The masculine aspect of our true self - our spirit or animus, in Jungian terms, is a solitary, singular reality. This, of course, is how we in patriarchal societies generally conceive of ourselves. Here, we think of our identity as an "I." However, this is not the entire story. Just as we live embedded in a social and ecological web of relations, so our soul or anima - the feminine aspect of our true self - is multi-faceted as well. Following James Hillman and others, we might say that the "God" (spirit) dimension of our identity is mostly monotheistic, while the "Goddess" (soul) dimension of our identity is innately polytheistic.
I find this distinction very helpful when thinking of my own religious identity. When people ask: "What ARE you?" they are generally thinking in masculine terms of a singular religious identity. Here, I could answer with the label "Christian Mysticism" or simply say: "My religious identity is a singular Universal - a Oneness - that can't be adequately defined," and that would definitely be true. After all, Gautama Buddha was not a Buddhist; he was simply "Awake." And Jesus was not a Christian; he was simply "I AM."
These days, however, I find that the feminine (soul) aspect of my religious identity has come to the fore. As such, it is much more multi-faceted and pluralistic than my masculine (spirit) side. This makes sense, since the post-modern self we all manifest these days is incapable of being defined in any one way. Like a multi-hued grove of aspen trees, it contains many different elements. Accordingly, I can define the soul-aspect of my religious identity in three important ways. First, I would say that I am "Interspiritual." That is, my filter for looking at reality tends to be contemplative Christian, but it is interwoven heavily with elements from Native American spirituality, Buddhist (especially Vajrayana) theology, and the spirituality of American Nature writers. In addition, aspects of Hinduism, Sufism, Taoism, mystical Judaism, transpersonal psychology, Enneagram spirituality and eco-spirituality are woven into the interspiritual mix as well.
A second way I can define the soul aspect of my faith is to say that I am a "None." In other words, I am unable to identify myself with ANY of the traditional formal religious traditions. Or rather, I resonate with the best elements of ALL of the faiths, while setting aside the more rigid, dogmatic elements. Here, I really like the "spiritual, not religious" label. I find that this aspect of my faith is prevented from lapsing into superficiality because I practice a regular set of spiritual disciplines which lend a sense of stability, even though my theology may go through periodic shifts.
A third way I can define the soul aspect of my spiritual identity relates to the fact that I have been developing a new faith over the past three decades which I call "Wilderness Mysticism." If one has to use a label, this one fits me perhaps most adequately. Accordingly, I've developed a theology and set of practices that highlight the Nature-based dimensions of all of the traditional faiths, and which also goes beyond them in new and as yet undefined ways. I embrace fully the chief tenet of Process Theology, which is the fact that even the DIVINE evolves! This is DEFINITELY true of Wilderness Mysticism!
I find that any of these four aspects (one masculine and three feminine) might be expressed at any given time, depending on the person with whom I am interacting and what their specific needs are. Actually, I LOVE the fact that I am never completely sure WHICH element will arise at any given time. Here, the SHAPESHIFTING aspect of spirituality definitely rules!
Photos: Various Aspen groves in the Cameron Pass area, CO, September 14, 2015
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I am available for spiritual direction / mentoring sessions via cell phone or Skype. The fee for each hour-long session is $65. If you are interested in inquiring about this, or would like to host a talk or workshop in your area, please contact me at canyonechoes@gmail.com .
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