A sense of Connection

Spirituality is defined as a broad concept, leaving room for many different notions. It includes a sense of connection to something bigger than one’s self, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. Allowing the connection from something greater than us to enter our lives and guide us along our path.

What initially drew me to the Divine Spirituality, was the people. The kindness in their heart and eyes, the morals that matched with mine, and their mission of helping others, hardly ever putting themselves first.

Having a spiritual mother, I was graced with the introduction to many amazing people with unbelievable gifts, my mother being one. Healers, mediums, readers and so forth, these people enticed me at  a young age to continue researching about their practices, to incorporate them into my daily life.

However, society is a cruel mistress. I was forced in Intermediate, through embarrassment and bullying, to keep my beliefs to myself. It was so bad that I shoved everything to the back of my mind. I let go of what gave me direction, of what made me feel like myself. All because some nasty 12-year-olds made me believe that I was weird because I didn’t go with social norms, because I didn’t believe in what everyone else was raised or conditioned to believe. I was tricked into thinking being different was a horrible thing.

After growing up, leaving school and heading into the real world, I started to find my way back to my old beliefs. Now I want to project the happiness that I have found, the lessons that I have learnt, and introduce the pathway that I believe many others are destined to walk. Many may not read this, but if I have learnt anything, everything happens for a reason and it will happen if it is meant to.

This type of spirituality is based on the belief that there is no death, there is just the transition from a physical being to spiritual being. It consists of  practices  to contact spiritual beings. The people who can make contact typically are readers, mediums, clairvoyants, and healers among others.

A reader is someone who collects information about a person’s past, present and future, through the use of heightened perceptive abilities. They do this by reading the person’s energy field, connecting with their own or the persons’ spiritual guides, or higher self. They can also connect with a universal source, such as Tarot or Oracle cards, Pendulums, or Runes. Reader’s offer guidance, inspiration, a fresh perspective or strategies on dealing with challenges you may end up facing.

A medium, however, connects with the person’s loved ones in spirit and in order for you to recognise who that is, they give off detailed explanations about how they look, who they are as a person, or a memory that you had shared with them. This is information being sent from the loved ones themselves. Mediumship doesn’t predict anything or analyse peoples lives much as readings do.

Instead, it lets the person know that the people who have transitioned to their spiritual beings are still connected to you. It is often used for closure and bereavement support, as they often receive messages of love, support, healing and specific information that only the person understands. This is my favourite spiritual ability. I have experienced some for myself and seen others re-connect with their loved ones. You can only truly believe it if you experience it for yourself. It is unfathomable, and amazing all in one.

A Clairvoyant is very similar to a medium, however, ‘Clairs’ are a lot more sensitive, and receive stronger messages overall. They are a lot less common, as I have noticed through my research.

Spiritual healers are those who perform the practice of restoring, balancing and harmonizing our spirit or soul.  In summary, there are five main forms of spiritual healing: mental healing (of the mind), emotional healing (of the heart), physical healing (of the body), soul healing, and holistic healing (of the mind, heart, body and soul). There are different ways of performing these healings too. In most places, you will find Reiki healing, Theta healing, Ionic Detox Footbath, Chakra Rebalancing, Sound Balancing and more.

These practices and beliefs are not to be confused with religion, there are next to no similarities, yet so many people put them in the same category. In spirituality the questions are often “where do I personally find meaning, connection, and value?”, in comparison to the questions within religion such as, “what is true and right?”

Spirituality is your connection with your soul and your creator, higher power, or whatever you name your ‘Holy’. Religion is a personal or institutionalized system grounded in the belief in and reverence for a supernatural power regarded as creator or creators of the universe. Although they are often put within the same category or seen as the same thing, there are very little similarities between the two. For a very long time, religious people saw the practices of spirituality as signs of witchcraft, and to this day most are still not accepting of it.

However, due to modern media and the world being more accepting than it ever has been, there are more people tuning into spritual  practices and beliefs. When interviewing Barry Bartlett from Infinity Spiritual Centre he mentioned that back in 1987 “you didn’t know who to talk to, they’d think you were a nutcase”.

When thinking of what to write for this assignment, Infinity, Hamilton Spiritual Centre kept popping up in my head. Almost like my body was trying to drag me to their doorstep, for whatever reason. Maybe it was so that I could inform people of what it really meant to believe in the Divine Spirituality, or maybe it was so that I could reconnect with the beliefs I once had. Whatever the purpose was, I met some simply amazing people. One is the owner and founder of the safe haven, Barry Bartlett. 

Barry believes that his mission in life is to help others find their spiritual path. This all started when he attended weekly classes held by the Master Teacher, Abraham in 1987, formerly known as the Great I AM. Abraham taught him, and others, the answers to the biggest questions everyone asks. “ What happens when you die”, “How was the earth populated”, “Do we reincarnate?”  He projected his learnings first, through a radio station, “The Voice Within”. He talks with gurus, scientists, famous authors, mediums, channels, musicians, astrologers, and so forth from around the world. When I asked him how many listeners he has, he said that doesn’t matter. People will listen if they choose to. If life so bends them in his direction, and that was a message that was always seemed to come across when I was talking to the rest of the team.

Now Barry and his team at Infinity, have created “a safe haven for those who are seeking, worried, or plain scared of things they don’t know about or understand”.  Within his walls, he sells crystals, jewellery, dreamcatchers, singing bowls, books, tarot cards. He also has a team that holds classes, readings, and healings.

It is a stress-free zone that some people sometimes stumble upon, not knowing why they were drawn to his doorstep.

When interviewing Barry, he mentioned that he has come into contact with many gifted people who have stumbled upon his doorstep, not knowing why they were pulled there. Some, gifted, others seeking guidance, clarity. He spoke of a woman who came from a very religious background. She was born with the gifts of channeling. Barry took her under his wing and guided her along with her destined path. She grew in confidence, travelled to England to learn further, and is now holding classes of her own, and communicating to her students what she has learnt over the years.

Barry also mentioned people that weren’t as lucky. They were scared of their gifts and wanted to turn them off. Some turned to alcohol and drugs, whatever it took to get rid of the voices in their heads. He is saddened by these memories.

The quote above is taken out of the book called “The Teaching Mission”, edited by Jim Cleveland. It takes you further into the lessons of celestial teachers, reflections, historical notes and commentaries by their students, like Barry Bartlett. Reading it has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be spiritual.

Spirituality is a very broad concept. It can be unfathomable, yet eye-opening  if  people are curious and want to delve deeper. Every month, on the third Saturday, Infinity holds a Spirit Fest. It is a day where healers, readers and so forth, come together and perform their services for half price. It is a great way to see for yourself what it is really like.