Moving Beyond Dogma Toward A Handcrafted Spirituality
In the end, aren’t we all just cobbling together a spiritual life that works for us?
We are concocters of our own religion.
We’re constantly mixing in a little of this and a dab of that until we see something that resembles a safe, peaceful haven, a place to belong and to find meaning and purpose. This hand-crafted container holds our delicate, wobbly beliefs, and our ever-changing identity, so we can make it through the world with at least some semblance of our heart and happiness intact.
I listened to an interview with an ordained Priestess, Jamie Della, on a podcast. During a pivotal moment in her life, a scientist explained that all her witchy practices were a load of hoo-ha, a bunch of BS. He continued trying to “break her wand” by declaring how ridiculous she was and how he’d rather her not believe anymore.
She scoffed at his remarks and with all the confidence she could muster in the mounting tension replied,
“You know, it makes me feel better to hug a tree…it makes me feel better to know that the wind longs to play in my hair. This is what feels good. This aligns with my joy.”
Mr. Scientist wanted to change her, assert the rightness and superiority of his story when it came to where a good life is found and where our essence originates.
I long for a world where we’re honest and humble regarding our recycled and refined spiritual recipes.
Why can’t we come out and just admit that these trusted recipes are more homemade, passed down, created through generations, culture, and gathered experiences than they are dogmas etched in holy stone?
We’re all clinging to the traditions and practices that help us to taste the mystery and magic of the Universe while also assuring us of our kindred connection to every living thing.
Every person carries these scrapbooked bibles under their arm too.
Far from finished, the tear-stained pages are pasted with some of the tastiest and most traditional concoctions. Inside is an unpretentious patchwork of wrinkled maps and ticket stubs from adventures past. It’s sprinkled with starry dreams and mid-day wonderings.
Our homespun faith, smoothie-like spirituality, ragged religion, and jerry-rigged bible are a wonder to behold.
So cheers to the curious spell-casters and storytellers among us, who are unafraid to make up the words and lines of their beliefs as we all try our best to travel together through the world with our cracked and splintered wands.
2 Comments
I think I am listening to that same podcast right now. On sounds true? And I am reveling in the synchronicity that I’m listening to that today and read your post today and that feels magical to me and I am sure all the signs in the world will convince me that it’s not … Well let’s just say it will convince my mind that it is not. But I have learned that my mind is a tricky bastard. And cannot always be relied on. In my soul, in my heart, in my body it feels like magic. And that makes me feel connected. It gives me a sense of belonging. And I think all of our spiritual practices are centered in this desire to be connected and to belong.
Yes, it might have been that podcast! And isn’t it amazing to see how all the spiritual traditions really do come down to this need, desire, and innate longing to be connected to one another and the world… the whole world is pulsing with magic!!