House As a Metaphor for Spirit

There is a bit of Hindu wisdom that describes everyone as a house with four rooms -- one physical, one mental, one that is emotional, and another that is spiritual. "Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time, but unless we go into every room every day, if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person",  observes Rumer Godden, author of the memoir A House With Four Rooms.

'The House of Belonging' is another concept about living the life that you were meant to live, a life where you are courageously true to self. It is worth considering.

Sarah Ban Breathnach describes it as a metaphor for the "earthly home of the soul" but notes that in ancient Celtic tradition it is also used to represent the deep sense of safety, contentment, and joy found in connection with intimates who could be described as "soul friends".

We at the Goddess Path, count ourselves blessed to have several such friends. Some of them even volunteered to share their words of wisdom with you this month, giving me a chance to spend some time working on the re-embodiment of my self and my ideals.

So we thank Rev. Laurie Sue, The Wedding Goddess and author of "A Goddess Is a Girl's Best Friend" for sharing her thoughts on the Art of Spring Cleaning . . . clearing the path for love, of Self or others.

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Spring Cleaning for the Heart and Soul

Freshen your home and open up your love life

 
 By Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway

 

Is your love life at a standstill? Are you feeling kind of stuck in the winter blahs and lack-of-relationship blues? Does life in general look a little messy? Do things seem out of balance and off-centered? If so, it may be time for a spring cleaning of the heart and soul!

 

I am convinced -- and I have seen -- that we can pray and Feng Shui our way out of a love rut  … and into a great relationship.

 

It may seem wacky to think that a pile of old magazines or relics from relationships past that are collecting dust can keep new love at bay, but clutter and memorabilia can impact your love life. Why not utilize the stir of springtime to clean house in your life, on all levels, and get yourself even more tuned-up for love! A good, soulful spring-cleaning will bring you a fresh start for the season of love.

 

In order to truly be ready to engage in a good relationship, you have to be committed to bringing order into your life on all levels -- physical, psychic, emotional, financial, and spiritual. It is often a process of gently releasing, letting go, identifying and giving up that which stands in the way of letting love in. This includes unsuitable relationships and unsuitable ties to old flames (you know the ones!). Let yourself mourn what you must leave behind -- an important process-- and then you can move on.

 

There is a very specific spiritual law that states that “nature abhors a vacuum.” Get rid of something and something new can come in. All of the worlds religions have specific ways to release the old -- from body, mind and spirit. And in Feng Shui, releasing clutter is the number one step to transforming your life. And there is a reason for this:  If your life is too cluttered or filled up with “stuff,” if your house is messy or your mind is disorganized, if you are not honoring your body or your spirit, it very hard to feel connected to your own divine nature and therefore it is difficult to create a life of your choosing. It’s harder yet to magnetize a partner who has it together and can brings a lot to a relationship.

 

This is the time to at least start to rethink your romantic game plan and slowly work your way toward transforming -- or releasing -- the relationships that are not your soul mate and the things in your life that do not represent the kind of relationship you would like to be in.

 

The best bet for a fresh start is to make symbolic gestures in the physical realm. Clearing the decks of disarray will help you create a healthy foundation for your life. And then, a healthy foundation in your life will help you create the space for your love to come in. These things take time. Be gentle with yourself but start somewhere!
 

Click to read the rest of 'Life Cleaning Tips'

© Copyright 2006 Reverend Laurie Sue Brockway  All Rights Reserved.

About the Author (and be sure to check out her workshop  'Invoking the Goddesses of Love' . Details below.)

Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway is a non-denominational wedding officiant and relationship coach known for her warm, loving and creative approach to blessing couples in love and helping people find true love. She’s author of Wedding Goddess (www.WeddingGoddess.com) and Find Your Spiritual Soul Mate (www.selfhealingexpressions.com)   She will lead Invoking The Goddesses of Love:  A Ceremonial Journey to Your Perfect Soul Mate, a workshop for women at Kripalu in Lennox, MA, on June 9-11, 2006. Register at www.kripalu.org .

 

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Hestia, Goddess of Home and Hearth

Though Hestia was the most influential and widely revered of the Greek goddesses, scholars today often refer to the her as "the forgotten goddess". Her name  means “the essence”, the true nature of things.

It is her traits, not her actions, that most define her. These virtues define the goddess Hestia:  mild, gentle, forgiving, peaceful, serene, dignified, calm, secure, stable, welcoming, and, above all else, well-centered.
 

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The goddess Hestia grew into womanhood, her grace and beauty and soon caught the attention of the gods Apollo and Poseidon who both sought her hand in marriage.

But Hestia wasn't having any of it!  Saying that Aphrodite's ways (romance and marriage) were not her ways, she placed her hand on Zeus' brow and swore an oath that she would not marry.  More than anything else, she wanted to follow a path that was true to her nature and was of her own choosing.

She didn't require the trappings of power or adventure (like Athena and Artemis, the other virgin, i.e. unmarried, goddesses).  She was perfectly content and fulfilled, being "Aunt Hestia", and enjoyed being of service to her family and community.

Zeus, grateful that her announcement had averted the possibility of war between the rival suitors, not only supported her wish to remain single but decreed that Hestia’s name should be mentioned first in any prayer and that she should receive the first portion of any sacrifice and be honored in the temples of each of the Olympian deities.
 

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So delighted was Zeus with Hestia's decision, that he handed her the keys to the family home (Mount Olympus) and offered her the position of manager, and with it the responsibility of running this vast estate while the rest of the Olympians wandered about in the larger world having all sorts of adventures.

True to her nature, Hestia stayed at home, never leaving Mount Olympus, always there to welcome the others and enjoy their “homecomings”. 

The goddess Hestia never involved herself in the fights and machinations of the other gods and goddesses, somehow managing to stay above the fray.  Non-judgmental and forgiving, her “unconditional love” and calm acceptance inspired the love and trust of others in return. Dependable and caring, Hestia was always there for them and helped them to manage their lives which were certainly more exciting than her own.

Hestia's vision of a house was that it should truly be a home, a place where one's body, spirit, and relationships would be nurtured and replenished. . . a place to "come home to" after exposure to the cold and chaos of the external world.