Before you begin your quest.....
You are feeling restless and you know there is more to the universe and God (or whatever name you call the Creator) than you have been taught and have learned so far in your life. But where do you begin your search and how? Everywhere you look, there are New Age stores filled with information on every possible subject. You are bombarded by television with pyshics, tarot card readers, etc. How do you know what is right for you? Let's begin by getting rid of the misconceptions on many of "new age" concepts.
First, I don't know why they call it "new age" as most of the information is centuries old but is just now coming out of the "hidden closets" as people become more acceptable of the concepts and teachings. Take for instance herbal medicine, Reiki, Tai Chi, and other spiritual practices. These practices were done for centuries, but since more and more people have experienced a "spiritual awakening" and an understanding of such things, they are more out in the open. Herbal medicine was practiced for centuries, and todays medicine is derived on what it has learned from people who practice it. Look at any medicine you take today. You will notice on the label that it uses some form of herb and mineral. So there is nothing new about herbal medicine except that more people now understand the simplicity of it and are wanting to go back to the basics because they prove they work.
What about the different spiritual beliefs and practices? They can become mind boggling and over-whelming. There is Wicca, Druids, Native American, Kabbalah, Buddahism, etc. These spiritual practices have always existed and are older than modern religions, but they were kept hidden due to governments, organized religions, etc. Why you ask? Because they were viewed as a threat and there was no way to control them except to abolish them. So they were practiced in secret or ignored by other religions. It's only been in this century that people have come to understand that those who practice Wicca are not devil worshippers and people who practice human sacrifice. If you read about Wicca you will find that the devil doesn't exist in their beliefs, so if the devil doesn't exist, then how can they worship the devil? Native Americans were considered pagans and needed to be "saved". However, if you study their beliefs, you will find that they worship only one God and they refer to that God as the Great Spirit and/or Creator.
The common mistake many people make today is that in their eagerness to find their path, they jump in 1st before learning more and they assume to much about a belief. This has caused a rash of misconceptions of different beliefs and many who are making money off beliefs without knowing alot about it or they are exploiting it. The only way to find out which path is right for you, is to talk to people who have different beliefs, read about them, and then decide if it's right for you. I know more people who are eclectic because they take a little from each and they form their own spiritual path. There is no right or wrong path as long as it feels right to you and it harms no one. You will meet those who profess to be an expert in an area and what they really are is someone who knows a little but claims to know alot. I advise everyone to talk to many and find out for themselves. Don't just listen to one person. Explore an area of interest to you and learn what you like and don't like about it and what feels right and what doesn't. There is much to learn out there about the universe and all the different beliefs, that you can't possibly learn it all in this lifetime.
Please follow each of the steps as you begin your journey. Afterwards, you can just visit any of the steps to renew yourself .
