When the Guide is Lost (or What does it Mean to be a Spiritual Teacher?)
*This post is also being included in Kallan Kennedy's 'The Secret Life of the American Witch' blog this week. Please be sure to check out her wonderful blog!
“Go put your creed into your deed, Nor speak with a double tongue.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson
The better part of my life has been spent rebelling against the old adage- ‘Do as I say, not as I do’. It boggles my mind and hurts my heart to witness teachers being irresponsible with the way they pass on information. The last cycle of Mercury Retrograde, I did a great deal of inner work and felt a lot of peace. I maintained my focus, and felt that no amount of external drama could move me off my path. This cycle I am having a much harder time in maintaining my balance. You, gentle readers, are the recipients of my mental meanderings following this particular bump in Mercury Retrograde. The trigger was a Facebook group who were sharing a spell to attract a ‘soul mate’. Normally, I equate those conversations with getting your fortune told by a boardwalk psychic. Knowing that this conversation came up during Mercury Retrograde, I should have taken what was said with a large ‘grain of salt’, walked away from the computer or maybe even left the country. Sadly, my emotions were already running high, but I dove in anyway.
The directions said that this was not a spell to be cast ‘lightly’. I questioned the how lightly the teacher was taking this by including a picture of a half-naked, eye candy, model guy posted with the spell. I commented that I didn’t feel sure that it was the right image to put with that kind of spell. What if someone was missing a soul mate because they were looking just for ‘eye candy’ and not for the sweet candy center? For the sake of Mercury, I shall be plain: What if someone continues to miss a wonderful person near them, because they don’t come in a ‘perfect package’? Does the image of the naked model with the spell encourage the spell caster to find someone right for them, or continue with unrealistic expectations? Is it responsible to encourage someone to cast a spell without speaking of true intentions? Of consequences? And what of Free will? The comment from the admin of the group was pure, unadulterated Snark! I read a condescending remark that clearly they see that I would be more ‘comfortable’ with a picture of ‘herbs’ or ‘crystals’ and the admin’s advice-“Don’t cast the spell. Simple.”
My spiritual mentors taught me that everyone I came in contact with as a student or seeker would have a karmic tie to me. Every student I ever had, anyone who sought my advice, has a tiny thread that connects them to me. If something I said leads to negative results for them, it is possible that I can feel the consequences in my own life to a certain degree. As a result of those lessons, I take my teaching seriously. I don’t believe that you throw some spell together and tell someone ‘go for it’ without at least one real conversation first. I am not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but the Threefold Law is something I take seriously. I want to be certain as I can be that others understand the consequences of what they do, because it can impact me as well! This is my life, my path, my purpose…it’s not something I do cause there isn’t anything interesting on tv!
It upsets me to see teachers that don’t care about the message they give to their students. Facebook has given rise to a legion of people who claim to be all sorts of teachers, guides, prophets, gurus, etc without any bit of commitment to the consequences for those who seek them out. I have met some wonderful mentors here. I am blessed with the guidance I have been given, the camaraderie shown, and the generosity with the knowledge shared with me. I am also able to know that the teachers I have met here…walk their talk. They live what they speak of and that means a great deal. Are they perfect? Nope…and I like them that way. But they also treat the students with respect, which is something that the admin of that particular Facebook group could stand to learn something about.
Could I have been less emotional about that Facebook group? Yes. I saw that there was an opportunity for me to remove myself from negativity and I did so by leaving that group. My energy returned to a more balanced level after I did so. However, the lesson remained for me to ponder. I was upset with someone who was presenting as a serious spiritual teacher, but did not behave as though they had the responsibility of a serious spiritual teacher. What do you expect from your spiritual teachers and mentors? I don’t expect perfection, but I expect a level of caring about me and about the consequences for what they are teaching me. I cannot abide to watch spiritual teachers set one standard for themselves, and another for their students. Perhaps that is the greater lesson for me going forward…I must be more aware of what lessons I am sharing with others and how that may come back to me. I cannot control everything in the world. But if I take responsibility for what I put into the world by my thoughts, words and deeds…that may be the best lesson I could hope to teach and only real lesson anyone could need to learn.
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