It wasn’t just my mother. She was essential in my spiritual growth and development. But sometimes it wasn’t just an instructional thing. It was a matter of her helping me to process the world around me in relation to my spiritual growth and development. It was how she would help me to understand humans and how they feel threatened by the things that they don’t understand or don’t want to understand. And while teaching me all this, she also helped me to come to a place where I would not have to feel threatened by what others believe or don’t believe. Judgement was completely taken out of the equation, and discernment was introduced.
That discernment was what helped me with my own innate guidance as to what felt congruent with me as a human being and as a spiritual/magical practitioner, and what did not feel congruent. I was taught to not just follow what others told me I should or should not do or believe, but to instead use my own inner compass. That inner compass would leave others often wondering about what kind of a practitioner I was because I was not taking on their mission. I didn’t have to. I had my own. There were many ways in which these lessons were learned, and to this day I can still hear her voice, as well as that of my grandmother, in my head when these things come up throughout my life. So here are just a few of the things that I learned along the way.
1. There is no one ultimate truth.
2. There is no one ultimate way.
3. There is no need to criticize, condemn or complain about the spiritual ways of others, for any fool can criticize, condemn and complain…and THEY usually do.
4. Be a leader in your own spiritual development, not a follower.
5. Know that there is no force on earth that is stronger than your own resolve.
6. Champion the spiritual development of others, even if they walk a different path, for there are many, MANY paths up the same mountain to the same mountain top.
7. When you reach that mountain top, all of you will discover the truth of that last statement.
8. Don’t worry about the conflict between the Light and the Dark. Both can be equally helpful and both can be equally toxic. Command them within yourself with your own inner discernment and you will be fine.
9. Don’t concern yourself so much with the control or manipulation of things around you. You must master control of your SELF.
10. In order to destroy something, you must first learn to heal something.
11. You are your own worst enemy. So don’t focus on those around you who are unfriendly.
12. When others are attacking you, you have the right to defend yourself.
13. Self-preservation is a virtue.
14. Inner strength is the only strength worth achieving.
15. Determination can move mountains.
16. There is a difference between faith and blind faith.
17. Everything we ever need is held within Nature.
18. Remember to always give back.
19. Teach what you know, but learn what is yet to be discovered.
20. Never consider yourself someone else’s “teacher” for that will forever categorize them as your “student” which disrupts the balance of all being equal.
21. Teaching is best done by sharing.
22. The deepest healing stems from LOVE.
23. Do not allow yourself to be bullied about by anyone in this realm, or by anything in any other realm.
24. If you expect unconditional love, then give it.
25. Magic for the purpose of manipulating another will ALWAYS bite you in the ass.
26. The strongest magic is not done on someone else, but on yourself.
27. Keep yourself and your space and your environment clean. That means on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. Always.
28. Just like there are dietary fads, there are also spiritual fads. Don’t fall for them.
29. Time spent in silence is more enlightening than time spent in mental distractions.
30. You have the power, and you always have. Now use it wisely.
There are many more lessons that were learned along the way, but these are just the ones off the top of my head that have been extremely helpful. I hope that they will help you along the way as well.