“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them is through the desert.”
Spiritual Aridity refers to a state of spiritual dryness, emptiness, or disconnection that an individual may experience on their spiritual journey. It is a feeling of being spiritually depleted, where one may feel disconnected from their inner self, their purpose, or a higher power. In this state, individuals may struggle to find meaning, fulfillment, or a sense of direction in their lives.
It can manifest in various ways, such as a lack of inspiration, loss of faith, feelings of emptiness or numbness, and a sense of being stuck or stagnant on their path. It may occur as a result of personal challenges, trauma, prolonged stress, or a lack of spiritual practices and nourishment.
I've experienced a few moments in my life where I was spiritually dry:
When I was overwhelmed with family life - being the responsible and dependable one who took on everything, willingly, but somehow I felt obligated to do so. My grandmother moved in with me, and I suddenly became the tree root for my family, plus I had my own child to raise.
In addition to my family life, I was becoming burned out as a leader in my field, feeling like I could not talk to anyone because I felt no one could understand the position I was in, which in part, caused me to leave my career.
When I made the difficult decision to cut ties with my mother, who I love dearly, because I just couldn't continue in the dysfunction of my family.
When I realized I married the wrong person, and did not know how I was going to get out of a marriage I hadn't been in that long to begin with.
The list could go on, but those were some of the spiritually arid moments I've experienced in just the last 5 years.
The concept of spiritual aridity is often associated with a sense of longing for spiritual growth and deeper connection but feeling unable to access it. It's important to recognize that spiritual aridity is a natural part of the human experience, and many individuals go through periods of dryness on their spiritual journey.
Another major point of spiritual aridity is when I was liberated from the concept of Blackness. In my quest to answer my own question of curiosity, "Why do Black people have the worst outcomes in everything?", I was thrust on a journey of self-discovery that knocked the wool from over my eyes. I began to see myself as an eternal soul, and not as a Black person. This was major for me because Blackness had defined my entire life up until that point. I was raised and socialized as a Black person, and never as eternal consciousness, with limitless power and abilities. That's not to say that I don't look at myself and not see Black, before I see Black, I see a powerful being of light who happens to be Black, and happens to be a woman.
Addressing spiritual aridity involves introspection, self-compassion, and finding practices and communities that support spiritual nourishment and growth. Soul Water, a new community a friend and I created, has its focus on guiding people out of spiritual aridity, aims to provide a supportive environment where individuals can reconnect with their inner selves, discover their purpose, and thrive in their spiritual journey.
I wanted myself and others, especially Black people, to recover from this spiritual aridity that has been ingrained in us since birth. I say this because our neighborhoods are a direct reflection of the spiritual aridity we feel inside. The violence, infant mortality, poverty, - all stem from this concept of collective spiritual aridity which has its roots in a history of us feeling powerless.
The Soul Water community aims to equip us with the keys of liberation so we can discover ourselves as eternal souls, creating a new narrative that changes, then heals our communities so we can truly experience freedom.
I invite you into the Soul Water community. The first 30 days are free. Come see what we have to offer.
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