Although there are many in the world still functioning in an unconscious state of awareness, most of us “spiritual seekers” have, at some time in our life journey, awakened to the realization of One Source. We become cognizant of One Source of energy that animates life, that runs through all of existence, giving life, sustaining life, being Life itself.
I call this “becoming conscious.”
We become conscious of this energy and become conscious of the journey we are on in this life. This awakening period is a nodal point. Nodal points are significant events that occur, intersecting timelines and offering opportunities for branching into different trains of exploration.
Once we become conscious of our spiritual life, we begin to explore this realm. It is, in a very real sense, a time of falling in love. When in love, the world is made new. It is awash with sunlight, no matter the weather. Grouchy people, snarled traffic, all go unnoticed as we float in this happy state of new love. So it is as we begin our conscious exploration of spiritual life. Our eyes are starry as we experience the marvels of this new way of being. We stand in amazement as miracles roll out at our feet.
Just as new love changes, however, so does our spiritual journey. Although love remains, the path is not always smooth and easy. Bumps appear in the road. The observable world edges back into our reality. We run into road construction, have to take detours and may experience accidents and delays on our journey.
Somewhere in our journey, we reach the second nodal point. There are many different life experiences that can bring us to this point, but bring us it will. My sister used to say, “Until you can stand naked on the hill, you will not know yourself.” This is, indeed, the second nodal point. It is a time where everything we think we are, have, and hold dear is stripped away.
It is not necessarily a crisis of faith that brings us to this point. Indeed, it may even be our faith that leads us here. Nevertheless, it is a place and time where the external factors that we use to define ourselves are removed from us, either through our own choosing, or by other factors. However we arrive, we find ourselves standing utterly alone on that hill.
This is a metaphor, of course. It does not necessarily mean you will be alone. It means you will have to stand alone, stripped of the trappings we use like clothes. In this nakedness, only you will be able to know yourself, to know who you really are.
I was given wonderful wisdom during that time in my own life, which I pass along to you because it still, many years later, stands me in good stead:
“You can choose to focus your attention on what is behind you. You can worry about it, regret it, be angry over it, or sad about it. Or, you can focus your attention on the future. Infinite possibility stretches in front of you. You can look forward with anticipation and excitement over what is to come. It is entirely your choice.”
Hmm… look back and be miserable, or look forward with anticipation. I think I’ll choose the second option, looking forward. If you, too, choose to look forward, then this nodal point offers another period in time when we see with new vision. We see with new clarity. The world is again made new.
You can easily see that you are still on your spiritual journey. It is, however, as if you have taken a step up to another level of consciousness. The world looks different. You are different. In this next part of the journey love deepens. Our consciousness matures. Life, with its ups and downs, joys and heartaches, develops us. Through it all, it is almost as if we are driven to go deeper. That inner part of our heart cries out for deeper connection. The lotus of Truth begins to unfold our understanding. Once again we come to a nodal point.
We find ourselves again standing naked on the hill. This time, however, we stand in our power. We stand in stillness while the storm rages around us. We can look back and see the progress we have made. Indeed, we can see the spirals of our life and identify those nodes.
I am reminded of an analogy about The Shift that I heard in the mid 1990s. Someone described this period of our history as a train station. We would each have to choose the train we wanted to be on for our future. Would we choose a spiritual train? Or would we take a train remaining in the third dimension? Would factory farming and pharmaceutical drugs still reign supreme on your train of choice? How about boundaries and walls… TSA security lines and genetically modified food? Which train will you board? It is not just a political agenda.
As the trains leave from the station, they are all close together and we can choose to hop over to another one. But, as the trains go farther away from the station they branch away from each other and soon it is no longer possible to change trains. Eventually, you no longer even see the other trains.
I had forgotten this depiction, but we are now many years down the road. The train I am on seems to be taking me to a very different reality than what I knew and understood at the train station. The external world looks different to me. Structures such as governments that once appeared as foundations of integrity now seem like a mirage. I look outside the train window and it is as if I am in a foreign land. Who are these people in the news? Who writes these stories? Truth and decency seem to evaporate like mist outside of my window. Already I feel as if I no longer know this external world.
But the world on the spiritual train, this destination, the journey itself, is exciting! It is clean, and new, and bright. It is full of joy where living food and plant medicines nourish us with light. People know the truth of their being and recognize it in each other.
It is infinite possibility!
What train have you chosen? Choose the future you want now and hop on board!
Dreama Vance
