by Sara Hocking
There are few things I love more than waking up to the hiss and crackle of hearing bacon in the pan. This might completely revolt you, but we all have our “luxury” items. Some of us lavish in a mani/pedi day, our crystal collections or maybe fresh made strawberry jam from your garden is…well, your jam.
We all have pleasures, but the world of New Age Spirituality seems to devalue anything that brings us actual pleasure.
If we do enjoy something, we feel ashamed and horrified that we’ve identified with our ego and allowed ourselves pleasure.
As we walk the spiritual path, many of us look up to gurus leading an ascetic life. We don’t even realize we are doing it. Stop for a second. Consider who you’ve put on your spiritual pedestal.
It’s ok to admit. It’s powerful to admit and own.
We’ve all been there. At some point, we’ve all considered giving all our belongings away to live in a cave or an ashram or on the mountaintop. Maybe it will help us. Maybe it will make us “more spiritual.”
We’ve bought into the notion that spirituality means we have to live a Spartan life and follow the teachings of one guru or another.
But, do we?
We chose to incarnate into the body we have, with the family we have, in the place we live (or places we travel to).
We chose THIS experience. We don’t have to strip ourselves of pleasure or look to another human for answers.
My life is my spiritual path and happens to be filled with bacon, chocolate, beer, swearing and occasional bouts of road rage.
My spiritual journey isn’t about how cool my altar looks on my Instagram pictures or making sure the world knows about my latest puja.
My spiritual journey is about my inner alchemy, my inner witchiness.
My spirituality is about going within to seek, to discover, to transform.
My spiritual journey is to affect my inner self a way that removes any obstacles in my path.
Some people may scream that bacon/chocolate/alcohol IS an obstacle in my path. F*ck the people screaming, they are not me. They don’t decide my obstacles.
Obstacles are internal, hailing from our shadow.
Our fights with addiction. Our shame from being molested. Our fear of being alone. Our desire to be good enough.
It is easy to blame our problems on “the bottle,” “the uncle,” “our partner,” “school.”
The deep, dark truth is that everything lies within us.
Sometimes our ability to own our experience, thank it for what we have learned, show it forgiveness and gratitude is the issue (to borrow from the ho’oponopono method).
This is why it doesn’t matter if I lavishly consume dark chocolate and let it melt onto my fingers, just so I can lick it off.
This is why I don’t require myself to consume my own urine in an effort to be “more pure.”
This is why I usually yell at people who drive moronically.
This is why I have incarnated-to experience, own the experience and transmute any bits of wreckage left behind.
Our darkness presents us with the greatest opportunity possible for growth and change. But, like any good 12-step program will tell us, we first have to accept that darkness within.
When we accept the darkness within, the alchemical dance can begin. I’m confident my dance will continue whether or not I continue to have bacon for breakfast or sit each night, watching Netflix and licking chocolate off my fingertips.
About the Author:
Sara Hocking is keeper of secrets, teacher of magic and spiritual alchemist. She will stop at nothing to fulfill her goal of world domination activation to help everyone discover the magic within. Connect with Sara on her website, Facebook or request to join her group: The Alchemist’s Lounge.
featured image – source
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