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The Guides
YOU HAVE A CHOICE IN SPIRITUALITY,
CHOOSE FREEDOM!
A Spiritual Path and Spiritual Technology Movement
Group Practice
Group-Based Teaching
Group Fun
A Safe Spiritual Home
A few years ago I was given a vision of a group of people who gathered regularly to:
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learn and grow
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to connect
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to experience the direct power of personal evolution
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to gain the ability to do for themselves spiritually
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to become competent guides for themselves and others into choices in the spiritual realm
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to enjoy and celebrate Spiritual success!
Sound unreasonable in the world of organized religions and spiritual authorities? Good. We need something new, something "real-life," something about us. The Guides are just that. We are in the early years, but I see this movement growing across the U.S., across continents, and moving in it's gentle support across the world. It's a new age of personal freedom, it's your time. You are your only spiritual and religious authority. The Guides can help you taste your freedom. They can show you what roads are available to you in Spirit.
Spirituality: Like everything else, it's all about equal access. I don't believe you should have to go to a Spiritual authority and go through them to have manifestations of Spirit power. You shouldn't be limited in your ability to explore the Unseen.
For thousands of years, people have felt or have been lead to believe by others that they have to do spiritual things a certain way. It was usually the way the tribe thought was appropriate. And that was almost always determined by whoever the tribe had appointed to be the gatekeeper for Spirit. Sometimes it was a single person, sometimes it was a group. This "authority" would establish things a person could be allowed to do and things a person could not be allowed to do with Spirit. The "rules" would be tailored often by personal events in the life of the Spirit-go-between person. Often, the rules were very limiting, the penalities for violating them, severe. Even benevolent "authorities" talked about horrible penalties that Spirit would inflict upon people who broke the rules. We all know about the various pograms that happened in history. Pagans persecuted others, non-pagans persecuted others, it was commonplace.
OK. That's our past. But let's play a game of "What If..."
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What if there were no rules? What if the rules were made by people who were making it up as they went along, basing it only on their experiences and desires?
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What if there was absolutely nothing scary in Spirit? What if all the stories of evil spirits and demons was a bunch of hullabaloo?
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What if the stories of madness and loss being the penalty for messing around with Spirit were also just a bunch of bunk? Just false legend?
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What if NO ONE knew much about Spirit? What if there weren't any authorities? What if no one could claim they knew it all and be believed anymore? What if the only difference between people was a measure of how much time and effort they spent looking into Spirit and experimenting with it?
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What if we were all equals, equally exploring and trying things in Spirit?
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What if we learned from our mistakes and successes and acted responsibly to ourselves and others?
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What if we shared what we learned freely with one another and speculated together to try to learn more?
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What if we were free to disagree? What if nobody cared who agreed with what?
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What if people developed a healthy scepticism and started trusting themselves more?
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What if the whole thing was about freedom to do what we each thought was right, no matter what anyone else thought?
In my experiments with Spirit, the "what if's" listed above appear to be what I've been validating all my life. Now, I know this makes me an iconoclast (an image breaker). I don't care! I want to be authentically a human and spiritual being. I want to just be equal: that's enough! And I want to share. A great book says: "Every man and every woman is a star. Every number is infinite. There is no difference." This, to me, is a perfect expression of the truths I've been writing about.
What about Gurus, teachers, clergy, psychics, etc? It's time to recognize that these people are just ordinary people who have devoted a lot of time and effort into Spirit research, experimentation, and practicing skills. THAT'S ALL!! There is no special sanctity that certain people have. We all have sanctity. No one should be held to a "higher standard". That's bunk! The Master Jesus said: "Test the Spirits" and "A good tree does not bear bad fruit". Let's get with it and take personal responsiblity to test and look over the fruit of the people we want to depend on to do work for us. Is there a place for Gurus, teachers, clergy, psychics, etc.? Sure. There likely always will be. Lots of people don't want the "do it yourself" role in Spirit. Sometimes folks just don't have the time or the desire just yet to look into Spirit themselves at the depth they'd really like to. Some people seem to be wired to be focussed upon Spirit. The role of such persons is to help others by sharing what they know and can do. But it is NOT to take over other people's lives, or to dictate to them, or to take away their power. And such people are also ordinary folks who have flaws, problems, illnesses, mixed up right along with their wisdom and skills. They should not be required to live "special lives set apart". They should be free just as much as anyone else.
The Guides has--I believe--been designed by Spirit specifically to support the free expression of our desires for exploration and mutual cooperation in accessing Spirit. Available to adult persons of all races, creeds, religions, orientations, genders, ages, levels of experience, and background, it is a movement centered around personal freedom, personal responsibility, and reliance upon self. It's early days in the movement. So far, it's just spread to two cities. But Spirit has shown me a vision of something very far-reaching, deep--comprehensively so--and something that will touch thousands and thousands of lives.
Why is it called "The Guides"? A Guide expresses perfectly the idea of what people who focus on Spirit are. We just show others possible choices, possible paths. A good guide doesn't require us to live by their light. Consider: if you were going into a huge forest and you went with a Guide so you could get familiar with the forest and feel comfortable, would they make you do certain things? No. They'd just tell you what they know--highlighting that they by no means know it all. They'd show you around, acting more like a host and certainly not like a tyrant. They'd be interested in your input. And if you wanted at any point to wander off on your own, they'd let you! They'd probably support you in doing so, making sure you know you could regain their assistance if it was needed. And they'd feel good that they'd helped you and done their job well. This, to me, is what real religion is. It's was true spirituality is. Guiding, not forcing. Hosting, not requiring. Should these people be rewarded for their help? Of course, and they should be well-rewarded. I've been shown by Spirit that at some point in the future, people will be certified as Guides. This will be a spiritual career path that will become well-known publically. I envision retreat houses, a publishing company, many temple houses, and a worldwide network for this movement. It's very clear vision to me.
For now, however, we're all in the waiting mode, waiting for the future of the movement. While we wait, the most important thing is to come together, to meet, to learn and grow and have fun together as we explore and experiment and teach each other. That all happens in regular meetings. Interested in trying it out and seeing what you think about it? Before you consider further, here's some important facts about the meetings:
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I'm Guiding the meetings until I can get some folks certified. I'm not in any hurry to do that. I want people to feel like they understand the movement, know what they're doing, and feel comfortable. Also, I want to KNOW they'll be effective in this role.
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The meetings are free--no charge. I do collect a love-offering to help cover my travel costs, time, and materials. You can give if you want. It's appreciated!
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No one is allowed to be present who is mean, spiteful, hurtful to others. I just ask these folks to leave. I'm happy to walk away from a meeting or do whatever is necessary to keep the atmosphere wholesome and clear of negative stuff.
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No one is allowed who is engaging in psychotic or neurotic behavior to the point that it ruins everything for others. This includes drama junkies. Again, I just ask such folks to leave. Meetings last 2 hours. Both cities I'm in right now go from 7 PM to 9 PM.
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The group determines what they want to look into, what they want to try and learn about. Remember, I don't know about everything and I'm no authority. But I do know quite a bit about different practices and I can do lots of different things, some better than others. So, I accept capable people teaching with me or instead of me.
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I'll keep the schedule for meetings posted on the website. Look under "Meetings of The Guides".
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The meetings are rewarding to everyone, fun, and light-hearted. It certainly ain't dreary!
You're welcome to come and participate. All I ask is a love offering, if you can. It helps pay for travel and costs of materials and for my time. I look forward to meeting many others who want to grow through the power only freedom provides! In the warmth of Radiant Spiritual Love,
Rev. Stephen Carroll |
Principles of the Guide
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I am one of countless Guides, Seen and Unseen, who are leading this one who trusts me.
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I am always being Guided just as others are -- even when it seems I am not.
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I choose to believe that no one can be lost upon the way.
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The choice of the way belongs to the Guided. My role is to assist them in making an informed choice.
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My charge is to walk the way asked by the Guided, leading them to their desired destination.
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The Guided walk in many paths I cannot see or comprehend. When they leave what I preceive as the path they have asked me to Guide them upon, I affirm they continue being Guided by others. Therefore, I withdraw in serenity.
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As a catalyst, I balance teaching and demonstrating with the principle of MYSTERY:
---Preparing, informing, and aiding the guided in walking the rougher roads: predicting the terrain when I am led to do so by Spirit.
---Allowing Mystery to teach by not informing or predicting when I am so led by Spirit.
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Harmlessly, I play the role of loving trickster -- exercising care both in deception and revealing.
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I gently support the Guided when the unexpected appears upon the way.
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I celebrate the surprises that come as the journey unfolds.
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Reminding and demonstrating the reality of unending security to the Guided, I ease their fears and concerns. I point to the Seen and Unseen's constant loving sanctuary, a sanctuary which encompasses all that lives. My watchwords: "Life can be trusted."
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With my Lamp, I illuminate the many roads that can be taken.
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It is my place to remind the Guided of their eternal and perfect freedom.
What is MYSTERY?
"Mystery" is an old concept in human spirituality. Sometimes called "the Mysteries" it has to do with the primary idea that Spirit always is teaching, always showing, always Guiding. Spirit is always the Great Mystery. We don't know what it is, what it's goals are, what it's doing, why. Still, it is endlessly benevolent and can be trusted. Experience proves that. Sometimes Spirit tricks us. Sometimes it doesn't. No matter what it does, it's puzzling in it's action. So, Mystery refers to direct Spirit action. Being "in Spirit" means that you are tuned into the Mystery frequency. You are allowing the Great Mystery to work through you, around you, even when it ignores you completely and goes right to it's object, someone other than you. You learn when to get out of the way and when to be involved in the process. In Vodou, we refer to the Spirits as "Mysteres".
What's The Difference Between Spirit and Spirits?
There ain't none. Sometimes, Spirit manifests as plural, sometimes singular. I think it's all the same thing. In Hebrew it's my translation of the word Achad that sums this up best. Most of the monotheistic versions of Semetic religion translate this as "one". But I think it's more accurately rendered as "unity". So, Spirit is a "unity". Is it one? Yes and no. Is it more than one? Yes and no. Do I really have the foggiest idea of the reality of Spirit--naw, not really. I just go on what others have written and what I have experienced and what I've heard. That's all any of us can do. Spirit is a partnership and it always works together. My Aunt, the Rev. Ola Mae Carroll, always used to say: "Stevie, the Holy Spirit is a gentleman." In other words, Spirit has manners. That's been my experience. If I act towards Spirit in a mannerful way, I get better results. However, sometimes I'm kinda out of control with rage or sadness or whatever human condition we all get in. At those times, Spirit tends to overlook my anger or sadness and leads me to wholeness in the midst of my ugly actions, thoughts and feelings. That is my chiefest proof that Spirit understands us and loves us. I believe it's a form of grace.
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