After being on a conscious spiritual quest that spanned many years, I heard a plethora of “common” expressions and words used, but few were ever explained. This was especially frustrating for me because this was during a time in my life when I was being “led from my head.”

My mind is quick and curious, and I asked many questions during my quest for Truth and information. Looking back, I realize I have always been quite earnest—specifically toward spiritual matters. I believe that this is a remnant of trying to be a “good” Catholic girl lest I be sent to Hell by God for being unable to figure things out—especially not being able to figure out “Him” (God).

I have decided to cover some of the basics, as I understand them, within a collection of blogs. I offer them to you for your consideration in an attempt to make your spiritual quest a bit smoother than the rocky, pothole-filled journey I endured.

More than simply explaining these terms, it is my intention to provide you with practical ways to incorporate them into your everyday life and, in some cases, integrate them into your “Spiritual Tool Kit.”

Some of the terms I will begin addressing are ones that were the most challenging for me to wrap my head around in regard to how people were using the terms and what, exactly, were the terms’ true meaning. Often times, when I questioned the users of the terms regarding what they thought the term meant, their answers were, in my opinion, evasive (“…too complex to explain”; “…a matter of faith”) and confusing. The people I questioned would circle back to the term itself instead of explaining or defining the term. Their verbal looping gave me the impression that they did not understand the term and what it actually meant themselves.

If you are a contemplative, introspective, or, like me, a “head-y” person, who yearns for clarification about spiritual and metaphysical (beyond the physical) concepts, stay tuned…