The following post (with a couple edits) was originally part of a newsletter sent out on 27th August 2017. It had such a big response I thought I'd post it as a blog for y'all. x
The news in India of riots and people being killed in the streets over the arrest of a guru has shone a massive light on the whole guru thing this week. My heart really goes out to all those affected, but I can't help but look at all this and just wonder where we're going so wrong.
The internet is ablaze again this week over the news that Doreen Virtue is giving up Tarot and predictive readings, taking her name off her Angel Tarot decks and moving even closer to her Christian path.
This has brought up a lot for people, and we are holding space in the Spiritual Journey Pitstop for anyone who feels that they need to talk about what all this is bringing up for them with no judgement from either side. However you are feeling about all this is totally valid and important for you to express and move through, but I have been asking people to share from a place of what this is bringing up for them personally, rather than making assumptions about DV, her path, work and publisher, because even though we feel like we know her, we really have no idea what is really going on and speculation doesn't really help us to move through it.
As you may know, I've been a big fan of hers for years, but I honestly, personally don't give a hoot if she burns all her decks in a Christian ritual on top of a hill and gives her life to Jesus or not. (I did that once myself but it's a story for another time).
I really just wanted to talk in this blog post about the whole "guru" thing and how it's failing us, and how we are failing ourselves by looking up to peeps to be our gurus and what we can do instead.
I've actually unfollowed a few people on Instagram recently after I have had in-person encounters with them that left me reeling, feeling that who they are behind the Instagram is actually not in alignment with what they teach + preach online.
We are all very human and we can't put someone on a pedestal just because they have a book deal and we don't.
Be your own Hierophant - from the Cosmic Tarot x
I have people message me sometimes saying that I'm their "spiritual teacher" and while that's incredibly flattering it also freaks me out! LOL!
Because I'm just another person on the path really. If anything, I prefer to see myself as a kind of "bridge".
My job is to help you to get from over there to over here, more aligned on your path, more connected to your own guidance.
That's what a spiritual teacher is really supposed to do for us I think, just help us find our own way.
When we put so much pressure on one person, or a group of people, to have all the answers for us, to do the work for us, or to always be on the same path as us, things get dangerous.
We are all on our own journey and what I share with you guys is just where I'm at with mine.
Find your own way through meditation! Card from the NewAgeHipster InstaOracle x
If we'd met 20 years ago I would have been dragging you along with me to my fave mega church, another few years before that I would've been asking you to join my Wicca based high school coven!
My journey is going to change, just like yours is.
You always have the choice to keep following my journey or not.
The choice is yours.
When we are looking for spiritual info there are some things we can do to help us be discerning about someone else's story and teachings to help us find our own path.
And as always, even this list might not totally resonate with you! Take what does, leave the rest. :D
1. Follow people who say "take what resonates and leave the rest".
:P
2. Avoid people who have any sort of vibe that their way is the "right" way and other ways are "wrong".
Dogma is so old paradigm.
3. Read and research
whatever you're into, read loads of different books by different authors, watch videos on YouTube, listen to Podcasts etc. Cast your net for teachings wide.
4. Work with your own energy first and foremost.
When we protect (check out my free e-book for that!), clear and ground ourselves it's much easier to tune into our own intuition and guidance. (Woo Woo 101 starts soooon!)
5. Remember that your spiritual teachers are just as human as you.
A book deal doesn't make you more enlightened and a whole lot of followers doesn't mean you're more connected to the universe.
6. Unfollow and let go of whatever doesn't vibe with you, or no longer vibes.
We are never going to resonate with anyone 100% but if you no longer find someone's content useful or interesting or empowering in anyway, you can just hit unfollow and move on.
My work is moving more and more into a direction of helping you find the answers for yourself.
I reaaaaally want to help you do the work that's going to help you find your own path. I'm not interested in you doing things "my way", I just want you to find the right way for you.
You can work with me via a spiritual mentoring session and I'll hold space for you and help you find your own connection to your own guidance. Come join the SPJ group or keep hanging out for free content, but whatever you do, just do what feels right for you.
With love, light and going your own way,
Vix
x
