I am sometimes seen as religious. I wouldn’t mind except for two things. For one, it is not said as a compliment and secondly I don’t see it that way. I consider myself as a spiritual seeker who draws on the wisdom of many faiths but feels the need to have a container and structure that allows me to use a specific spiritual technology, in this case, Judaism.
I have always been an "intrapreneur". I work best within a structure. One thing I connect with in Judaism is that it’s really a celebration of the seasons. Forged in pagan ritual and infused with a search for the unknowable.
Recently a spiritual counselling client of mine lost their partner of 34 years. Reaching in to the spiritual toolkit of my religion we find the ‘Shiva’. A week of communal mourning.
At the end of each the day its required that 10 people assemble to read and sing prayers that reflect the sadness but also to follow the directive that the mourners, in their sorrow, choose life and seek solace in the community.
Community is hard to come by in this individualistic society. We need, in our way, to find the glue that binds us together. Rituals that obligates us to care for each other and reaffirm that we quite simply are walking each other home.
In my spiritual counselling practice I offer companionship to anyone who searches for deeper meaning and purpose along that journey.
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