Take it away, Heidi!
Defining Spiritual
The best definition I can come up with for spirituality today (and I need to come up with a definition today because I agreed to do this guest post!) is: Connecting from a point of integrity.
Connecting to what? A higher being, an intangible reality, the natural world—each other.
Must those connections be made with integrity to be spiritual, and what is integrity anyway?
I settle on ‘the state of being whole’ as my working definition of integrity.
Aren’t we all inherently whole? I mean our fingers and toes, arms and legs, don’t go waltzing off apart from our torsos and heads of their own accord.
So it must be a given, then, that we’re all inherently whole.
Yet my first definition of spirituality crumbles before I can even complete my analysis.
It’s true that I’ve been thinking in terms of the inner realms—the world existing within each of us that is as complex as the one that exists beyond our skin. And it’s true that I’ve been thinking about how that inner terrain can become fractured, divided, broken, splintered…
Lost.
But even as I write that, I’m reminded that whatever parts of ourselves might get ‘lost,’ they haven’t technically gone missing. I mean, they remain within us, somewhere. Maybe shoved down deep in our nether regions or barricaded in each of our little toes, but these parts of ourselves aren’t so much ‘lost’ as they’ve just been eradicated from our waking, everyday awareness. Perhaps (most likely) they’re even parts of ourselves we wish could wander off, and we’d be glad if they did. We might even celebrate if we were to wake up one morning to discover they were gone, because we don’t really like those particular parts of ourselves. (Most likely) because it feels like they’re not really us. At the least, they don’t fit into the concept of who we think we are, and at the worst, they interrupt and intrude upon our connecting, thus create pain.
So these parts of ourselves aren’t lost to our being, they’re only lost to our conscious awareness. Thus I’ll amend my original definition of spirituality to: Connecting from the broadest point of consciousness.
More word games, right?
Not really. The broadening of consciousness is the spiritual journey, and as we become more capable of acknowledging, embracing, and integrating the whole of who we are inside of ourselves, something almost—perhaps really—magical occurs. Our altered consciousness radiates into the external world, changing it beyond recognition as we, the nexus of connection, are transformed. And in my book, that’s pretty darn spiritual. Perhaps that is why I’ve made the journey towards consciousness a central theme in The Queen of the Realm of Faerie and the crux of Melia’s journey.
Because just thinking about the Whole of it turns me on.
When Heidi Garrett was a child, her mother was the most magical person she knew. Unfortunately, they were separated by evil forces and her mother died a premature death. However, Heidi never forgot Louise, so when she had the opportunity to reconnect with her beloved grandma she seized it, even though the price of that choice was exile from the land where she'd grown up.
Her risk was was rewarded when she found herself, once again, in a world so unusual that it had to be enchanted. After all, her grandma, Elva, was an elf. When Elva joined her daughter, Louise, in the Unknown Beyond, Heidi was inspired to write fantasy stories that would remind anyone who read them what she'd never forgotten--
Once upon a time, you lived in an enchanted world...
She currently resides in Eastern Washington State with her husband and their two cats. So far, she loves the snow. Being from the South, she finds it very mystical.
Find Heidi Garrett:
Website: www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com
twitter: www.twitter.com/heidigwrites
Facebook: www.facebook.com/heidigwrites
Heid’s Latest Release is The Dragon Carnivale, The Queen of the Realm of Faerie Book 3
Energies in the Enchanted World are shifting and new alliances are forming; the Battle of Dark and Light has begun. Melia is desperate to make things right with Ryder, the young priest from Idonne, but first she must warn the half-bloods in the Mortal World that Umbra is coming for them, and face the powerful Dragonwitch and her spectacular Dragon Carnivale.
Buy The Dragon Carnivale at:
Very interesting guest post, Meradeth. (:
ReplyDeleteThe spiritual journey is different for everyone but an important one to make. Nice meeting you, Heidi and I love your book cover, very eye-catching and it sounds like a great read.
Thanks for joining us Elise--totally agree! :)
DeleteElise, thank you for your kind words about the cover! I will pass them on to my husband as he's the designer. I agree, the spiritual journey is deeply personal, and important (also fun!) Heidi
DeleteIt is a very cool cover! Also, her hair. *wants*
ReplyDeleteHah! No joke, right? :)
DeleteLeeandra, Thanks! I'll pass that on to my husband:) Have a great day, Heidi
Delete"The broadening of consciousness is the spiritual journey" - LOVE that :-)
ReplyDeleteSo good, right? :)
DeleteFaith, Thank you! the longer I search, it seems the more simplistic things have to be for me to cope:) Heidi
DeleteMeradeth, thank you so much for having me:) Exchanging these posts has turned out to be quite a bit of fun! Heidi
ReplyDeleteIt's been great! Thanks for suggesting it :)
DeleteI think anyone who denies there's a spiritual side to their life is fooling themselves. It's such an inherent part of us, and for those paying close attention, you do see how you're connected to others.
ReplyDeleteSo so true!! Love the way you put that!
DeleteCrystal, I agree:) Thank you for taking the time to read and comment! BTW how are you? I've been sloppy about attending #indiechat, hope all is well with you, Heidi
DeleteWhat an interesting post! Spirituality can take on so many different forms. This sounds like an interesting series!
ReplyDeleteIt does sound awesome, doesn't it?
DeleteStephanie, thank you! I think that's the thing that is so powerful about spirituality, it's a lens that is both intensely cosmic and intensely personal, thus the "so many different forms!" Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Heidi
DeleteIt's a very vivid cover, Heidi, and a terrific guest post.
ReplyDeleteIt could be said that those lost parts of ourselves might get locked away deep down inside, too...
So true, William!
DeleteWilliam, I think you're right. That's the sad part, some of this stuff get's buried so deep within us, it never sees the light of day again. That's the tragedy! I dream if we were all WHOLE, the external landscape of our world/shared experience would be greatly altered, probably for the better! Thank you for stopping by both are blogs and commenting:) Heidi
DeleteI believe in the spiritual and magical. That side of our lives is different for all of us, but I believe we all have it.
ReplyDeleteI agree--I think there's definitely something there within all of us that is spiritual (or whatever you want to call it).
DeleteMedeia, I do too! The spiritual and the magical are very bound for me:) And yes very personal, thank you for stopping by and commenting, Heidi
DeleteHow wonderful that Heidi's grandmother was an elf. So much magic inside her then! I feel magic and spirituality go hand in hand. :) What a great post. Wishing Heidi much success.
ReplyDelete~Jess
Magic and spirituality totally have a connection, don't they? :)
DeleteJess, thank you:D Grandma was super special, kind of my magic inspiration… my spiritual one too! Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Heidi
DeleteWow, Heidi...
ReplyDeleteRight? :)
Delete