The Slippery Spirit

This is going to be a topic that will poke some buttons. Strap in. An issue came up among my students recently. So I'm going to share my thoughts on the ego as it expresses itself in the evolving Pagan. Most mystery schools believe (they have also found success in the application of this principle) that the ego is the largest barrier to moving energy and using one's innate paranormal powers. If you want to be a medium, you must allow your ego to be pushed aside. If you want to astral project, you must let a separation from ego happen. If you want to be a shaman, you must put yourself aside and act in the best interest of your tribe. If you want Kundalini to awaken, the ego must die. All over the world, spiritual paths promote the management or even the outright destruction of the ego. As an evolutionary step, this makes perfect sense to me. The ego is the remnant of our instinctual programming. It is the inner voice that wants our own material needs to be met. It is why w...

A great deal happened in my life in 2015. Around Thanksgiving, my relationship ended causing me to move from the cute home with access to 1/3 of an acre of growing things, to an apartment with no outside to call my own. I hope to spend more of my time focusing on the meditational portion of my studies. Secondly, my mother passed late in the year, only 3 months after she found she had two tumors on her pancreas. She had been living in an independent-living apartment, but while she was in the hospital, she stated at one point that she was never going to meet the minimum functionality to return there, so us kids should get all her things packed up and moved out. I think it was also clear to her, and to all of us, that she was not likely to live through this illness at all. So as we packed up her apartment, everyone asked each other what we should throw away, or divide amongst ourselves, or put into storage. Having not yet moved into my new apartment, I told everyone that I wasn...

Recently, I went along with Casey so he could meet a local pagan gentleman who wanted to seek some guidance. Casey offered to meet with him and answer whatever questions he was able. I went along with the prospects of meeting a nice person who wasn't a total flake. Tim turned out to be a godsend. Tim is in the same place I am. He is a long-term solitary student and is doubtful if solitary is right for him anymore. I've had that same feeling for a while, but it has been very difficult for me to come to terms with the idea that I may have to accept the bullshit of group work. I have an uber-low tolerance for bullshit and I hate being invalidated by someone who thinks they know more than me. It sounded like Tim had the same issues. As I listened, much of what Tim said rang true for me. It was clear that it was time for me to get out of my own way and start some regular practice. For too long I have been functioning on the fringe of my spiritual path. I have learned a great dea...