Don't be satisfied with poems and stories of how things have gone for others.
Unfold you own myth.
~Rumi
Sometimes giving yourself permission to do something is difficult. Especially something that might alienate you from others. Or, possibly, change the course of your life ... forever.
Such was the case for me. In my late twenties, the spiritual life I was raised in began to chaffe. Around the time I started giving birth to children (especially girls), a late-blooming feminism showed up. I noticed a longing for a spiritual life that honored my feminine nature, my journey as a woman.
Enter Joyce Rupp. I happened upon her book, The Star in My Heart, where she revealed her own search for the "Divine Feminine," an understanding of the Sacred that affirmed her feminine nature, and had a uniquely feminine face — "Sophia" —the Wisdom face of God sourced in the Hebrew scriptures.
I thought to myself, can you really do that? Venture outside of the box and seek (and hopefully find) an understanding of the Divine that is feminine, or embraces feminine values? After reading Joyce's book, I knew I could. She gave me permission to search. She was my guide and mentor as I launched a pilgrimage that was to last for many years—a pilgrimage into a spirituality of my own making.
This pilgrimage (as I wrote about it in Your Truest Self) entailed traveling ... "from Protestant Christianity in my twenties; through forays into Buddhism and yoga in my thirties; through the Goddess movement, Sufism, and Native American spirituality in my forties. I made pilgrimages to sacred sites, walked labyrinths, meditated at ashrams, and danced on moonlit beaches with circles of women. It was a spiritual sampling of grand proportions."
Eventually, I arrived at a spiritual life that was solid and true for me. It is interspiritual, contemplative, as I am a mystic at heart, with my spirit firmly anchored these days in Buddhism (though I have a deep connection with certain aspects of Christianity). I hope there will always be room in me to expand ...
It's funny, even saying this here brings up a bit of fear once again. I experienced a lot of fear when I ventured outside the spiritual tent I was raised in and set up camp elsewhere. Relationships changed, doors were closed, yet brilliant new pathways and companions made themselves known. What a marvelous journey it has been!
So, how about you?
Have you given yourself permission to fully explore? To create a spiritual life that is rich and true—one of your own making?
And, if not, what holds you back?
P. S. Did you know that you can read Chapter 1 of Your Truest Self in its entirety online?
This is the chapter based on the first Transformational Truth, "I Am Free to Live a Spiritual Life of My Own Making," and the pilgrimage I took with Joyce Rupp as my guide. You can find it here. Just scroll down to the bottom & in the right hand column you will find the free download. Enjoy!
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