The English word Spirit (from Latin Spiritus "breath") has many
differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal
substance contrasted with the material body.
The word Spirit is often used metaphysically to refer to the
consciousness or personality. The
notions of a person's Spirit and soul often also overlap, as both contrast with
body and both are understood as surviving the bodily death in religion and
occultism, and 'Spirit' can also have the sense of 'ghost', i.e. a
manifestation of the Spirit of a deceased person. The term may also refer to any incorporeal or
immaterial being, such as demons or deities.
Primarily,
for this post, Spirit (Ether, Akasha or Soul) is unbeingness. It's harder to define than air. Spirit resides within and without, around,
above, and below all things. Although
you can experience earth, air, fire, and water directly with your temporal
senses, Spirit is elusive, and to be witnessed it requires both faith and
metaphysical senses.
Native
Americans call this fundamental, life-sustaining energy Grandfather or Arch of
Heaven. In Hindu writing, atman is the Spiritual essence of
creation. Polynesians and the Jains have
a similar idea but use the terms mana
or jiva respectively, meaning
that which animates all life or the life principle.
Its
energy, which extends everywhere throughout the universe, has not yet achieved
form and substance. It's the primal
source of energy that creates and fuels all.
The Spirit is said to represent your soul, your
aura, the unknown energy around you.
It is one thing to eat well, exercise
regularly, be in rewarding relationships and to be managing well on a mind/body
level – but the component that often gets overlooked, is the one we don’t ever
really see. It is the unknown, the
intuition we feel but can’t explain where it comes from. It’s that little spark that goes off when you
feel like you have just heard something you thought you already knew, or those
moments when something just 'feels right'. It’s that energy that follows you throughout
life, showing you signs, guiding your flame, making you feel something and leading
your thoughts.
Most
Pagans believe that Spirit is not something we humans alone possess by virtue
of having a soul (in the Christian sense) or by virtue of having complex brains
(as the scientific worldview). Rather,
we see Spirit manifesting everywhere: in the plants and animals we share this
world with, and in the grand, slow life of the cosmos as a whole.
The Spirit is all knowing, all encompassing
energy that follows your physical body through life. It is neither masculine nor feminine – but
something else. You do not have to be a Spiritual
person to understand the basics, you don’t have to burn incense, charge your
crystals and chant into the wind – it’s all about connection. Once you understand that everything is
connected, mind/body/soul are all but one thing – you start to find what really
makes you tick.
What
makes the Soul enchanted is its very engagement with the World. Sufi tradition tells of the soul given an
opportunity to dance in the human body and, liking it so much, it did not want
to leave. This is exactly your sentiment
with the world. Your soul is attracted
to beauty, affection, connection, and celebration; it is severely wounded by
rejection, alienation, violence, and ugliness.
The
first step along the Path begins with lighting the lamp of your own sacredness.
Your own sacredness is your first
sanctuary. Your body is a place as
worthy as any temple, a place in which the Soul can dwell. Your mind just doesn’t control your thoughts
or will; it holds the intuition and intelligence of the Divine. Your Soul is enchanted, a temple of the heart
in which your wiser Self abides alongside your awe-filled Child of Joy. Within your sacredness is your connection to
peace.
In
truth your life is a sacred gift of enchantment to this Earth. You have something very special to
offer. It is a multifaceted jewel that
emits knowledge, wisdom, playfulness, humor, and celebration — a jewel that
makes the world a more enjoyable place for the soul to dwell. To discover this divine gift amongst the Hall
of the Heart is what makes the pursuit of Sanctuary in daily life more like play
instead of work.
Air
is often seen as a universal power or pure substance. It's supposed fundamental importance to life
can be seen in words such as aspire, inspire, perspire and Spirit, all derived
from the Latin spirare. Invisible,
unpredictable, unreliable, playful, soothing, destructive, inspiring and life
giving: the element of air or wind is all these things and much more. Center on the Spirit of Air. As soon as we call to mind the air
element within the body — the air in our lungs and other body cavities, even
the gases dissolved in our blood — we’re immediately aware of the breathing,
aware that air is flowing rhythmically in and out of the body.
Cut
away all that society has taught you. Go
within to find what makes you happy – your passion is what will drive you into
your blissful place. Do more of
what makes you happy. Listen to your
intuition. Your Body is a Temple, Your
Mind is Divine and Your Spirit is Enchanted.
Blessed Be!
Excerpts from
forthcoming book: Islands of Grace: Creating Sanctuary in Daily Life. By Dr.Christopher Forrest McDowell and Tricia
Clark-McDowell
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