My Spiritual Dictionary
It seems we live in colossal times of misunderstandings. It’s hard to avoid. I believe much of it is due to language and the way language is used. At one time perhaps words held a more universal meaning, I really can’t say. I do know that spiritual words are especially ambiguous. I believe all spiritual seekers should define for themselves what spiritual words mean. Many spiritual words are vague, speak to a particular lineage, or are antiquated. To discover your personal meaning for spiritual words I recommend starting with established definitions; Oxford Dictionary, Rogers Dictionary, or Websters. From there notice how the definition relates to your experience, notice how it feels in your body, and sit with it. Then compare and contrast the definitions, use them as baselines to work off, and add your own experience to them. Remember, not everybody is going to agree with you.
I once met a woman, I’ll call Martha, who was writing a dictionary. Not a spiritual dictionary, just a regular modern Webster’s. At the time I thought, “My god what a horrible task. Who would ever willingly do that?” Twenty years later I still think, “My god Martha what a horrible task. Why would you want to do such a thing?” Now, at least, I see the value of updating definitions, especially spiritual ones.
At the time it had never occurred to me that word definitions are largely about time and place. They are colloquial and not only change with culture and society (yes I was young) but, like art, they change with internal experiences and consciousness. When I pick up a dictionary I am often disappointed by the limitations of a definition, especially spiritual definitions because I know that it doesn’t include my experience or the experiences of others I know...also, as Martha could attest, writing a dictionary takes a long time. Martha estimated it would take her four years to complete, not including publication. In four years a lot can change internally and collectively.
Words and their meaning are the cornerstones of communication. In thinking of all the misunderstandings I’ve had in my life I bet at least half of them were simply due to the subjectivity of language. Think of all the time and energy a person could save over a lifetime if miscommunication due to language subjectivity was understood.
As I’ve mentioned before definition limitations are most exacerbated with spiritual and esoteric words. Since I am a spiritual writer it does create an opportunity, maybe even an obligation, to explain what I mean by certain words. As a Heart Centered Mentor-Coach what better starting point than to share with you my spiritual language.
I gravitate towards peaceful energy. It is my intention in sharing these definitions to express clarity about my thoughts and experiences NOT to redefine them for you. You decide what you should or should not believe. If these definitions lend a hand to your own experience please use them, if they challenge you or don’t fit for you, toss them aside and stick to your own spiritual definitions.
Carleen’s Spiritual Definitions:
Being: A deep sense of presence absent of force or the need for change or response.
Belief: An internal conviction. A pillar of Story and Self-story. Personal truth.
Consciousness: The energy behind awareness.
Destiny: The circumstances a person can create when they become conscious of and in right relation to their Fate.
Divine: Consciousness of the universe.
Embodiment: Conscious cellular knowledge and wisdom.
Enlightened: A period of time or continuous state of equanimity, the ability to respond with love always.
Fate: The individual patterns that arise from a person’s a) biological parents b) time and place of birth (including the time period) c) birth order d) gender at birth e) bone structure f) a life-altering experience outside of a person’s control or perception of control.
Kundalini: Life force often expressed as a union of soul and spirit energies in the subtle body.
Love: The right thing in the right moment to bring renewed health, healing, and wholeness.
Heart-Centered Alignment: Inner alignment of mind-body-soul-spirit according to individual consciousness. Heart-Centered Alignment is aligned for life.
Heart’s Desire: A part of a person that longs for something and that something is life-giving. Often it defies logic or linear thinking but the longing persists. It may be small or big, but it holds a key to expanded meaning, new consciousness, and life.
Pain: The moment of infliction or separation preceding suffering. The epicenter or root of suffering.
Sacred: That which is respected, revered, and upheld with integrity.
Soul: The personal and transpersonal divine energy expressed through the feminine (body, earth, liberating current).
Spirit: The personal and transpersonal divine energy expressed through the masculine (between, sky, manifesting current).
Spirituality: The belief in conscious energy within and outside of matter.
Spiritual Manifesting: A profound or meaningful state of inner and outer alignment where time and space dissolve and the act of personal “doing” is replaced by what seems coincidental, magical or impossible.
Story: When referring to the story of a person or Self-story I mean the metaphysical neuro-biological (mind, body, spirit, soul) interface or weave of a person. Story is like software that runs the ego. It overlays all aspects of a person and can change.
Self Story: The “I” statements a person uses to define themselves.
Subtle body: The energy that precedes or resides beneath and within neurological impulses in the body.
Suffering: The misunderstood experience of pain be it physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual or the perception thereof.
Transpersonal: Not confined to one person.
Transformation: A profound change in mind-body-soul or spirit. Change in one area affects all areas.
Unconscious: The energy that is not conscious.
Value: Something that is subjectively or collectively worthy. An extension of belief.
I expect this list will grow but for now, these are the words that you may read on my website, in my memoir Orchid of Fate, and are frequently used in my vocabulary. Should we work together they may come up in our conversations. I hope they are helpful and aligned with your understanding or at least enhance your understanding. If you are on a spiritual journey I encourage you to know what your own spiritual definitions are.
Our inner software runs on vibration and the tonal vibration of language coupled with meaning is how we share our inner worlds. Going back to my blog “Heart-Centered is”, without a word for hunger there would only be the sensation of hunger pangs, coupled with bending over, holding one’s stomach, or gesturing. Perhaps a more honest way of expressing one’s self, but also less nuanced and more childlike.
Our personal definitions help us define ourselves to others but more importantly they help us define ourselves to ourselves. As all great spiritual masters have said, now is the time to “know thyself.”
