How are you? How are you handling this world pandemic? Are you holding up or are you breaking down? Are you scared or are you certain everything will be alright? Are you excited to see the new changes or are you a little fearful of what they might be? Maybe you go through all these vibrations in one day, possibly every hour. Maybe you find yourself uncertain? Either way, no matter how you are feeling, it is OK. There are no right or wrong answers. We have all come to a point in our journey that no one was prepared for. There was no How-to Survive a Pandemic guidebook on how you are to experience this, and we have no clue on what to expect next.
In saying this, being a Spiritualist can help us through all of it.
We know we are continuous beings; we know that the physical death only happens to our body not our Soul and Spirit. We know that we continue a spiritual life forever and ever. We know this because of the ability to connect and communicate with those who have moved on into the spiritual expression of themselves by means of Mediumship. And that knowledge brings us much comfort. It takes away the fear of the end of our life. But what about now as we live in this state of uncertainty?
This is where we turn to the Philosophy of Spiritualism to find ways to cope and move forward in our personal development and understanding. For you see if there is no end to our lives, then there is no end to our growth and understanding. We know that Spirit, Infinite Intelligence, our Spirit Guides and teachers are always giving us gentle nudges, signs, synchronicities, symbols, metaphors, along with a huge array of ideas and inspirations to let us know we are on the right track or to encourage us to look at something differently. They work with us to love ourselves and others more, for there is always room for more love.
I would like to talk about a book that most of us might have either read or watched movies based on this book. It all started by when I heard the words “looking glass” this week. Yep, that is right! Tonight, we tap into our inner child and look into the meaning and understanding of the story, “Alice in Wonderland.” I believe this experience we are all going through now can be compared to falling down a rabbit hole. We are in a state of wonder and uncertainty, nothing is familiar to us anymore. What used to be Normal is now not Normal. To quote Alice, “Things are just curiouser and curiouser!” We know through the Natural Law of Evolution that even though it might seem as if time is standing still, we are still moving and evolving. Evolving into what? Well, that is the question.
Let us look into the story:
As the caterpillar said to Alice, “Who are you?”
This might not have been an encouraging opening for a conversation but Alice replied, rather shyly, “I—I hardly know, Sir, just at present—at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.”
“What do you mean by that?” said the Caterpillar sternly. “Explain yourself!”
“I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, Sir,” said Alice, “because I am not myself, you see.”
Is this not what most people are feeling today? For the most part we knew who we were before the virus. Good or bad, fair, or unfair, we had an idea of who we were. We had a schedule, we followed routines, we might have been so comfortable and so sure that we did most everything with a sense that is the way we always will, and we always would. What did you label yourself then when you think back to who you were and what do you label yourself now? We know that something inside us will always be changed from the events of today. We know that Spirit shows and tells us they are the same yet different from when they were here. So, what do we do with that? We know when we go within, we feel the love of Spirit, the love of God, but how do we feel that love continuously in our lives, every hour, and in every situation? We embrace the change! We reinvent ourselves! We immerse ourselves in the alternate universe we have landed in. Down the Rabbit hole we went. We should become the change we want to see in the world!
Spiritualism cultivates this desire of knowledge and understanding. Spirit reminds us through message after message that we need to push the levels within ourselves to truly know ourselves. Even in Alice in Wonderland it was said “Contrariwise,” continued Tweedledee, “if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic.” Do you strive to dig deeper in your thoughts? Ask yourself why you feel a certain way? Can you see it another way? How do you make a choice based on your purpose and not the rapid response to something?
As Alice asked herself “Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle.” Are you taking the time to do your puzzle? We all seem to have a little extra time these days, so, are we using it wisely?
There are always lessons to be learned in everyday of our journey both here in this world and into the Spirit world. Spirit is constantly reminding us that for every lesson we embrace, we grow from that. Then that lesson will not be needed when we return to the Summerland. So why not take advantage of these lessons we have been set into. As the Duchess said to Alice “Everything’s got a moral, if only you can find it.” So, let us look for a lesson in everything.
Spiritualism in its infancy in 1848 was started by a large group of individuals that were thought provokers and free thinkers. They were considered radical for their time and though it is possible they were afraid, never was it seen in their actions as they charged forth in their beliefs.
Before this pandemic, I would ask you to ask yourself if you were frantically chasing, running around tired and drained, possibly harming yourself to keep up the “social norm.” Were you a human doing instead of a human being? It is ok if you were, we all are sometimes, each day is a new beginning. We can choose at any moment to be different then we were when we woke up. But to do that, we need to think and be more cautious of our thoughts and actions, open our awareness.
As was said in Wonderland by Alice “I don't think..." and with a quick reply Hatter said, “then you shouldn't talk.” Take time to ponder. Do not react quickly. Think first and respond accordantly. To add to this process let us look again into another conversation in Wonderland. “Then you should say what you mean,” the March Hare went on. “I do,” Alice hastily replied; “at least — at least I mean what I say — that's the same thing, you know.” “Not the same thing a bit!” said the Hatter. “You might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see"!” We need to always look for another perspective and not get too narrow in our focus which can lead to narrow mindedness. Strive to see, learn, understand, and put into action a new and evolved way of being. No matter how we might be feeling, we know on some level we chose to be here. We chose this time and space to be the expression of God. To be the individual that we are. We chose this time to be alive and living. Each of us is separate but also part of the whole. Instead of fighting it lets embrace it. As the Cheshire Cat said to Alice “Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” Alice asked… “How do you know I’m mad?”
“You must be,” said the Cat, “Or you wouldn’t have come here.”
Let us then change our vibration of uncertainty to a certainty of change for the better. Let us go within and heed our own advice. Let us listen to the voice of reason within. Let us spread love. Let us help one another. Like the author Lewis Carroll stated about Alice “She generally gave herself very good advice (though she very seldom followed it),”. How often has each of you shared word of comfort, of support to someone who is struggling? Many, I am sure. Do you heed your own advice? Do you heed the advice from Spirit that comes to us when we go within? You see, when this is all over, and that day will come, we will never be who we were. Just as Alice said, “It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.”
Let yourself just go forward. Maybe not knowing how exactly but moving none the less. Evolve in love for there are many paths to that destination. As Spirit tells and shows us, enlightenment and love are the way to the truth, the only truth. Just as Alice and the Cheshire Cat discussed, Alice asked “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" …"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," replied the Cat "I don't much care where – said Alice” “Then it doesn't matter which way you go.” stated the Cheshire cat. All that really matters is that we go. We embrace what lessons are tossed upon us, think through the conclusion, and put into action that direction we want to go.
Be Kind to yourself. We are on a journey we have never been before. When tomorrow comes and it always will either here in the physical or in the spiritual for life is continuous, what will you make of it? Because you have the power to make it! Make it yours! Let us conclude with one last thought from Alice in Wonderland when the White Queen said “Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” What six will you think of?