WATCH YOUR STEP!
By Marguerite Elsbeth

The spiritual path is much more than a course of study. It is both a religion and a way of life that offers glimpses of enlightenment along with countless adventures leading to new heights of self-discovery.

However, a potentially dangerous aftermath often attends the beginning stages of magical attainment. Whether you are a long time seeker or a spiritual newcomer, and no matter what path you follow, there are pitfalls to beware of as you travel the road to realization.

PREACHING WHAT YOU PRACTICE

Newcomers to the spiritual path tend to become very excited when the doors of consciousness begin to open, and sometimes this leads to over enthusiastic sermonizing. This is especially true when desired life-changes start to occur at a rapid pace; the spiritual path you have chosen may suddenly seem nothing short of miraculous!

Working with any spiritual path is likely to boost your power-drive. This happens because any genuine mystical tradition will naturally awaken your chakras, the seven inner energy centers that have a direct influence on the body, mind, and emotions. When your chakras wake up, watch out! You will have more power than you ever dreamed possible, and still, you may want more.

The desire for raw, unadulterated power and control is an ethical no-no; furthermore, it breeds lust, greed jealously, and many other ills in the process. Seek empowerment instead, and find strength and courage to do something constructive.

Overall, be careful in this stage of your spiritual development. You should know that not everyone shares your enthusiasm. Just because you have switched to a vegetarian diet, for example, does not mean everyone you know will follow suit. Moreover, proselytizing with dogmatic zeal sounds judgmental, disapproving, and hypercritical. Yes, you have made positive changes, but no one is perfect, not even you. So, it is best to save your preaching for the equally passionate congregation.

METAPHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF

One of the first bits of knowledge gleaned on journeying the spiritual path is the realization that thoughts are things. You may seek to help others by discreetly thinking well of them, or you may be tempted to use your brand-new perception to mentally heal others "for their own good." If the latter occurs, resist the urge to send mental messages to the subconscious mind of another person, even though you have good intentions.

This goes for love too. Again, there are ethics involved when attempting to use mental abilities to formulate a romantic interest. Like attracts like, so if you are single and wish to be in partnership create a list of the qualities you desire in a partner and work to develop then in yourself. This way, you will attract the kind of person you want without interfering with his or her free will.

Eastern Traditions are mystical in nature and focus upon emotional development. However, Western magical traditions lean toward the pursuit of intellectual knowledge, particularly in the early stages of the work. Still, a little knowledge can be a very dangerous think when your emotional nature is undeveloped. Your emotions must flow in confluence with your mind, or very little changes on the spiritual levels. Lack of emotional growth puts you at the mercy of all your old, negative, instinctual habit patterns of anger, resentment, self-criticism, guilt, doubt, or shame.

This is especially so when participating in group-work, where each individual shares his or her experiences to create the collective whole. The group-mind, an organized body of people drawn together for a specific purpose, is ensouled by group-emotion, which is made vulnerable by chinks in the emotional armor of its members. However, by listening to your heart instead of your intellect when you embark on the spiritual path, you may week out the outworn patterns that are a detriment to your self and others. Focus on your self first.

WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN

Movement is life; to stand still is to cease living. Life is infinite, so there can be no final attainment, even in terms of your goals. You can never achieve the peak of perfection, because from that peak of perfection you must move to the next and higher mountain top. Consequently, rather than seeking spiritual, mental, emotional, or physical perfection, it is better to focus on moving upward and onward.

Still, there are valleys of sorrowful experience you must enter for every mountain you climb. This is when your memory of the mountain top will serve you well. When you are crestfallen, you can hold onto the inner core of peace and security you attained during a high that will enable you remain in synchronistic flow with the cosmos.

The greatest challenge of all, especially for neophytes, is formulating and living up to the ideal spiritual personality. If you are uncertain about the self you are trying to reinvent, or feel that you have accidentally taken a wrong turn on the spiritual path, use these guidelines to self yourself in the right direction:

Develop the emotional qualities of your character as you increase the powers of your mind.

Eschew curiosity, ambition, and an overblown ego in favor of a big heart filled with empathy and compassion for the human condition shared by all.

Seek guidance and protection through those of like mind. Seek wisdom and depth through solitary dedication to the spiritual path.

Remember that no one human being or organization is pure and perfect. Gurus and groups may help to prepare you for initiation; they do not open your consciousness to a higher reality. True spiritual attainment comes through an intuitive connection to the cosmos. Therefore, trust and serve the Creator always.