spiritual awakening

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An Overview of Spiritual Awakening

See the World Anew

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*This journey has been mapped in various ways and through different Stages and Steps.  In this outline of the journey of spiritual awakening I share with you

* An overview of the Journey including 

Maps.

Paths.

Stages.

Signposts and

Steps 

Life is a Journey

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There are many maps of the spiritual journey that come from all times and all cultures.  Such maps include:-

*The Way of Chakra Healing.

*The Hero’s Journey.

*The Way of the Radiant Heart

*The Eightfold Noble Path.

*The Eight Limbs of Yoga

The Maps of the Journey

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There are essentially two paths within all the spiritual traditions of the world.

These are:-

*The Exoteric Path – The Path of the Many.

*The Esoteric Path – The Path of the Few.

Essentially the path of spiritual awakening is that which is taken by the few.

The Paths of Spiritual Awakening

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel both – Robert Frost

The Road Not Taken

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Each of these Maps and Paths have various stages but for the most part each includes the following aspects of the spiritual journey:-

*The Call to Adventure.

*The Search.

*The Struggle.

*The Breakthrough.

*The Return.

The Stages of Spiritual Awakening

Knight of the Holy Grail – Harold Hitchcock

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The following are the paths related to mystical paths of various traditions:-

*The Way of Gnosis – Christian mysticism.

*The Way of Zen – Buddhist mysticism.

*The Way of the Sufi – Islamic mysticism.

*The Way of Kabbalah – Jewish mysticism.

*Raja Yoga – Hindu mysticism.

The Esoteric Paths of Spiritual Awakening

The Pilgrim – Baron Arild RosenkrantzDanish, 1870 - 1964

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There are any number of signposts along the way.  The journey of spiritual awakening is invited in many ways. 

In my writings and recordings I concentrate on those ways that I love most.

A sample of such signposts includes:-

*Movies.

* Fairy tales and mythological stories.

* Archetypes.

* Songs, poems and pictures.

* Shapes colors and sacred geometry.

* and practices.

.

The Signposts Along the Way

Twilight Fantasies - Edward Robert Hughes

British, 1851 - 1914

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Along the spiritual journey there are various transitions and initiations.

Although spiritual awakening can begin at any age after fourteen years it tends to follow a progression.  This includes the following life transitions:-

* The First Half of Life – 0-35 years.

*Midlife – 35 to 50 years.

* The Second Half of Life – 50+ years.

While it is important to journey the path of spiritual awakening during mid-life it becomes more essential as we get older. 

The Ages of Spiritual Awakening

The Voyage of Life: YouthThomas Cole (1801-1848),

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What ever spiritual path you set out on you will need the following attitudes for both the accent and decent stages:-

* Commitment.

* Discipline

and

* Practice.

These are three essentials of the journey.  You will not progress very far if you are not committed.  This is why the Master Jesus warned against being lukewarm in becoming a disciple.

The Required Attitudes

The Pilgrim Baron Arild Rosenkrantz

Courtesy Peter Nahum at The Leicester Galleries

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The journey of 1,000 miles begins with the 1st step. 

Here I share with you the 1st three steps.  I call these the 3 steps to Heaven.  This is the way that you take the journey of spiritual awakening to the end of the road which is always a new beginning.  With each step begin with

* Setting your intention – then

* Paying attention – then

* Take Action.

It was in order to support this 2nd step of paying attention that I wrote Following Love’s Messenger – 21 Ways to Open the Heart Chakra.

The 1st Steps Along the Way

Loves Messenger - Marie Spartali Stillman

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The steps along the journey of spiritual awakening need to be grounded.  Spiritual awakening is not away from the body but through the body. 

This is not a journey to transcend the body but to love the form of the body to such a degree that the radiance of love transfigures it.

Grounding is through a committed spiritual practice that you do each and every day. 

* Meditation/Prayer

* Yoga or other body practice.

* Spiritual Reading.

* Service/Devotion.

This is by no means an authoritative list.

The Steps Along the Way

The Infant Samual at Prayer - Sir Joshua Reynolds

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The true spiritual awakening experience has different names within different traditions.

These include:-

* The Breakthrough Experience.

* A Glimpse of Enlightenment.

* A Dwelling within the Light.

* Salvation.

* Satori.

The Spiritual Awakening Experience.

RaptureHenry John Stock

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Signs of spiritual awakening are many and varied and of different intensity. 

They are sometimes very brief and at other times they can last many years.  Major phases of spiritual awakening include:-

* The Dark Night of the Senses.

* The Dark Night of the Soul.

* The Wandering in the Desert.

The Signs of Spiritual Awakening

Hope in the Prison of DespairEvelyn Pickering De Morgan

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Other intimations of spiritual awakening include:-

* Living outside of time – the real experience of eternal life.

* Knowing that you are both mortal and immortal at the same time.

* Losing your fear of death.

* Expanding beyond your senses and the body.

* Feeling deep transpersonal Love.

* Knowing who you are.

* A peace that passeth understanding.

* A profound clarity of purpose.

.

The Signs of Spiritual Awakening

The Angel of DeathEvelyn Pickering De Morgan

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This journey takes into account many things including.

* Age and Gender. 

* Level of Consciousness 

Fear Based

Re-active.

Awareness Based.

Intuitive Based.

Creative Based.

Visionary Based.

Sacred Based

.

Other Aspects of Spiritual Awakening

EveAnna Lea Merritt

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This journey takes into account many things including.

*Level of Faith.

Primal Faith.

Intuitive Protective Faith.

Mythic/Literal Faith.

The Interpersonal Self.

Individuate/Reflective Faith.

Conjunctive Faith.

God Grounded Self.

.

Other Aspects of Spiritual Awakening

The Annunciation

James Jacques-Joseph Tissot

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To find support for the journey of spiritual awakening through

Poetry.

Storytelling

Songs.

Movies.

Archetypes.

Practices.

.

Other Aspects of Spiritual Awakening

In the Forest of Arden

Hon John Collier

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Following Love’s Messenger 21 Ways to Open the Heart

Chakra

Due for Publication 20th March, 2014

21 Ways to Pay Attention including

awareness of1. The Songs you Sing.2. The Stories you Tell.3. The Language you Speak.4. The Movies you Watch.5. The Patterns you follow.6. The Images you connect

with.7. The Places you visit in your

Life.And 14 other invitations including practices, meditations and blessings for the journey of opening the heart.

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[email protected] Tony

For information on

• Talks.• Storytelling.• Workshops.• Tour Guiding in Ireland (with Bee Smith).• Concerts• Courses

You were born with potential. You were born with goodness and trust. You were born with ideals and dreams. You were born with greatness. You were born) with wings. You are not meant for crawling, so don’t. You have wings. Learn to use them and fly.” – Rumi

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If you have found this outline of the journey of spiritual awakening of interest or benefit then I would most appreciate your sharing it with friends on one of the social networks below. 

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At the Dowra Fair

Tony Cuckson