I was going back and forth, wondering if I should actually post this blog. What is written here, some people may not be happy with. But in my experience with life in general, I know it is not possible to please everyone. A part of my journey sometimes is disappointing people. However, people's disappointment is less about my views/actions and more a reflection of people's expectations of me and my work. I can't help that. This blog may not be the most uplifting, but if you know me, you'll know that I don't mind getting real and talking about the stuff that is not so "positive." I feel it is important to be able to talk about these issues openly and express how we feel. So with that being said, know that whatever I have written is just my personal perspective.
The political climate, especially in the United States, is explosive at the moment. We are seeing changes that many have never seen before, changes that are causing us to question and re-evaluate our values, our connections and the values of the country we live in. One of the big questions being asked right now is, "What is most important?" Before our eyes, we are witnessing the destruction of the very structure the United States has been built upon. I mention the United States because I live here, but in truth, the entire world is going through an upheaval as a result of a collective transformation taking place on our planet. This process is revealing to us the reality of people's deepest and sometimes repressed feelings, especially in regards to what they truly think about the state of our world and the people in it. Whether it be the average guy on his way to work everyday trying to make a living, or the spiritually attuned person who considers themselves a visionary with a desire to create a better world, we are all being called back to our center to clarify how we feel and what is most important to us.
Spirituality is a part of my life. Everyone that knows my story, knows that I have sacrificed a great deal to be able to embody this work fully. All beings are spiritual in nature, but my focus has been specifically sharing spiritual wisdom with the world and helping people on their journey of self realization. I've always been a bit of a loner, but the group I resonated with the most was the new age community. While I never gave myself the "new age" label, a lot of my spiritual experiences have fallen into this category and so I found it easiest to discuss my thoughts with people in that community. There are many new age concepts that have worked for me and some, I teach to my clients.
But recently, I've noticed a rift between me and the new age community. With all of the civil turmoil, fear, sickness, death, conspiracy theories and destruction in the United States especially, I have observed a surprising amount of coldness, disconnection and exclusivity coming from the new age community. Coming across certain comments online disturbed me because it showed me that we still have some work to do when it comes to "walking our talk" and understanding how spirituality works. I'll list some comments I've read below and share my perspective on them.
"If you keep your vibration high, you won't get the virus"
This statement was and still is being repeated often as we are dealing with the COVID 19 pandemic. I talked about it in one of my Youtube videos but I feel it's important to mention it here. This one really concerned me because it isn't necessarily true. Regardless of how high you keep your vibration, you can still be plagued with an illness. It does not matter where you are on your process of spiritual evolution. Illness, at this point in our collective journey, is part of the physical experience. It does not make you a bad or "low vibration" person. Some of the greatest spiritual teachers and sages have been afflicted with cancer and other fatal maladies. It's important to be mindful our approach to illness, seeing it not only as a reflection of our overall state, but as an experience that can be just as much of a teacher as any other life changing experience.
"That is not my reality"
"Change your thoughts to change your reality"
This statement is based on the idea that your thoughts, beliefs and feelings create your reality. I understand and actually follow the concept of creating your reality. I don't disagree with it. Where we can run into trouble is assuming that our individual reality is the "right" or "only" reality. Whatever we have created for ourselves does not give us the right to judge others for their situation or disregard their personal experience. People have to live their lives and not everyone is dealt a pleasant hand. Life can be hard. We also have to know when to use statements such as this one. Bringing someone's awareness to their spiritual creative power is only helpful when they are in the right state for it. Saying something like, "change your thoughts and change your reality." to someone who is still working through difficult lessons, is not conducive to their growth. In fact, it can cause them to blame themselves for where they are as opposed to empowering them to make changes. Regardless of where people are on their journey, they deserve to be honored. People deserve to be valued. They deserve to be helped. They deserve to be uplifted and supported. I feel heartbroken when people's experience is belittled because they haven't created a reality that suits the standards of another.
"I don't see color. We are all one."
This one is not only cold, but dangerous. A statement like this can seem innocent but in the midst of the civil crisis we are currently experiencing, it is a reflection of privilege and denial. Attempting to skip over the uncomfortable stuff is quite common in new age circles. There is no way that we as individuals or as a nation can evolve unless we are able to look at the conditions that have created our current state of discord. Another thing I am hearing is, "They are using racism to trigger people and further divide us." Even if this is true, the main reason why racism CAN be used at all to divide people is because it has not been healed. It is because we have not given those suffering from it the space to express their rage in an environment where people actually accept how they feel. In the past, colored people have been told to get over racism. They've been told that times have changed and we are no longer living in the days of slavery. What people fail to realize is that racism still is a problem. It wouldn't seem like a problem to those who haven't had the ancestry that is prone to experiencing racism. But to those who do have African, Hispanic and Indigenous ancestry, it can be an everyday reality. I have also heard that black and brown people need to take responsibility for their own progress and they need to "get it together." Now, I agree that people are responsible for their own healing. However, it is different when you have an individual vs a collective race/ethnic group. To heal, takes awareness. You must be aware that there is a problem and you also need to be aware that there are resources that can be utilized for your healing. Many black and brown people are limited in their capacity to see beyond their current experience because for them, struggle is all they have known. And sometimes, they feel there is no way they can get out of it. I do feel slavery and its ancestral effects has been paramount in creating this mindset. We need to keep this in mind. If people feel this way, we cannot judge them for their current state. It is a pattern that has been there for hundreds of years. Are they responsible for their healing? Yes. Because looking to the past is not enough to create a solution. But I do not feel this healing process needs to be done alone. It should not be done alone. It would be too much to process without the proper tools and guidance. So resources need to be provided to support deep levels of healing to those who feel called. Again, they need resources and they need to know the resources are there. I want to mention again that those who find themselves bound by the trauma of their ancestors are not just low vibrational people. They are people that are trying their best to navigate through life as much as possible.
Another thing I want to point out is that the new age approach can also be seen as coming from a place of privilege. Being able to focus on shifting your thoughts, balancing your chakras, channeling, and crystals is not an easy possibility for many people. Some people are just trying to get through the day, making sure they have enough to eat and feed their families. This is why many black and brown people go the ancestral route with their spiritual practice. It is close to home, they can identify with the deities/spirits because they look just like them, AND it works faster. I will say even for myself that I was lucky that I was able to focus on my personal spiritual approach because I did not have to worry about where my next meal was going to come from. I had a home, I didn't have much money but I had some, and I didn't have a lot of mundane concerns like some people do. But I know I was privileged to be able to live this way and focus on my spiritual growth. Does that mean I didn't struggle? Not at all. I struggled a lot actually. But there were certain things I didn't have to worry about as much as some people.
"Our president is here to...(insert heroic event here)."
I'm going to keep this one short because I don't want to get too political, but no political figure is worth the violence, arrogance and abrasiveness that I have seen coming from supporters. There are some new age circles that have elevated our president to a messiah like figure, someone who is destined to save our world from dark governmental corruption. Why this has disturbed me is because it has shown me that some new age circles still have not embraced their true sovereignty. Their power has been displaced and directed towards someone who in reality is human just like everyone else. And they are willing to be aggressive towards others and sacrifice a great deal in order to protect their identification with this figure. No political figure is more important than us. We are the ones who need to create this change and come together. It has been disappointing to see the amount of investment being put into someone who is a human and will surely make mistakes like all of us do.
"All the lower vibrational people will die to help the evolution of our planet."
I think this one hurt me the most. Who determines who is low vibration? Who determines who is a match for this "new world?" People have taken it upon themselves to determine who is high vibration and who is low vibration. And most of the time "high vibration" for some new age circles is about what you appear to be as opposed to what you truly are. As I've said before, what makes someone spiritual is not the crystals, a vegan diet, doing readings or working with astrology. It is about embodying all that you are on a physical AND ethereal level.
It hurts me when people hear and then repeat such a statement nonchalantly, as if people are disposable based on where their vibration is. Those that are sick, concerned, fearful or dealing with personal issues are seemingly being discarded, seen as a pests or an albatross to the planet's spiritual development. People that are having a hard time processing events that can trigger fear or upset, are still people. Do we have to spend every waking moment with them? No. But we do need to keep in mind that part of the human experience is confronting these kinds of feelings. We've all felt them. Thinking that we've transcending them does not give us the right to belittle those who have not. Even in the "new world", we will still have people that are not spiritually aware. We are no better than them.
"You're a sheeple."
This one is interesting to me. Some new age circles speak of oneness, unity and togetherness and yet this statement alone creates an environment for separation. I also feel it supports a hierarchical approach. Some may not use this exact statement but may say things like, "If you don't know the government is doing this, you need to wake up.", "If you do this, you're a sheep." These statements belittle others. They do not encourage us to come together. If this is what the common goal is, we need to be careful in using such statements. Spirituality as a way of life, is not about convincing others to live the way we think they should live. It is not about putting others down for their way of life. At some point, we need to step back and allow others to experience life in a way that works for them, even if we disagree with it. We cannot force anyone into anything, and especially not through belittling them. We are not the authority over anyone's way of life.
So why has all of this broken my heart? Because it shows me that the one thing that is missing from some new age circles is compassion. It seems that the goal is to have power, to be right, to receive praise. This hurts me, because regardless of how much people may want to discard those that are not at a "high vibration", we still have to live with these people. Even when we don't see the struggling or the poor because we've "created a reality" where we see only wealth, they are still there. Their story needs to be heard, their experience needs to be seen as valid. What is it that we truly want? If the goal is to create a better world, we need to spread love and understanding to those around us. We don't create a better world by telling people they're sheeple or projecting our personal power onto a political figure. It is us that creates this change. Why do you think it's so important for us to heal ourselves (should we feel guided to)? The love that radiates from us when we move beyond our personal limits can be used to help others and uplift the world. Spirituality is not about transcending our humanity, it is about fully embodying every aspect of our humanity. It is about seeing the humanity AS WELL AS the Divine spark in others. Want to create a better world? Start with more love, compassion and understanding.
Much love,
Saiedah
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