dannemiller, we are turning that Higher Power into a fairy godmother who only answers the prayers of the privileged few.

New Age philosophy borrows from Hermetic wisdom to tell us that we only need want something enough, and set our intention correctly, to attract the thing we desire. But how can this be, when the citizens of nations like Burundi and Eritrea desire food every day, and continue to not attract it? You can’t tell me it’s because they haven’t visualized it correctly, or don’t really want to eat!

You also can’t tell me that the Universe grants the wishes of wealthy western women and gives them jewelry, but refuse the wishes of impoverished African women for clean water and food.

This is a hard topic to ponder, because it calls in to question the very nature and purpose of spirituality. If our spiritual faith can’t make us prosperous and preserve our health, does it still contain value for us? Do we still desire a relationship with a Higher Power when we truly understand that no spiritual practice can shield us from our basic vulnerability inherent in life on planet Earth?

It’s easy to say that your neighbor became ill with a terminal disease because he didn’t please God as well as you do, because that gives you an implied measure of protection. We can feel smugly safe, while our neighbor suffers.

Greed ministries and prosperity doctrines allow us to live without straining our compassion. When you can blame the poor and the sick for their condition, there really is no need to minister unto them, is there?

I’ve always felt it was in that space of compassion, that place of ministering to those who are struggling, that we truly find enlightenment, and make a true connection to Higher Power.

There is a certain “Universal Flow” that one can attune to. This does not seem to depend on doctrine or dogma, but on mindset and practice. Once you feel that flow, success becomes easier to attain, whatever your motivation and challenges might be.

I practice magick, and know that magick works. However, magick has limits. I can’t cast a spell to feed every hungry person on the planet.  I do cast regular spells for peace, and hope that the little energy ripples I send will help keep that precarious balance. I know others do this as well.

Whether you call it prayer, flow, magick or intention, we know there is real transformative power in these practices. We also know there are life coaches, pastors and intuitives that can help you learn to work with these energies. In many cases, the techniques and philosophies you learn will be absolutely beneficial.

On the other hand, beware of coaches, ministers and counselors who want to help you “fulfill your financial destiny” or “embrace your sacred financial destiny”. Think about it. Do people in Haiti also have a “sacred financial destiny”?

The idea that some of us (theoretically, the people who pay for the course) are destined to be rich but need help to fulfill that destiny is absurd.  Money is an invention of humans, not of Spirit. None of us is “destined for wealth”.  Sometimes wealth is an accident of birth, or the result of a little luck and a lot of hard work.

Sadly, there are enough people who want to believe that spirituality equals presents that they are willing to make teachers, authors and ministers wealthy in hopes that they, too, might share in that mythical wealth.

There are some spiritual teachers who are working the Law of Attraction in what I believe to be its most legitimate form. That is the simple understanding that like attracts like. For example,  Armand and Angelina, who take their musical ministry all over the country, teach us that if you want more money, you need to be more generous. To me, that makes a lot of sense, and seems to be opposite of cultivating greed.

In my work, I also help people find their success; whatever success means to them. But do not come to me expecting to simply wish your way to your goals. I can lay out the steps you need to take to get to where you want to be. Prayer, meditation, gratitude and intentions are an important part of that journey. Energy work is real, and it matters. But all the manifestation work, prayer and magick in the world won’t create change unless you do the actual work that needs to be done.

God helps those who help themselves.

And if there is a God, Goddess, Pantheon, Great Spirit, Universal Consciousness or Higher Power that drives the Universe (I believe there is), then that Higher Power must be present on all continents, and for all people. The blessing of that Higher Power is life itself – the greatest gift of all.

Everything else in our lives is neither a blessing nor a curse. Everything else that makes up our particular set of circumstances cannot be attributed to a Higher Power without making God only an imaginary friend to the world’s most fortunate. Starving people need not apply.

When we, as Americans, view our circumstances in this way, we no longer need to think about whether or not God does or will “Bless America”. God has blessed every continent. What happens next is up to us.

If spiritual thought and practice has value, it’s value is in helping us find personal strength and inner peace. Our spiritual practices help us find the beauty that exists everywhere, even in the midst of tragedy.

Our spiritual practices are not an insurance policy against tragedy, nor are they a mail-order form for some Universal Santa.

Our spiritual practices can help us be and do the best that we can, in whatever circumstances we happen to have been born into.

Anyone who promises more than that is operating from a place of greed, and wants you to operate that way, too.

I’d like to see an end to first-world spiritual elitism, and to philosophies which conflate wealth with spiritual grace and moral rightness.

In his famous life-advice prose poem, Desiderata, Max Erhmann encourages us to “Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune”.  

There is no promise to avoid misfortune, nor to win reward. Our strength of spirit will simply help us get through our difficult times. Shouldn’t that be enough?

Stop Trying to be a Good Person!

We often mentally divide our world into “good people” and “bad people.” We want to be good people. We fear bad people. We try to raise children that turn into good human beings.

We struggle with self-esteem, worried that those around us will discover that, underneath our attempts at goodness, a bad person lurks.

When our kids are small, we teach them good behavior, but “being good” and “good behavior” are not the same thing as being a good person.

The idea that people, rather than behaviors, can be good or bad, is a harmful myth that is long overdue for busting.

What makes a person good, or bad, in our opinions? It’s pretty subjective, and entirely related to culture and context.

You can’t be good or bad at being human. You simply are human, capable of amazing courage, creativity, kindness, generosity, greed, callousness and cruelty.

There will always be people we like, and people we don’t like.  There will always be people who do things we like, and people who do things we don’t like.

There are hurt people, ignorant people, and fearful people. We call these “bad people.” Sometimes they do things we don’t like. Sometimes they do things that hurt others.

There are healed people, thinking people, and charitable people.  We call these “good people”. These people do things we like, and try to help people.

 We can be good at the things we do. We can do good things for the world. We can handle situations badly. We can do things that have bad consequences.  We can have good intentions that result in bad outcomes. None of that is the same as being a good person, or a bad person.

Instead of striving to be good, and worrying that we are bad, let’s strive to be authentic. Let’s work to release the things that hurt us. Let’s cultivate joy. Let’s raise our children to be curious, appreciative and responsible.

Rather than fearing the people that we believe to be bad, or fearing that we, ourselves, are bad, let’s recognize that fear itself is the source of most of the badness in the world.

We are all good humans, because to be good at being human, you simply have to be born.

Perhaps we would all do better at living on the planet if we accepted the flawed beauty of our humanity as the miracle that it is. Perhaps if we stop trying to be “good” and instead focus on being “healed” we’ll have fewer hurt people in the world.

“Good” and “bad” are subjective judgments that don’t mean much of anything, especially in describing people.  When we strive to be good, we are striving for a meaningless and unattainable goal. When we strive for healing and growth, when we work to be authentic, to be kind, to be strong and to be creative, we become capable of doing great things.  We succeed, and we become the people that help the world evolve.

Everyday Miracles

Here’s another post about my favorite plant. It’s a seven-foot-tall angel trumpet (brugmansia) given to me as a potted plant by a snowbird returning to Canada.

Now my plant is as tall as a tree it’s large pink fragrant blossoms have caught the attention of my neighbors. Do I have any seeds to share? Not yet. But I read on the internet that the brugmansia is easy to grow from cuttings either left in water or simply stuck in the ground.

It was time to prune anyway.

When I was finished pruning I had seven sticks prepared according to the internet instructions.

I put four in individual jars of water. I stuck three in the ground.

I had only a wee bit of hope for the sticks in the water. I figured in a few days I would be dumping out the water and throwing sticks with mushy bottoms onto the compost heap.

I had even less hope for the sticks in the ground. I even had a few people tell me they were pretty sure you couldn’t just stick a stick in the ground and have it grow.

What really happened was life. Right before my eyes life happened. Each stick sprouted new life.

I quickly gave the sprouts in jars to my neighbors. Now I’m watching the sticks in the ground grow leaves and branches.

These sprouting sticks remind me of the suit of Wands in many tarot decks. The suit of Wands is related to the element of Fire. In some decks the Wands are shooting out flames. But in some decks the Wands are blooming and growing leaves and flowers.

In some traditions of Wicca a sprouting branch is the appropriate altar tool to invoke the element of Fire.

The metaphysical properties of Fire include life energy, passion, creativity and spirituality.

The ease with which my trumpet flower sticks became new life spoke to me of the fiery power of life force energy.

It reminded me of the miracles that happen around us every day, and of the miracle that life is every day.

That I’m making this discovery in the middle of December feels like the biggest miracle of all to this Yankee living in the Sunshine State.

Seven Rules for Personal Happiness

There are lots of ways to be happy, and lots of ways to define “happiness.” Whatever happiness means to you, here are seven ways to help you get there.

1. Use your tools, resources and skills.
   Know what you’re good at doing. You’ve got to have a true inventory of your resources. You’ve got be able to know where your talents lie. Sometimes our talents come to us so easily that we don’t realize their value. Sometimes we are so busy worrying about the resources we don’t have that we forget to utilize the resources we do have.

2. Don’t use fear as an excuse.
   Fear is a natural human emotion. If you wait for a time when you are not afraid to step outside of your comfort zone you may wait forever. Maggie Kuhn said “Speak your mind even if your voice shakes.” If you want to be happy you have to do what is in your mind, even if all of you shakes.

3. Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness.
   It’s great to have friends, a life partner and children. But we can’t make the people around us responsible for our happiness, and we can’t use a lack of people around us as an excuse to be unhappy.

4. Life isn’t fair so don’t expect it to be.
   Inside most of us is a six-year-old stomping feet and yelling “That’s not fair!’ If we let our indignation at the large and small injustices in the world rule the way we see the world we will be victims and not survivors.  Survivors are happy, victims are not.

5. Don’t make happiness a goal.
   Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Happiness isn’t a goal, it’s a by-product of a life well-lived.” Even the Declaration of Independence refers to “the pursuit of happiness” as an inalienable right, not happiness itself. People who say "I just want to be happy" have missed the point completely. Don’t try to be happy. Try to be passionate. Try to be compassionate. Try to be creative. Try to be involved. Happiness will come naturally.

6. Don’t compare yourself with others.
   Max Erhmann said it best in his famous poem “Desiderata.” “If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.” Tend your own garden without worrying about what your neighbor is growing. Your garden is what will make you happy if you let it.

7. Appreciate the small things in life.
   A great cup of coffee, a beautiful sunrise, a bird’s song – it truly is the little things that make a difference. When we appreciate the little things the big things seem to fall into place. Those small moments of happiness often add up quickly.

As Above, So Below - Even in the Workplace

It would be nice to believe that the brightest and best of us are those we elect to represent us in government. It would be wonderful if our nation’s leaders were true exemplars; those who would inspire our emulation as well as our confidence.

The fact is, the only things our nation’s leaders have been inspiring lately are laughter and anger.

There is an ancient spiritual tenet that states “as above, so below.” This means that whatever is happening on one level is happening on other levels.

I am finding this particularly true right now as I speak with with an larger-than-usual number of people who are having difficult times getting along and working with their co-workers.

Many people seem to be feeling stuck in their own beliefs about right and wrong. They are unwilling to compromise. Some feel that the ability to compromise is a moral weakness.

Even worse, they forget the big picture. They forget that they are paid to do a job and need to find a way to do it even if they are angry at their coworkers, even if they don’t like their coworkers and even if they don’t agree with their coworkers.

Does that sound like anyone we know?

Sometimes the lessons we learn from our exemplars are not lessons of how to be, they are examples of how not to be.

On an energetic or spiritual level we may have some power here. Energy can work from the bottom to the top as easily as it works from top to bottom.

If we all try really hard to get along, make compromises and get our jobs done the energy of compromise and responsibility might trickle right on up to the top. As above, so below – or vice versa.

Seven Steps to Help You Hear Your Calling

The term “calling” is often used to describe the urge to embrace a religious vocation. But religious or not, we all have a calling. We all have gifts and talents to share. We all have a purpose.

Some people hear their calling early in life and have meaningful careers that support them financially and provide satisfaction and a sense of identity.

Others have jobs to sustain them and find their calling to be something they do for pleasure rather than profit.

There are people of all ages who haven’t heard their calling; people who wonder what they are “supposed” to be doing with their lives. Some people just don’t know where their passions lie. Some people don’t know what makes them happy.

If you are still searching for your calling, here are seven steps to help you find it.

1. First, relax. It doesn’t matter how old or how young you are. Finding your calling is a process, and the process is as valuable as the destination. Enjoy your journey even if you don’t yet know where your journey is leading you.
2. Seek insight. Meditate, do yoga, have a tarot reading or go to church. Whatever your spiritual beliefs are, remember that seeking your calling is a spiritual pursuit.
3. Release fear. That includes fear of success, fear of failure, fear of getting it wrong, fear of responsibility, fear of disappointing others with your choices.
4. Think outside the box. There are a lot of vocations that didn’t exist until someone decided to try them.
5. Don’t be afraid of school. You may need training to follow your calling. That’s okay.
6. Think like a child. See the world around you from a child’s perspective, with no limitations and with a willingness to learn.
7. Believe in yourself. Know that you have a purpose, and the ability to fulfill that purpose.

Everyone has something important to do. Some people don’t find their calling until the second part of their life. Some people know it when they are in middle school. You calling may or may not be your profession, but it is something that will bring meaning to your life.

It’s never too late or too early to listen for your calling.

An Exercise in Compassion

Tragedies happen everywhere. Some are natural and unavoidable; others are conceived and carried out by a human hand. So often in the face of violent tragedy we find ourselves wondering what role Higher Power has played.

Some believe that tragedy is a direct punishment from an angry God. Others believe that Higher Power lets us sort out our difficulties without celestial interference.

I think tragedy is an exercise in compassion.

It is our human nature to respond to violence with threats of more violence. It is our nature to respond to hurt with anger.

But each tragedy gives us the opportunity to rise above violence and to rise above anger. Each tragedy gives us the opportunity to make compassion our highest priority.

It is easy to hold bereaved families in our hearts and prayers. We grieve their losses. We hold our own loved ones a little closer. At least this time, we were spared.

It is harder to have compassion for the perpetrators of heinous crimes. How can we hold terrorists and murderers in our prayers?

It is right to seek justice for those whose actions cause fear, injury and death. But justice and compassion can coexist.

I think our challenge in the face of tragedy is to hold all people in compassion. Not just the victims and survivors, but also the perpetrators.

Energetically, the love and peace that flows when we hold compassion in our hearts may be exactly what is needed to elevate the consciousness of our planet.

Perhaps tragedy is visited upon us for exactly this reason. Perhaps, when our first response is compassion rather than anger, the need for tragedy will cease.

The Difference Between Helping and Hurting

Anyone who drive faster that I do has a death-wish. Anyone  who drives slower than I do is a slow-poke. Aren't those statements true for most of us?

It also shows up when we think about spirituality. Anyone who believes something more fanciful than what I believe is superstitious; anyone who can't believe what I believe is shallow.

In our American culture we maintain a high value on respecting each other's beliefs. I think most of us feel this is a good thing. It's one of our core founding principles.

But what happens when one person's beliefs infringe on someone else's rights? What if your beliefs make it acceptable, or even necessary, to be hateful to me?

We see these problems emerging from many cultural perspectives. Should Muslim Americans be allowed to practice Sharia law? Should Catholic employers be allowed to deny reproductive health coverage to their employees? Should fortune-tellers be allowed to scare clients into paying money to escort the deceased into heaven because it is part of their religious heritage? Should Born-Again Christians be allowed to discriminate against people based on sexual orientation?

Perhaps the litmus is this. If your beliefs cause you to hurt other people maybe you need to re-examine your beliefs. Maybe spirituality, no matter the history or heritage, needs to be about healing rather than hurting.

Maybe if you believe your God wants you to kill, hurt, manipulate or suppress others you just might be wrong. Maybe your scripture has been poorly translated or poorly interpreted. Maybe your scripture is just a reflection of the time in which it was written.

Perhaps of greater importance than religious text and tradition are the brains and hearts Higher Power gave us. We each have the ability to discern what helps from what hurts. Isn't that what any true Higher Power would want us to do?

Religious traditions may include some practices that seem silly to those from other cultures. But practicing those traditions can have power and significance to the individual and to the community.

Honoring our traditions can be wise, sacred and meaningful. But we also have to remember that some traditions can be hurtful. Traditions such as slavery and mutilation don't serve us - and never did.

Perhaps it is time to relinquish the aspects of our traditions that hurt while honoring the aspects that heal. Perhaps there is a space where reason, kindness and spirituality can meet.

The Spiritual Imperative for Compromise

I was raised in a Christian home. My parents, a minister and a Sunday school teacher, taught me the value of compromise. They assured me that without the skill of diplomacy I would never go far in life.

When a radical eco group (some called them eco-terrorists) used the slogan "No compromise in Defense of Mother Earth" I saw their point, and had sympathy for their cause. But I knew that without the ability to compromise their efficacy would be sadly limited.

I came across an interesting quote from Barry Goldwater today. In my personal iconography, Barry Goldwater was the first really conservative American of whom I was aware. I was surprised to see that Goldwater said the following words.

"Mark my word; if and when these preachers get control of the [Republican] party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them." - Barry Goldwater

He said these words quite late in his life, as the Christian Right was already beginning to succeed in their plan for domination of the Republican Party - a plan that has been frighteningly successful.

We do see this attitude prevalent in today's political arena. Politicians who are good at reaching compromises were once called great statesmen. Now, they are ridiculed for being "weak."

We see this same sort of philosophy amongst extremist Muslims. We should know this philosophy rarely leads to good things.

The sad thing that happens is this. When one side refuses to compromise, the other side becomes indignant, and starts acting as immaturely as their opponents. Suddenly, the adults we elect to lead us start sounding like children squabbling in the sandbox. Their supporters, regular citizens like you and me, sound even worse.

I do not believe that any God would be pleased to see people refusing to compromise in God's name. We often see Higher Power in the form of a parent. We call God "Our Father." We call Goddess "The Great Mother." Don't parents want their children to get along? Who in their right mind sees refusal to compromise as a Christian value?

I think part of the problem is the tendency to mix religion with superstition. It's a fine line, but a line we should be careful not to cross. Many religious extremists, both Christian and Muslim, truly believe their God will punish their country if their country as a whole does not follow their narrow doctrine.

On the other hand, the reasoning goes, if we obey a random and senseless set of rules derived from an ancient poorly translated and politically manipulated text, God will "bless" our country.

To me, this is a very limited view of Higher Power, and a poor way to practice politics.

Hanging on to unreasonable beliefs isn't religion at all; it's fear-based superstition. I was so proud of Bill Nye when he suggested that if your belief conflicts with obvious reality, you need to change your belief.

Higher Power is about truth, not about fear. To see Higher Power as angry rather than loving is disempowering both to us and to Higher Power's ability to bring true enlightenment to us.

Of all the many verses in the Bible my favorite is First John 4:8 - "He who loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love."

It's that simple.

I believe God has already blessed our country, and our planet, by giving us resources and abilities. Whatever happens after that isn't up to God, it's up to us.

On a more personal level, this new doctrine of non-compromise is tearing apart families. Anyone who has ever been in a marriage knows that marriage relies on compromise. Many marriages that now end in divorce might have been savable if both partners were willing to compromise with each other.

I talk to many people who are ready to sacrifice decent marriages because they have been taught that compromise and apology are signs of weakness. In actuality, compromise and apology can be signs of strength.

From spiritual texts far and wide, from St. Paul to the tarot, we learn another important lesson. Love is the greatest strength.

And so God is love, and love is the greatest strength. Yeah, that sounds right. And it sounds nothing like the philosophies being taught as truth today.