
There will be a few blog posts with my personal responses to some of the questions found in each chapter of this book. I urge you to follow along with me as we experience the Goddess within.
The eighth chapter is about Kuan Yin and you can find the questions I will be answering in this post on page 123 of the book.
When I was raised Roman Catholic and always wanted to be a priest. When I realized that wasn’t possible because I was a girl I then shifted my desire to serve God as a nun. I always felt the call to serve God and his people. I remember holding Mass with my sister in the hallway in our house. I had created an altar and all the accoutrements that were needed in doing so. I didn’t enjoy attending CCD classes when I was in Junior High because I found it boring. All we did was read aloud from the book and answer questions but once I attended high school I began teaching CCD to first and second graders. I attended Catholic High School and truly believed being a nun was my ‘calling’.
How often, today, do you take time for spiritual endeavors? What form do they take? Do you find yourself hungry for more time for spiritual practice?
My day is filled with spiritual endeavors. I own a business that is geared to supporting others as they come into their own spiritual self. I am High Priestess of a Non-Traditional Wicca Coven and read Tarot cards at a local metaphysical shop. I create videos for my YouTube Channel that focuses on spirituality. I have recently taken up practicing Yoga and find that this new interest feeds my spiritual hunger.
What stops you from engaging in more spiritual practices? What takes up time you might otherwise spend that way?
There are a few things that hinders me from engaging in more spiritual practices is that my personal responsibilities and obligations require a lot of my time, and also I find that workshops or classes that I would be interested in are not available in my area.
To make more time for spiritual practices, what will you need to change in your life?
If I were to make more time for my personal spiritual practices I would have to enroll my daughter in public school and I am not going to do that. I would also have to sacrifice time with my husband and son, which right now for me is something I do not desire to do.
What spiritual practices have you found to be effective in creating a sense of the divine for you? What spiritual practices have been ineffective?
Any practice that brings me into a meditative state creates a sense of divine for me. This could be visiting sacred places whether they are manmade buildings or places in nature. Also listening to others who are also attuned into higher vibrations aid in lifting me to them as well. The only spiritual practices that have been ineffective are those that hold no personal meaning for me. If I cannot resonate with the reasons behind something then they are hollow for me and do nothing.
Can you discuss your spiritual yearnings with your friends? Your family? What encouragement or discouragement do they give you?
This has been the most frustrating thing for me recently. I have a blog post dated a few weeks ago that truly goes into this in more detail. My husband is someone I can speak with about my interests and he truly understands me and at times feels the same way. He is a great support for me – as I hope I am for him.
What religious ideas – from any religion – hold the most power for you?
The idea that god or The Creator is everything and is within everything holds the most power for me. This is at the center of my spirituality and from this point all other beliefs flow.
How comfortable are you with the religious tradition in which you were brought up? What have been its positive benefits? Its negative?
There was a time when I was very angry with Catholicism but I have released that and come to a peace with it. Though I do not follow the dogma of The Church I can truly understand how and why they believe as they do. Recently my husband and I attended a Mass on February 2 (Candlemas) and it was familiar and comfortable. Standing in the Church was overwhelming and spirituality uplifting. My relationship with the sacred feminine began within Catholicism through The Virgin Mary so the religion will always hold a special place in my personal practice.
In what areas of your life do you feel a need for divine help?
I feel that God Herself will continue to work with me through integrating my Shadows. There is still resistance to things within my life that I would like to integrate but I understand it is a process. Divine guidance and aid is always something I embrace.
Do you feel inhibited in any way from praying for divine aid? If so, why? If not, how do you prefer to pray?
I do not feel inhibited in any way. Prayers for me come in different forms depending on the reasons I am seeking a conversation with The Divine. Sometimes it is a casual conversation. Other times it is formal prayer and still other times it is through ritual and meditation.