When we look at this picture so many thoughts can come up. When I looked it, it brought thoughts of serenity... it looked mystical. It made me think that if I was on this walk, I might hope I didn't see another soul. The quiet and the stillness can allow us to feel deeper spiritual connections with nature.
I recently read that "Spiritual relationships are connections to self or soul, to others, to a higher power or to nature." It made me realized that we don't know how to define what is a Spiritual connection. What does it look like or feel like, so how would someone know if it truly was a spiritual connection. We live in a very 3D world if we can't see it or feel it or touch it, it is difficult to believe it exists. Science and Quantum Physics has opened the possibility to think, "what if there is more?" but for many of us it is still a leap.
For a very long time I had been reaching for and trying to understand true spiritual connections. How would I know? Was a spiritual connection to nature or family that had past, or angelic beings going to feel the same? Knowing that others had connected made me think it was possible to find out. I became a seeker. Meaning, I read all kinds of spiritual books and learned to meditate and took long walks in the woods. It was wonderful and made me feel good but I wasn't having any spiritual experiences. All of this was in the middle of working and raising a family. Although I never reached the level of what I thought of as a true spiritual connection, I didn't stop trying.
Twenty years ago I developed an interest in Ancestry. Ancestry.com had opened up a world of discovery. The documents and the records, stories posted from other people brought to life the lives of my ancestors. I began helping others build their family trees. I connected with other genealogists and I felt deeply connected with my ancestors and even the ancestors that I was researching for others. I felt guided by them as I searched for clues but if someone had asked me at the time, I did not think I was spiritually connecting with them.
Things changed for me in 2013. My husband, David came to me to tell me he had a problem with alcoholism. I knew he had been struggling but he had been able to hide the progression of his illness. He had a beautiful soul and we thought we could beat it but he passed away in 2017. During that time my world fell apart. I was losing my life partner and the bread winner of our family. The difficulties of his disease were incredibly challenging and the way I began to cope was to use prayer and meditation. I used a rosary, it was a tool that I had from back in my childhood growing up in Catholic family. I used it as a way to meditate. It kept my mind from making a grocery list and helped me settle enough to sleep. I would imagine my ancestors and they were all Irish, sitting around a table praying with me because even though I hadn't had a spiritual experience with them, I still believe they were with me.
And then it happened. I had a dream one night. It is actually called a visitation. What that means is a someone, usually someone you know who has passed, will come to be with you in a very real way, like you are in the same room together. My Great Aunt, Sr. Lou came to me. We sat across from each other at a table, just us. I tried not to look at her but she held my hands and made me look directly into her eyes and said to me "We hear your prayers". And then I woke. In that moment I knew I was no longer alone. They were all with me.
And then it happened again. And again it was the rosary but this time I was fully awake. I was trying to settle myself down to sleep, and saying the rosary. When you say the rosary, you say it in a quiet but audible voice. I suddenly began to say the rosary in an Irish Brogue. I had never spoken in a Brogue and I was in disbelief but I felt the spirit of one of my Irish ancestors saying the rosary with me. It went on throughout time I said the rosary. And she would come back for months to say it with me. I would even try not to say it in a brogue but once I started she would come in. I know for some this will be hard to understand or to believe. It is hard to share. But if we look back into history, there are many things that were not believed, until they were.
So I want to end this by sharing that those were just my first Spiritual connections. Many have happened since that time. And the Ancestors are around and guiding me as I guide others through Ancestral Healing. But more importantly, the message I want to share is the Spiritual connection happened, not when I was trying to connect but came at a time when they knew I needed them. They have since helped me understand that for each of us it is different and that it can happen in many many ways. They have also shown me that they had been reaching out for a long time and I hadn't understood their language.
To learn more , I am offering a free mini classes "Can We Open Up to Spiritual Connections?, Next Tuesday Aug. 6, 2024 2PM (ET), 11 am(PT) It will be fun and interesting. I hope you can make it!
I am also beginning a 7 week course that will explore the many different ways to take your own personal journey either as group class or personal journey. To learn more about the course
With thanks,
~Bernadette
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