Was it a dream or not a dream? That is the question.

Good morning! Well, I had a very unusal experience yesterday evening and I'm really not sure what to make of it.  I was watching "The Haunted" on Netflix with our room mate and on one of the episodes some teenagers that were ghost hunting visited this place called Henryton State Hospital.  What I found unnerving was they showed this particular room that I remember seeing in one of my dreams, except that in my dreams it was as it must have been when it was in full operation. When I saw that room and other places that looked familiar, it sent chills up and down my spine so, needless to say, I had to ask myself how could I have dreamed about this place if I had never had been there before? Was it really a dream or is it possible that I had traveled back in time? As crazy as it sounds, I'm trying to find some answers and plan to do further research.

It is for this reason why I suggest keeping "dream journals". I have heard many people recommend it before for this very reason. Dream Journals help you to keep track of your dreams which in turn helps you to perhaps find a pattern in your dreaming, allows you to meditate on the possible symbolism in reference to whats going on in your life or provides a record to refer back to like in my case. Of course it's best to keep close by where you can quickly record your dream when you wake up because if you are anything like me, I tell myself that I'm going to remember to write it down later and then end up getting busy with my day. Keeping a Dream Journal has been very beneficial in my spiritual walk, perhaps it could be for yours as well. Until next time, Blessings to you and your loved ones!

About my Spiritual Path

One of the things that I really don't like to do is "label" myself when it comes to my belief system and that is because many people usually have pre-conceived notions and strong opinions about religions and belief systems in general.  For example, if I say that I am a Pagan, the typical stereotyping is that I am a "devil worshipper", however, if I say that I am a Christian, some may feel that it means that I think that  any belief systems other than Christianity mean that they are "devil worshippers".  If I have learned anything about spirituality, it is that it is not fair to stereotype a whole system of beliefs based on the views of a few. I have had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people from various spiritual paths as well as having met those that I find best to stay away from. So, I encourage you to draw your own conclusions about the things that I am choosing to share with you versus "well, our________(fill in the blank with your spiritual leader) has taught us that anything other than ____________ (fill in the blank with your religion or belief system) is not the right way to believe".

If I would have to put a "label" on my particular spiritual path it would be that of a "Neo Ecceltic Shaman". "Neo" meaning new or modern, "Ecceltic" means drawing from diverse or various systems and "Shaman" practicing Shamanism. So, to sum all of that up, I practice a new form of Shamanism for this day and age drawing from many different belief systems to do so.  For example, I may practice Native American traditions for doing "cleansings" but use Christian beliefs for Spiritual Warfare. Contradictory you may say? Not if your thinking outside the box. For example, I know many Pagans who also consider themselves Christian. Traditional Christian doctrine would argue that this is impossible.  I could get into the many reasons why it is possible, but I am not trying to influence anyone to believe one way or the other, remember I'm merely sharing my views, thoughts and experiences. You are always welcome to email me if you ever would like to have any discussions on what I may have posted.

To give you some idea of my religious background, I was born and raised a Catholic, I became a "Born-Again" Christian at 18. I was Ordained and Licensed as a Minister at the age of 24 and considered myself a Christian until I turned 32.  I will not get into why I started seeking out a different spiritual path at this time, but I was very discouraged with my experiences in the church and I wanted to connect to God in a very different way. It wasn't enough for me anymore to spend every minute that I could in church...I wanted something much deeper than that.  One of the most common misconceptions that family and friends have had about me is when I tell them that I don't consider myself a Christian anymore is that I don't believe in God or Jesus or His Holy Spirit. In fact I still consider myself a "Believer" in Them, just not mainstream Christian doctrine. So, now that you have a basic idea my spiritual foundation, you've hopefully come to the conclusion that I have some idea about what I'm talking about when I refer to particular spiritual experiences in my life. So, until next time! Blessings to you and your loved ones!

Spirituality: Where Do I Start?

The question that I often get asked is, "Where do I even begin"?  This of course is usually preceded by questions about spiritual paths, spiritual direction, reoccuring dreams and strange happenings.  I would like to say first of all that I do not claim to be an expert by any means on any of the topics that I plan to blog about. I am just an ordinary, everyday person who is merely sharing their views and extra-ordinary experiences with those that would like to hear about them.  All I can do is offer my advice and challenge you to go out and confirm or deny anything that I plan to talk about, so, now that I have given you my "disclaimer" shall we begin?

The first thing you need to do is ask yourself where you are in life and what are you wanting from your spiritual walk. Are you wanting to actively participate or just wanting something to help you get a handle on the stresses of everyday life? How important of a part will your spiritual path play in your life? Perhaps just attending church services one or two days a week will suffice or are you seeking something much deeper to answer those questions, "Why am I here? What is the meaning of life"? I would like to let you know right now that noone can answer those questions but you. All that I am hoping for is to help you get on the right path to finding your Spirituality.

What makes this World so great is that it is filled with diverse people, cultures and belief systems to draw from. There is no "right" or "wrong" religion or spiritual path and to have someone say that there is means that they may not be ready to read about all I have to say and share.  To be open to what I have to share means that you have to be willing to "think outside the box" and if you are not that person, then I thank you so much for stopping by and hope to have you visit again in the near future.  For those of you who are ready, I welcome you and hope to become friends. Until next time, Blessings to you and your loved ones!