By Melody Larson
©2009 by Melody Larson from the PATH TO INNER PURPOSE ecourse http://innerpurposecourse.weebly.com
Please feel free to share this ebooklet on your blog, forum, etc. Or, email it to whomever you believe would benefit from reading it. THANK YOU!
Melody Larson Melody
~
Spiritual awakening is becoming an increasingly common occurrence among “normal” everyday people. Once the privilege of sages and saints, many are now seeking, and finding, enlightenment. But I believe that there is more to the spiritual journey than just awakening. Along the way to that ultimate goal, we have the chance, and the choice, to evolve both our souls and our human selves. Indeed, we must grow in addition to awakening if we want to know true wholeness. This is an integral approach to awakening that does not deny the inventiveness of our human minds, the desires of our human hearts, and the expression of our individual souls. How do we grow? How do we evolve from ego to soul and ultimately to spirit? We can start by becoming more conscious wherever we are on the journey, right now. We don’t need to wait for awakening to transform us. When we choose any thought, feeling, belief, habit, or deed that’s just a little more noble, a little
higher than the one we had before, we increase our consciousness con sciousness just that much. An increased consciousness moves us that much further along the path. Ultimately, the spiritual journey is the journey of shifting from a life that is quite unconscious to a life lived in full ful l consciousness. It is all about living more fully, fu lly, more purposefully, and more joyfully along the way to awakening. This is the journey of moving from darkness to light, from suffering to acceptance, from judgment to allowing, from success to significance, from disease to wholeness, and from separation sep aration to unity….
As you work through each step on the spiritual journey, you are really making a horizontal move along an imaginary scale from left to right within that step, followed by a vertical move up to the next step. You work through thoughts, feelings, beliefs, habits & actions in relation to any given step in order to lift them all to a higher level. As you achieve mastery within a step, you propel yourself vertically to the next step. And so it goes…. The final step, awakening itself, is the wild card on this journey. At any time, you may move so far from left to right within a given step that you slide right off the scale and into full consciousness, the awakened state. Others find themselves awakening spontaneously, with no conscious plan to do so. For most of us, however, we must work to move both horizontally and vertically in order to make our way on the spiritual journey.
In this ebooklet, I explain the spiritual journey in a linear fashion for the purpose of clarity. But I remind you that in real life, the adventure from ego, to soul, to spirit is extremely messy! You may find yourself: o o o o
o
Skipping steps Repeating steps Working on several steps at once Moving back & forth within a step many times before mastering it Taking 2 steps forward & 1 step back
It’s all quite normal!
The spiritual journey as I describe it here is a practical breakdown, or synthesis, of the “paths up the mountain” to awakening. awakening. They correspond to both the 12 chakras chakras and to the 12 signs signs of the zodiac, for example. All spiritual paths, paths, including those of traditional traditional religions religions in their esoteric esoteric forms, are about this journey. journey. Each path has its own language & system, best suited to its culture, but it is important to remember that all human souls are on the same journey to remember who we really are…
Spirit, not ego. One, not many. What we do, and who we become, along the way to this realization matters.
SEPARATION BELONGING SELFHOOD COMMUNION SOVEREIGNTY SEARCHING SURRENDER HEALING GUIDANCE CO-CREATION TRANSMUTATION UNITY
In this ebooklet, ebooklet, we’ll take take a brief look at each of these steps by exploring exploring some keywords keywords & phrases associated with them. For For a more detailed description of each step, and of the spiritual journey in general, I invite you to explore my PA PATH TO INNER PURPOSE ecourse: http://innerpurposecourse.weebly.com
Survival mode
Identification with ego
The time of getting by and/or getting ahead
Competition
Comparison
Fulfilling material needs & desires
Seeking meaning from without
Unconscious living
Where most people are most of their lives
Where humanity has been for most of its history
Tribal mode
Identification with group ego: family, culture, nationality, etc.
Us vs. Them
The time of fitting in and/or looking for approval
Codependency
“You complete me”
Peer Pressure
Kowtowing
Seeking fulfillment/wholeness through others
Again, where most people are & where wh ere humanity has been
Independence mode
Search for own identity Desire to rebel or escape from tribe Divorce, career change, change in looks, moving away, etc. Development of personal power & self-esteem Often the start of the spiritual quest at the unconscious level Seeking fulfillment through changing the self at the outer level of form
Acceptance mode
Transition point from ego to soul
Falling away of old values & beliefs
Loosening of judgment
Compassion, allowing—towards others & self
Curious about others & about the inner self, or soul
Finding self-acceptance through the acceptance of others
Security mode
The ego is much healthier for the most part
Return to the tribe, but with autonomy
The soul is somewhat integrated, but barely
Hold strong in our new values & beliefs, b eliefs, even if the tribe disagrees
“Free to be me”
Love others w/o trying to change them
Become secure in outer life: career, mate, family, success, etc.
Can be the end of journey for many unless the ‘soul call’ for deeper fulfillment and healing is answered when it comes
Seeking mode
Outer success no longer satisfying
The soul begins to claim our attention
If ignored, the soul creates crisis: “Dark night of the soul” Self-sabotage Unexpected, unwanted change Illness
If answered, we go on the quest of inner discovery
For most, this is the conscious undertaking of the spiritual journey
Time of confusion, disruption, self-help, spiritual study, wandering, adventure, search for inner purpose
Faith mode
We can’t do it on our own
We realize the soul is wounded, not pure or untouched
A turning to Spirit (as we define it)
Prayer, meditation, stillness
A time of giving up, but with relief
Ask for, and receive, divine grace
Grace comes not according to our schedule, but when Spirit deems we are ready
Trust that everything is happening for a reason
Never given more than we can handle
“I believe”
Wholeness mode
We’re no longer afraid to face our Shadow
We begin to work on ourselves in earnest, to heal the wounded soul
Releasing the past: both childhood & karma
Development of inner discipline
Forgiveness
Gratitude
A time of healing in all forms, often alternative in nature: therapy, energy work, alternative medicine, change in diet & exercise, etc.
Any method that helps us heal the past, both from this life and from other lives, is useful
Intuition mode
We’re empowered at the soul level
Healing opens the doorway to psychic gifts & intuitive knowing
We find our inner purpose & move to fulfill it
A time of synchronicity & support from the Universe
We understand that everything is divinely guided
The people, things & events that we need start to show up to help us narrow our focus
Service mode
We ground our inner purpose in the physical plane by converting it to a tangible product, gift or service
The soul & the ego are integrated (I call this the Self)
The soul begins to remember that it isn’t separate from Source
Significance
Meaning
Joy
Philanthropy, generosity
We work to bring healing to the planet p lanet in our unique way
Mastery mode
Shift from soul to spirit
Fulfillment of our inner purpose starts moving us to ultimate purpose
The alchemic process of transmuting lead into gold
Caterpillar to butterfly
Instant manifestation
Miracles
Command of natural & supernatural laws and forces
Leadership, command, power
We learn that the only way to master our limited being is to transcend it
Oneness mode
All is One, all is Spirit
Fulfillment of ultimate purpose: Awakening, Enlightenment
Christ Consciousness, Buddha Mind
Becoming a messenger, guide, guru
Integration of body, mind, soul, Spirit
Return to Source
Merging, subsuming
There is only ‘The Now’
“I am THAT”
1)
SEPARATION—Just trying to survive & thrive
2)
BELONGING—Just BELONGING—Just trying to fit f it in and be be loved
3)
SELFHOOD—Rebelling SELFHOOD—Rebelling & making changes that reflect “me”
4)
COMMUNION—Shifting my beliefs & learning compassion
5)
SOVEREIGNTY—Enjoying SOVEREIGNTY—Enjoying my authenticity & new life
6)
SEARCHING—Lost, SEARCHING—Lost, in crisis, or on a search for deeper meaning
7)
SURRENDER—“Not my will, Lord, but thy will be done”
8)
HEALING—Working on my wounds once and for all
9)
GUIDANCE—Opening GUIDANCE—Opening my intuition, finding my inner purpose
10)
CO-CREATION—On CO-CREATION—On purpose; Serving Ser ving the world with my gifts
11)
TRANSMUTATION—Mastering spiritual powers, powers, laws & forces; forces; shifting from Self to Source
12)
UNITY—Awakened, UNITY—Awakened, Enlightened, in The Now, “I am THAT”
Want to know more about the 12 steps of the spiritual journey? Are you ready to discover & fulfill your inner purpose?
Go to: http://innerpurposecourse.weebly.com
Melody Larson has dedicated dedicated herself to helping others discover their inner potent potential ial and purpose purpose in this time time of great great evolutiona evolutionary ry change. change. She is a published author and an accomplished teacher. Her own spiritual journey has led led Melody to many disciplines disciplines over the the years: psychology psychology,, astrology, astrology, energy healing, shamanism, shamanism, Eastern and Western mysticism, integral integr al spirituality, spirituality, and evolutionary evolutionary enlightenment. All of these disciplines connect in core ways, ways, and and through them she has distilled a spiritual system that works best for her. her. To share this system and assist others others on their spiritual journeys, journeys, Melody Melody is currentl currently y developing developing her unique unique 4-path 4-path process process for spiritual development. The PA PATH TO INNER PURPOSE ecourse is the first of the 4 pathways pathways.. Join her mailing mailing list if you’d like like to know when more ecourse paths become available! http://innerpurposecourse.weebly.com
