THERE IS MUCH CONFUSION in the New Consciousness movement between spiritual philosophies and spiritual practices (and their description) with a number of high profile New Age authors passing off their philosophical /cosmological worldviews as spiritual instruction. In fact, most popular New Age teachers are primarily preachers of spiritual philosophies, and it would seem that there is growing support for the belief that knowledge of "the system" can somehow lead us to spiritual fulfilment, with spirituality becoming a philosophical or academic pursuit. But this shows a fundamental ignorance of what spirituality is (and is not), and whilst a modification of philosophy can be helpful in motivating ourselves to undertake spiritual practice, unless we understand the difference between spiritual philosophy and spiritual practice (and its description), a confusion between the two can be most detrimental to our inner growth. So we need to begin with definitions and descriptions of both.

RIGHT NOW, in this moment, you are as spiritual as you are ever going to be. And whatever you do for the rest of your life, or for the rest of your future lives, you will not be able to add one iota of spirituality to what you already have. No matter how much you meditate, no matter how much occult teachings you assimilate, and no matter how many gurus or teachers you hang out with… not one iota more. And in the same light, you will not be able to lose one iota of your spirituality, no matter how many people you murder or how many wars you start. This is the true nature of spirituality — it is beyond our influence.

HE'S A REPTILE, she said with conviction. Not realising that she was being literal about her father, I pushed for another perspective in which her father was merely a human being expressing some of the darkness that she was unable to express herself — I knew she found it difficult to express anger so was probably projecting shadow. It was a risk to be so blunt, but I thought that being a New Age spiritual seeker she might appreciate a new perspective, one that could ultimately release her from emotional deadlock. For by demonising him in the way she was, she was excluding him from her heart and therefore from the forgiveness that would release them both.