This is the first in a series of "need to know" info posts to help you as you progress on your spiritual and life path. 

First, a brief look at how spiritual tools and systems work and what to do when they don't. Also, why spiritual tools and systems work better for some but not others (and what to do about it). I'll then share a reality-bending secret that unlocks tools and systems, so read on if you want to learn it. 

Here's what you need to know…

Smoke and Mirrors (But Real Magic)

Just like there is no magic pill for dis-ease, no spiritual tool or system is a quick fix. Instead, spiritual tools and systems offer amazing opportunities for consciousness-changing and eye-opening clarity over time(to those who know how to tap in).

Practices like Tarot, astrology, magick, Human Design, runes, I-Ching, meditation techniques, Kaballah, and yoga all share the ability to create conscious awakenings and help you live more "lucidly."

Spiritual tools and systems (STAS) uphold traditions, maintain oral and written histories, and are sought out by millions for their consciousness-changing effects that allow you to evolve differently as a conscious being over time. You can use them to improve your life, feel closer to the creative force (or god), uplift those around you, uncover your inner self, and build an awareness of energy. Then, you can tap into energy mechanics by getting tuned in with the cycles of growth, release, and renewal.

All STAS operate like a set of mirrors to help you see yourself (and life, the world, problems, opportunities, etc.) more clearly.

Renewal

Renewal, here is that word again. Your tools and systems, or mirrors into deeper dimensions of consciousness, require practice and polish to work at their highest potential, and so do we. A lot of mirror polishing and skill refinement is gained through continued use. The more polished and practiced a method, the more clearly it reflects the world and "the self" back. There is also a secret to optimizing your STAS, and I'm about to share it. Before I share that secret, though, here's what will keep you from feeling stuck with common obstacles:

Commitment to your own growth is key, but commitments will waver. 

It's important not to force commitment. Instead, you should RE-commit to a spiritual path as often as necessary, even take breaks when needed during that process. 

As the saying goes: 

"Where there is great doubt, there will be great awakening." 

Analyze your practices, make changes, purge what's outdated or unnecessary, and recommit to what feels like the truest expression of your path (even if it radically changes). This process should feel like a symbiotic, coming into agreement with the spiritual forces around and inside you. They will ask things of you, and you will have needs that need to be met in return. 

Continued renewal of your commitment to your path will keep you successfully connected to the magic and your purpose. A purpose-driven individual becomes clear about WHAT they are doing and hope to achieve, and most importantly, WHY. 

It's About "Time"

Sidebar, Time is magic. It binds your consciousness to this world. Don't forget that you have it, and more than you think. Slow down and really feel life happening. Don't assume time is working against you or let your mind dwell too long in the future (your body is right here). Your relationship with time (and patience) will transform everything. Being a spiritually evolving human often means forgetting all this, then reminding yourself again as you return to your center.

Be persistent in pursuing what helps you grow, but be gentle with your pace. Real, lasting transformative results (and mastery of spiritual tools and systems) happen over years, decades, and lifetimes, not months or weeks. You will begin downloading big chunks of clarity and attracting clusters of synchronicities in the meantime. This will have powerful transformative effects long before mastery. It helps to remain open to the process and become a lifelong student.

Downloading Consciousness

When using tools and systems, journaling, creative outlets, and contemplative reflection are some of the best ways for someone of any experience level to capture, digest, and integrate new information from their mystical experiences into something usable during normal waking consciousness. Downloaded information is often "encrypted" in the spiritual format, so you need some reliable ways to digest and integrate it. Then, it's important to purposefully return to a normal waking consciousness (and routine) to let things "gel" in your subconscious and higher mind.

You've probably met someone who hasn't done any integration. They are information hungry and begin taking in too much information, way too quickly, without digesting or decrypting it. Now they're just a little (or a lot bit) ungrounded. In severe cases, they're experiencing mental health difficulties from their reality shifting too much at once. Their mistake is rushing too quickly, not "digesting" encrypted energies to generate clear awakenings over time.

Why Some People "Won't Get It"

The people who achieve the best results using STAS are the ones who remain open to learning and growing and practice patience. The people who don't do well with this path are those who stay stuck in fixed ideas about themselves and the world, rush, or struggle to look deeper into themselves.

In transformation, there is loss and (here it is again…) renewal. This process usually involves healing through a full spectrum of breakthrough "positive" and gut-wrenching "negative" emotions and experiences, representing parts of the self that must be integrated. One has to be internally ripe and ready for this process to be allowed to unfold. It can't (and shouldn't) be forced. It's not about hitting a high or avoiding a low, chasing pleasure or avoiding pain, but about absorbing the wisdom of the journey between each peak and valley you visit.

Subconsciously, we all know this, and some of us aren't ready for that kind of journey. That's okay. Many will find similar insight through other means. The "spiritual path" is full of unique obstacles that may not be accessible or helpful to people of certain dispositions. Sometimes unique personal interests, nature, therapy, art and music, relationships, or health and life challenges will serve as better "mirrors," even if the individual doesn't know their significance.

Curious Work (Here's That Secret)

If you haven't started digging into this stuff yet, starting here will make any spiritual growth tool or system much more approachable (and makes for fewer "dark nights of the soul"). To get the best out of any practice, you must feel safe and aligned with it. It has to be a good representation of you, your beliefs, and your authentic way in the world. If you're already practicing and using tools but haven't done a deep dive into your true motivations, or if it's been a while and you have been feeling stuck, it's time again…

As for the secret, it's simple but it works. One force within the human mind and consciousness is a source of continuous energy, inspiration, and transformation. Things will eventually become stale or rigid if you aren't aspiring to be *curious* in life and on your journey. 

For the record, curiosity did not kill the cat. Foolishness did. That cat was not in tune with its environment that day and took some unnecessary risks. Human curiosity is a spiritual force that lights up hope, potential, and creative energy. A curiosity mindset supports an open-ended, positive approach to life and reality. Practicing curiosity isn't meant to be reckless. It's meant to be a way of honoring messages from your clearest, most unique, and highest self. 

Curiosity begins an alchemical process in which it is its own product. It nullifies and transmutes pain, fear, and negativity into something positive, the curious creative force. Curious people see opportunity where others miss it while more naturally releasing fears and subconscious blocks. They know how to feel excitement and inspiration in their heart as they ask questions like "What if?" or "what would happen if I did this?". Without curiosity, life just happens to you. There's a dimensional Universe full of fresh experiences and energy, and curiosity opens up portals of opportunity in your everyday reality (from right inside your mind).

Curiosity is a non-violent rebellion against mundaneness, societal conditioning, disharmony, and unhealed trauma. It's a less taxing and more approachable mindset for growth and healing, where progress can become swifter, gentler, and the adventure more rewarding. I prefer myself better when practicing curiosity; I think you will too. 

Putting It All Together

Transformation is found by braving the wilderness of life and self, bending reality with curiosity, and enjoying the ride by making the journey the focus (rather than the destination). I always prefer to give readings to curious people, even curious skeptics. When people ask what's required for a reading, I always say,

"Curiosity."

Without genuine curiosity and aligned motivation, the seeker advances slowly and grows frustrated. We are all seeking something, so when I give readings, it's that voice I'm speaking to that's asking questions and singing the things that are important to the heart. I've spent my life tuning my ear to it, and even if I live a long life, I'll need a lifetime more to discover what else the voices of our hearts are capable of revealing. Your curiosity will reveal worlds within and a universal interconnectivity can be seen within your tools and systems. You will learn how each thread connects, how to honor that balance, and how to shape it.

To Get Started

Ask yourself…

• How would my "curious self" approach this?

• If there's an easy answer, contemplate how that "curious self" can answer the question and if it's being allowed to lead. 

• What's getting between your curious self and its expression? Do you trust it?

• Can you feel out the difference between curiosity and recklessness? And, of course, you can. 

• If you can't hear the answer, you have to start catching your curiosity when it arises and follow it. It's pure intuition and should be honored! 

Remember: Major transformation, breakthroughs, magic synchronicities, and deep-wave healing can all be found through the steps revealed in moments where you recognize then follow your curious, creating force...