Posted on Tuesday, 26th August 2008 by Maritzia
I recently discovered the blog, Meg Funk. Meg Funk is actually Sister Mary Margaret Funk, a Benedictine nun at Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove, IN. While she, of course, writes from a Christian tradition, I find much of her writings on contemplative practice to resonate with me as a pagan.
One of her recent posts on Manifestation of Thoughts to a Wise Elder was striking for me. As some of you know, I used to be Catholic and wanted for many years to become a nun. I’ve drifted away from Catholicism, but the impact of my years as a Catholic and my study of Catholic theology remains. One of the things I experienced during those years was spiritual direction.
Regardless of the spiritual tradition that you belong to, even if it is one of your own making, having a spiritual guide/teacher/listener can be a huge benefit. For one thing, they can help keep us from becoming mired down in one particular thought. Sometimes these ideas come up, and we are so immediately enamored by that idea that we keep it with us all the time. It’s not necessarily bad to become fascinated with a particular idea, but if it consumes our spiritual life it can hold us back from continued growth and learning. This is where the “wise elder” come in. They are someone who listens without judgement, who gives us feedback on our thoughts and our journey, who can help us see if we are too mired in one thing and help us broaden our perspectives.
This is one thing I’ve missed since becoming pagan. Without a spiritual community around me, I have no one to help me process some of the many ideas that run rampant in my head. I miss having someone say, “but have you looked at it this way.” Hopefully, I’ll find that community some day. Until then, I’ll pour out my thoughts here.
Posted in Religion/Spirituality | Comments (0)
