One of the reasons we have such a hard time understanding each other as human beings has to do with our “spirituality types.” Each of us, Pagan or Christian, experiences Divine in many different ways. Think of it as two intersecting lines:

The VERTICAL LINE is the difference between those who connect with Spirit better through the MIND verses those who connect with Spirit better through the HEART.

The goal of MIND is to “know the Divine.” Faith is more of an intellectual experience for them and they tend to get more out of sermons, bible studies, and practical applications of the their spiritual practice.

The goal of HEART is to “sense the Divine.” Faith is more of an emotional experience for them and they tend to get more out of prayer, music and the spirit of worship/ritual action.

Everyone fits somewhere along this vertical line. Some are stronger toward the MIND…others stronger towards the HEART.

Think for a moment about where you are on this line.

The HORIZONTAL LINE is the difference between those who experience Spirit more as MYSTERIOUS and HIDDEN verses those who experience Spirit more as PRESENT and REVEALED.

The Difference between these two types is the MYSTERY group tends to think of the Divine in terms of being powerful and almighty. The Divine is out there somewhere, a little distant and mysterious; perhaps a little hard to get to know.

The REVEALED group tends to think of the Divine as being up close and personal.  The One who walks with you and talks with you. The One who is always present with you every moment of the day.

Everyone also fits somewhere along this horizontal line. Some are stronger toward the MYSTERY…others stronger towards REVEALED.

Think for a moment about where you are on this line.

In the end, this puts us in one of four quadrants I will talk about in tomorrow’s post. Each of the four quadrants experiences the Divine a little bit differently. The challenge comes when we think our quadrant is the only “right way” to experience the Divine. This is absolutely NOT the case! The goal for all of us as we continue in our spiritual path is to move closer toward the center of the graph. Having a balance of all four of these perceptions enables us to appreciate the spiritual experiences of others. We are also much less threatened by others whose spiritual experiences can be quite different from ours.

Copyright ©2016 by David Taliesin, http://www.sabbatsandsabbaths.com