Looking back on this page; when I sat down to write it, I was aware that I’d completed nearly 80% of the original material that I’d hoped to write before launching the website. In time, as the community grew and continues to grow, I hoped that some of this material will be updated and infused with the different energies that will make up the collective vision of the temple. At the time, however, it had been kind of a one person show. Nevertheless, I looked back at the website and, although it was far from perfect, I was happy that I’d been able to at least initially express the things I needed to say about the temple in the making.

That entire introduction above is really there for one reason, to highlight the fact that I’d managed to write a significant amount of material in a relatively short amount of time. Material that I was, and am, fairly proud of. It was never meant as great literature and writing, it was meant as a welcome to the temple and a foundation on which to build a group vision of a new kind of community. So, when it came to this page I was faced with a difficulty I hadn’t had up until then. As I sat there trying to type, I was reminded of the other four times I’d sat down to write the very same page. It may sound strange, but for me, this had been one of the hardest pages to write.

When I say it’s been hard, it’s not because of any kind of emotional baggage or spiritual blocks. It’s also not because I don’t have enough to say. The reality is there is far too much that needs to be said. The immensity of the subject can’t be fully comprehended and for someone new to a spiritual path, the road ahead may seem daunting at best, while feeling impossible when the mind starts to second guess the inner spiritual void begging to be filled. No, this page has been hard for me to write because I have struggled with the best way to give a preview of the upcoming journey while still trying to comfort the nagging voices of doubt in the person deciding to actually strike out on the path.

To illustrate the dilemma a little, let me give you a brief recounting of the previous attempts at this page. First I tried to allow my intellectual, organized side to cut to the chase and give a line-item checklist of the things that need to be done in order to start the journey; meet with this person, get this text book resource, attend this meeting, etc., etc., blah, blah, blah. At some point you will read a list of things that you will likely do along the way, but it doesn’t even begin to touch on the most important parts of what it is you are about to undertake, the parts that deal with the deepest workings of the heart and soul.

Next, I tried inventing the “every-person” example of the newbie practitioner in order to give life to some of those energies that were missing in the original list form, feelings and emotions like exhilaration, expectation, fear, and confusion. The problem became the fact that “every-person” doesn’t exist, only “individual-person” in an “every-person” framework that our society hands us.

So, here’s the deal. As I sat down and vowed to finally finish this page to get something up on the website, I still couldn’t say that I’d had this a brilliant epiphany of inspiration or had stumbled on the perfect words to lay out the path before you. What I could say was this. Everyone who truly looks within for ultimate meaning and finds that they are missing something deeper and more profound in life, starts a journey from a very personal space. Everyone comes with a unique history and an even more unique and personal set of hopes and expectations that is part life experience, and part divine influence that has yet to be acknowledged. It is likely that many emotions have already started to stir within you; passion to connect to the higher beings in this universe, a desire to learn and grow, a hope for a more fulfilled future, fears of the unknown, self-doubt, and rationalization based on those same emotions in others that we tend to listen to far more than our own intuition. Compounding the issue is the fact that some people might not have any foundation to relate to the more esoteric principals or even language of spiritual practice or are trying to overcome long held beliefs and preconceptions based on mainstream religion and worship.

The name of this page is, “I’m New to Spiritual Practice”. If you’ve read this far it is an unofficial affirmation to yourself that something is drawing you to the energy and potential reward of what a spiritual practice could mean in your life. The implication of saying that one is new to something, must also mean that the person has already, to some degree, placed themselves within that context. By being here, continuing to read, and taking the next steps, you might be new to spiritual practice, but the reality is you’ve already started a journey that we hope will be very fulfilling. You have already chosen to take a courageous step that most people will never take. Below is the list that I started the first time, a roadmap to a few of the parts and pieces of the journey. Everything you’ve read so far is the assurance that there is no right or wrong way to start the journey because we are all unique beings and we all come from different places. The blessing is that the divine and magickal energies in the universe are everyone’s birthright, and everyone has the potential to accept them.

You’re new now. Just as I’ve struggled to put focus to the vision, you will struggle at times along the way. The path isn’t always straight, and I can guarantee there are speed bumps and potholes. However, the journey is well worth it. The hardest part is taking the first step. Put aside the rational desire for the mind to take the lead and let the heart guide the way. Welcome to the life of spiritual awakening through spiritual practice.

One last admonition…remember that you are always the one that is in control of your own destiny and ultimately responsible for your own direction. We, here at the temple, can help guide based off of the core beliefs that we were founded on, and the collective journeys of those that have come together to create this community and the ancestral inheritance of generations of spiritual experience. We can’t, however, do the work for you. The first step is always the hardest, but there will come times when the hill gets steeper and continuing the journey seems way too hard. We will always be there to offer support, comfort, and encouragement, but we can never be the final force to move you forward. We also recognize that, just like we all come from different pasts, we all have different futures in the making. The temple may not be your ultimate future. Not everyone will fully connect with our mission, our community, or our brand of spiritual connection. That is fine, in fact, that is as it should be. If you take the first steps with us and then find another path calls you, we honestly wish you all the blessings as we honor and respect  your personal journey.

 

For the long-awaited List, please CLICK HERE to go to the First Steps page. The journey begins…