Today I was on the local Facebook page and I saw a post about self-growth. The poster told the story of how he set out on his path in adolescence, after a rough start to this life. He talked a little bit about his journey to greater awareness. I don’t know this man personally but I do know he’s in his fifties, he’s had a lot of challenges and he frequently posts beautiful comments about his life, always with a nod to the gratitude he feels about the journey.
He encouraged the community to weigh in: where are we, on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being a complete commitment to personal growth? It was a great conversation starter and a spiritual hello to those of us on a spiritual path. Several 10’s weighed in. Then a couple of 8’s. Then, some 5’s and 6’s. Most of the responders appeared from their pictures or their comments to be middle-aged or older, which of course is a more typical time for self-reflection.
It made me think of Mary Bell’s comment years ago. I’ve already talked about it but here it is again: only a few of us have the level of awareness that you and I have. Of that group, only about 5% make it through the doors of a center like Psychic Horizons. We’re a pretty small group! Or, historically, we have been a small group. But energy is dynamic and, since that conversation, I’ve noticed a general shift toward greater self-awareness that seems to have started during COVID. The pandemic brought us a lot of stress but it slowed everyone down, didn’t it? Humans that stop racing from one thing to the next have more time for self-reflection. And the uncertainty that came with the pandemic has caused people to reflect on where we used to be and to wonder where we might be going. Maybe we’ve picked up the pace of life again but, post-pandemic, awareness in general seems to be heightened. Will it turn into spiritual awareness for some? We’ll find out!
My 18-year-old daughter reveals to me often that the youngsters are much more self-aware than I was at her age. She frequently speaks about her peers with a high level of awareness and compassion. She and her friends are into oracle and tarot cards. They don’t seem to find it unusual that I work as a psychic. One of our clairvoyant teachers says her 20-something niece admires her and calls her a “witch”. The kids are waking up!
COVID slowed a lot of businesses down but our Center keeps humming along; students are finding us and often from different parts of the world. Astrologers report greater curiosity from the public about their work. People are waiting to get appointments with therapists and counselors and psychiatrists. It does seem that more people are wanting to know themselves on a deeper level!
The Facebook post caused me to stop and reflect, where am I on the scale? My first thought was, I’m an 11! But it’s not accurate. It varies. I’m a 10 some days and I can be a 1 on the days when I’m overwhelmed or in resistance and I forget about the tools. It’s a practice, for sure. But the idea of ranking myself on my spiritual journey helps me stop and think, how am I handling this particular problem? I get a number right away and then the awareness comes in. If it’s only a 3 I might recognize that I haven’t moved any energy out of my space. If it’s a 4 I might realize I’m not very grounded, or that there’s a party going on in my center of head. Or both! The question re-directs me from dwelling on the problem to the solution, pretty quickly.
There are so many paths to self-realization. Each of us has techniques that work great for us and it’s fun when someone outside of our usual circle sparks that curiosity that helps us grow.
In any given moment, where are you on the scale? You have awareness, you have energy tools – how can you take that “5” and make it a “10”? I notice that when I make it a game, it’s more fun!
Blessings to all on your journey,
Katie
Rt. Rev. Katie Heldman is the Co-Director of Psychic Horizons Center, and wrote this article for the November 7th, 2022 eNews.